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A Village is Born

Surrounded by glorious countryside,  Ballater is a picturesque village in the heart of Royal Deeside, situated in the beautifully unspoilt Cairngorms National Park.

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Introduction

Home to Fuaraìn Skincare and our Super Active Deeside Mineral Water, Ballater came into being as a result of the historic and famous mineral springs of Pannanich Wells.

Situated two miles east of Ballater and only a few miles from Balmoral Castle, the Scottish home of the British Royal Family in the beautiful Royal Deeside valley. 

Here you will find stories of Knights and Queens, Lords and Ladies, quaint testimonies and healing waters.

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"I had driven with Beatrice to Pannanich Wells, where I had been many years ago. We got out and tasted the water and looked at the bath and the humble but very clean accommodation in the curious old inn". Queen Victoria circa 1870

History of Ballater

When a local woman discovered the healing benefits of the waters at Pannanich Wells in 1760, word quickly began to spread.

A well to do Lord, Francis Farquharson, Laird of Monaltrie, learning of the waters great powers, set about developing the wells. He was a forward thinking man who built the granite monuments from which the waters pour to this day and established accommodation and bath houses.

The wells proved extremely popular and when the ferry bringing people across the river became too busy to cope, Francis asked permission to build a bridge over the River Dee.

This was granted on the condition a Church was also built. The Bridge was constructed in 1783 and the Church on the moor in 1798. The churches in the three original parishes closed and the village of Ballater began. The building of the Bridge and the Church brought people to the area; plans were prepared, and streets were laid out in a grid system, around the church.

The popularity of the wells helped Ballater to grow. In 1852, Queen Victoria purchased nearby Balmoral Castle, and in 1866 the Deeside Railway built a station in the village. Ballater was on the map.

With the ever more prestigious traffic, the station was rebuilt on a grander scale in 1886. The rich and famous were drawn to Ballater and to visit the Pannanich Wells. Queen Victoria herself visited the springs and drank the waters in 1856 and wrote of them in her Highland Journals in 1870.

Today Ballater is known for its Highland Games, the first taking place in 1864. A stroll around the village reveals a range of shops and services. The collections of "By Royal Appointment" signs adorning many of the businesses are indicative of the proximity to Balmoral Castle.

Ballater continues to serve as a centre for Deeside and beyond. We are proud of the part we play in the continuation of this rich and interesting history.

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