Eagle 85

Waxwing photo by, and courtesy of, Harry Scott

THE

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Ballater & Crathie Community Magazine no. 85 spring 2017

Balmoral A5 adv. LandmarkP._Layout 1 01/12/2016 16:00 Page 1

Balmoral S c ot t i S h h o m e

to t h e

R oya l F a m i ly

Open daily from 1st April until 31st July 2017 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

Inside Your Spring Eagle: Diary

4-5

Local Groups Ballater Caravan Park (BCE): 10

Spirit of Ballater Awards 22 Buttony Bear

24

“Can-Do Country”

26

National Park Update

28

3

Ballater Films: 42 Ballater Flood Group: 29 Ballater RHS: 8 Ballater Resilience Group: 11 Ballater SWI: 9

Aboyne Academy

38

BRD Duck Festival: 16

Pottering

40

Churches News: 20

A Waxwing Invasion

43

Walking Festival 2017

47

Keeping Council

49

Charity Challenge

CPR Training Sessions: 39 Crathie Opportunity Holidays: 21 Crathie School: 34 Crathie Update: 37 Library News: 14

The Murder of the Baron

of Brackley

Victoria Road

50

Old People’s & Over 50’s: 12

56

Rotary: 13 St Kentigern’s: 22

Putting Ballater

on the Map

Handy to have

Advertisers’ Index:

V&A Halls Trust: 53

60

Victoria Week: 32 Voluntary Action (AVA): 45

62

Eagle copy & advertising deadlines 2017/18

issue summer autumn winter spring

deadline May 1st Aug 1st Nov 1st Feb 1st

Advertising Full page: £100; Half page: £50; Quarter page: £25; Eighth page: £12 Discounts on 4 issue series copy can be changed each issue contact Karen Garioch at karen.garioch@btinternet.com or Tel 42344

publication early June mid September early December early March

Thank You Donations are gratefully received, and acknowledged.

You can also put money into our tins in the Library or Yules Newsagents.

The Eagle Diary

...so you know What’s Going On March

Wed 1 Ash Wednesday Communion, 10am St Kentigern’s Mon 6 BRHS meeting, Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm.

Presentation by Iain Govan: ‘Divide and Multiply’ Tues 7 Lent Group at St. Kentigern’s Rectory – ‘Living and Loving’ 7.30pm Thu 9 Midweek Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 10am, followed by tea & coffee Fri 10 Ballater Golf Club – The Jersey Notes Tribute Band. Members & guests welcome. Tickets £20 including basket supper available from Golf Club Mon 13 B&CCC meeting, Mike Sheridan Room 7pm Tues 14 Lent Group at St Kentigern’s Rectory – ‘Living and Loving’ 7.30pm Wed 15 Ballater SWI Open Evening, Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm. Talk by Pat Fraser: ‘Genealogy’ Thu 16 Midweek Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 10am, followed by tea & coffee Sat 18 Rumble in the Jumble, Victoria Hall 12 noon to 4pm. In aid of Halls funds Sat 18 Ballater Golf Club Ladies Section Coffee morning at 10am followed by a Sweeper. All members welcome.

Sat 18 Ballater Films 7.30pm, Mike Sheridan Room – ‘A Street Cat Named Bob.’ In aid of Cats’ Protection. Doors open 7pm.

Tue 21 Lent Group at St Kentigern’s Rectory – ‘Living and Loving’ 7.30pm Thu 23 Midweek Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 10am, followed by tea & coffee Sat 25/Sun 26 Dee Don Ceilidh Collective Workshops in Victoria & Albert Halls Sun 26 Afternoon Tea and Concert in Albert Hall in aid of Halls Funds. Music provided by Dee Don Ceilidh Collective Tues 28 Lent Group at St Kentigern’s Rectory – ‘Living and Loving’ 7.30pm Wed 29 Ballater Local History Group, Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm Thu 30 Midweek Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 10am, followed by tea & coffee Fri 31 End of school term

April Mon 3

BRHS Mini Bulb Show in Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm, followed by a talk by Jane Taylor: ‘The Beauty and Benefits of Water Lilies’

Post Office Opening Hours The Post Office counter in the new Co-op is currently operating from 7am to 10pm every day.

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 4 Lent Group at St Kentigern’s Rectory – ‘Living and Loving’ 7.30pm Thu 6 Midweek Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 10am followed by tea & coffee Mon 10 B&CCC meeting Mike Sheridan Room 7pm Tues 11 Ecumenical Service for Holy Week at St Kentigern’s Church 11am Thu 13 Maundy Thursday Holy Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 6pm Fri 14 Ecumenical Service of Prayers and Readings, St Kentigern’s Church 12noon - 1pm Fri 14 Ballater Library Closed Sat 15 Easter Fair, from 12 noon to 4pm in Victoria Hall, in aid of Halls funds Sun 16 Easter Sunday. 7am Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service by the river, followed by breakfast at Glenmuick Church Sun 16 Easter Communion, St Kentigern’s Church 9.30am Sun 16 Easter Service, Glenmuick Church 11am Mon 17 Ballater Clinic closed Tues 18 School term commences Wed 19 Ballater SWI Business Meeting to be conducted by Braemar WI. Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm

May

Mon 1 Copy date for summer Ballater Eagle.

Mon 1 Ballater Clinic closed. For all out of hours calls please phone NHS 24 on 111 Thu 4 Ballater Films – Star Wars Quiz in Deeside Inn tbc Mon 8 BRHS meeting, Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm. Presentation by Graeme Strachan: ‘A Pictorial Trip round Kew’ Mon 8 B&CCC meeting at Crathie Sat 20 to Fri 26 Ballater Walking Festival Sat 20 Lizzie’s Tea Party, Victoria Road Green, 10am - 4pm in aid of The Dreams

Trust, part of the Independent Diabetes Trust, assisting child diabetes in India & Sri Lanka

Sat 3 Sun 4 Sat 24

BRHS Annual Plant Sale in Victoria Hall 9.30am to 12 noon Ballater Duck Festival - Church Green/River Dee – river levels permitting St. Kentigern’s Church Fayre April

June

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

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 email: Alexander.Burnett.msp@parliament.scot

Westminster Stuart Donaldson MP  01330 828171 email: stuart.donaldson.mp@parliament.uk Aberdeenshire Council Peter Argyle:  013398 82973 email: cllr.p.argyle@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Geva Blackett:  013397 41541 email: cllr.g.blackett@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Cairngorms National Park Gordon Riddler  077116093513 email: gordon.riddler@cnpaboard.co.uk

If you would like a large print version of the Eagle, please contact Ballater Library on 55628.

Eagle Who’s Who & Where Editor: Ian Hay  55941 Treasurer: Elaine Adams  56149 Subscriptions Secretary: Avril Fyfe  56162 Advertising Manager: Karen Garioch 42344 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

Letter from the Editor

7

Although 2016 may have been a traumatic one for Ballater residents and businesses, everyone was determined that the new year would be welcomed with enthusiasm and style. Considerable efforts were made to ensure that 2017 was welcomed with light, sound and merriment. Firstly, there were daytime events in the Victoria & Albert Halls on 31st December, for young and more mature residents, followed in the evening by a very successful Big Band event when many danced the night away to the sounds of Totico.

This was followed by three separate fireworks displays at Monaltrie Park, Ballater Golf Club and at Hilton Craigendarroch which gave notice to the world that the whole area was celebrating a new dawn, looking forward to happier and more successful times. The Halls events and the display in Monaltrie Park were funded from the Big Lottery Celebrate Scotland Fund and the magnificent efforts of Bell Macaulay and Gordon Riddler, trustees of the V&A Halls, who successfully bid for funding to cover these costs, warrant special mention. They both worked tirelessly over many days to ensure everyone had a great time – and then spent more time the next morning tidying up the Victoria Hall in preparation for a ceilidh that evening. They are Gold Stars in Ballater’s Firmament!!

It is the voluntary work of many such individuals, quietly working within the community for the community, which make life in a village such as Ballater so much more pleasant than it might be otherwise. However, there is still opportunity for more people to give a little of their time to help make Ballater even better. Just helping to tidy away table and chairs in the Halls after any event helps to ease the burden on the usual volunteers. Let us all think on that and do something to make Ballater once again the best place to live on Deeside!

The generosity of individuals and organisations in Ballater is not in question however. Like many businesses, the Ballater Eagle found 2016 a difficult one, mainly owing to the downturn in businesses taking advertising space in our publication. Many individuals made generous donations during the year, and most recently, Ballater Golf Club has made a donation to the Eagle from money raised from a fundraising tournament held in the autumn. We are extremely grateful for this latest donation, and indeed all sums donated to our community magazine over the past year.

Thank you.

Ian Hay

8

Local Group News

A round-up of news from our local groups

BRHS

by Elizabeth Wilson

As I write this, mid January, looking out on the garden covered in snow, I wonder what the coming year will bring. August seems a long way off, however the brochure for the Annual Exhibition & Flower Show on 19 and 20 August has already been printed and is available at our meetings or can be picked up from the Library, and A B Yule, Newsagents.

The Society had a very successful year with good attendances at the meetings, culminating with our annual Quiz Night in December. There was a good turnout and a congenial evening was enjoyed by all.

The meeting on 6 March will comprise an illustrated presentation by Iain Govan, Second Gardener at Crathes on “Divide and Multiply –

TWEEDIE BEASTIES BORN AND BRED IN BALLATER We’re in a warm and toasty cabin at Ballater Business Park next to Royal Deeside Coffee Roasters. Pop in and see us.

Propagating Hardy Perennials and Conservation through Cultivation”. Iain has kindly agreed to judge at the Flower Show in August. Monday 3 April sees our Mini Bulb Show, which will be followed by Jane Taylor’s talk on “The Beauty and Benefits of Waterlilies”. “A Pictorial Trip round Kew”, presented by Graeme Strachan, will be held on 8 May. Our meetings are held in the Mike Sheridan Room in the Halls, Station Square and start at 7.30pm.

Last year’s new venue for the Plant Sale was such a success that it will again be held in the Victoria Hall on Saturday 3 June, 9.30am – 12 noon. Please contact Elizabeth Wilson, the Secretary, tel: 013397 55900 or email: eml_wilson@hotmail.com should you wish to donate plants and home produce to this fund raising event.

Our website http://ballaterroyalhorticulturalsociety.weebly.com/ provides extensive information about the Society, the programme of speakers, the 2017 Show schedule and events past and present along with a photographic record.

Do look out for posters throughout the village giving further details and times of meetings. A warm welcome is always given to those attending.

Refreshments are served after each meeting to give everyone a chance to catch up and chat with the speaker. Visitors can attend a single meeting at a cost of £3.

Your support is very much appreciated.

Myriad Pro

Design and Print for the Small Business

Unit 1, Ballater Business Park, Ballater, AB35 5PN www.tweediebeasties.com Tel: 013397 56200

. Adverts . Leaflets . Posters . Banners . . Brochures . Promotions . Laminating . . Copywriting . Websites . Facebook .

Cat Houston

013397 55243 / 07805 731401 myriadpro@yahoo.co.uk www.myriadpro.co.uk

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

9

Ballater SWI

by Aileen Barbour Our speakers in November were Elizabeth & Lawrence Greig, from Country Flavours, Alford.

Lawrence gave us a short talk on the history of the business then Elizabeth demonstrated how to prepare and cook a starter, main course & pudding which we all tasted and they were delicious.

We had two competitions. Elizabeth judged “4 Handmade Sweets - 2 varieties” - 1) Margaret Finnie, 2) Sheena Fraser, 3) Frances Johnstone, 4) Claire Fraser. Lawrence then judged the Mary McPherson Quaich - “Small Tea Loaf ”.

1) Margaret Finnie, 2) Gwenneth Fowler, 3) Thelma Cooper, 4) Frances Johnstone.

In December we went to the Glen Lui Hotel for Christmas Afternoon Tea which was most

enjoyable. We had a fun Christmas competition which Sheena Fraser won dressed as a snowman.

In Januar y, President Margaret Finnie introduced Maggie Patience of Pretty Rubbish Mosaics. She brought with her a variety of her beautiful decorative work then explained how she made the items.

Following this, she gave us a demonstration on how she created the work and members were invited to have a go.

We had two competitions - Competition 1 “Calming Muff ” 1) Morag Garland, 2) Diane Wright, 3) Claire Fraser, 4) Thelma Cooper. Competition 2 for the Marjorie Gordon Cup - “Crochet Toy” - 1) Margaret Finnie, 2) Diane Wright.

Cairngorm Crafts & Gifts Crafts handmade in Scotland, Gifts and More

. Childrenswear + Handmade Tartanwear . Ladieswear . . Ballater-made Fused Glass . Furniture + Collectables .

. Gift Selection . Haberdashery . Cards . Tartan Tableware .

“The wee shop on the brig” . Spend over £30 to earn a £3 discount

013397 56265 Find us on Facebook

2 Braemar Road Ballater, AB35 5RL

Marie Chapman Soft Furnishings, Tarland Hand and machine work available for curtains, pelmets, tiebacks, cushions, Roman blinds, curtain alterations etc.

A large collection of fabric samples.

Roller,venetian,vertical, pleated, intu, perfect fit blinds, curtain rails and poles all available.

Complete job taken care of from measuring to fitting.

Tel. 07833 175470 mariechapman123@gmail.com

BCE: Ballater Caravan Park

by Allan Harrison After lengthy discussions with Aberdeenshire Council, previous static caravan owners, insurance companies and others, it has become clear that it will not be possible to reintroduce static caravans to the site at least in the near future. Consequently, we have embarked on a second phase of around 16 touring pitches which will hopefully be ready for the start of the season in April. These, initially, will be offered on a seasonal basis to previous owners.

It is pleasing to report that Robbie and Susan Paton will return as the wardens and Dave and Rachel Monk, our previous Kiwi wardens, will return during the busy part of the season to help out.

Bookings are encouraging so far and we look forward to a successful 2017.

Davidsons Chemists

Retail Pharmacy and Veterinary Chemist Group Delivering Quality Healthcare since 1897

PRESCRIPTIONS COSMETICS PHOTOGRAPHIC Over-the-Counter MEDICINES & ADVICE Mon - Fri 9am - 5.30pm Sat 9am - 5pm

10 Bridge Street, Ballater Tel: 013397 55409

photo by Bruce Murray

Ballater Resilience Group

by Mike Forbes

I n N o v e m b e r, t h e Ballater Resilience Group held a tabletop exercise with Aberdeenshire Council, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The objectives of the exercise were to test the new Ballater Resilience Plan and ensure the interfaces between the Ballater community and the primary responders were workable in the event of an emergency.

The exercise was successful and, as well as meeting the objectives, the exercise was informative and identified several improvements to the proposed emergency arrangements. As a result, the Ballater Resilience Plan was updated and the second revision was issued in January – the latest document can be viewed in the Community Council website (www. ballatercommunity.com).

A Community Coordination Room has been established in the Victoria and Albert Halls in the Beaton Craigie Room and other emergency equipment and supplies are now stored in the Halls including sleeping bags, mats and cots.

We now have a pool of 31 volunteers in Ballater, 13 Coordinators and 18 Helpers.

Several training courses were conducted in January and February to ensure the volunteers are familiar with their roles and responsibilities, and further training is scheduled.

Unfortunately, due to family commitments, John Bolton will be spending more time away from Ballater and Linda Drever has agreed to take on the role of Resilience Team Leader effective immediately. We take this opportunity to thank John for his considerable input to the development

11

of the community resilience arrangements over the last 2-3 years.

SEPA have engaged the University of Dundee to undertake research on their behalf to engage with residents in areas affected by the recent flooding to obtain views and share experiences on the SEPA Floodline message alerts with the intention of improving the method of delivery, content and accuracy.

Ballater residents now have that opportunity to participate and we would like to hear from those of you willing to be involved, so please email Linda Drever (thedrevers@btinternet.com) with your name and she will confirm the date of the meeting, which will be held locally, at the earliest opportunity.

The new webcam at the Ballater Royal Bridge is now operational and can be viewed using the link: http://www.farsondigitalwatercams. com/locations/ballater.

In March, the Resilience Group will be conducting a tabletop exercise at the Ballater Caravan Park prior to the site opening for the new tourist season. We will also continue to meet regularly to develop further resilience initiatives throughout the year.

12 Old People & Over 50’s Association

by Ruth Burrows

In May 2016, 48 members of Ballater & District Old People’s & Over 50’s Association travelled to Elgin. After a coffee stop at Tomintoul we went to Brodie for a spot of retail therapy – a hat for a wedding, a new handbag (my weakness) and cakes to die for. On to Elgin and High Tea at the Eight Acres Hotel which was judged to be “the best ever”.

Our September jaunt was a tour of Old Aberdeen, time at the beach or city for the retail obsessives. Thanks to Jane, our regular coach driver, the tour was a resounding success; her knowledge and driving skills were much admired. High Tea was at the Garlogie Inn – another success story.

Forbes Duguid Painter & Decorator Tel .55816 el.55816

2016 has seen much work to be done to the Hut on the Green. What was thought to be a few cracked tiles proved to be a much bigger undertaking and then there was the exterior to be re-painted. It doesn’t end there as the Hut needs to be re-wired and when this is done the flooring needs to be investigated. At the time of writing I am actively seeking help with funding for all these projects and am hopeful that this will be forthcoming. Hey-ho, there will always be issues with a building of this age. We were therefore delighted when the Co-op nominated the Association for a share of their Community Fund and the more nominations we receive a bigger share of the pot will come our way. Thanks to all who have voted - it is much appreciated.

Our thanks also go to Ballater Victoria Week for their donation. The Hut is a valuable asset for members’ use and Community groups too, and we have been delighted to assist with the Duck Festival, Victoria Week, Winter Festival, Nativity Lighting and the reindeer visit.

The Association welcomes new members (contact me on 013397 53244) and our first outing of the year will be at the beginning of May so look out for posters and press releases.

Rotary Club

by Mike Powell As we wait for the arrival of spring and some warmer weather, the members of Aboyne and Upper Deeside Rotary (your local Rotary Club) are planning how we can support Ballater and the other communities in our area with projects and activities.

Our Rotary Club had a very busy year in 2016 and we are proud to have been able to serve our communities, especially Ballater, during a difficult time. As last year, we look forward to being involved in the Duck Festival and to seeing everyone enjoy a great day at the Ballater Games.

Over the last year, we have developed a formal partnership with Aboyne Academy, and inducted them as a Corporate Member of Rotary.

Together, we will continue to organise the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Young Musician and Young Photographer competitions and have also created opportunities for students to volunteer with Rotary projects.

We have also set up a “Friends of Rotary” scheme whereby people, who support the work and values of Rotary, can be associated with the Club and help with projects and fundraising without having to attend Club meetings and pay subscriptions.

We h a v e recruited three “ Fr i e n d s ” to date and they make a valuable contribution to the Club.

We now have five female members, and are very keen

13 to recruit more. This year’s Club President is Ruth Powell and next year’s President, from July 2017 to June 2018, will be Diane Fyffe, who was previously a member of the Aberdeen and Deeside Rotary Club.

We have been very fortunate to have recruited four new members to the Club who are in their mid-forties to early fifties. While we are also pleased to recruit older members (e.g. active retirees) it is important for the future of the Club to have younger members.

People often ask “Why join Rotary?” Well, it’s not all hard work! We have a lot of fun while helping others and being a Rotarian combines service with opportunities for leadership, inspiration, teamwork, mentoring, community involvement and challenges. New members, and “Friends” are always welcome, so if you would like to know more about what we do, and how to join, or if you would just like to come along to one of our meetings as a guest, please contact Mike Powell on 013398 86369 or mikepowell.obe@gmail.com.

The picture below shows Ruth Powell and Diane Fyffe at our seasonal bag pack in the Co-op with two Aboyne Academy volunteers.

14

Baby Rhymetimes & Bookbug Story Times

Baby Rhymetimes and Bookbug Story Time Sessions are free, fun and friendly events for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and their families to enjoy together. It encourages children to discover and enjoy their local library. It is run in many libraries across Scotland and is a fun, exciting way to encourage a child to develop a love of reading for life.

We run our sessions on Tuesdays between 10.45 and 11.45.

We have Baby Rhymetimes first, then Bookbug Story Time for children of two upwards.

Each session lasts around 30 minutes and includes songs, stories and rhymes.

There is no need to book, they take place in a ver y relaxed environment and are a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your little one.

Bookbug Library Challenge Children must be a library member in order to participate in the Bookbug Library Challenge. They will receive a collector’s card when they sign up to the scheme. Every time the child visits the library and borrows books their collector’s card is date stamped. After a child has collected all stamps on their collector’s card, they are eligible to receive a certificate.

Library Pages Junior Craft Club

We are working on an exciting project to tie in with Scottish Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017. All will be revealed in the next Eagle. Thanks to our volunteer helpers Thelma van Tienen and Joan Anderson, for all their hard work. Without them we wouldn’t be able to run the Craft Club.

Here is a photo of a collage the children created with Thelma’s help. It shows the children engaged in their preferred snow activity at

Glenshee. (See if you can spot Sabine reading a book - her favourite pastime.)

We currently have a waiting list for children who wish to join. We would love to be able to let everyone come to our clubs, but unfortunately we don’t have the space nor the manpower to accommodate everyone. Our waiting list is getting longer, so from now on, if your child does not attend every week (apart from illness) we will give their place to a child on the waiting list

by Sabine Muir so they get a chance to join in too. The absent child’s name can go back on the waiting list if they wish to re-join.

Amateur Photography Club We’ve had someone enquire if there’s an amateur photography club in Ballater and if not, would people be interested in starting one? Please pop in and let us know, so we can gauge interest and get in touch with the person who enquired.

Easter Closing The library will be closed on Good Friday 14 April.

Library telephone: 013397 55628

Total Building Services & property maintenance

For all your home improvement needs From the front wall to the back fence and everything in between

013397 56221 07728 480706

Brian Smith Funeral Services Ltd The only family run and owned funeral director in Aboyne, Banchory and Peterculter

Pre-Paid Funeral Plans Available 317 North Deeside Road, Peterculter Tel: 01224 732530 Huntly Road, Aboyne Tel: 013398 86625 85A High Street, Banchory Tel: 01330 825400

Contact Brian or Angela Smith (24hrs)

16

Ballater Duck Festival 2017

Ballater Duck Festival is organised by Ballater (Royal Deeside) Limited and features the Masonic Lodge QUACK QUAICH & Aboyne and Upper Deeside Rotary TOTE. Deep in the forests of the Appalachian Mountains, the male American Great Ducks are exercising their wing muscles in preparation for the long flight across the Atlantic.

Their first journey taken in 2016 to the River Dee was so successful that they were determined to repeat the exercise. Possibly some of the tales exchanged over the cold winter might have been slightly exaggerated, but one fact without doubt was that no one took a shot at them and all returned intact!

They were a little concerned that post BREXIT their immigration permits may have been challenged in Scotland and Donald Trump’s statement that what is American stays in America could have meant that the visit was not possible.

However we are pleased to advise that in Theresa

by John Burrows

May’s meeting with the Trump administration these issues were all ironed out. President Trump now sees their visit as a goodwill mission to the birth place of his mother and has even suggested the route to miss out on the numerous wind farms!

So the flock of ten have now completed their inoculations against bird flu, obtained immigration approval, EEC transit licence if land fall is made in the Republic of Ireland, and re-entry visa for return to the USA. Their arrival date on Upper Deeside is said to be late May, but this is subject to the weather, so keep your eyes open for possible sightings before then, as in 2016 they made land fall near Glasgow and attended The Broon’s Festival. They were photographed along the Dee from late April throughout May, but in the Spring of 2016 Now open at 46 Bridge Street, Ballater the Atlantic brought Supplier of shooting & fishing accessories and clothing many arrivals to these shores and to be 07796917437 Frank, not all were

ROARING STAG COFFEE ROASTERS Family run craft coffee roasters in Ballater. We take the best green beans from around the world and expertly blend and roast.

Royal Deeside Coffee Roasters Unit 1, Ballater Business Park, Ballater, AB35 5PN www.roaringstagcoffee.com Tel: 013397 56200

18

as welcome as the Ducks!

So on the 4th June we have been advised by Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon that Ballater can again welcome ten Appalachian Giant Ducks to their festival for the annual race down the Dee from Golf Course corner to the Royal Bridge near Cornellan Square. It is hoped that the guard of honour will again be supplied by Aboyne Canoe Club, who did such a great job in 2016 at both the Duck Festival and the BVW duck race. The day will include many of the activities favoured in 2016, with bouncy castles, pony trekking, and numerous stalls coupled with all of our cafes down Bridge Street opening their doors with their usual warm welcome. David Barr is expected to join in on the day in the only way David knows how – FULL ON! Remember last year he took to

the Stocks, which again will be making a welcome return, so start to consider who could be encased this time! The day’s events will be covered in a brochure, giving a full programme, coupled with details of all the businesses and facilities open on the day and any deals they may offer. Local Charities and Organisations will be welcome to take up stalls to sell their raffle tickets, mini ducks or simply to advertise for membership. Finally Rotary will again be running their TOTE, ensuring that everyone can partake on the day and it won’t be just the ducks having a flutter!

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

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Dear Friends

Letter from the Churches

The world around us seems restless at the moment. With a new president in the United States, unrest about the Brexit process in the UK and Scotland, and rising tensions throughout the world, it is a troubling time. In this area, the downturn in the oil industry is having a knock-on effect on our businesses and communities. Use of the local Food-bank has increased. There is not as much spare cash around as there used to be. We are lucky to live in a place which is relatively peaceful, and where we are a little insulated from the effects of world politics. But we cannot ignore what is happening elsewhere, even if we would like to. In our churches, we are getting ready for Lent and Easter, with all the services and celebrations attached - Shrove Tuesday or Pancake day, with all the delights of that, Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, the time to prepare for Easter. Then comes Holy Week and Easter Sunday itself, with a wonderful celebration, and Easter eggs! What relevance, you may wonder, does that have to world events?

The forty days running up to Easter are, for church members, about looking at our lives, and working out where we might have gone wrong, and also where we can help others. This time is about concentrating not on our wants, but on the needs of others around us. Whether you are a Christian or not, it does no harm to spend time focusing on other people, and on how we can help the world around us and the community in which we live. Change for the better begins with our own lives – with how we think, speak and react to those around us. How we use social media to promote views. How we treat those who offend us or hurt us. How we deal with the injustice and equality we see around us. What are you going to say or do? How are you going to react?

Lent is also a time when, in our churches, we remember the story of Jesus, and what we believe about him. We remember the hope contained in the message of Easter. A message of good triumphing over evil, of new life and hope. That’s what we celebrate at Easter, and that’s where those delicious Easter eggs come in. Eggs from the outside look cold and dead, but inside an egg holds the promise of life.

So when you look at your Easter eggs on Easter morning, hold in your mind that promise of new life and new hope. Remember that there is always the possibility of joy and peace.

We wish you that hope, peace and joy this Easter. Please do feel free to join us at any of our events over the coming time. It would be great to have you share with us.

With every blessing, Rev David Barr, Glenmuick Church of Scotland Father Chris Brannan, St Nathalan’s Roman Catholic Church Rev Vittoria Hancock, St Kentigern’s, Episcopal Church

Crathie Opportunity Holidays

by Allan Harrison

COH celebrates its 15th Anniversary in May this year and, to celebrate our 15 years in operation, we plan to host an event in November. Further details of this will follow in due course.

We have already welcomed our first guests for 2017 and bookings for 2017 look promising. We look forward to a busy season.

The major fundraisers for 2017 will be the event mentioned above, our Golf Day at Balmoral on 28 October and another of our successful Film Evenings in the V&A Halls on 5 August during Victoria Week. Further details of these events will follow in due course. The Balmoral Road Races will take place in April and if anyone wishes to run on behalf of COH they should contact our Manager, Maggie Mackay, on 013397 42100.

Our book, “Essays on Life� by Thomas Mitchell, Farmer, is still available. Copies can be obtained from Maggie on the above contact number.

Much of what we achieve would not be possible without our dedicated staff, Maggie, Beth

21

and Lorraine, and our band of Friends. To thank them for all their help, we plan to hold a picnic on 21st May to which all Friends will be invited.

Being a Friend involves helping out at some of our events, or joining the team who host our coffee mornings for guests, or just a bit of gardening.

These are not onerous tasks and Friends come along when they can. If you like to join us, again please phone Maggie.

Up, up and away!

The rebuilding of the Old Station has begun - at last - heralded by the relocation of the Royal Carriage, ...to a little further along what would have been the track. At least the operation provided a good photo opportunity!

Domestic & Commercial Crown Thinning & Reduction Dismantling & Felling Hedge Pruning & Maintenance Dangerous Tree Control Stump Grinding & Removal

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22

St Kentigern’s Round-up

by Vittoria Hancock

Advent and Christmas have been and gone since the last issue of the Eagle. We had a great time at our Christingle service, with the Sunday Club children helping to lead the service.

This year St Kentigern’s hosted the Ballater Churches Together Carol Service, which was a wonderful occasion to celebrate Christmas with our friends from the other churches in Ballater.

This year for the first time we held a service at 6.30pm on Christmas Eve – Carols around the Crib. We sang carols, and retold the story of Christmas through the eyes of the grumpy innkeeper – with the accompanying sound effects, of course. It was a fun start to our Christmas celebrations.

Lent and Easter are fast approaching – as usual we will have our Lent course, and our Easter services. We will again be joining with the other churches in Ballater on Good Friday, and on Easter Sunday morning, when we will celebrating the dawn of Easter with service down by the river bank. You are very welcome to join us at any or all of our services. Please see the diary pages for more details.

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AVA Spirit of Ballater Awards

by Aileen Longino

The Aberdeenshire Voluntar y Action (AVA) Spirit of Ballater Awards took place on 1 October 2016 at Victoria Hall. Members of the community were voted for by Ballater people to recognise the volunteering work done over the year by individuals, young volunteers, emergency services and community groups. The awards were presented by Aileen Longino, Development Officer for AVA and David Rodger CEO of AVA. Around two hundred friends family and supporters turned up to see their volunteering heroes get their awards. There were two special awards for Braemar Mountain Rescue and Ballater Charitable Chiels. Aileen Longino said, “This was a very joyous but poignant celebration

23

of what a community can do when they work together. The hugs and tears spoke for themselves.

The people of Ballater should be very proud of themselves!”

The list of award winners is too extensive to include here, but the young volunteer winners were: Lizzie Scripps, Ryah Scripps, Caitlin Fraser and Charlotte Smith. The community group winners were: Ballater Charitable Chiels (who received the Community Group Trophy), Emergency Food Station, Ballater Victoria Week, Victoria & Albert Halls Trustees, Crathie Opportunity Holidays and BCE Ltd. Work goes on throughout the year in Ballater and anyone involved in a group, wanting to volunteer or to start up a group can contact me at Aileen.Longino@avashire.org.uk or 07824 096531. Follow AVA on Facebook Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action.

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24 Buttony Bear - A Ballater Project Buttony is a bear that we have adapted to have a stoma and pouch and the bears are donated to children undergoing bowel surgery throughout the UK. Buttony gives the child a ‘friend like them’. The bears are donated direct to families through our Buttony Bears Facebook page and a network of paediatric stoma nurses. By the time the Eagle goes to print we will have donated our 1000th bear. A huge thank you to the Ballater community for supporting the project.

We thought you’d like to read about some of the inspirational children whom we have met through the project. The following children received our Buttony Guardian awards in December.

Brett

The first contact we had from Brett was a text thanking us for his bear. His operation had been postponed and he was having a hard time. Brett and his Mum, Gail, have kept in touch since then and we are always delighted to hear their

news. In the summer Brett cut grass and cleaned neighbours cars to support the project. Brett deals with his illness in a very positive way and my day is always complete if I hear from Brett.

Gail said “My only thoughts are selfish really, that at Brett’s low ebb and it was low, I thought he’d changed forever and there he was sitting on the end of the bed with this cute brown ted.

It really does work. “He once said, “I was all alone and then Buttony came and he’s my friend”. You texted me one morning, it made me cry but made me buck my ideas up and sort myself out. Your texts always came at just the right time and I’m so grateful to you. It’s been a long road as you know, Brett passionately thinks the bears help and that’s good enough for me!”

Alfie

This young man has had a difficult year.

He received his Buttony friend in February and named him Fred. Within two months of receiving his bear, he and his family raised enough to sponsor another five! Alfie

- by Jenny Gow rallied his village to the cause and they enthusiastically supported his efforts. Another 32 Buttony friends have been sponsored.

Claire, Alfie’s Mum said “It’s a fantastic thing you do. We can’t thank Buttony enough, it’s really helped Alfie on his journey.””

Thanks Alfie - you are a star, and we hope 2017 brings you better health.

Opening Hours: Monday 2pm - 6pm Tuesday Closed Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday Closed Friday 10am - 3pm

Tel. 013397 - 55134 24 Golf Rd Ballater AB35 5RS

FRASER & MULLIGAN We provide a broad range of legal services Neve Neve received her Buttony early in 2016.

We saw her again on the page in June when we received photos of her at her first communion.

At an incredibly sad time in her life Neve decided she wanted to make a donation to Buttony. The team were humbled by her generosity, - she’s an amazing young lady.

Clare, Neve’s Mum said “Neve was thrilled when she received her Buttony bear and her first thoughts when we were deciding what to do with money raised was to give it to Buttony to help get bears to other children.”

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Open MondaySOLICITORS to Friday 9 - 5 RESIDENT 24 Bridge Street, Ballater, AB35 5QP Tel: 013397 55633 Fax: 013397 55564 ballater@fraser-mulligan.co.uk Properties: www.aspc.co.uk

26 Royal Deeside Is “Can-Do Country”

by Geva Blackett

Readers may be aware that Ballater and the rest of Royal Deeside - one of Britain’s most iconic rural areas, and favourite haunt of the Royal Family - has branded itself “Can-Do Country” to promote our unique range of activities for visitors to experience independently or with expert tuition.

Businesses and communities in Royal Deeside, (including Braemar and Aboyne) as well as the world-famous Balmoral Estate, have combined to promote awareness and enjoyment of the destination through ground-breaking ‘augmented reality’ and other innovations.

Harnessing a theme that also reflects a rapid local recovery from setbacks caused by winter flooding in Ballater over a year ago, the “Can-Do Country” campaign will link a diverse promotional mix, including setting up a Royal Deeside travel channel on YouTube and using By appointment to HM the Queen Purveyor of Meat and Poultry

specially-shot film for a variety of social media and other outlets.

A key aim is to explore use of ‘augmented reality’ so that, in a Pokémon Go-style process, visitors can simply point a mobile device to local landmarks or other attractions to trigger on-screen interpretive videos via a free recognition software ‘app’.

Conventional visitor activities from historic sightseeing to golf, as well as participation and tuition in more specialised pursuits including gliding, wildlife photography and fly fishing, will feature across the campaign.

Launching the initiative, Aberdeenshire Provost Hamish Vernal said: “Royal Deeside is an extremely popular destination for people from nearby Aberdeen, the rest of Britain and worldwide, but this is a community that thinks ahead. It has taken fresh stock of its assets and its potential By appointment to HRH the Prince of Wales Purveyor of Meat and Poultry

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in order to build visitor numbers steadily and sustainably.”

Local steering group chairman Richard Watts said: “It’s clear that most of our target visitors like to actively engage with what the area has to offer as well as simply appreciating its dramatic scenery.

For many, that will involve some eclectic shopping or good eating, and for others the chance to enjoy attractive new experiences such as exploring local history, fascinating folklore – or flying for the first time in a glider”.

“The purpose of our campaign is to highlight our capabilities and help visitors to more easily identify and take part in fulfilling, or even challenging, activities for which they might like help in experiencing or mastering.”

Steering group member Councillor Geva Blackett said: “It was obvious at the start of 2016 that something needed to be done to bring visitors back to the area, and the business sector in Ballater shared my drive to ensure that happens for years more to come. The vision and creativity of our community has been met with the financial support of a series of private and public sector interests, including Foundation Scotland, Tesco, Aberdeenshire Council and the Ballater Business Association, who grasp the needs and opportunities. Though the £14,000 first-year budget is not massive, the use of innovative promotion, centred around high quality film, social media and interpretive assets which can also be used by individual local businesses, gives us good potential to effectively reach target audiences and provides a strong longer-term legacy of material – all for less than it costs to buy a double-page spread in a daily newspaper”

The steering group, Richard Watts, Michael Coletta and Cllr. Geva Blackett at the launch of the rebranding and marketing campaign” Photograph by Dale Johnson www.royaldeeside.scot@RoyalDeesideCDC https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb96FVOjBqo400FzCRnn0sw

Celicall Crafts G. Cowie, Workshop,

3 Braemar Road, Ballater Telephone: 013397 55699

By Appointment to H.R.H.The Prince Of Wales The Duke Of Rothesay Picture Framer Celicall Crafts, Ballater

Bespoke Picture Framer established over 25 Years.

Tapestry & Needlework framed.

Supplier of framed Fishing Flies, framed River Maps and local Pen and Ink Sketches.

28

Cairngorms National Park

by Grant Moir, CEO

As many of you will know Katrina Farquhar announced before Christmas that she would be standing down from the National Park board to take up an exciting new opportunity and we wish her every success for the future.

Katrina, one of our directly elected members, represented Ward 5, which covers Deeside, Glenshee and the Angus areas of the Park. She has been a great asset to the CNPA board and has worked very hard during her time with us. With a great deal of local knowledge and considerable enthusiasm for the job, Katrina will be missed by fellow board members and staff alike.

So with Katrina’s goodbye, comes our first ever by-election to the Park Board. The election packs will be sent out in early March to all voters in the ward with the count taking place on the 30 March.

The CNPA was set up to ensure that the unique aspects of the Cairngorms – both the natural environment and the local communities – are cared for, sustained and enhanced for current and future generations to enjoy. It is the Park Authority’s role to safeguard the outstanding landscapes, rich habitats, rare wildlife and of course, the Park’s communities.

The board of the Park Authority agree the long term objectives for the Park and set out the CNPA’s priorities for work. They also play a key role in representing the National Park and the Park Authority by acting as ambassadors.

The CNPA board is made up of seven members appointed by the five local authorities covering the Park area, seven directly appointed by Scottish Government Ministers and five directly elected by the eligible voters within the Park. As staff, we look to the board for guidance and strategic direction and members will be involved with a number of committees helping to deliver the Park Authority’s three main areas of work, Conservation, Visitor Experience and Rural Development.

It is an important role and I hope that everyone will use their vote in the coming election and I look forward to working with whoever is successful. If you want to see more information on the Park Board please go to the website http:// cairngorms.co.uk/authority/board

The Eagle lands... ...at Up Helly A’, in Lerwick, for Shetland’s annual festival of fire. Despite wild, wet and windy weather, two of the Eagle team and their friends and family joined in the fun.

Our thanks to the Guizer Jarl’s Squad of 2017 for being such good sports and posing for this photo opportunity.

Ballater Flood Group - Final Report 29

by Tony Cox

BFG was assembled during March 2016 following a Community meeting which reviewed the circumstances leading to the December 2015 flood and the recovery actions which had been put in place.

Local people voiced concer ns and questioned the actions to be taken to provide enhanced flood protection measures to protect Ballater from future flooding. BFG adopted this key question as the core of its activity, and this summary report describes the categories of work undertaken during the following ten months.

The activities are described within the following categories: The December flood - causes.

The technical issues.

The legal questions and responses The political questions and responses The future.

The work of BFG has produced some 50 documents which are available for examination by telephoning me on 013397 55625. This report is abbreviated to provide an ease of understanding and cross-refer to the various reports which in turn are evidence and/or data based.

Causes

The flood event resulted from a combination of exceptional and unusual events which conspired to result in a volume of water within the river channel which vastly exceeded its capacity to contain it. The peak flow rate was measured at 1360cubic meters per second (Cu/ sec). The highest recorded in the previous 40 years was 720 cu/sec during August 2014.

This 2014 value is significant as it demonstrated the point at which the river just overtopped - known as “bank full volume”.

The factors which influenced the December flood were: The November rainfall - the highest ever recorded, causing ground saturation

Storm Eva Storm Frank A temperature inversion at the North Pole influencing a dramatic increase in local temperatures, causing a very rapid snowmelt on surrounding higher land.

The bank full level previously described was quickly exceeded and the river began to overspill the river channel. The scenario which followed is based upon eye witness accounts, photographic evidence, flow stream evidence, and importantly, an analysis of the boulder field at the golf course which demonstrates both flow direction and flow energy.

Early during the flood event, the channel remained largely intact with flood water depths typically reported as ‘a few inches’. There then followed a massive pulse with water depths rapidly rising by as much as 12 feet and with flow rates being measured at speeds exceeding 16 mph. This corresponds to the time at which the river had burst through the golf club bund wall and had flowed very quickly across the golf course before causing extensive flooding to low areas of the community as the split flow attempted to re-enter the main river channel at the Royal Bridge.

The damage trail and failure directions are all completely consistent with this description.

The river channel split scenario has been analysed, based entirely on evidence. Our conclusions have been challenged, although those that have done so, have not produced evidence to support their challenge. We have described that the increasing channel flow created increasing lateral pressure at the river banks, causing rapid undercutting of the Red Braes bank resulting in the formation of a cornice-like overhang. This progression continued until the bank became unstable to the extent that a massive collapse occurred which partially blocked the

30

main channel and deflected the channel flow towards the golf club bund.

NB. The vulnerability of the Red Braes to potential failure had been described in Professor Flemming’s report published in the late 1990s.

An Aberdeenshire Council agronomist reported that trees from the Red Braes had fallen into the river channel and had been driven by the water flow with a force sufficient to destroy the golf club bund wall. It was subsequently established from boulder distribution that the primary breach points of the bund wall were directly opposite the collapsed Braes.

Once the breach points were established, the flood waters crossed the golf course in a violent manner - distributing many tons of boulders across the golf course. Some boulders weighed in excess of 100KG and had been swept 300 metres - such was the strength of the tidal stream. The path of the flood waters has been described in various reports and is not disputed.

Technical issues

wall had demonstrated that it offered a level of protection up to the 700 cu/sec flow levels of August 2014 flood event. BFG supported the proposal that the Council would restore the golf club bund to its original standard. This proposal was not followed through - the Council opted for a 40 metre repair section installed downstream of the breach points. This repair was challenged

by BFG on the basis that the breach at this point was caused by floodwater having breached from behind i.e. the rear face of the bund (this evidenced by the boulder field).

BFG asked the Council for the evidence which supported this repair but the Council did not respond. This repair did however justify the removal of the sand bag wall - but at a later public meeting it was confirmed that the repair section had not restored the integrity of the bund wall.

At a meeting in October between BFG and the Council, it was agreed that a sound technical solution would be to install a secondary containing wall behind the original bund wall.

The Council were to consider this proposal and respond. To date no response has been received.

BFG has considered the question of community protection from future flooding and believes that protection against nuisance flooding must be provided without delay. The golf club bund

The legal position

Earlier in the year, BFG’s legal representative sent an email to the Council Chief Executive requesting the Council’s comments in respect of Duty of Care and Health and Safety issues resulting from flooding. After two months, a response was received Whatever your budget from the Council’s Legal you can find lots of great gifts Officers. It stated: and home furnishings at Protection of property Brakeley Gift Room from flooding is the reFree Candle with purchases of £15 sponsibility of the owner. and over on production of this The Council has no voucher. (One per customer). obligation to protect property from flooding.

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The Council must 14 Bridge Street, Ballater (open 7 days) have arrangements in Tel: 013397 55574 place to warn of flooding.

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aware of actions which, if taken, would reduce the risk of flooding - it must take them.

The main questions asked were not answered. A second email sent by our legal representative has not to date been responded to.

The Political Issues

A very detailed letter was sent to the First Minister explaining the extent of the devastation of Ballater, advising that the impact had caused damage far greater than to any other community within the UK. We requested that Ballater should receive a priority status within the flood study programmes.

A response was received from the Environmental Minister and Ballater does now have a higher priority with research and proposals to be provided prior to 2022. BFG had hoped to maintain a direct political dialogue with our MP, but regretfully this has not happened.

Our MSP has however been very helpful by responding promptly to our questions and providing Parliamentary comment.

There have been three minor events within the last 50 years with the highest occurring in August 2014. A risk analysis based upon frequency of individual events, suggests that the risk of a major event is very low and that the risk of minor flooding is less than before the December 2015 event. However a risk is a risk - and therefore we should be aware and prepared but not intimidated by imagining that the risk is greater than it actually is.

It remains that there are actions that could and should be taken by the authorities which would reduce the risk of flooding without the risk of downstream negative impact. We must all do our best to influence them to do what can be done and do it as soon as possible.

In closing, I wish to record the sincere and very grateful thanks of BFG to Douglas Johnstone who has worked tirelessly in support of BFG’s work.

This report closes the BFG, as it has served its purpose.

The future

Will it happen again? The Royal Academy has recently summarised the Climate Risk Assesment which concludes that flooding will be the greatest climatic threat for the next century - climate change is a reality. It can happen again.

The highest single event rainfall recorded in Scotland in 1974 resulted in a 10 inch fall in less than 24 hours - were this area to experience such an event, flooding is inevitable.

On a positive note, preliminary findings of the SEPA channel calculations indicate that the local river channel capacity has increased following the December 2015 event. The rainfalls preceding the flood exceeded any level previously recorded and the high temperatures experienced and the rate of increase were unprecedented. The Braes collapse is unlikely to be repeated as the December 2015 collapse relieved the problem and the face angle of the bank is much reduced.

Ballater has a history of flooding, with 3 major events being recorded over a 200 year period.

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Victoria Week is 30

by Cat Houston

BVW goes back to the 80s for this year as we celebrate 30 years of Being Amused…

The 10-day fiesta of fun runs from Friday August 4 to Sunday 13th this year, and promises to offer something for everyone (with the odd big-hair moment and leg warmer thrown in).

Suggestions made so far at two Brainstorm sessions held in January and February for new events for this year include a Soapbox Jousting Tournament, a 1980s TV Quiz Show, Retro Computer Games Night, It’s A Knockout, Lego Building Session/Competition, 80s Disco on the Green, Continental Market, a Mega Rounders Match and…. a Bonnie Baby Competition!

There are a few other big events occurring around BVW this year, including the Scottish Six Days Orienteering which will bring thousands of people to the area up until Saturday August 5, and a Medieval Banquet in the V&A Halls on Friday 4. Details of both these events can be found online and we look forward to welcoming lots of new visitors and hope they can join in the fun too.

There are plans to open BVW 2017 with a flashmob dance routine from at least 30 people

dressed as Queen Victoria. If you’d like to be a part of it, search for the BVW 2017 Queen Victoria Dance Troupe on Facebook or call Cat on 013397 55243.

The committee intends to bring you the usual favourites of the Sunday Vehicle Parade and Fayre, Messy Play, Ghost Tours and Duck Races alongside a few films and a plethora of outdoor, historical, musical and sporting events for all ages. An agility section is being added to the Dog Show, and the separate Small Pets event will also be repeated.

And we are looking forward to seeing just how many Donald Trumps feature

in the Scarecrow Trail‌ Plus, if you are a bit creative, you will want to know all about a Badge Design Competition being run by our wee entrepreneur Lizzie, to celebrate 30 years of BVW. Details will be announced soon.

If you would like to be involved in helping make BVW 2017 happen, get in touch via our website or Facebook pages, email info@ ballatervictoriaweek.co.uk or call Ade or Cat on 013397 55243. Or come along to the last Brainstorm session at The Deeside Inn on Thursday March 9 at 7.30pm. All welcome. Further meetings to confirm the programme then take place monthly on the second Thursday of each month at 7.30pm, thereafter at the V&A Halls (Beaton Craigie usually).

Be Amused.

Crathie School News

34

As part of on-going school focus on The Global Goals, Zara Jones, a P4 pupil at Crathie School , attended a reception at The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh with her father, Glyn, on Tuesday 31 January 2017. The reception was organised by Scottish Natural Heritage. Zara was representing Crathie School who had piloted a camera trap project for the NE Scotland Biodiversity Partnership.

The project was very successful and is now being rolled out nationally. The Scottish Government see it as a very good example of Citizen Science.

by Lilian Field

Whilst there, Zara and her Dad listened to a debate about the year of history, heritage and archaeology.

Zara and others at Crathie School have written to The Prime Minister, Prince William and The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, to raise the issue of elephant poaching in Africa after watching a clip about this on BBC Newsround. The children in class were all horrified at the prospect of elephants becoming extinct, and decided to take action. (UNCRC Article 12.)

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Orienteering at Crathie School 35

by Helen McCulloch

Crathie School has enjoyed fantastic orienteering in and around the School over the past few weeks. Orienteering is an outdoor adventure sport which involves navigating around a course, at speed, using a map. The children have been learning map reading skills, team work and co-operation as well as applying maths skills.

Initially, the sessions were led by Sarah Dunn

as part of the Community Orienteering and Protection of the Environment project. Sarah also trained up local volunteers from the communities of Braemar, Crathie and Strathdon as coaches and Crathie School has been very lucky that one of those volunteers, Kate McKenzie-Wilson is sharing her learning and enthusiasm with the children on a weekly basis. The children are looking forward to taking part in some of the competitions which are taking place in the area over the next few months.

Further information on these can be obtained by contacting sarah@scottishorienteering.org

Come and join us! from daytime ...

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 all day menu.

Enjoy a full ‘Scottish’ with locally-sourced 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? Or enjoy a sundae, cone or tub of Equi’s Award-winning Italian Ice cream. You won’t be disappointed!

Dogs are always welcome in our garden - inside too - and we provide water bowls for thirsty pooches. We also offer free Wi-Fi, disabled access and free parking.

Open 7 days a week from 11am, we’re always ready with a warm welcome especially when the wood burner is on.

...to evening We’re now licensed and will be open during the evening on Friday 3rd March, 7th April and 5th May (and weekends during the summer months) serving our authentic Tapas menu.

Hope to see you soon!

Cambus O’ May, Ballater, Aberdeenshire 01339 755126 riversidecottagecafe@gmail.com

Crathie Update

by Karen Garioch Crathie & Braemar Parish Coffee Morning

In December last year we held our Christmas coffee morning in aid of the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), and raised a fantastic £315. We support this charity every year and always receive a lovely letter of appreciation from them.

Monday Morning Café

Our Coffee mornings will start again on Monday 10 April from 10am to 12.30pm in Crathie Church Hall and look forward to sharing our home baking and friendly chat with old friends and new.

Crathie Badminton Club

The Badminton Club has started again after a wee break, on Tuesday evenings from 7pm.

All ages and abilities are welcome. For more information please call Karen on 013397 42344.

Phoenix

37 ‘Spring’ by Andrew Westall and Maizie (age 7) I see people that smile While I walk in the morning, I see the clouds aparting as The sun is dawning, I see frowns aturning, Spring is yearning.

The crisp smell of the suns’ rays As they gaze upon the morning’s haze Has a stench of beautiful days to come.

New life, new plants, feed from old, Life grows strong and bold.

As the days grow longer and nights shorter, Colour bursts into life.

First sight of life is open flowers, Then comes little white feathers.

Feather hunting and flower picking, While walking as the birds are talking.

Sight, smell and touch of Spring Brings life into swing!

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Pupils aim to win £3000 for local charity

Teams of S2 pupils from Aboyne Academy are competing against one another to win £3000 for a local charity of their choice through the active citizenship programme, Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI).

YPI, which is principally funded and managed in Scotland by the Wood Foundation, will contribute £2500 towards the total grant and an application has been made to another organisation to help Aboyne Academy raise the remaining £500.

Through a unique programme of team Last year’s winners who presented £3000 to the work, research and competition, YPI Scotland charity ‘All Shapes and Sizes’. is all about creativity, passion and supporting issues young people care most about. It is a skills and confidence of the young people of curricular-based programme, delivered by the Aboyne Academy. This is done through a real Business Education faculty, designed to develop life, hands on experience of philanthropy whilst the next generation of responsible citizens and raising awareness of social issues and the work effective contributors which will develop the of local charities.

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Murronn Blackhall, one of the S2 Aboyne Academy pupils taking part in YPI this year said: “I think YPI is a really good idea because a lot of charities in my area are not that well known, so giving them a chance with the YPI project is very beneficial to the community.”

This enthusiasm is echoed by Byron Brandie, also a S2 pupil at Aboyne Academy, who lives in Ballater: “I am really looking forward to YPI this year because I watched the presentation last year as an S1 and it looks really fun!”

In recent years Aboyne Academy has taken part in YPI to raise £3000 for each of the following local charities: Forget Me Not, Tarland First Responders, Horseback UK, Crathie Opportunity Holidays and All Shapes & Sizes.YPI is an international scheme and, in 2016/17, is being delivered in 210 secondary schools across Scotland. To date, YPI Scotland has engaged over 135,000 students, providing them with the essential skills and confidence to grant nearly £2million to thousands of local charities.

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Call, Push, Rescue

39

In conjunction with the British Heart Foundation, Ballater Community Fire Station will be holding some CPR training sessions at the station. Every year over 30,000 people in the UK suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital.

Less than one in ten people survive. CPR can be taught to people of all ages, a beneficial skill for families and community groups.

The session will last approximately one hour with a maximum of 10 spaces per session. Ballater Fire Station is the venue. If you would like to book a space, please call Watch Manager Richard Cooper on 07500 116 116 or email richard. cooper@firescotland.gov.uk. The dates are: Wednesday 29 March at 1400 or 1900 Saturday 1 April at 1300 or 1500 Wednesday 3 May at 1300 or 1900.

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Pottering About...

As I write, we’re now nearly 14 months on from the flood. It seems reasonable to think that in these over 400 days householders and businesses would be back in their restored premises. Indeed, I have seen and heard statements over the last few months that we’re all back to normal. I respectfully suggest that those who think we are take a walk around the streets that were so ravaged. On one street still no more than 20% of households are habitable. Shockingly, council houses that were promised to be restored by last October are still being worked on - after over six months of inaction - whilst many privately owned ones in the same street have been re-occupied for months. Perhaps the council has so much money they don’t need the rent, and that we have no-one on the council housing list?

We were evacuated, we pulled together magnificently helping our families, neighbours, friends and community. We were all so relieved that nobody lost their lives on that awful day. We wept with our neighbours as folk’s lives were out on the street for all to see - destined for landfill.

Wonderful local groups, particularly the Charitable Chiels, undertook fantastic work helping to clear the utter chaos from the streets, restoring some order and raising much-needed money to support flood victims. We rejoiced when some lucky few started trickling back home, and back into business. We kept saying that it would all be sorted by Christmas. Now, nearly 3 months

after Christmas it is abundantly clear that this is nowhere near the case.

Additionally, it is obvious that the quality of much of the restorations has been patchy. I know of incomplete and dangerous wiring; joinery that could have been better done by a P7; doors that won’t close, windows that won’t open; a family back home who still have no hot water; leaking boilers and heating systems and, of course, the many STILL not home running out of patience and good mental health. Although I was fortunate to be back home very quickly, my Mother-in-law is still not home – a home that has been in the family since it was built in the 19th century. She’s strong and stoic but this is an awful situation for a woman in her 80s.

Folk who have never suffered stress, depression, anxiety or sleeplessness are struggling every day. I see some in the Thursday flood support sessions in the library. Previously strong and capable men and women, who for the first time in their lives, are at the end of their tether. They cannot understand how little has been achieved in so, so many weeks despite spending much of their days trying to wrest some order from the continuing chaos. One step forwards, 10 steps back.

So I’m angry and frustrated on their behalf.

Three issues ago it was suggested that everyone had heard quite enough about the flood, yet I have consistently continued to walk with those neither home nor back in business. I’m going to continue to document in these pages the inexorable slowness of recovery until the very last family and business are back, in properties safely restored to their original condition. I make no apology for doing so. We are nowhere near recovered. If you think we are, please do take that depressing walk around the still empty businesses and homes. Put yourself in the shoes of the folk who should be living and working there.

Additionally we haven’t exactly recovered from the Old Station fire yet, have we?

by Stella Potter Working in the library recently, we were bemused to see the lovely purple hoardings - the colour the community chose - outside the Old Station painstakingly being partially painted white. It looks awful. Am I alone in thinking this is a shameful waste of man/woman power and money? When the Council’s flood department couldn’t get funding for flood defences by the river! We have been told that the all-new shiny building will be finished in the autumn of this year. Sadly, I hold only the tiniest smidgeon of hope that this will actually happen.

Go on Aberdeenshire Council – prove me wrong!

Ballater is, indeed, a wonderful community, with a great spirit, resilience and care for our families, neighbours and friends. Yet it’s still a village of two halves. I will only stop writing about it when recovery is complete. May that please be very, very soon. In the meantime please do what you can to support those who have been living in limbo for well over a year. Thank you.

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Ballater Films by Ade Scripps

We had a terrific start to the year with a strong audience showing for Bridget Jones in early February, which proved to be a huge belly-full of laughs.

We have kept the film showings free (with donations welcome) for 2017 after the format worked so well last year.

Our next feature on Saturday March 18 is A Street Cat Named Bob (12A) in aid of Deeside Cats Protection.

Doors open at 7pm in the Mike Sheridan Room, film 7.30pm. Again no tickets, just donate what you can on the door if you wish to. There will be a raffle also!

On Saturday April 1 we hope to show a family or animated film at 3pm to kick off the first day of the Easter holidays. Keep a look out for posters.

There’s lots of great films coming out this year and we will do our best to show as many of them as we can – we’re still to catch up with La La Land and Fantastic Beasts, and we quite like the look of Lego Batman, Lion, Despicable Me 3, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Trainspotting 2!

Huge thanks to our supporters this year – The Phoenix Chip Shop, Deeside Cats Protection, CSM Landscapes and Gardening, Monkey Business Aboyne, India On The Green and Ballater Farmers’ Market. By purchasing an ad on our big screen, they all help keep Ballater Films going.

If there’s a particular film you’d like to see, or if you’d like to involve Ballater Films in a fundraising or fun evening for your group or organisation, get in touch on 013397 55243, email info@ ballatervictoriaweek.co.uk, see www.ballaterfilms.co.uk or find us on Facebook.

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A Waxwing Invasion of Ballater

by Ian Halliday (aka Hal) all photos by, and courtesy of, Harry Scott

were forced to move on. We wondered if the birds might head East down the Dee valley into Aberdeen or down some of the other inland glens to the South. They actually did both, as 3 colour-ringed birds were re-sighted in Aberdeen during November whilst others were seen in Montrose and Dunfermline, the latter only a week later. There were no more sightings in Scotland after November 2010, but by early December that year, we had reports of ringed waxwing from Ballater away down south into England.

The cold spell had caused a large and rapid southwards departure of waxwings with one bird reaching Kent right in the south east of England by 9 December. Birds seen in Stockton on Tees and Lincoln in the first week of December highlighted this movement down the

I would like to thank the people of Monaltrie Crescent, Swan Place, Provost Craig Road and the Monaltrie Road areas of Ballater, for being so understanding with me and a bunch of my mates from the Grampian Ringing Group. Not just for offering us cups of tea and refreshments but also for letting us put nets up in their gardens so that we could ring some of the 2016 Waxwing invasion.

Waxwings are birds well known as an irruptive winter visitor to the UK. They breed in the remote northern pine forests of Scandinavia and Russia. In the autumn and winter they feed on berries and it is the abundance of these berries that determines how far the birds have to travel to find food. The waxwing’s striking plumage, distinctive trilling call and confiding nature when feeding on berries in towns and cities, makes watching them an experience never to be forgotten. The arrival of waxwings in the UK varies considerably from winter to winter. In some winters few birds arrive, while in others, several thousand are recorded and we seldom get irruptions in consecutive winters.

Now some of you Eagle readers may remember back in October 2010 a report in the Ballater Eagle about a group of us from the Grampian Ringing Group, ringing waxwings feeding on the rowan trees on Provost Craig road. Once the rowan berries ran out that year, the waxwings

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side of the country and before the 44 east end of the year others were reported in

Hertfordshire and Sussex. The few sightings from January to March suggested birds had fortunately found enough food in England and settled there, all be it quite far south, with only a single sighting in the north east of England in Newcastle. Sadly one was found dead after striking a window in Stourbridge in the West Midlands. Unfortunately waxwings don’t come across a lot of windows or Perspex bus shelters, and this is a very real and fatal hazard which kills a lot of waxwings during a winter in the UK. So back to the recent Waxwing Invasion in Ballater 2016. We, the Grampian Ringing Group, ringed 141 waxwings between the 25 November and the 20 December 2016, and already we have had photos and sightings of ringed birds from Aberdeen to Wales and across to Ireland. One particular waxwing was Colour ringed (Green above Blue on the left leg) in Ballater on the 4

December, then photographed in Bradwell, G r e a t Ya r mouth on 8 January, and then by the 24, it was in Swadlincote South Derbyshire.

There are Ballater birds from 2016 being spotted every other day at the moment.

I will of course give a complete update on the Ballater 2016 Waxwing invasion nearer the end of the year, so until then, my thanks again to the residents of Ballater especially in the ringing areas.

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Volunteering? What do you think of when you hear that word? Volunteering is for all ages from as young as 5 years to 99 years! You don’t have to be retired to volunteer. Here at Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action (AVA) we particularly support children and young adults from 5 to 25 years old who want to volunteer. Our Young Aberdeenshire Volunteer Awards aim to recognise and support volunteers aged 5 to 15 years. The national Saltire Awards that we manage and support for Aberdeenshire is for people aged 12-25 years.

Do you help at a group at the moment? Are you putting together your personal statement for university or CV for a job? With competition for jobs, modern apprenticeships and university places so competitive, employers are looking for additional skills and aptitudes that aren’t just academic.

Here in Ballater you are lucky to have a wealth of groups and charities on your doorstep that are looking for volunteers. Traditionally the majority of volunteering has been done by retired community spirited people. Skills acquired from volunteering stay with you forever. New blood is always very welcome for local groups and what you bring to the table when you volunteer is enthusiasm, an extra pair of hands - what you get in return is rewarding, fun, new skills and life enhancing. Who wouldn’t want some of that?

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Ballater Walking Festival 2017 47

by John Burrows

crossing the Builg Burn

Between 20 and 26 May this year, we run our nineteenth Ballater Walking Festival, a time when old friends make the journey from all corners of the United Kingdom, Europe and even further afield to join with locals on seven days of mixed ability walks.

So why do they make the journey? Obviously, we know that the scenery cannot be beaten, especially when the weather plays its part, but on talking to those visitors who make the pilgrimage every year it is far more. It is the chance to meet up with acquaintances built up over the years, all with a common interest, to tell their experiences accumulated over the last twelve months and to find out what we have been up to here in the village.

Last year we had to run a scaled down program as many popular areas could not be accessed, owing to loss of the footbridges over the Dee or washed out tracks. Despite this, over 40 people made the effort to join us for a week of walks and contributed over ÂŁ500 to the Charitable Chiels Flood Fund.

For some, the chance to be enlightened with stories taken from tablets of stone make our local tellers of tales take on a mystical persona and one wonders if the next action was the apostalisation of yet another group who have fallen under the spell of The Mackenzie Memorial Maestro!

Each of our walks is led by a variety of people, from locals who have walked these hills since childhood, to Rangers and qualified Hill Guides.

These leaders are accompanied by numerous assistants who often add tales about the area and translate (or attempt in some cases) the names of the peaks we climb or pass by. One has to add that some of the tales have increased in the telling over the years and we have a few assistants who tell stories with a little mischief and glint in the eye! This year we remember a story teller, balladeer and hill man extraordinaire, Gordon Croll who passed away in 2015, through a commemorative walk on Sunday 21 into Glen Girnock.

The week commences on Saturday 20 May in the Albert Hall at 7pm with the formal registration and complimentary welcome reception along with much hugging and shacking of hands to welcome back those long standing visitors. Then on the 21 we commence the first walk of the week departing from Ballater at 8am, thus ensuring

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that most who partake of the reception do not linger too long into the evening before taking to their bed.

During the week three walks are taken each day with varying grades easy, medium and strenuous and each identifies its length and ascent to enable our walkers to gauge the walk to suite their capability and the grades are fully explained in our brochure which is now in the Library and on the Ballater Walking week website: www. walkballater.com . The week is not just burning calories and telling stories as we have a Bar-b-Que scheduled at Ballater Golf Club on the Wednesday night for walkers and partners, along with presentations during the week and close with a ceilidh in the Albert Hall on the Friday night.

If this is the first you have heard about our Walking Festival you can contact us either through

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Keeping Council

of Housing, Rob Simpson, took up his position, I invited him out to Braemar and with Geva Blackett Ballater to look at the particular problems It would be very inappropriate for me not to we face. In both communities, the spectre of open my piece without paying tribute to Katrina second homes owned by people who only occupy Farquhar, who has resigned from the Council to their house for a week or two a year looms large. take up another role. Katrina worked so hard The occupants of a house empty for 48 odd weeks for this Ward and her common sense, kind and of the year do not spend money in our shops and knowledgeable approach will be sorely missed. they do not contribute to community activities, I hope that her new role allows her and me to while they do fill our housing stock to the detricontinue working together for the benefit of you ment of people who want to live and work here.

The council has tried to add extra to council tax all, if in a slightly different way. as a deterrent, but it is clear to me on checking My work with the Ballater Business As- figures, that many of those at whom the increase is sociation continues – tourism being the main aimed, don’t declare it a second home and escape. focus - but as experience tells us, it is unwise to However, that increase is hitting those who may put all our eggs in one basket so we need to look live say in Stonehaven but come out to Braemar at ways to diversify as well. VisitAberdeenshire, or Ballater almost every weekend and sometimes where husband Simon is now on the Board, is during the week as well and who play a huge role recruiting a new Chief Executive. Jo Robinson in the area’s social and economic fabric. I have (VisitScotland Regional Director) and I continue asked Rob to discuss this with his counterpart in to have discussions on a regular basis and we are Economic Development and other partners as we bringing representatives from Braemar, Aboyne, need to find a solution that works!

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The Murder of the Baron of Brackley The traditional ballad of the Baron of Brackley preserves the memory of an event that must have seemed outstanding even in an age of lawlessness and cruelty. Of the many Deeside murder stories this is my favourite – perhaps because I have to pass the site of Brackley’s old home every time I go to Ballater.

The ballad about the event itself is not necessarily historically accurate. There are at least four versions and numerous other local adaptations. Not only that, but two entirely different events have been woven into one story. The ballad was not written down until 1806, when it appeared in Jamieson’s Popular Ballads.

The first episode relates to 1572 when Adam Gordon was besieging the Castle of Glen Bervie.

Hearing that a party of the King’s friends was in Glen Brechin, he surprised them and killed them all. On the expedition his illegitimate son was in charge of a party of horse. Compensation for forage etc. was to be paid to a local farmer but the young man kept the money. The farmer protested and

the young Gordon killed him. His father, Adam Gordon banished his illegitimate son.

Years later at sunset, the Gordon son descended from the Mount Keen track to Brackley.

The Laird of Brackley was old, much revered and honest. Unfortunately, he had a young and beautiful wife. Following the custom of the time, the stranger was welcomed. An accomplished and entertaining man, he stayed for a while. The lady was enamoured but the old Laird suspected nothing.

Gordon frequented Millton where there was a change house (inn) and stuck up a friendship with two strangers. One evening, when a good deal of drink had been imbibed, he produced gold coins.

Asked if they were willing to do a job for a purse of gold, the men agreed. They were informed that in the Castle lived an old man and a younger lady. To earn the gold, the man had to be killed but the lady left unharmed. The strangers departed to carry out the deed and returned, followed closely by the castle servants. They shouted “Give us the gold, the Laird is dead. We have killed him.” “Killed

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(Brachlie) by Sheila Sedgwick the Laird?” said Gordon, feigning anger. Turning to the men assembled in the change-house, he shouted “You hear these men who have murdered the Laird – kill them.” The two murderers were beaten to death. Eventually the Gordon married Brackley’s widow and became Laird.

The second and probably the more accurate story concerns the events of 1666. At that time the Baron of Brackley and the Earl of Aboyne were not on good terms. The Baron was paunchy and red faced while the Earl was a little jaundiced poet. Fact and fiction have been woven together, but there is evidence of a murder. There was a fishing dispute and Farquharson of Inverey was asked for help. In return for “spulzie” (ie destruction) of Aboyne’s Gordon land occupied by Brackley, Farquharson could have for his tenants the peat Moss of Easter Morven. Whether there was a “pretended” murder that went wrong or a plan to cover up devious practices, or the stealing of cattle, the murder of the Baron of Brackley certainly took place.

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A trial was held in Edinburgh in 1666. Events are recorded in the Records of the High Court of Justiciary and the Privy Council. On 22nd.

November 1666 the case was heard. Margaret Burnett, widow of John Gordon of “Braichley” litigated against Farquharson of Inverey and 25 men accused of murdering her husband, his brother and an uncle. The Ballater Kirk record for 16th December reads “The said day, no worship, the minister being at Edinburgh as witness upon Bracklie’s business.” The statement appeared again the following Sunday. There seems to have been no resolution of the matter. Inverey was not found guilty by law, and seems to have incurred no punishment, but according to Invercauld records, many years later a pardon was issued. As a member of the Farquharson family, Invercauld documents referring to Inverey would appear to give him the benefit of any doubt.

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by Bell Macaulay All small charities are run by a handful of dedicated people who give up time and energy to ensure that their particular organisation remains solvent, in good order and well-run.

Some target causes close to their own hearts such as medical charities, or particular groups of people, others take a broader view, working for the benefit of the much wider community.

Such is the case with the Victoria and Albert Halls (Ballater) Trust. The Victoria and Albert Halls provide a base for much of the activity taking place in the village, and there must be few people who do not know the building and use it either regularly or occasionally.

Victorian buildings require an enormous amount of upkeep, and the last year has been worse than most, with major roof repairs, and now a complete overhaul of our drainage system required. In addition to very necessary maintenance there is also an ambitious refurbishment programme which has swung into action again. It is tempting for everyone to assume that “someone else will do it”, or only complain when things go wrong!

These are YOUR halls. At a recent Annual General meeting, only a handful of people turned up. These were folks who did want to help, and we are very grateful for that, but where were the rest of you?

Those of us deeply involved with the Halls were all feeling somewhat depressed – a depleted bank balance, maintenance to be paid for, and plans for major refurbishment pushed ever further into the future.

One solicitor’s letter changed all that. You will remember that the Victoria and Albert Halls were gifted to the village by Victorian philanthropist Alexander Gordon in an era when responsibility for the common good was the norm – not so commonplace nowadays, although we did have the magnificent support of the much-loved Mike Sheridan!

Many of you will have known Mrs Edna Edwards who lived at Highland Home before moving to Monaltrie Avenue. Mrs Edwards passed away on 28th March 2016. She and her husband Bill loved Ballater and retired here from Peterculter where they had an antiques business.

Unfortunately Bill died shortly after they moved here, leaving Edna to make her own friendships in the community. Edna entered into the spirit of the village with gusto, Victoria Week giving her an outlet for her vast knowledge of the past, whether it was dressing the library windows with an array of Victoriana, or wielding the microphone during the vehicle parade – her knowledge of cars was encyclopaedic, and she took great delight in being chauffeur-driven in her Rolls Royce by Bill Houston!

Edna has set up the Edna Mary Edwards Memorial Trust “for the benefit of the community in Ballater by means of improvement of the facilities available in the Albert Memorial and Victoria Halls” – an outstanding gesture which will provide the Halls with match funding for many of the repairs and refurbishments planned over the next few years, and a memorial plaque will recognise her generosity.

Station Square You will all have seen the plans for an exciting new Station Square, and the Victoria and Albert Halls (Ballater) Trust will play a major role in this development since the Halls frontage is included in the plans.

Maintenance and refurbishment – in addition to the ongoing maintenance we spoke about in the last Eagle, we are now turning our attentions to the next stage of refurbishment – insulation and heating.

Ian Hay, Chairman of the V&A Halls Refurbishment Group, reports that following a review by a local architect, a small group from V&A Halls committee members has been considering his proposals for improving the heating and insulation in the Halls. This group has decided to seek the agreement of the Halls trustees to apply for funding from various organisations to cover the following: A feasibility operation including drilling a test borehole in the V&A Halls car park to establish whether ground source could be a viable option for heating the entire Halls complex.

Assuming the test bore hole gives a positive result, then proceed to boring 6 boreholes, including deepening the one hole used as a test, and provide and install ground source heat pumps, underfloor heating and other heat distribution radiators throughout the entire complex.

There is a possibility that the heat from the boreholes could be used in the refurbished Station

building, according to the advice of the heating contractor, if Aberdeenshire Council wishes to participate, and the timings were right.

Install Icynene insulation throughout the entire Halls complex.

All of the above would be dependent on obtaining grants from organisations such as Big Lottery Fund and Cairngorms Leader. Applications for such grants can only be made providing the Halls trustees agree to proceed. However, preliminary work on funding applications has been started.

HANDY NUMBERS Bell Macaulay – 013397 55745 Gordon Riddler – 013397 55308 Karen Forsyth – 07921 460368 Douglas Glass – 07778 466817

Events

Our Hogmanay celebrations brought the whole village together, and we are immensely grateful to the Big Lottery “Celebrate” fund.

2017 is a busy year for events – A fundraiser “Rumble in the Jumble” will be held on Saturday 18th March - contact Karen Forsyth on 07522 804507 for further information. The Dee Don Ceilidh Collective will be holding workshops in the Halls on 25 and 26 March, with an afternoon tea and concert in the Albert Hall on the 26th.

An Easter Fair will be held on 15 April – keep an eye open for further information.

Website, Information & Bookings

A reminder - please don’t forget to complete a booking form if you wish to use the halls. Check what is available on www.victoriaandalberthalls. co.uk and look in the calendar. We are certainly getting busier!

Membership

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 information or to obtain

Membership Registration Forms call/leave message for Janet Riddler at 013397 55308 or email: membership@victoriaandalberthalls.co.uk

Keeping The Halls in Good Order Karen Forsyth, who is a great supporter of the Halls, continues to do an excellent job - the Halls look shining and smell clean! Please help by leaving rooms as you find them. Karen is also now helping with events. Don’t forget we rely on users to tell us when problems arise - please record in the diary which is kept on the windowsill in the Mike Sheridan Room store.

Spring is just around the corner so why not have a clear-out at our jumble sale, or organise a fundraiser yourself and take an interest in your Halls. Take a leaf from Edna Mary Edwards’ book - we need your help if we are to achieve all these wonderful things which will keep all Halls users warm and comfortable, and give Ballater a set of Halls which will be the envy of many

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Tailor-made yurts Choice of seven colours www.highlandyurts.com

Allan Milne Joiners

63 Golf Road, Ballater, AB35 5RU Tel: 013397 55861 Mob: 07811774942

E-mail: allanmilne@rocketmail.com Established 1984

All aspects of Joinery and Carpentry.

New Builds, Extensions, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Windows, Doors.

Paul Spencer Tel: 07814 051388

Stairs manufactured and installed.

One-off items.

All renovation works.

Victoria Road, Ballater

The way things were

the corner of Victoria Road

Victoria Road starts at its junction with Bridge Street and runs west until it reaches the entrance to the Golf Course. It runs parallel to Albert Road, but is a later and altogether of a grander construction, its great width complying with the Victorian specification that a road should be wide enough to allow a horse drawn cart to be turned between its pavements.

Victoria Road leaves Bridge Street at the corner of a large block of shops. These buildings were built by a turn of the century entrepreneur, Mr William Barnett who ran his general store business from the shops lately vacated by the Co-operative. Mr Barnett also farmed at Eastfield just outside Ballater, and was Provost of Ballater Town Council before the First World War.

In my day Knowles the Jewellers were still in the corner shop, but the tiny restaurant next door was a butcher’s shop. A solicitor occupied the next small office then we come to the Temperance Hotel, now the Green Inn. This Temperance Hotel was run by a William Deans, and strangely enough his cousin ran the Coilacriech Inn on the way to Balmoral, certainly not a Temperance establishment.

As we have been walking along to the Green Inn, the opposite side of the road started off with a red post box on the corner of Kirk Green. Ballater Kirk boasts three Kirk Greens; the Lang Kirk Green on the opposite side of Bridge Street from the Kirk, and a smaller Kirk Green on either side of the Kirk. The Green to the south of the Kirk runs along Victoria Road until it reaches Bannerman’s Brae, opposite which, and next to

by Ian Cameron

the Green Inn, is a house that used to belong to Granny Bannerman, hence Bannerman’s Brae.

This was one of our sledge runs in winter time.

Moving along Victoria Road from what used to be the Temperance Hotel, a reminder of the Temperance Movement’s influence in the early 1900s, past Granny Bannerman’s house, and we come to the Deeside Inn, previously known as the Loirston Hotel.

Although I was born in Albert Road, a mere stone’s throw away, I had never been in the hotel before Saturday 19 October, 2013 when the hotel held a ‘French cuisine night’. The meal was excellent, and through the evening I realised that Margaret and I were dining on the very spot where my family’s old home had once stood!

‘Rose Cottage’ was demolished to make room for the late-1930s extension of the Loirston. the rear of Rose Cottage, just where the man stands

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The earliest record of ‘Loirston House’, as it was originally called, is to be found in ‘Under Lochnagar’, the book of the bazaar held in September 1894 to fund the completion of the new Crathie Kirk. The 1894 advert refers to ‘Loirston House’ having been recently ‘Enlarged, Redecorated and Refurnished’, so obviously this building dates

back to at least the early 1870s.

This Loirston House is clearly shown in the Washington Wilson photos of the wooden bridge that predated the present 1885 granite structure.

I have this photo showing the enlargement mentioned which was an extension built on the rear of the hotel. The image, taken from our garden in Albert Road, clearly shows this extension, a high, three story structure, not of stone, but of corrugated iron cladding.

The main feature in this building is the large cantilevered window on the first floor, facing west to gain spectacular mid-summer views of the sun setting over the Coyles of Muick hills.

The Loirston was in the hands of the Lamond family before 1894, and continued to be so for three generations. By 1907, the enlargement of Ballater Golf Course from 9 to 18 holes and

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the construction of a new pavilion, had incurred considerable debt. To raise the necessary funds, the Club held a two day Bazaar on August 16 & 17. The Lamond family contributed to the Book of this Bazaar and in their advert the Loirston is now described as a Hotel.

The First World War came, and Ballater took a long time to regain its former Edwardian prosperity. Very little building was going on, but in the 1930s the Lamond Family were confident enough to build a massive new block to the Loirston Hotel, extending eastward along Victoria Road. This was when our ‘Rose Cottage’ was demolished and the site built over. The new facade of the hotel was built in dressed granite stone, but most of the rear of the building was constructed from the rubble of ‘Rose Cottage’ demolition.

With the extension more than doubling the amount of rooms and providing a large new dining area, the Lamond Family started catering for large functions and weddings. Across the street the hotel had built gardens and a pavilion, where the wedding dances were held. Just before the Second World War an entrepreneur, called R.M.Cay, built

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art deco picture houses in Banchory and Ballater where he ran film shows three times a week. As business grew, he hired public halls in Aboyne and Braemar to meet demand. After the war broke out and with many soldiers stationed on Deeside, the picture houses were packed full each night. This Mr. Cay then opted to make the Loirston Hotel his base, as it was central to his enterprises.

The war years were a busy time for the hotel; it became a meeting place for officers and local businessmen. I can remember the jeeps and large cars lined up along the pavement. This second generation of Lamonds had a son and a daughter, and I remember hearing tales of this daughter, perched on the back of a Commando Officer’s motorbike being driven through the crowded dance floor of the Victoria Hall.

After the war, the Americans came bringing their enormous cars across with them on the liners.

We used to marvel at Cadillacs, Buicks, Dodges, Studebakers and the one that intrigued me most - the ‘Futuristic Oldsmobile’! These transatlantic tourists would stay at the hotel for up to a month at a time whilst they took in the Highland Games season and marvelled at seeing our Royal Family close up at Braemar Games and Crathie Church on Sunday mornings.

By 1953, the Lamond family ran an advert in the Book of the Braemar Gathering. About this time they, in company with the indomitable Mr Cay, of Picture House fame, took over the Invercauld Hotel in Braemar.

Staff at the Loirston hotel was fairly static, such was the stability of long entrenched family businesses in rural communities. Peter ‘the

Boots’ Fraser took charge at the front door. I can remember him meeting guests at the station and arranging for their luggage to be piled high on to Johnnie Mackie’s large hand cart that Peter would order be dispatched to the Loirston, post haste! Johnnie, the Under Boots, was a little man and completely in thrall of his master. Peter, meanwhile, would be shepherding his guests into limousines for the short drive to the Loirston, to be met quite emotionally by Mr and Mrs Lamond.

After Johnnie died, his widow, Mrs Mackie of Sunnyside, came round to our house on Albert Road with his dinner suit which she thought I could get the good of when playing my accordion at dances. However the dances we played at after WRI whist drives, Burns Suppers, Harvest Homes, wild Weddings and Hogmanay nights were never really felt to be dinner suit affairs!

Mrs Walker was housekeeper to the Lamonds for many years. Her son, Sandy, joined the RAF and served as a rear gunner on Lancaster bombers. Later he flew on the Berlin Airlift.

There used to be another old house to the right of the hotel, but it was demolished in the 1970s to make way for the present cocktail bar and extra bedrooms. In my day, two old sisters lived there.

I think that they had been seamstresses that attended to the hotel’s linen, but by then they were retired, were quite tiny and wore spectacles with thick lens. We called them the ‘two blind mice!’

We didn’t see much of Mrs Lamond in the mornings, but in the evenings she made her grand entrance at reception before spending the rest of the night holding court in the lounge. Her husband, George, owned a beautiful chestnut horse, and in fine weather he would be out riding. In later years, someone bought his stable on Braichlie road and Castle Plant demolished it. Even then, I felt for a Ballater that was fast disappearing, and photographed it as it used to be. George was also a keen motorist; I first remember him with a Ford Pilot V8, but latterly he ran a green MG saloon - a car, which may just have survived locally.

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Putting Ballater on the Map!

by Pat Graham

Preparations are now well under way for the Scottish 6 Days Orienteering Festival 2017 being held in Royal Deeside from 30 July to 5 August. This will be the 4th time the 6-Days event has come to Deeside, having been held previously in 1983, 1993 and 2005. Much International interest has been generated due to the highly successful Moray 2015. To date, over 1600 orienteers have already signed up online, with entries from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong as well as throughout The 2017 event’s ‘Entries Open’ Image features Josh Dudley, Europe and Scandinavia. from Aboyne. Opposite page: location map of the areas covered Local Mar Orienteering on each day of the Festival.

Club (Maroc) will be helping to host the upcoming festival in

conjunction with Scottish Orienteering. The event centre will be the Victoria and Albert Halls in Ballater with an official event camp site for 800 situated close by at Monaltrie Park.

Kicking off on 30 July with Day 1 of the festival being held in beautiful Glen Tanar, each day sees orienteering action throughout Deeside showcasing some of the best countryside and stunning scenery the area has to offer. Locations extend from Balfour and Birsemore near Aboyne right up to Creag Choinnich at Braemar. An Urban event has been organised for the mid-week ‘day off ’, comprising a fast and furious orienteering race through the streets of Ballater – a sight not to be missed.

While there is plenty to attract the top elite athletes with steep climbs, challenging terrain and technical areas, the event is also ideal for novice family groups enjoying a holiday with a difference.

There are courses on offer daily suitable for all levels including string courses for small children to try. With all the orienteering locations being within 25 miles, there will be plenty of time for other activities, of which there are many in the area.

In the lead up to the festival and also in preparation for the British Orienteering Championships 2018, also being held on Deeside, the new “Community Orienteering and Protection of the Environment” (COPE) project will provide an exciting opportunity for the local community to get involved. Project manager, Sarah Dunn, from Mar Orienteering Club will work with schools in Braemar, Crathie, Ballater and Strathdon as well as youth groups at the heart of the community, to stage activities and also to

help train leaders to be able to sustain activities into the future.

Be a part of it! Orienteering is a fun adventure sport suitable for all ages and all members of the family. Mar Orienteering Club will be arranging training sessions throughout Deeside in the run up to the event for anyone who would like to give the sport a try – at a walk, jog or run! Further information is available at www.marocscotland. org.uk and www.scottish6days.com/2017 Established 1998

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Advertisers’ Index A Souter A2B Containers Aberdeenshire Electrical Alexandra Hotel Allan Milne Joiner Alpine Tree Care Badger Ballater Farmers’ Market Balmoral Bill Yule Brakeley Gift Room Brian Smith Funeral Services Ltd Brook Taverner Bruce Fraser Fencing C.S.M. Handyman/Gardens Cairngorm Crafts Carnelian Celicall Crafts Classic Abode Garden Services D P Opticians Davidsons Chemists Deeside Tree Care Drummond Enterprises Edward J Emslie Flame Boiler Services Forbes Duguid Fraser & Mulligan Glen Lui Hotel H. M. Sheridan Ltd

37 23 60 51 55 39 39 40 2 31 30 15 59 54 38 9 39 27 49 43 10 21 35 42 34 12 25 22 26

Highland Glen Hot Tubs Highland Yurts Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ian Rodger Architects

India On The Green Julian Barclay Keiller Brasserie Laurie & Company M. H. Jewellery & Gifts Marie Chapman McCue & Porter McKay & Innes Funeral Directors Morven Veterinary Centre Myriad Pro Phoenix Chip Shop Riverside Cottage Cafe Roaring Stag Coffee Shanghai Takeaway Speedwell Framing The Hair Loft The Lochnagar The MacNab The McEwan Gallery The Oven Valet Thistle Take Away Tornaveen Plumbing Total Building Services Tweedie Beasties Wee Jim Landscapes /Firewood

Extra copies of this issue of the Eagle are available, free of charge, in the Library, for those residents not currently residing in their own homes.

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Victoria Week is 30 this year

With more to see and more to do for locals and visitors alike. Details in the centre pages. But can you name the participants from earlier festivals in the photo above?

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.