PRINCE Charles is to open another restaurant to help a village hit by flooding and fire.
The Duke of Rothesay, as Charles is known when in Scotland, has announced plans to open The Ballater Station Bistro and Tearoom as part of the redevelopment of the Old Royal Station destroyed by fire in May 2015.
Having already opened fine dining restaurant The Rothesay Rooms and the adjacent luxury gift retailer Highgrove Shop on the village’s Netherley Place, this will be his third effort to drive tourism to the area.
The new eaterie is scheduled to open in summer next year, is set to be carried out in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council as part of an outreach programme by The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust.
The new culinary experience is designed to remain in keeping with the royal status of the station. A tearoom and kitchen will be located within the main building, with entry via the old royal entrance, and the bistro will be set on the original platform area of the station.
A small exhibition space in the building will detail the royal connection to the station and depict the waiting room used by Queen Victoria.
The tearoom will serve traditional afternoon tea, including homebaking and finger sandwiches, while the bistro will specialise in seasonal British dishes using local produce for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ballater Heritage Society is expected to play a significant role in the building’s development and future use.
Kenneth Dunsmuir, executive director of the Duke's Dumfries House Trust, said: “The objective of our outreach programme is to extend opportunities and lend assistance to communities. By playing our part in the restoration of the Old Royal Station at Ballater, we are aiming to bring the village back to its former glory, allow people to gain an insight into the significance of the building, and give tourists another reason to visit beautiful Royal Deeside.”
The announcement of the bistro and tearoom comes almost a year after the opening of The Rothesay Rooms, which opened in January 2017 and has become increasingly popular as a fine dining experience for locals and visitors alike. At its peak during summer, around 1,000 people dined at the restaurant each month.
The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation made a donation in 2016 towards the community effort to restore Ballater Caravan Site following the flooding.
Marr Area Committee chair Moira Ingleby said: “Clearly, Ballater and the surrounding area have long had strong ties to the royal family, as does the station we are so looking forward to reopening. To strengthen that association even further and increase Ballater's offering to locals and visitors at the same time is great news for the area.
“Ballater has suffered some setbacks in recent years, but this is another really positive contribution to help the village feel even more positive about its future. This will be another key asset which will bring visitors from far and wide, enhancing what the new station and the community as a whole have to offer."
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