Ballater & Crathie Community Magazine . no 90 Summer 2018 . ÂŁ1 where sold
THE
eagle
90 th Issue . Cub Reporter Winners Inside!
Inside Your Summer Eagle:
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We’ve skipped spring and rushed headlong into summer, which is just as well, as there are heaps of exciting events coming up in the area to keep us all entertained. This quarter we also bring you tales from far away, along with a few home truths from right on our doorstep... 4-5
Council Matters
39
Letter from the Editor
7
Geva’s Musings
42
For Poop’s Sake!
9
An Arctic Adventure
46
Diary
Eagle Cub Reporters
32
Loinmuie Future
50
Crathie School Report
34
Walk in the Park
52
Villages Action Plan
36
Invercauld House
56
Bridges Update
38
Pottering About
60
Local Groups: from p10
. Ballater Clinic: 30 . Ballater Films: 16 . Ballater Highland Games: 14 . Ballater Royal Deeside: 22 . Ballater Royal Horticultural Society: 20 . Ballater SWI: 22 . Crathie Kirk: 35 . Crathie Opportunity Holidays: 10 . CNPA: 41 . Deeside Cats Protection: 25 . Library News: 18 . News in Brief: 30 . Photography Club: 24 . Rotary: 28 . V&A Halls Trust: 44 . Victoria Week: 13 . Young@Heart Deeside: 26 . Advertisers’ Index: 62 . Cover photo features Lorna and Kitty enjoying an ice cream at Lizzie’s Tea Party for Diabetes. Update on p26
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The Eagle Diary June Mon 11 Sat 16 Sat 23
B+C Community Council meeting, Crathie Kirk Hall, 7-9pm Ballater Films presents Darkest Hour, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm Ballater Farmers’ Market on the Green, 10am-2pm
Fri 6 Sun 8 Mon 9 Sat 14 Sun 15 Sat 21 Thu 26 Sat 28
School Term ends! Concert with Alastair Savage in the Albert Hall, 2.30pm B+C Community Council meeting, Mike Sheridan Room 7-9pm FOCUS Craft Fair, Victoria Hall, 10am-4pm FOCUS Craft Fair, Victoria Hall, 10am-4pm Artaboyne Exhibition opens in Victory Hall, Aboyne, runs until Aug 11 BVW Scarecrow Workshop, Hut on the Green, 2-4pm, free Ballater Farmers’ Market on the Green 10am-2pm
July
August Thu 2 Fri 3 Sat 4 Sat 4 Sun 5 Mon 6
BVW Scarecrow Workshop, Hut on the Green, 2-4pm, free Medieval Banquet, Albert Hall, 7pm Ballater Victoria Week starts! Crathie Opportunity Holidays Film Night, 7pm BVW Vehicle Parade, Bridge Street, 1pm, followed by Cartie Race Book Fair, Victoria Hall, 10am-4pm Messy Play, Victoria Hall, 10am Small Pet Show, Albert Hall, 12noon Rufts Dog Show, Church Green, 1pm
Eagle Deadlines (copy and advertising) Spring: Feb 1 – publish early March Summer: May 1 – publish early June Autumn: August 1 – publish mid-Sept Winter: Nov 1 – publish early Dec
What’s On? Are Your Dates Here?
For inclusion in this FREE section of the Eagle please contact Faye Swan on 013397 55345 or info@swandesign.uk.com Tues 7 Wed 8 Thu 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Sun 12 Wed 15 Sat 18 Sun 19 Tue 21 Sat 25 Sat 25
Buttony Bear’s Picnic, Church Green, 12-2pm, inc BVW Bonnie Baby The BIG BWV TV Quiz, Victoria Hall, 7pm BIG BVW Lego Event, Victoria Hall, 10-12 The Greatest Showman Singalong, Victoria Hall, 7pm Ballater Highland Games in Monaltrie Park from 10am BIG BVW Ceilidh, Victoria Hall, 7.30pm BVW Fun on the Green, see programme for details Car Boot Sale, Church Green, from 10am BVW Duck Race on the Green, 1pm Duck Race on the River, 3pm Indoor Bowling Club AGM, Beaton Craigie Room, 7pm BRHS Exhibition & Flower Show, Victoria Hall, 2-5pm BRHS Exhibition & Flower Show, Victoria Hall, 11am-3.30pm Back to School... UDAS Art Exhibition, Victoria Hall, open daily until September 2 Ballater Farmers’ Market on the Green 10am-2pm
September Mon 10 Tue 28 Sat 22 Wed 29
B+C Community Council meeting, Mike Sheridan Room, 7-9pm Ballater Halls Indoor Bowling Club – new season 2-4pm + 7-9pm Ballater Farmers’ Market on the Green 10am-2pm Ballater Halls Indoor Bowling Club at 2-4 pm + 7-9 pm
Ballater Library Opening Hours
Sun, Mon & Wed: Closed
Tuesday: 10am-1pm, 6.30-8pm
Thursday: 2-4pm, 6.30-8pm
Friday: 2-5pm
Saturday: 10am-12noon
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Contact the Eagle
Hand in to the Library Post to Ballater Eagle, c/o Ballater Library, Ballater, AB35 5QB
email to: ballater.eagle@btopenworld.com
Contributions of any kind (ideally in Word format) always welcome.
Keep in Touch with an Eagle Subscription A subscription can be a very welcome gift to farflung friends and relatives. Simply provide the name and address to whom issues should be sent, with a cheque or postal order for ‘Ballater Eagle’ for the relevant amount and drop off your request to Ballater Library. Avril, our Subscriptions secretary, will do the rest. Easy! For the rates below, four issues will be posted. UK: £12.00 EU: £16.00 Overseas: £20.00
Contact Your Representatives
Scottish Parliament
Alexander Burnett MSP 0131 348 5642 Alexander.Burnett.msp@parliament.scot
Westminster Andrew Bowie MP 0207 219 2791 andrew.bowie.mp@parliament.uk Aberdeenshire Council Peter Argyle: 013398 82973 cllr.p.argyle@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Geva Blackett: 013397 41541 cllr.g.blackett@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Paul Gibb: 07388 956148 cllr.p.gibb@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Cairngorms National Park Gordon Riddler 07711 609351 email: gordon.riddler@cnpaboard.co.uk
If you would like a large print version of the Eagle, please contact Ballater Library on 01339 267700.
Eagle Who’s Who & Where Editor: Ian Hay 55941 Treasurer: Elaine Adams 56149 Subscriptions Secretary: Avril Fyfe 56162 Advertising Manager: Karen Garioch 013398 80986 Distribution: Andy and Julie Bloor Diary Secretary: Faye Swan 55345 Design: Cat Houston, Stella Potter, Ollie Francis email us at: ballater.eagle@btopenworld.com Eagle Online: http://www.ballatercommunity.com
Editor’s Letter It is now 16 years since I put my head above the parapet and agreed to take on the Editorship of the Ballater Eagle. I have had great fun being Editor, and have also learned a great deal over these years, never having previously been involved with journalism or publishing in any way. Perhaps the greatest benefit for me has been working together with some keen, enthusiastic, community minded people from whom I have gained a great deal of knowledge and for whom I have considerable admiration. Despite various changes of personnel over the years, everyone who has become involved has integrated into the team very quickly, having only one aim – to help produce and distribute a top quality community magazine of which they, and the community are justly proud. However, Anno Domini moves on relentlessly, and I feel that new, more up-to-date ideas are required. With that in mind, the Eagle Team has decided that the editorship should perhaps rest in future with an Editorial Team rather than one individual. So, dear readers, it is over to you. Are there any persons out there who would be prepared to join such a Team and help to produce four community magazines per year? Two persons already within the Eagle Team have indicated that they would be happy to be part of an Editorial Team, and I would always be available to be consulted if asked. So we are looking for perhaps another 2 people willing to become involved. It is certainly something which I have enjoyed doing, and would recommend anyone to “have a go”. Please contact me on the Eagle email address as shown on page 6 of this issue, or telephone 013397 55941. It is difficult to realise that summer is fast approaching, there having been snow on the ground only a matter of a few weeks ago. Let us hope that our summer weather compensates for the rather dismal winter just past. I for one shall be keeping my fingers crossed for that. Have an enjoyable summer. Ian Hay (Editor)
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Your dog may be cute but
Oh no! No dog poop bag?
This is not.
Do your part as a dog owner and
Scoop the poop! Ah POOP! Forgotten your dogGIE bags?
No worries! Take some and keep our village clean
Take some keep our street nice and clean!
For Poop’s Sake, Scoop It! 9
Enough already, says dog owner + Eagle Beagler, Ollie Francis
Badger . . Badges Magnets Mirrors Fun & Seasonal Gifts
Custom Orders Taken
Group Discounts /Bulk
www.ballaterbadger.co.uk 013397 55243 Find me on
There’s no easy way of broaching the topic of ‘dog poop’. It’s unpleasant — in every sense. But it’s proliferating over Ballater’s streets and green spaces and, as the owner of two beloved pooches, I’m embarrassed and want to apologise to pram-pushers, wheelchair users, shoppers and walkers on behalf of other dog walkers in the area. Why should you have to put up with “our” unsavoury mess? Dog fouling is disgusting to encounter and can be downright dangerous, too, with primary school children, footballers and other dogs most at risk. After the poop has lain on the ground for two weeks, worms develop and these diseases and others can cause roundworm (particularly in puppies), salmonella and E.coli, potentially resulting in pneumonia, asthma and blindness. However, it is safe to clean it up on the spot! The saddest aspect of this whole dirty business is that presiding over each freshly-produced pile is a loving dog owner who needs only to pick up the poop and bin it in one of the many purpose-placed or mixed-use bins sited around the village to solve the problem permanently. It’s easy. And to make it even easier, not only have some Ballater businesses and other dog walkers signed up to GDW - the Green Dog Walkers Scheme (www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/environment/greendog-walkers/) or taken the GDW pledge, which means they are happy to give out free poo-bags to others, but a recent local initiative has seen eye-catching posters holding poo-bag supplies popping up at primary ‘deposit’ areas, so even if you’ve forgotten yours, there’s one at hand. So, please, don’t let down all those who work hard to make our village so attractive to visit and to live in, and don’t put your puppy, child or granny at pointless risk. Bag it – and Bin it! Want a poster like the ones opposite? Email catrionahouston@yahoo.co.uk or call 013397 55243 for your copy (50p)
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Local Group News
A round-up of news from our local groups
Ballater’s Outstanding Volunteer by Aileen Longino
Bell Macaulay has won the Outstanding Volunteer Award at the AVA Membership Awards which were held at their Annual Conference on Monday 30 April. Bell continues to be a very active member of the Ballater community and has been instrumental in obtaining funding and improving facilities at the Victoria & Albert Halls here in Ballater. Bell comforted and supported hundreds of local people following Storm Frank in 2015 and has since then presided over efforts to ensure the Halls are fit for purpose as an Emergency Rest Centre in the event of further emergencies. As one of her nominators said, “Bell gives generously of her time and is never too busy to answer a call for support. Bell is invariably the person to whom a call for assistance is directed, at whatever time of day and night.” Her exceptional contribution to the Ballater community Bell receives her award from Karen Clark, Chair of AVA merits this year’s award for Outstanding Volunteer.
Crathie Opportunity Holidays
Have a look at these gorgeous upcycled tote bags. Each one is unique and is made from fabric remnants which would otherwise be discarded. Every purchase raises funds to help us maintain and improve the facilities and services we offer here. With huge thanks to Christine Sloan for her continuing support. A bargain at £10 each!
Spring has finally arrived at our holiday cottages in Crathie with lambs in the fields around us and the garden and play areas gradually awakening. Paint has been applied, spring cleaning has been done, new linen bought and Maggie, Beth and Lorraine are welcoming returning guests and making new acquaintances. Volunteers are busy with coffee mornings for the guests and sprucing up the gardens. A film has been chosen for our annual Film Night and Buffet on 4 August, the first Saturday of Victoria Week, and the ducks have been counted and are ready for their annual outing at the Duck Race on 12 August, the last Sunday. Our ever popular Golf Day is on 13 October at Balmoral and will be our major fund raiser of the year. This is the tenth anniversary of this event which has so far raised over £44,000 thanks to all the hard work of the dedicated organisers and volunteers. If you would like to be a volunteer and join the “Friends”, please call Maggie Mackay on 013397 42100 for information. You will be most welcome and your talents will be put to good use.
Big ‘thank you’? Important date? Special event? If you’ve got something to say about your group, get in touch and get it into the Eagle – ballater.eagle@btopenworld.com
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Old Royal Station Progresses ...in life and in Lego!
...meanwhile, Ballater Lego Club is going great guns on recreating the station with hundreds of plastic bricks, all of them sponsored by generous donations from the local community. The Lego version’s windows are red because they are cheaper and easier to buy than green ones! Who’s going to finish first...?
Work continues on The Old Royal Station to bring it back to what it once was and more. A soft opening for the library and Visit Scotland is planned for June, with restaurants opening in the Autumn...
Creating memories... It’s never too cold for ice cream!
Tales, Talks & Walks Victorians . Jacobites . circles . hearts reivers . rogues . . and fairies, of course
Joan Anderson
Storyteller
All flavours homemade in store Fat-free and Dairy-free options Outside catering available Hot Desserts Bespoke cakes made to order 25 Bridge Street Ballater . 013397 56215 Bring this ad for 10% off your next order!
. 07561 834952 . Is fhearr na’n t-òr sgeul air inns’ air chòir
Better than gold is a tale well told
Summer Fun Workshops For primary, academy and adults @ Hut on the Green, Ballater
Lego... Tues 24 + 31 July 2-3.30pm
Come and help us “Build Ballater” in Lego for a special exhibition event during Ballater Victoria Week 10 supervised places for age 8+, £3 per child Accompanied children of all ages are welcome to join in for free
...Photography Weds 25 July + 1 Aug 2-3.30pm
We’ll be snapping the local area through young people’s eyes with a view to exhibit the results during BVW and/or enter the BRHS Show 10 supervised places for age 8+, £3 per child Accompanied children of all ages are welcome to join in for free **These sessions are weather dependent**
Scarecrows!
Thurs 26 July + 2 Aug 2-4pm
Create your scarecrow just in time for Ballater Victoria Week. Suits and straw provided, bring clothing. Take it home to join the trail or leave it on the Green for all to enjoy. £FREE. All ages welcome, u12s must be accompanied by a responsible adult
. To book call Cat on 013397 55243 . catrionahouston@yahoo.co.uk . Find it on Facebook .
Supported by Ballater Victoria Week + The Ballater + Crathie Eagle . Thank You! x
Ballater Victoria Week 2018 This year’s BVW is very slightly slimmed down, but we’ve concentrated on what we’re good at so this year’s events will be as fun as ever. At this stage we have a programme in place though a few things may change. The first Saturday will have Potted Sports for the kids and a great movie in the evening in aid of Crathie Opportunity Holidays. The Sunday Fayre and Parade is looking great with all sorts of stalls and vehicles already on board and more to come we are sure. This will be followed by daring-do on Bridge Street as the Cartie Racers return to do Ballater’s equivalent of the Monaco GP. The Charitable Cheils “Top Gear Challenge” may be thundering through as well... Songs of Praise in the evening will top off a great day. Monday mayhem starts off with Messy Play, Small Pets in the halls (complete with Rabbit Showjumping!) then the antics continue with the Rufts Dog Show followed by Hobby Horse Trials. Ballater’s Local History Group will be out with their tent of memories. Tuesday will have a LEGO session in the morning leading on to the Buttony Bear’s Picnic, featuring the Bonnie Baby Competition on the Green. Last year’s TV quiz was such a success, we had to bring it back. Wednesday starts with Ade’s favourite event, Storytelling in the Library followed by the Big BVW LEGO event and a Puppet Workshop. Sporty types will have lots to do with Fishing, Putting and Bowling taking place. The biggest film of the year, “The Greatest Showman”, will be shown in the halls in the evening, complete with singalong! Ballater Highland Games takes place on the Thursday with our Ceilidh in the evening, this year featuring Braemar’s The Blaeberries. Friday is shaping up with CLAN’s Afternoon Tea and some knock-out fun on the Green in the afternoon and early evening. You can have a wild experience later on with Night Hunters and their Prey.
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The Car Boot Sale on Saturday is under new management but is looking great, with a Focus Craft fair in the halls as well. A kids’ disco in the halls will be followed by the Haunted Halls Experience featuring our Witch of Girnoc, and many spooky things. Sunday kicks off with an Ecumenical Church Service with Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, who will later be blessing the ducks when they race during the day. The small ducks will be blasted across the green by the fire service, raising money for the local groups supporting it. Later on you can enter the Ducks vs Run What You Brung, if you have an inflatable craft… Scarecrow Trail entry forms (deadline Sunday July 22) are online at www.ballatervictoriaweek. co.uk, as well as for the Parade and Cartie Race. There is also a series of pre-Victoria Week fun workshops this year, where you can get hands-on with Lego, Photography, and even build your scarecrow. See details opposite. You’ve no excuse not to get involved, contact us on Facebook or info@ballatervictoriaweek.co.uk
14 Highland Games
by Ron Drever
The appointment of Captain Alwyne Farquharson as our Chieftain was confirmed at a Public Meeting of the Games held on 24th November 1948, and so 2018 will be his 70th successive year attending the Games as our Chieftain. We intend to properly recognise such a tremendous achievement on Games Day, and make it a special one for a special person. To start what will be an eventful day, we are providing early international entertainment to complement the start of competitions at 11am, so make sure you come along in the morning. Before the start of our Highland Dancing Competitions, we’re welcoming European folk dance groups from Italy and France who will be performing their own traditional music and dancing in traditional costumes. Gruppo Folkloristico Pasian di Prato, from Udine, Italy; and L’Echo de nos Montagnes, from Annecy, France, are being hosted in Aberdeenshire this year, and introduced to Ballater by local Scottish country dancing group, Aurora, which was founded in 1996, and whose members consist of dancers and musicians based in and around Aberdeen. Full details of performances of music and dancing by the groups at other venues are available at: www.aurorascot.org.uk/festival-2018 All our traditional competitions, i.e. highland dancing, piping, athletics, hill race, light and heavy field events, and tug o’ war, together with our combined pipe bands, will then take us through the day. We invite you all to enjoy the celebrations with us on Thursday 9th August, the gates opening as usual at 10am. Fingers crossed for another sunny day!
Spring in the Dee Valley by Mary Monro
Fare thee weel, deid auld Winter; We’ve tholed yer coorseness gey lang. Haste ye back, yon bonny, saft air Fan the Valley dirls wi sweet sang, An’ Spring claithes a land aince cauld and bare. Saft, mochy green loups fae the hard broon grun. A pale yalla primrose keeks in a furl o’ leaves. Fresh floories star the mossy, green braes, An’ the bonny birks flutter their tasselly goons As Nature welcomes the Spring’s mild days. Sna-bree sings doon ilka sma rill, As the corries gie up their blanket o’ fite, An’ life flows again in the Land o’ the Hills, Far Winter sleeps lang, deep an’ still. Bleed flows again in the veins o’ the land, An’ my cauld hert wi new hope fills.
LAURIE & COMPANY SOLICITORS
NOTARIES
ESTATE AGENTS
WE ARE HOSTING A HOSPITALITY TENT AT BALLATER GAMES THURSDAY 9TH AUGUST 2018 FOR ALL OUR CLIENTS PAST AND PRESENT.
Please pop in from 12 noon for a chat and a glass of Pimms with delicious strawberries and cream. 4 Bridge Street, Ballater Tel: 01339 755535
Email: ballater@laurieandco.co.uk
01975 571775 07792 830780
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Website: www.laurieandco.co.uk
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Ballater Films
by Cat Scripps
Ballater Films had a super busy spring, with Murder on the Orient Express proving to be an ideal fundraiser for the school nursery’s playground improvement project (£787), and April’s Paddington hauling £358 for Deeside Cats Protection. May was simply bonkers with a double bill of the fabulous Star Wars Quiz on May 4th followed by The Last Jedi to raise cash for the Golf Club’s Junior Section. So what next? Our next big feature is Darkest Hour (PG), Gary Oldman’s award-winning Churchill, on Saturday June 16th, which will be a fundraiser for Ballater Films itself. Victoria Week will see two films this year, Going In Style (12A) in aid of Crathie Opportunity Holidays, on Saturday August 4th. Desperate to pay the bills and robbed of their pensions, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money. Featuring Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Always a great night out with fabulous food and company, ticket information etc will be available soon. Then on Wednesday August 8th, we bring you The Greatest Showman Singalong in the Victoria Hall. Bound to be a great event! We might just add a circus... You can keep up with all of Ballater Films’ events via our website www.ballaterfilms.co.uk or Facebook page, email info@ ballatervictoriaweek.co.uk or call Ade and Cat on 013397 55243. If you would like to utilise Ballater Films to help raise funds for your organisation, just get in touch.
Exterior
Calvin Jones Painter
Railings & metalwork Fences
Interiors
Facias, soffits & exterior joinery.
Walls Wood trim Doors Difficult surfaces e.g tiles, plastics etc.
www.paintballater.com
Payment once work is completed to your full satisfaction.
Free quote available upon request. H: 013397 56000 M: 07569 254 749 calvin@paintballater.com
Domestic & Commercial Crown Thinning & Reduction Dismantling & Felling Hedge Pruning & Maintenance Dangerous Tree Control Stump Grinding & Removal
Professional Tree Surgeon N.P.T.C. Qualified
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Firewood for sale
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by Sabine Muir
The New Library We are excited to be moving into our new premises at the end of July/beginning of August. The building is shaping up nicely and preparations are being made for our big move. New opening hours of the building will be: Mon-Sun 10 - 5pm, of which 25 hours will be manned. We are pleased to announce that the library will have a self-issue desk for the hours which are unmanned, so people will have the chance to issue and return books seven days a week. Help will be given to anyone who wishes to use the self-issue desk. Archaeology Scotland’s Heritage Hero Awards The children of both Library Craft Clubs have worked hard to bring the lost village of Loinmuie back to life during 2017. For their efforts, we are proud to announce the children have qualified for a Heritage Heroes award handed out by Archaeology Scotland. These award certificates were presented to the children by Councillor Iris Walker on Saturday 12th May (see photo). The model village is now on display at Spittal of Glen Muick Visitor Centre, courtesy of Balmoral Rangers, together with a copy of the project book. Storyteller Joan Anderson, one of our craft club volunteers who was instrumental in the development of the Loinmuie project, is to continue to develop the stories and contacts as there are hundreds of known descendants of those who lived there over two centuries. People are very welcome to view and to add to the Signing Book at the Library if they wish. The project book is also available at the Library. We are planning to visit the Spittal township as it is accessible all year round. Library telephone: 01339 267700
Puppet Show: ‘We Don’t Want Your Rubbish.’ Some of the Craft Club children will be performing a puppet show on Wednesday 8th August at 3pm at the Library. They have made the puppets and co-written the story and songs. The theme of the story is about the sea creatures rebelling against all the plastic and rubbish choking the oceans. The event is free for all children aged 3-10. (Siblings and older children welcome too.) We will be using the puppet theatre donated by Deeside Books, who have also kindly donated books for a prize draw to be held at the event. Summer Reading Challenge This year’s challenge starts on Thursday 28th June and runs until Saturday 25th August 2018. Youngsters often read less during the summer holidays. Our Summer Reading Challenge is a fun and accessible activity for children of all ages and aims to promote reading, encourage progression, support curricular outcomes and involve children in a cultural activity. Children receive a stamp or sticker for each book they read and will receive a book prize after reading six or more books, depending on their age group. As well as the reading challenge, our libraries also run a creative competition. Get down to your local library and find out more when the challenge commences at the end of June.
Brian Smith Funeral Services Ltd The only family run and owned funeral director in Aboyne, Banchory and Peterculter
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Contact Brian or Angela Smith (24hrs)
20 Although there have been bright sunny days of late, there’s still a nip in the air at times. Things are moving very slowly in the garden, but warmer days are coming! We seemed to have been dogged by bad luck this session. Firstly, due to harsh weather, we had to cancel our February meeting, then our speaker for our March meeting was unable to travel down from Cullen. However, over 20 members bravely turned up to watch a DVD on Glenwhan Gardens. This gem of a garden at Dunragit near Stranraer is a real labour of love, hewn from rough moorland 35 years ago by its owners, Tessa and Bill Knott. Should you be down that way, it’s well worth a visit. https://glenwhangardens.co.uk/ Eric Jensen, who was to talk to us at our April meeting, on Alpines in the Austrian Tyrol, fell and broke his leg! Fortunately, he’s making excellent progress in his recovery and we hope to have him at a later date. We were most grateful to Belinda Rowlands who stepped in at the last minute to talk about the inspirational Seed Box enterprise at Ballogie and Glen Tanar and also to Margaret Glennie and Michael Rattray for judging our Mini Bulb Show. Entries this year were very sparse, again due to the harsh weather. Photos of the Bulb Show will shortly be up on our website. http://ballaterroyalhorticulturalsociety. weebly.com/ For the first time, the Society has decided to hire a coach for our outing to St Andrews Botanic Garden on Friday 6th July. Here’s hoping for pleasant weather and an enjoyable day out.
BRHS
by Elizabeth Wilson
Photo: Bruce Murray Every year Aberdeenshire Council donates plants to the Society to plant in the various tubs throughout the village. We would be grateful for assistance in planting up, watering and pulling out occasional weeds in the many containers. Anyone wishing to help should contact Elizabeth Wilson, the Secretary – see details below. Our 142nd Annual Exhibition and Flower Show takes place in the Victoria Hall on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August. Schedules and the Children’s Challenge leaflet are available from the Library and from Yule’s Newsagent. On that final note, here’s looking forward to a warm and sunny summer in Ballater. Elizabeth Wilson, Secretary tel: 013397 55900 email: eml_wilson@hotmail.com.
Michael Morton Painting & Decorating Services Ames taping • Wallpapering • Local references available on request 30 years’ experience in the trade Please call Mike for your friendly, no obligation quote All aspects of internal and external decoration undertaken t: 07809896151 mike.paintin68@gmail.com
pic by Andy Thompson
22 SWI by
Aileen Barbour
Our guest speaker in February was Cheryl of Shorty’s Ice-Cream who gave us a talk on how she makes her delicious ice-cream. In March we had an Open Night and President Margaret Finnie introduced Maureen, manager of Wilkies, assisted by Vicky who organised the music and Fiona who helped the models. The models were Sheena, Diane, Claire, Ellie, Pat and Aileen. President Margaret Finnie welcomed members and ladies from Kincardine O’ Neil SWI to our business meeting. They entertained us with games and poems which we all enjoyed. The new committee was announced:President – Lesley Peake, Vice President – Claire Fraser, Secretary – Diane Wright, Treasurer & Magazine Secretary – Sheena Fraser, Press Secretary – Ellie Kinghorn, Raffles – Linda Ewen, Committee – Sidsel Rennie. Competition 1 – “3 Month Syllabus” – 1) Margaret Finnie, 2) Thelma Cooper, 3) Sheena Fraser, 4) Frances Johnstone. Competition 2 – “3 Rock Cakes” – 1) Linda Corsie, 2) Frances Johnstone, 3) Thelma Cooper, 4) Sheena Fraser.
BRD
by John Burrows
Well what has BRD been up to since last I pinned your ears back? Well, firstly we had a response from a member of the community who wants to get involved, subject to his work commitments and we hope that this develops into a long standing membership. I hope is the start to getting more of you interested in the running of this side of village life. Phil Swan called me and asked if we could look at youth employment and I am pleased to say that that conversation has progressed into a forum bringing together, BBA, Dumfries House, Aboyne Academy, Marr Area Partnership, and numerous Aberdeenshire Council Departments. We will underwrite the initial project costs to evaluate what is stopping our young people progressing in an exciting life choice. We are still at the early stages but at the last meeting, potential employers and educationalists started to share contact information. This project dovetails into CAP and we are proud to be involved. This is what BRD is about, namely getting ideas on tracks, but we are often only the facilitators and cannot be the sole custodians of the development
of this village. It is your village and we all have to get involved in some small way. Ballater Baby and Toddlers is a group that the village needs to consider supporting, as without its survival, our Mums and Dads and their children don’t get that pre-school/early parenting opportunity to grow and share lessons. I have been privileged to get to know the current committee who have some great ideas on what the group should be doing in 2018. As children progress to primary, these parents then have no need for the group, their accumulated knowledge is lost and the group struggles to rebuild. We are now discussing with them some ideas on the way forward, so I hope that in my next submission we will be able to tell you more. However, if you are a parent with children in this age group, get in touch with them, or me and I will relay your details. Finally, CAP will have concluded stage one by the time this goes to print and BRD is excited about what this will bring to the village. We will be involved in Community Action Team (CAT) which will shortly follow on.
Lunch:12pm-2pm (inc. Sunday) Dinner: 5pm-9pm Clachan Grill Bar: 2pm-10pm Enjoy our 2 & 3 course Bar Menu from 5pm
Relaxed dining by the River Dee in a friendly, cosy atmosphere. *Private Dining available* Current opening days Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Book now: 013397 55999 Email: enjoy.clachan@cranberryco.com
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Ballater’s Photography Club looks forward to a sunny summer with some possible evening excursions and participation in the pre-Victoria Week Summer Fun Workshops featured on p12, the BRHS Annual Show categories in August (“Event” and “Abandoned Building/s”), and the Eagle Calendar after that. We generally meet in the Hut On The Green every third Wednesday at 2pm in summer, with visiting speakers arranged for the winter, but the timetable is open to flex to meet people’s requirements. The aim is to share knowledge and experiences to everyone’s benefit. Two members recently took advantage of a photography tour of Invercauld Estate with Steven Rennie, and we have been asked to contribute to the illustration of the Ballater and Crathie CAP. Photographers of all ages and abilities are welcome to join, just get in touch via the Facebook page, email tinariddell@hotmail.com or call Cat on 013397 55243, or just turn up to advertised events. Help us make Ballater Photography Club the club the village wants and needs.
Photography Club
Photo: Tina Riddell
WEE JIM Landscapes
All aspects of landscaping Mini digger and small tipper hire Firewood also available James Anderson, Bridgefoot, Glenmuick, Ballater 013397 55997 / 07821 746756 weejim03@live.co.uk www.weejim.com
Red Hot Chilli Kitties by Janet Bailey
Hottest ticket on Deeside this year? You betcha
As part of its fundraising campaign for 2018 the Deeside Branch of Cats Protection is very excited to announce our Black Tie Ball to be held at Ballogie House on Saturday 29th September 2018 at 6.30pm. On arrival, drinks and canapés will be served in the Orangery, with views across the garden and open parkland beyond, followed by a three course dinner specially created and served by Country Flavours of Alford in a bespoke marquee. Entertainment will be provided by Valentino’s Disco and this will be complemented by a truly unique marquee event, raffle and auction. The Deeside Branch of Cats Protection is also honoured to have the support of very special guests, the world famous Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who will be performing on what is sure to be a wonderful evening of fun and fundraising. Tickets are £100 each or £950 for a table of ten. Further details may be found on the branch website https://deeside.cats.org.uk/ Telephone 07837 342 660. Although the main focus of this year’s fundraising is the Black Tie Ball, other activities have already taken place, with Ballater Films screening Paddington 2 on 21st April and a week later the branch was raising cash for the kitties at the first Ballater Farmers’ Market of the year. Our thanks go to the Scripps family and Amy Muir for their help with these endeavours. As usual light blue ducks will be taking part in the Ballater Victoria Week Duck Race and tickets for this event are now available from branch members. Thank you to everyone who has supported the branch so far this year. Every penny raised will be spent wisely to help re-home as many unwanted domestic cats and kittens as possible. Funds are also used to neuter rescue and feral cats alike, to help reduce the numbers of both in the years to come.
young@♥deeside
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by Aileen Longino
Three successful focus groups were held during April in Aboyne Ballater and Braemar to tell people about this exciting new network which aims to better connect these rural communities while supporting and giving advice on clubs, groups, events, health and wellbeing. The feedback was wonderful and we hope everyone enjoyed themselves. This feedback is being prioritised and more information will follow shortly. If you live in these areas and would like to join for free and find out what we are doing you can email us on membership@youngatheartdeeside. org.uk visit our website www.youngatheartdeeside.org.uk or find us on facebook at youngatheartdeeside. Membership forms are also available at Aboyne and Ballater libraries. If you came along to one of our groups why don’t you pop down to Aboyne Library and see if you can spot yourself in the drawing done by wonderful local artist Mel Shand capturing your faces and quotes from the three meetings! Look out for young@deeside members discount scheme coming to a village near you soon!
Eagle Calendar 2019
The Eagle Calendar will be produced again for 2019, following its popularity leading into this year. The calendar raised just over £1,000 for The Eagle, which was a welcome boost to our funds. It will again run on the format of inviting subscribers to fund the initial print run, so that all sales thereafter are in profit. For a one-off payment of £10, subscribers are the first to get their hands on a precious copy, and also get their name in every one. Calendars will then retail at £5. We will also need photos contributed to make the calendar as local and quirky as possible. Please send your favourite high-resolution snaps of the local area’s people, landscapes and events to ballater.eagle@ btopenworld.com by August 31. The Eagle will have a presence at the Farmers’ Market on June 22 to get the ball rolling. See you there!
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Well here we are almost at the end of 28another Rotary year!
Our AGM is held in the middle of June and taking over as President from Diane Fyffe, is Simon Blake from Aboyne. Diane has had a great year wearing “The Chain”, leading our work for Communities both here and abroad to whom we have distributed over £14,500 over the past 12 months. Many local individuals and groups have benefitted from the results of our fundraising programme. We are particularly proud of the association we have with Aboyne Academy, which is a Corporate Member of Rotary. 2018 is The Year of Young People, and we have been in the privileged position of helping many of our young folk by providing IT equipment to the Academy with the help of the Parent Council. Among other things, we have also assisted a student’s visit to Zambia, supported the Cromar Future Group and donated a sum to the Aboyne Brownies. Community Groups have also gained from our fundraising programme. Aboyne Tennis Club, “Switched On Aboyne” (Christmas lights), Friends of Aboyne Hospital, The Monaltrie Park Project, Ballater Power on the Green, Aboyne Bonfire Cooperative and the Befriend a Child Charity have all received donations. You may wonder what we do for international causes! There are so many war-zones, border disputes and natural disasters in the world resulting in many thousands of ordinary citizens having to flee their homes to seek safe places for their families. Many are left with nothing. Rotary works closely with ShelterBox, a disaster aid charity. They supply aid in the form of sturdy green ShelterBoxes which contain family-sized tents specially designed to withstand the elements and provide people with temporary shelter until they are able to start the process of rebuilding a home. The Shelter Kits also contain all of the essential tools people need to start repairing and rebuilding homes straight away. A home, of course, is much more than bricks and mortar or tarpaulin and tent pegs. The kits and boxes contain items that help transform the shelters into a home, like cooking sets, solar lights, activity sets
Aboyne + Upper Deeside
Rotary Club
by Ruth Powell for children and essential water purification sets. Each of these kits costs almost £600 and we have funded four this year. Donations have also been sent to the East Africa Disasters Fund, Project Mala (an action programme for the abolition of child labour in the carpet industry in India) and Medécins Sans Frontiers who deliver emergency medical aid abroad. In addition to all this, we have continued our work with local Primary Schools to educate children about the international Rotary campaign to rid the world of polio. We give participating schools growing kits to grow purple crocuses which are the symbol of the campaign. One of the most unusual international projects we have supported is a Biological Molluscicide Study being undertaken by a young research scientist from Tarland! The aim of this project is to collate global information on slug control in order to enhance farming methods in the UK. Living on Deeside, it was an easy decision to support the furtherance of methods in order to combat these pests! All in all, it’s been a great year. Working together, we can raise funds that can really make a difference to people’s lives while enjoying good company and the social aspects of our club. Many, many thanks to all who have contributed to our collections and taken part in our activities! If you wish to know more about joining the Rotary Club of Aboyne and Upper Deeside or becoming a “Friend of Rotary”, please contact Rotarian Mike Powell at Tel. 013398 86369 or email: mikepowell.obe@gmail.com
Come and join us! Attached to the Crannach Bakery, which provides us with our wonderful fresh bread and cakes, Riverside Cottage is a friendly, family run Café/ Bistro offering an extensive menu and Equi’s Award-winning Italian Ice cream. Enjoy a full ‘Scottish’ with locallysourced produce; homemade soups, sandwiches, toasties and baked potatoes – all available to take away. Why not try our “Riverside Eggs Benedict” with bacon or John Ross smoked salmon? You won’t be disappointed! Dogs are always welcome in our garden – inside too.
Open 6 days Open from 11am Tuesdays). New Year’s Day 12–3pm. 6 days(closed from 11am (closedOpen Tuesdays) We have a new menu including 6oz Angus Burger & Fries, Scampi and Fries, We’re always ready with a warm welcome! plus many more options to choose from. Available every day from 12.30pm Cambus O’ May, Ballater, Aberdeenshire 01339 755126 riversidecottagecafe@gmail.com
By appointment to HM the Queen Purveyor of Meat and Poultry
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Visit our online shop . See Facebook for updates and daily specials . Free delivery on Deeside and Donside
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In Brief
The Queen’s Gift St Kentigern’s Summer Fayre is to be held on Saturday 21st July from 1.30-3.30 at the Victoria Hall, with the usual stalls: Cake and candy, brica-brac, books, plants, Bottle stall and gifts. Teas, coffees and home baking will be served. Her Majesty the Queen has presented us with a beautiful set of six crystal wine glasses for our annual Summer Fayre. They will be displayed in the Brakeley Gift Room, Bridge Street, Ballater until the day of the Summer Fair. Tickets for the Queen’s Gift Raffle can be bought from the Brakeley Gift Room and the Library.
Tea Party Success Lizzie’s Tea Party for Diabetes 2018 raised £1,094.10 for the InDependent Diabetes Trust’s Dream Trust, which supports children in developing countries with Type 1 diabetes. Kind weather allowed the event to take place on the green next to Victoria Road on May 5th and the sun shone on the bouncy castle, slip ‘n’ slide and tea marquee all day, providing fun for all ages. Lizzie and family Scripps would like to thank everybody who helped out in the run-up and on the day and to everyone who baked, turned up and donated and made it such a fun successful event. See you on the big Green next year!
Art Aboyne
The annual art exhibition Artaboyne will be taking place at The Victory Hall, Aboyne again this summer. A well established exhibition of work by professional north east artists with work including paintings, photography, jewellery, sculpture, woodwork, ceramics and prints. Lots of time to keep popping in as the exhibition constantly changes as work is sold. Artists on hand to help and discuss the work, refreshments available, easy parking and wheelchair access. Free entry and open daily from 10am until 6pm. The exhibition runs from Saturday 21st July until Saturday 11th August.
Ballater Halls Indoor Bowling Club
Our meeting for the AGM will take place on Wednesday 15th August at 7pm in the Beaton Craigie Room. Our Season has just closed and we shall re-open on Tuesday 28th September 2018 and Wednesday 29th September 2018 at 2-4pm and 7-9pm. We look forward to seeing you all again and hopefully new members too, who will be most welcome.
Ballater Songsters
The last couple of months have been as busy as usual and we are always working on new material for the coming months ahead. I have the best singing friends as they all seem to be happy entertaining others and finding it rewarding and an enjoyable activity to be involved in. Long may we be able to continue to make others happy in this way. by Sheila Rumbles
Ballater Clinic Ballater Clinic will be closed on the following public holiday: Monday 9th July 2018 If you require urgent medical attention during this public holiday please call NHS 24 on 111. Please ensure you re-order any of your usual repeat medication in plenty of time prior to this date.
Opening Hours: Monday 2pm - 6pm Tuesday Closed Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday Closed Friday 10am - 3pm
Tel. 013397 - 55134 24 Golf Rd Ballater AB35 5RE
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At the Balmoral races each year, there are some companies, organisations and charities who have tents with information about them and the work they do, food stands and entertainments to keep kids interested, but my favourite is the little train run by the Braemar Scouts. The scouts are from Braemar, Ballater and Crathie. Last year, I joined them and I have loved helping to run the train. The scouts have been doing this for 6 or 7 years as a fundraiser. There are different jobs to do to help run the train like selling tickets, punching the tickets and being the guard. At the end of the day, someone needs to count the money that will all go to the scout fund so we can have lots of adventures as a scout pack. The train track is 600 feet long and the gauge is 7 and 1/4 inches. The train is 24 feet long and has 3 passenger carriages, 1 guard’s seat and the driver’s seat. In other years the train has also been used as a ghost train and at the junior highland games in Braemar. The little train runs on petrol which drives a hydraulic system. I had a go at being the driver for a small bit and it was incredibly fun but difficult to remember which was forward and backward! When you are the guard, you get free rides but you have to concentrate to change the points. Over the weekend we raised more than £300. On Saturday was the 1.5 km for the primary kids, then the secondary 2.5 km, next the 5 km and finally the 10 km run. On Sunday there was a duathlon and then later the 15 mile trail. It was most busy on Saturday for the races and at the train. I love taking part in the races. On Saturday 21st 2018 it was such sunny and beautiful day. I would like to say well done if you took part! Kate Parfitt, age 11
Eagle
Cub Reporters
Hi, my name is Poppy Fraser I am 12 years old and live in Ballater. In my spare time I like to play tennis, I started playing when I was 3 years old with my family and then started lessons when I turned 5. I normally play four times a week, three times at Aboyne Tennis Club and then once a week in Aberdeen with the North East of Scotland tennis squad. During the Easter holidays I was selected to represent the North East of Scotland in the Scottish Inter District Championships which was held at Kilgraston School in Perthshire and was played over four days. There was two boys and two girls that were chosen for each age group. I played for the 12 years and under age group and my sister Caitlin played for the 15 years and under age group. We played a mixture of singles and doubles matches against teams from the other areas of Scotland. We came 5th overall which I think our coach was happy with. It was a great experience for us and hopefully if I work hard I might get to go back next year. In the meantime I will continue to train hard and practice as much as I can to get better and hopefully do well in competitions over the summer season.
HIGHLY COMMENDED WELL DONE, POPPY!
We were delighted with the calibre of writing sent by our cub reporters for this issue. All the articles contributed will feature on our Facebook page, with two winning £25 cash for their authors featured here (plus one highly commended, as it was just too hard to choose...) Prizes are sponsored by The Eagle and Ballater School Parent Council. Cub theme for the Autumn issue: Joys of Travel/Joys of Home Up to 400 words to ballatereagle@btopenworld.com by August 1 Find us on Instagram and Twitter too.
Dee Valley Confectioners
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(Report and interview by Niamh McInally, age 10)
In 1965 using an old paint shed in Huntly Street, Aberdeen as their premises, two men decided to start making sweets. Both men had families and full-time jobs. Alfie Skene, a coachbuilder with Alexanders, spent his holidays in Dinnet and loved Ballater. He often said he would retire there. Harry Skene worked for the Press and Journal but had gone to England to train as a ‘sugar boiler’. It is thought that this is where the sweet making idea started. So, in 1965, Dee Valley Confectioners, was born. The name coming from Alfie and his long-term affection with Ballater. Their part time business had taken off and they were soon very busy and popular. In 1970, they moved to the Rosemount area of Aberdeen. A few years later due to the success of their new business they again had to find bigger premises and increase staff. They moved to new premises in the Bridge of Don area and one of their new staff members was Alfie’s son, a young Derek Skene. In 1980 the Scottish Development Agency had a building in Ballater to house a shop or business. Alfie knew that this was a great opportunity for his family and business to locate to Ballater. In 1980, Dee Valley Confectioners opened up in their new premises in Ballater. That same year Harry retired and sadly soon after Alfie passed away. It was also at this time that Derek and his co-owner Roddy Macdonald took on a new member of staff, a very young Wendy Anderson. Dee Valley Confectioners supply Aberdeen Football Club and have supplied orders to many off shore companies, but also to places as far as Russia and even New York for the ‘Tartan Parade’. They have been visited by people from all over the world including some ‘A’ listed celebrities such as Dame Judy Dench, Billy Connolly and Pamela Stephenson, Ewan Macgregor, Steve Martin and Robin Williams to name(drop) but a few. Recently they were visited by Kylie Minogue who met, chatted with and had her picture taken with your Eagle cub reporter In 2015 a fire destroyed the old Station, next to Dee Valley Confectioners shop, luckily it escaped any damage. They are now looking forward to the opening of the newly built old Station and being a busy part of the village once again!
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School Report: Crathie
At Crathie School we have been creating new songs as well as singing Scots songs as part of a Ceilidh Makers project. We performed these songs to our parents and staff in a show. With our Ceilidh Maker teachers we learned how to play guitar, how to use body percussion to make sounds and songs, making beats and saw different instruments such as an auto harp. We were writing songs with the Ceilidh Makers such as ‘Sailin Doon the River Dee’, ‘Neil Armstrong Went to the Moon’ and ‘The Beast from the East’. We did this by suggesting rhyming words that were linked to our song subject. We liked learning new guitar chords such as C and G7 and we also enjoyed learning how to strum properly. It was great fun! By Neve Fernie, P4
Crathie Kirk
By Allan Harrison
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Crathie Kirk is now open to visitors during the week from Monday to Saturday, 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1 to 4pm. Our knowledgeable guides, Ernie and Janet, are on hand to talk about the history of the Kirk and answer any questions. This weekly opening will continue throughout the summer until the end of September. Visitors are, of course, also welcome at our Sunday Services at 11.30am. Our Monday Morning café at Crathie Kirk Hall is also in full swing, every Monday until the end of September from 10am to 12.30pm. A warm welcome and delicious home baking awaits so do come along and bring a friend. If anyone wishes to hire a room for a meeting at Crathie, the Kirk Hall is available at £40/80 for a half/full day. For full details contact Patricia Fraser on 013397 42327 or email to tishy58.pf@gmail.com. NASA Experience Day We got to meet a real astronaut and engineer at the Aberdeen Science Centre! The engineer told us how NASA design and make ROV robots! The astronaut told us how it was like to eat, sleep and live in space! For example, in space you float aroubd because there is no gravity. This is hard because if you want to go to get something you have to push yourself down using the walIs. As part of the day, we had to make a cardboard ROV for an Exopl anet. We had to use our imagination to picture what the ROV would look like. We also imagined the Exoplanet, what it would look like and it’s life forms. It was an amazing day tom eet a real astronaut and invent or. By Evan Hynd, P4
Wanna Be an eagle?
The Ballater Eagle is constantly evolving and the demands of the digital era means that every role is getting bigger... We need “staff”. Design work (16+) is paid. All other roles are voluntary. Photographers very useful! Someone to ensure all our advertisers get a copy of the magazine... Small but important things. contact ballater.eagle@btopenworld.com for a chat about your potential.
12 months of consultation 36 the After 2018 – 2023 Ballater and Crathie
Community Action Plan (CAP) was officially launched at the Ballater Farmers Market on Saturday 26 May 2018. This was the culmination of a 12 month process which started with an open community meeting held in the Mike Sheridan room on Wednesday 10 May 2017. At that meeting which was attended by over 70 members of the community, a call for volunteers to form a steering group was made and answered. Every effort was made to ensure that the steering group was as representative of all age groups and sectors of the Ballater and Crathie community as possible from those who were prepared to offer their time. The ability to work collaboratively, while challenging each other in a constructive manner was deemed essential to deliver positive engagement with all sections of the community. The group received support and guidance from officers of Aberdeenshire Council and the Marr Area Committee who had undertaken this exercise in other communities to
Ballater and Cra help deliver a relevant CAP. The starting point for the group was to develop a questionnaire that could be presented to the community and its visitors which would not be too cumbersome or filled with leading questions, but which would allow every person who engaged with the exercise to be able to express themselves. The group aimed to have the survey ready for Victoria Week and Muckle Fest and was present on the green during these events handing out hard copies and gathering feedback directly into the Survey Monkey medium that was the data handling system. This was followed up by Facebook campaigns and a direct mail drop of over 1,000 surveys around the community. The closing date for the survey was the end of September and at the close 678 surveys had been received, which from a population base of 2,000 is viewed as a very good return that is able to provide meaningful data. The steering group spent the next two months
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athie Community Action Plan Launched interpreting the data that was received before holding a second public meeting on Saturday 4 November where all of the responses were placed on display and the community were asked to attend and add any further comments that they felt were missing. That meeting lasted 6 hours and during that time over 60 members of the community visited and interacted with the steering group members. From November to January the gathered data was reviewed and filtered to produce a list of action points that the community had identified was important to them. These were then split into short, medium and long terms objectives, based on the complexity and scale of each project and stakeholders identified. The group also felt that it was important to identify a lead stakeholder for each project to ensure that they would be driven, rather than wait for someone to take the lead. As a consequence it was agreed that all identified stakeholders would be afforded the opportunity to comment and agree to their involvement in advance of any public sharing of the initial draft CAP. This consultation process was received positively and concluded at the end of March, thereby allowing for the initial draft CAP to be shared at a third public meeting on Thursday 19 April 2018. In addition to the presentation of the draft CAP the community were also advised that following the launch the steering group would dissolve, having completed its task of producing the final CAP. The opportunity was also taken to announce the need to form a Community Action Team (CAT) and this was explained as follows: What is it? The Community Action Team should be made up from representatives from all sectors of the community who have the skills to work with the various groups delivering the identified actions, in a collaborative and inclusive manner. As a team they should be able to provide guidance through their knowledge of their sectors and support by way of their network and skill sets, but not lead the groups.
What makes it up? The CAT should be made up of 9-13 members of the community who have a good understanding of their own sectors within the village and who have the respect of the community and the stakeholder groups. What is its aim? Ultimately the CAT will exist to ensure that the CAP is delivered. It will meet at regular intervals to receive progress updates from the lead stakeholders for each of the action points and will discuss what assistance may be required and provide constructive feedback on the work to date. It should be acting as an oversight committee and should be received as a support and enabling function rather than a leading authority. Since the launch, the core of the CAT has been formed and an initial meeting has taken place and this has identified that there is a great need for more volunteers from the community to help deliver the projects. New groups will need to be formed to cover events, heritage, sport and leisure, allotments, communications, bus and transportation and housing and if you want to be involved with the delivery of any of the projects identified in the CAP, you are encouraged to reach out any of the members of the CAT and they will be delighted to introduce you to the stakeholder groups who will be working on delivering the communities needs and wants. Communication has been highlighted as a key project in its own right and the CAT will be producing regular updates on the progress of the plan by using the Eagle, the CAT Facebook page, public meetings if required and any other medium that assists in delivering the message to all corners of the Ballater and Crathie community. This is your plan and if it is to become a reality the CAT needs you. A digital copy of the CAP can be downloaded from http://www.marrareapartnership.org.uk/ourwork/.
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Polhollick + Cambus O’May Bridges – an update by Janelle Clark
For many across other parts of Aberdeenshire, Storm Frank is a distant memory. However many of our residents and businesses in the Ballater area are still living with the effects of that devastating episode. Work to resolve the issues around the damaged Polhollick Bridge has been ongoing for many months, and the Council has a plan in place for the bridge and has undertaken remedial works. The proposed repairs include straightening by a combination of pulling and heat treatment of the deck at impact points. Following this, any elements beyond repair will be replaced like for like. The hangers will be removed on a hit and miss basis and straightened and the steps will be refurbished and reinstated. Council officers have recently submitted a Listed Building Consent application for these repair works. It will take several months before a decision is made on this application as the process will involve consultation with Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Ballater & Crathie Community Council and others. While the application process is ongoing, officers will prepare the applications for other consents and begin the procurement process for the repair work. The provisional indicative timetable which officers are currently working towards indicates a start on site around the end of July, with work completed by the middle of October 2018. The pre-works period supposes all necessary approvals will be received in good time. The works period will be dependent on weather and on any additional modifications to Works Plan required as deck straightening operations proceed. There are many unknowns as it is difficult to predict how the bridge structure will respond to the proposed repair approach. Once the work at Polhollick has been completed, Council officers will start to review repair options for the Cambus O’May bridge,
taking into account any lessons learned from the repair approach at Polhollick. Funding has been identified to take forward Cambus O’May repair design work but funding has still to be identified for the actual repair works. Council officers will continue to explore possible funding options. Once a repair approach has been agreed and funding has been identified, officers will seek the necessary consents and procure the works. This process could take a number of years. Officers will continue to liaise with representatives of the community during this period. In the meantime the bridge will remain fenced off and closed to public access for health and safety reasons – the bridge has been damaged and is deemed an unsafe structure. The Council asks that members of the public do not try to gain access to the site.
Murray Garden Maintenance Ballater General garden maintenance, including grass cutting. Plus! Potted summer bedding plants for sale.
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Council Matters by Peter Argyle
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Photo: TroutQuest It is sometimes difficult to relate developments taking place in Aberdeen to life in Ballater but the connection is there and, I believe, both offer an opportunity to grow our local economy. This comes in addition to the phoenix-like emergence from the ashes of the Royal Station. I have to say that the results have far exceeded my hopes; the building is looking superb, particularly in the “new old” colours. I have no doubt whatsoever that when complete it will be a very significant draw and demonstrate that Ballater will welcome visitors from across the world. Back to Aberdeen, however. There are two developments that have the potential to impact positively on Ballater; the new harbour at Nigg Bay and the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre at Bucksburn. I hope I can show the link is not a far-fetched one! The Nigg Bay development will not only relieve pressure on the harbour but will include a purpose-built facility for cruise ships. At the moment a number of smaller ships dock in Aberdeen, with a complement of around 100 passengers; the harbour lacks the facilities – or space – for larger vessels. Nigg Bay is designed to take ships carrying 3,000 or more passengers and they will want to get out and about once their ship docks. Royal Deeside will be a key destination. A lot of work is being done to ensure Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are ‘cruise-ready’, with everything in place to ensure these visitors get a first class experience from the moment they set foot on shore. The AECC will be the largest exhibition and conference centre in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK. The capacity for conferences will be up to 3,000 delegates while the arena for concerts will hold 12,500. The site will also offer 350 hotel rooms. Whilst concert-goers are perhaps more likely to ‘come and go’, there is real potential to capitalise on major conferences – particularly international ones – and encourage delegates to get out and about and into Aberdeenshire. Again there can be no doubt that Royal Deeside will be a significant draw. The importance of Tourism to Aberdeenshire is being more clearly recognised and the creation of VisitAberdeenshire will do much to promote our region. With some 18,000 jobs in the north east based on tourism, it is a sector we must all do more to support.
Balmoral S COTTISH H OME TO THE ROYAL FAMILY
Open daily from 30th March until 31st July 2018 Exhibitions, Gardens, Castle Ballroom, Audio Guide, CafĂŠ & Shop. Accompany a ranger on a Safari for a fascinating tour of the Balmoral Estate - Booking essential For further information telephone: Tel: 01339 742 534
www.balmoralcastle.com
CNPA
by Charlotte Milburn
There are many benefits to being part of a bigger group or organisation. Support and advice from those with more knowledge than you may have, the opportunity to share great ideas and learn from others’ experiences, or just the realisation that you are not alone in the job you do. With a membership representing thousands of Protected Areas across 37 countries, the EUROPARC Federation is one such organisation and their annual EUROPARC conference is the largest gathering of Park professionals in Europe. This year the Cairngorms National Park Authority will welcome hundreds of delegates from across Europe to the National Park as we host the conference in September. Reconnecting people with nature is a hot topic, those that work in nature conservation are constantly being challenged to reach new audiences and connect with the younger generation. EUROPARC 2018 will focus on how the next generation can inspire us to reach that goal. Richard Louv will be one of the keynote speakers at the conference, his book ‘Last Child in the Woods’ explored what happens to individuals and society, when kids stop going out into the natural world to play. The book sparked an international debate and was instrumental in starting a national movement in the United States to reconnect kids and nature.
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The theme of the conference is European Parks: Inspired by the Next Generation, and a Youth Manifesto will be launched at the conference that will outline ways in which young people can be meaningfully engaged in shaping the future stewardship of our natural heritage. Alan Smith, Outdoor Learning Officer at the CNPA, explains: “Young people are the future of the national parks and protected areas we have in the UK and mainland Europe; they are the decision-makers of tomorrow. It is important they are given the opportunity to consider how the present management of our environment will affect them in the future.” EUROPARC 2018 will be a fantastic opportunity to show off the unique projects and places of the Cairngorms National Park to our colleagues from across Europe, and the chance to learn from them as they share their experiences with us. The conference will have a number of fieldtrips to Deeside to see the beautiful villages and scenery and to talk about some of the opportunities and challenges for the area. EUROPARC 2018 takes place in Aviemore from 18 to 21 September. One-day and full conference tickets are available as well as special youth rates. Check out the website www.EUROPARC2018.com for up to date information.
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Sitting here at the end of April, rushing to meet ‘Ed’s’ deadline (what’s new?), I can see blue sky outside at last! Winter seems to have dragged on but with the Ballater Farmers’ Market back in action (yippee), it must be almost summer! The Ballater & Crathie Community Action Plan clearly highlights the priorities the community wants to address, and it’s no surprise that Housing and Parking are high on the list. With my CNPA hat on, the Park is keen to work with communities on affordable housing projects – and in Braemar initial discussions have taken place with a local landowner to see what the possibilities might be for a joint project with Braemar Community Ltd as there is government funding available to build new homes, change buildings into homes and make empty homes ready to rent or sell. The planned homes must be affordable and can be for rent or sale. If you have any ideas for a project in Ballater, please let me know and let’s see what we can achieve! Parking is increasingly a nightmare in the village and with the Station not that far off opening, we need to find a solution. I have been working with the council, the community council, BRD and private interests and a bid is being made by the council’s Economic Development Team to a fund being delivered by VisitScotland to see if the Swan Place car park could be better utilized. All three of us Ward Councillors are working with officers to find a solution to the issues created by the bus stop outside the Co-op and there will hopefully be a community consultation shortly. The Cairngorms National Park Board is busy. We had the Cairngorms Nature Big Weekend in May, and plans are developing to host this year’s Europarc conference in the Cairngorms in Aviemore. Delegates have a day of field trips which in this area range from climbing Lochnagar to a gentler visit to the Lochnagar Distillery and Braemar Castle. Hopefully people will be so struck by what we have on offer in Deeside and Donside that they will make plans to come back and visit us again. The Main Issues Report is shortly to come to the Board and then we will start
Geva’s Musings with Cllr Blackett
working on the next Local Development Plan. Five Ministerial Appointed Board members leave us at the end of October, including our own Gordon Riddler who will be much missed (and no, he didn’t slip me £5 to say that, I promise). Advertisements will be going out shortly for the replacements and I will make sure they are well publicized because with the loss of Brian Wood (Braemar), Gregor Hutcheon (Strathdon) and Gordon, we need to make sure our voices in the east of the park are heard in the strategy making! The local members are up for election next year so the balances on the Board are in constant flow… Combined with my Council responsibilities, it’s fascinating work and the two roles work very well together. Council life is busy as ever with a constant round of meetings – as you know, Gairnshiel Bridge has been shut for 3 weeks from 14th May for essential repairs. The diversion (via Dinnet) will form a new HGV diversionary route and will be well signed. The council will be informing the Sat Nav companies of the 18 Ton limit and anyone caught using the bridge illegally risks prosecution! In March, Marr Area Committee approved a line in the ‘Bridges’ budget that continues to fund the feasibility study for a new bridge and also the design. We will have a better idea of proposals in the autumn when a more weighty paper comes to committee for approval. Here in Braemar, the new Braemar Royal Highland Society centre is nearing completion and will provide an exciting lure to the village that will benefit Ballater visitor numbers too, and the Fife Arms continues to wend its way to completion – as yet no firm date for opening but steady progress continues to be made and you can be sure Ballater businesses will also benefit next year from this. With a new rabbit proof garden to enjoy, I am off out to water the lettuces! I hope you all have a wonderful and warm summer and I am always just an email or phone call away if you need me.
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by Bell Macaulay After a hard and seemingly endless cold spell, summer is in the air - long days and short nights make us all feel more energised to get out and see what’s happening around the village! Who’s Who at the Halls! Time for change, Bell Macaulay has stepped down as Chair of the Halls Trust. Ed Bushnell has very kindly stepped up to the challenge and is new Chair (for a short while at least). Ed has a long history of community service to Ballater having chaired Community Council in the late 1990s, and was one of the four founder members of Crathie Opportunity Holidays and Chair of the Board of Directors for many years. Dr Doug Glass was re-elected as vice-chair, heading a maintenance team consisting of Ed and Wallis Riddell who is very much hands-on, with a background in Health and Safety. Karen Forsyth keeps the Halls spick and span, but all users are expected to play their part by clearing up behind them – no stray cups left in the sink please! Treasurer Willie Meston continues to keep our financial records and pay the bills, but he too has indicated that he will be stepping down at the next AGM. Gordon Riddler deals with matters of governance, and also takes the minutes which are circulated by Tina Riddell. We rely on Faye Swan to accept all our halls bookings, send out the paperwork and keep the online calendar updated – no mean task which needs everyone to submit timely paperwork and keep a check that all is well.
On the refurbishment front, Ian Hay is working on many ideas for improving the Halls and ensuring that the space available is well-used, helped by a small team including two keen new trustees Jimmy Armstrong and Alan Ross. Iain Latta is the Halls link to the Community Council. Bell Macaulay is now working to produce an inventory of halls assets. As a first foray into this task, Bell and Karen have recorded the contents of boxes of soft furnishings and table decorations very kindly donated by Wendy Miller, one of our Community Councillors - sufficient to set up the Halls in style for all manner of functions. Events – “Afternoon Tea at the Albert” returns on Sunday 8th July when Alastair Savage and Euan Drysdale visit us with “The Fiddle Music of Scotland” - old and new fiddle music with melodies by Niel Gow, James Scott Skinner, William Marshall, some of Alastair’s own tunes, and music from the islands of Scotland too. Keep a look out for the posters! It’s a great way to enjoy a leisurely Sunday afternoon with top class music and plenty of home-baked “fine pieces”. On that point, can you whip up some mean cakes, traybakes or anything else waist-expanding? We need your help to provide an array of home-bakes and delicious dainties to accompany some of the finest Scots tunes. If you can, please contact Bell on 55745. Refurbishment – Ian’s team is working hard on many fronts. ~ The multi-purpose Beaton Craigie Room now has bright enough lighting and has been redecorated to provide a much more attractive room to be enjoyed by all. ~ Options for insulation solutions throughout the building are being explored, as are heating systems, initially for the larger halls. ~ The upgrade of Station Square, and the imminent move of the library to the Station building has provided an opportunity for plans to be drawn up for the vacated space. Toilet facilities serving the main Victoria Hall have always been problematic, and now there are options to provide fully accessible facilities on the ground floor. ~ Externally, following the Library move across the Square, it is intended to restore the
frontage to its original Victorian appearance, and the piazza to the front will provide flexible outdoor space for all manner of events maximising its position at the heart of the Square. Of course, funding will need to be identified, and this will be no mean feat. The Emergency Store is now fully kitted out with shelves containing sufficient alternative heating, lighting and cooking facilities which can be deployed throughout the building should the power go down. Extra sockets have been installed enabling all electrical equipment to be constantly charged ready for immediate use. Looking to celebrate? Looking ahead, the Halls as part of the Old Royal Station complex will offer a wonderful venue for celebrations of all sorts at very reasonable rates. With the help of generous community donations we now have many of the elements needed to dress the Halls for party time! Why not make an appointment to come along and discuss your needs, and we’ll see what we can do. Calendar – check what dates are available
for your event on www.victoriaandalberthalls. co.uk and look in the online calendar. Membership – is slowly increasing, but we need your support – it costs nothing, but demonstrates that the Halls play an important part in community life, and helps with releasing funding. For further infor mation or to obtain Membership Registration Forms call/leave message for Janet Riddler at 013397 55308 or email: membership@victoriaandalberthalls.co.uk Do you have a few hours to spare? We’re always on the lookout for some help to organise / run events, or even take a turn in the kitchen, serve teas when necessary – all offers of help welcomed! Keep on enjoying your Halls, and pitch in with some help where you can! HANDY NUMBERS Ed Bushnell Karen Forsyth Douglas Glass Bell Macaulay Wallis Riddell Gordon Riddler
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An Arctic Challenge by Lisa Cox
Photo by an expedition participant 2015 turned out to present a big challenge. Sharon, aged 45, who has been part of our family for over 25 years, was diagnosed with stage 3 grade 3 breast cancer. Early on during treatment, it became clear that a ‘bright light’ was needed and we decided that we would join ‘WALK THE WALK’ in their Arctic back country ski marathon, as it would provide a challenge and a goal to work towards as well as raising awareness and funds for this amazing charity. The ‘WALK THE WALK’ charity was established by Nina Barough after she had had a particularly poignant dream. She persuaded a group of friends to take part in the New York Marathon in their bras. They raised £25,000 which was granted to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Just weeks after this event Nina was herself diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1998 the first ‘Moonwalk’ was born as all those who wanted to fundraise with Nina could not get spaces in the London Marathon. A power walk marathon, walked by participants wearing decorated bras, was arranged on the night before the London Marathon. Since then, along with the Moonwalks in London, Scotland and Iceland, other events such as the Arctic back country ski marathon, marathons and treks in New York, Peru, Nijmegen, Dublin, Berlin and Spain have been added. Nina Barough is now the Chief Executive of the Charity as well as Events Director and continues to participate in many of the events. Today the Charity has raised in excess of £122 million which has been donated to 24 NHS hospitals in the UK, Maggie’s, The Breast Cancer Institute in Edinburgh and Breast Cancer Now, as well as many other smaller charities. Nina Barough was awarded a CBE in 2006 for services to healthcare.
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After two years of planning, training and fundraising we eventually set off on our Arctic Challenge in February 2018. We met our fellow participants at Heathrow Airport and travelled to the Abisco National Park in Northern Sweden situated some 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. Here we were treated to a ‘welcome’ display of Northern lights which, along with the friendliness of our guides, made fitting and testing of our equipment and clothing an easy going experience. We travelled by skidoo-pulled sledges to our starting point in a bothy in the mountains (the bothy came with wood burning stoves and a chef which was a very pleasant surprise). The three-hour trip in minus 28 degrees Celsius was a beautiful although somewhat chilly experience. The highlight was seeing the rising moon and grazing moose. After a cosy night getting to know more about our other 18 participants, we started our Marathon at 8am and had covered half the distance by 4pm. Thankfully the conditions were benign with no snow or wind although a case of frostbite had to be treated that evening. A very early night followed for all of us although there was a great deal of merry chat, mostly centering on the ‘virtues’ of arctic ‘toilets’. Our departure the next day was delayed till 11am as the temperature had dropped to minus 34 degrees Celsius. The day again was beautiful, the skiing slightly better with the snow at lower levels not so icy. We reached the finish line to be greeted by those in before our group and we joined them to celebrate the arrival of the other group. The feeling of achievement was very strong and many photographs were taken. Having returned our equipment and said goodbye to our guides, we continued by bus to the Icehotel at Jukkasjarvi. We spent our first night there in the ‘warm part’ - beautiful rooms
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Arctic Challenge by Lisa Cox (cont)
with fantastic bathrooms and comfy beds. BLISS. The following day we chose to ski on the river Thorne – where they harvest all the ice for the Icehotel – and generally enjoyed the company of others. The day concluded with pink cocktails in the Icebar where everything is made of ice – tables, chairs, chandeliers and even the drinking glasses. A photo call of all the participants in their decorated bras (ours were made with Ballater’s Victoria Week Tartan) was done rather quickly as the temperature was minus 5 degrees Celsius. Next was a fantastic celebratory meal (all served on ice plates) but thankfully in a warm area, medal ceremony and a call from Nina Barough to congratulate us on completing the Challenge. The night was spent sleeping in the beautiful Icehotel. A real experience. We all returned home richer for the experience, having made new friends and discovered hidden depths and empathy in ourselves, along with raising in excess of £50,000 for this fantastic charity. Here I would like to take the opportunity
to say THANK YOU to all of you who supported our fundraising efforts. If you feel you need a challenge in a safe, friendly atmosphere have a look at www. walkthewalk.org and see if there is anything there that you might like to try. Do not be daunted by the description of the challenges, as with proper preparation, guided by WALK THE WALK, they are all very “doable”. So challenge yourself, get fitter and raise money for vital research and care associated with breast cancer.
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Loinmuie – the next 200 years by Joan Anderson
The award-winning work of the children at Ballater Library (see page 14) has sparked a renewed interest in the lost Glen Muick village of Loinmuie, which was last a community nearly 200 years ago. This summer, a group of Loinmuie descendants from far and wide intends to carry out the last wishes of one of Ballater’s most famous sons, Victorian John Riach of Scurrystone, who left a bequest which helped the poorest people of the area for many years. He also asked for family graves in the old Glenmuick churchyard to be cleaned and maintained. Specialist advice is being sought from Archaeology Scotland. The work of identifying hundreds more living descendants continues with the help of members of the Riach and Stewart families whose ancestors were recorded as living at Loinmuie in the 1841 census and identified in the project begun by Ballater Library’s two craft clubs under Sabine Muir. It was with great sadness that we noted the passing of Loinmuie Stewart descendant Mrs Sheila Smith who did so much to encourage me personally in becoming interested in the ruined township, decades before I told stories there during ranger-guided walks and years before I realised that I had lived among Loinmuie Riach descendants in Glen Carvie, Strathdon. There, my first view every morning was the high mountain pass through which their exiled ancestors had arrived, bedraggled, and exhausted, eight generations ago. Allowed to stay on condition they built a hoose with a window and a smokin’ lum in the space of a day, the Riachs became - and remain - Donside farmers, but connected to Deeside heritage by the same strong, hard-working genes which successfully helped them build a proper shelter in just 24 hours and go on to turn an unwanted bit of ground into productive soil.
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Sheila Smith and her husband, editor and author Bob Smith, had researched these and other Loinmuie family stories over many years and Bob was one of several local authors who had written about them in his books. Sheila gifted some of Bob’s unused research material to me after he died and it was there I found the first clues that showed a direct 1841 link to another famous son of the Lost Village, the late and much loved butcher Mike Sheridan. That particular puzzle was completed by a valuable Stewart family record compiled by Bob and Sheila, and loaned by their son, Aberdeen journalist, Graeme Smith. More on the Stewart connection and how to check whether you have a link through Loinmuie Stuarts - Mike Sheridan’s great great grandparents changed the spelling – can be found in the Lost Village Newsletter, issued in May and available from me at loinmuie@gmail.com. At the time of writing, Bob and Sheila’s daughter Jennifer is the only Stewart descendant (the rest being Riachs so far) to have written her name in the precious handwritten signing
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Riach cousins Charlie and William meet for the first time book which is in the custody of Sabine Muir at the library and which we hope will help keep Loinmuie, its people, its heart and its legends, connected to Ballater for centuries to come. In the 200 years before 1841, the Stewarts and Riachs were the main families at Loinmuie, alongside many more names like Lauchlan, Tastard, Davidson, Dowie and Jamieson. Nine generations after the village finally fell silent, there are hundreds of new Loinmuie surnames and thousands of descendants worldwide. The photograph shows the moment when two distant cousins, William and Charlie Riach - both direct descendants of Loinmuie - met for the first time during the special Descendants’ Day in Victoria Week 2017. Loinmuie has been off the map for decades, but its descendants kept returning, remembering and recounting memories of Granny Riach and Granny Stewart and their ilk. They wrote poetry about life in the lost village and some, fortunately, spoke to local authors (listed in the newsletter) who faithfully recorded and shared the memories over the years. The children of Ballater Library craft clubs have moved on to other projects, but their early enthusiasm for Loinmuie lore and legends has led to a resurgence in interest and a hope - from me at any rate - that the broken walls of one special clachan will continue to give up its ghosts and be treasured for a further 200 years.
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“To Hell with your Alps, Rockies and Himalaya, Bennachie is the hill for me” – so said the late Lord Aberdeen. I am sure many of you will have your own favourite hill. I have always said I would go to Bennachie one day just to see the five finger marks up close, so one fine frosty February morning with a covering of snow on the ground, I met a friend at the Forestry Commission’s Bennachie Centre, near Chapel of Garioch. As it was frosty we took walking poles just to keep our balance, especially on the way down! We set off from the car park, walking towards the Centre then taking the path to the left, following the markers for The Gordon Way Trail. Initially you walk through woodland then into a clear felled area from which already, even before climbing, the view is for miles and beautiful. Bennachie is made of granite and is part of a chain of granite outcrops that extend from the Cairngorms into lowland Aberdeenshire. As you walk along this path, Bennachie is on your right and we are walking along the side of the hill just gradually climbing up. It was a glorious sunny day and the snow on the ground just made it even more stunning. As you walk along, there is a fence on the right and you pass an old quarry, which is called the English Quarry. It is one of a few major quarries on the hill. It was worked by an English company (the name gives it away!) during the 1800s. Granite blocks were cut by hand, with no explosives, probably taken down by horse and cart to Port Elphinstone and loaded onto canal barges, then shipped from Aberdeen docks to England. Granite blocks from this quarry were used to build the Thames Embankment in London and the docks at Sheerness in Kent. Carry on along this path and then after a short distance start climbing up stone steps. The path travels eastwards and does ease a little but still rises steadily. Follow the path for the Back o’ Bennachie Car Park now, and it reaches Oxen Craig, the highest point on Bennachie. The view is amazing even though it is freezing! We decided not to have our flask of soup there and headed down following the path for Back o’ Bennachie Car Park. After a short distance on your left you come to another quarry
The Most Loved Hill in Britain? 53 A Walk in the Park with Katrina A Farquhar
and it turns out to be a good shelter from the wind! This is Little Oxen Craig and another example of the quarrying that once took place on Bennachie. This one was also opened in the mid 1800s and operated for forty years. However, it stopped working overnight when torrential rain washed away the track up to the quarry and the track was never reinstated. After a nice hot cup of soup we set off again but this time heading towards another summit and, following the Mither Tap Quarry Trail, you can either walk around the side of Craigshannoch or take the short uphill path to the top, which is well worth it as you can see right up to Buchan. Once you go back down, follow this path which is quite flat over the plateau and take the path to the left - not the one going around Mither Tap. As you follow this path you will see above you, the remains of what would have been an impressive Pictish Fort which was most likely occupied in the 1st millennium AD. You can still see much of what the fort would have been like. It is a very impressive sight, and as you clamber through the walls up onto the summit of Mither Tap you are now on the trademark five finger marks we identify with for miles around. Go back down through the fort and start following the signs for Bennachie car park. This part of the path is stepped, and pretty good normally, but on the day we did it, because of the frost and snow, the path was extremely icy so the walking poles came in very handy! As you descend the hill you will come across ruins and boundary stones. The hill was common land in the 1850s until eight local lairds decided to claim the hill, as they thought there was money to be made from peat cutting rights, game shooting and rents from the “squatters”. Many of the people who did live there just moved on and felt very aggrieved, feeling this acquisition was shameful and it became known as “The Rape of Bennachie”. The marker stone you pass has become known as The Thieves Mark. Continue down the steps into woodland and keep following the Bennachie Visitor Centre Car Park signs. Look out for a stone ruin, which is the remains of one stone cottage of which there are a few across the area which was once Bennachie Colony. The colony
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A Walk in the Park (cont) was a crofting community which settled here and farmed the land from 1825 until 1878. The families were there as it was common land and when the lairds were awarded possession in 1859 the Colony went to Leslie of Balquhain who then immediately starting charging rent. The residents discovered they no longer owned or even had the right to stay in the houses that they had built or to cultivate their fields. Leslie evicted many of the tenants, the colony slowly disintegrated and most were gone by the 1870s except for one George Esson a stone dyker who lived on the hill until his death in 1939. From this ruin continue along the path and just keep following the signs for Bennachie Visitor Centre Car Park. On arrival at the centre, there are toilet facilities and a small shop with snacks, hot drinks and souvenirs. It is a splendid walk and well worth it. A sunny day in summer would be lovely for a leisurely walk and picnic but I must say the cold frosty, snowy weather made the scenery and the photographs I took just stunning! It took about four hours to do the whole walk.
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Invercauld House
by Sheila Sedgwick
The Ballater that we know is chiefly of Victorian origin but the surrounding area and Deeside in general gives us a wonderful example of life in times gone by, with those at the top of the social scale occupying castles and splendid houses and those at the other end of the social scale living in bothies and simple cottages. One of the oldest examples of family living, at the top of the social scale, was that of the Invercauld Farquharsons in Invercauld Castle, now usually referred to as Invercauld House. (Although a family home, Invercauld House has all the architectural features of a castle.) The stone coat of arms above the door of Invercauld depicts the clan badge – a fir tree growing from a mound – and the cat supporters of Clan Chattan, of which the Farquharsons were part, are in evidence. In early times twigs of fir were worn as a clan badge in time of war. Also remembered are the achievements of Finla Mor, standard bearer at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. Invercauld House stands on a green haugh (level ground on the banks of a river) about 3.5 miles from Braemar, overlooking the Dee and viewing the towering heights of Ben Avon and Beinn a Bhuird, often snow-covered. Not far off is Braemar Castle, a Farquharson fortalice converted by the Hanoverians to keep the Highlands in order. The date of the original building of Invercauld is uncertain, but the oldest part, a rough-hewn vaulted chamber which can be approached by steps from the long back-door corridor, certainly goes back to the reign of James IV (1473 – 1513) and may be earlier. Originally there were several buildings eventually linked together. Invercauld is an extended Z plan building with three storeys, attic wings and a square tower of six storeys. The house is in the baronial style with wings radiating from the 70 feet high central tower. The exterior is plain and simple without over-elaborate decoration. Inside a wide entrance reveals a magnificent staircase with rooms branching off at various levels. Considerable alterations had taken place in the 17th century and again in the 19th century. Additions were made in the 1820s and the gables added in 1847. There was considerable re-modelling in 1875 by the London architect J. Wimperis when the tower was raised. The upstairs Drawing Room was in the past the show-piece of the house with gilt furniture, chintzes and Regency style sofas covered in claret, jade green or amber. The walls were very pale, showing the furniture to advantage. Off the Drawing Room is a little boudoir, used by Capt. AAC Farquharson’s grandmother, a daughter of Musgrave of Edenhall, Cumbria. A noted beauty in her day, her portrait was painted in the early 1900s. In the older section of the house was the Dining Room, pine panelled and with a considerable number of stags’ heads. The magnificent 18th century table took 30 place settings. Sconces on the walls held candles that gave an air of mystery but on important occasions silver candelabra sat on the table. They had designs of grapes and vines and silver deer. The library, well stocked, used to be used as a gentleman’s lounge in the shooting season. It was in this room, before it was reconstructed, that the attempted murder of an English officer in charge of Braemar Castle was avoided, so escaping retribution. The room is on a lower level than the front entrance. Upstairs there was period furniture. In many rooms there were tester or four-poster beds. There were Summer and Winter bedrooms with different outlooks. One room was known as the Prince’s Room because Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert stayed as a guest. The bed frame was made of gilded metal and the bed had a carved canopy. The house was always lived in and enjoyed.
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Bunty Illingworth
Tornaveen Plumbing
Time served plumber Can’t get anyone to do those small jobs? Tap washers, cleaning and repairing gutters, drains etc. No VAT
Contact: John Whyte 013398 83698 07497 819551
Ballater was sorry to say goodbye to one of its most familiar faces in March with the sudden passing of Bunty (Jean) Illingworth, of Hawthorn Grove. Bunty was a considerable presence in the village, always cheerful and greeting everyone. She was a regular at bingo events and hard to beat at the weekly whist. During her working life she was a longstanding employee of McEwens of Perth, the Darroch Learg Hotel and the Co-op, and in 2015 she was asked to cut the ribbon for the new Co-op store in Golf Road. In retirement she set about helping as many folk around her as possible and was a regular visitor at nearby Sluiemohr. Bunty would have celebrated her 90th birthday in October and will be greatly missed.
Highland Yurts
Tailor-made yurts Choice of seven colours www.highlandyurts.com
BRAKELEY GIFT ROOM Shearer Candles . Heathergems . Bridgeness Ceramic Tiles . . Signare Tapestry Bags + Cushions . . Prints + Cards by Local Artists . + much more Spend £20 or more to receive a 10% discount on production of this voucher
Paul Spencer Tel: 07814 051388
14 Bridge Street, Ballater Open 7 Days . 013397 55574 Wendy & David Cobban
The Auld Kirk Coffee Lounge A small changingselection selection of sweet and savoury cakes,soup seasonal A smallbut butdaily daily changing of sweet and savoury pastries,pastries, cakes, seasonal and soup and sandwiches and a daily special served in stylish surroundings. sandwiches and a daily special served in stylish surrounding. Locally roasted coffee and quality loose leaf tea. Try our special afternoon tea, served in and thequality lounge from 2 to 4pm – bookings essential, Locally roasted coffee loose leaf tea. gift vouchers now available. Try our special afternoon tea, served in the lounge from 2.30 to 4pm – bookings essential, gift vouchers Now open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am now available.
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email info@theauldkirk.com
31 Braemar Road Ballater 013397 55762
Now open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am e.mail info@theauldkirk.com
31 Braemar Road Ballater 013397 55762
60 Pottering About It was the day of the first Farmers’ Market this year I started writing this article. It doesn’t even feel like spring. Perhaps spring was those few glorious days – completely outwith the school holidays of course – when I was mostly driving whilst squinting at the unaccustomed brightness or unavoidably working indoors? I’m rather hopeful that by the time this issue comes out I will be proved as wrong as I was in the last issue, where I confidently opened with “Winter is loosening its grip!” yet a few weeks later the issue was delivered in deep snow. Back to the Farmers’ Market. Despite my thermals, woolly hat, heat holder socks and thick jacket I was jolly chilly on the Green. But hey ho! It didn’t rain so I’m thankful for small mercies. I’m also very thankful to Amy, and her small band of volunteers, who continue to put so much energy into organising this great Market. They delightfully punctuate our non-winter months with treats for all the senses. It’s also a great place to catch up on some streetchat with folk I don’t normally bump into. We are so fortunate to have such volunteering dedication in our community, of which Amy’s is just one example. Having hoped that in this issue I could confidently write that at long, long last the ramifications of the flooding 2½ years ago were over, this sadly is still not the case. There are still empty residential and commercial properties, still folk suffering with poor physical and mental health from the trauma, still homeowners struggling to get reasonably priced insurance and still no sign of any new flood barriers. Yes, I too wish we were recovered and potential future flooding danger made safe yet until that happens I will continue to record the inexorably slow process of full recovery and defences in these pages. However, one of the more positive things from that awful time is another of our fabulous volunteer groups, the Resilience Group. Our community is now better prepared than ever for any new disaster that may befall us. At least that’s something we can take comfort in. On a far lighter note, I was going to write
with Stella Potter
about the weirdness of having only seen a word in print and much later hearing it spoken for the first time, pronounced in a way that bears absolutely no relation to how I thought it would be. (I’m not counting the seemingly superfluous consonants of Gaelic which are pretty impossible to guess!) However it seems fiendishly difficult to use text to show pronunciation. So my idea of using examples has been thrown into the writers’ virtual waste-paper basket of shattered dreams. But then the thought might still be worth sharing, if only to recognise how odd I can be! It’s so frustrating when I know the word and its meaning by context – so not looking it up where I can see the pronunciation with those peculiar marks they use – and hear it sounding completely different from how I envisaged. Of course, when I first moved to Scotland nearly four decades ago it did take me a while to get place names like Culzean, Anstruther, Kirkcudbright, Alford etc, and I’m still mightily perplexed that Cults and Peterculter don’t sound the ‘cult’ bit the same. But I have been delightfully complimented on my good Scottish pronunciation of ‘loch’ and ‘quaich’ so hope I’m getting there. I do worry somewhat as to whether I’ve actually used a wholly incorrect pronunciation in conversation. It may account for some of the odd looks I occasionally engender! Here’s hoping for fewer badly pronounced words from me, a summer that’s worthy of its name and a safe, supportive, happy and enjoyable time for us all. I’ll raise my glass to that! Cheers!
NEW BEGINNINGS The Fife Arms opens in 2018 and we want you to join our team as we set out on an exciting new chapter in the life of this historic hotel. We think a new job is like a blank page, the opportunities are endless. Be part of our new beginning... We are currently recruiting for the following positions: PA & HR CO-ORDINATOR GUEST SERVICES AGENT RESERVATIONS MANAGER SOUS CHEF PASTRY CHEF PUB MANAGER SPA SUPERVISOR SPA THERAPIST SHOP SUPERVISOR ACCOUNTANT EVENTS MANAGER HOTEL RECEPTIONIST Job descriptions and application forms are available online at www.thefifearms.com Alternatively, send your CV and Covering Letter to mail@thefifearms.com @thefifearms
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Hidden Deeside Tours H. M. Sheridan Ltd Highland Glen Spas Highland Yurts Ian Rodger Architects Joan Anderson Julian Barclay Keiller Brasserie Laurie & Company LM-Fire Ltd Marie Chapman McCue & Porter McKay & Innes Funeral Directors Michael Morton Morven Veterinary Centre Phoenix Chip Shop Riverside Cottage Cafe Roaring Stag Coffee Ronald Hay Architecture Rowan Jewellery Shorty’s Speedwell Framing SRC Plumbing The Hair Loft The Oven Valet Tornaveen Plumbing Tweedie Beasties Wee Jim Landscapes
The Ballater & Crathie Eagle is made possible by: Advertising, Donations, Sponsorship & Fundraising. Thank you to everyone who supports us. We deliver FREE from Crathie to Cambus O’May. Thanks to Friends of the Eagle for delivering to some outlying areas.
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TWO DINING EXPERIENCES TO SAVOUR…DAY OR NIGHT Whether you’re looking for a memorable meal or a light bite and lively socialising, you’ll discover a pair beyond compare within the Keiller Brasserie & Lounge.
Keiller Brasserie Where the finest in local produce and our signature flavours await in stylish surroundings Breakfast: Daily 8:00am - 10:30am last orders Dinner: Daily 6:00pm - 9:00pm last orders
Booking is essential: www.resdiary.com (search Ballater) or (013397) 55858
Keiller Lounge The perfect place to relax and unwind throughout your day Open Daily 11:00am - 11:00pm Coffee and Pastries: Available from 11:00am Lounge Menu: Serving from 11:00am - 9:00pm last orders
Located within Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Craigendarroch Braemar Road, Ballater AB35 5XA www.facebook.com/craigendarroch