Ballater & Crathie Eagle, Issue 61, Spring 2011

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The Transfer Chair

- read about this generous donation on Page 18

Showing us how its done - Donna Leslie and

Ballater & crathie Community magazine no. 61 spring 2011

Bridget McAllister after completing the Run Balmoral 10K 2010. See page 23 to see what you could do.

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.

Chinese Proverb

The Presentation Trowel - see it in the Mike Sheridan Room, and read about it on Page 42

First a howling blizzard woke us, Then the rain came down to soak us, And now before the eye can focus Crocus.

Lilja Rogers The Ballater & Crathie Eagle is made possible by:

“Awards for All� Lottery funding, Advertising, Donations, and Fundraising.

Thank You. We deliver FREE to inner village households, and thanks to Yules for delivering some outlying areas with their orders.

Spring Crocuses By Ian Cameron

Boules - The delighted winners of the New Year Quaich, Peter and Jenny Henry (on the right). Read about their victory on Page 24

The McEwan Gallery New Paintings by

Stuart Luke Gatherer

Halo - Oil on canvas Ballater (200 metres off A93) AB35 5UB Tel: 013397 55429 E: dot@mcewangallery.com www.mcewangallery.com

H.P.S. (Aberdeen) Ltd Integrated Building / Landscaping Services and Supplies Chanaich Lodge Provost Craig Road Ballater Aberdeenshire AB35 5NN

Tel: 01339 756336 Fax: 01339 755893 Mobiles: 07710 469563 07850 653160

Managing Director Peter Henderson Email: peter.hps@btconnect.com

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Inside Your Spring Eagle: Kettle on, feet up? Its the spring edition of the Eagle

Diary Here at ‘The Eagle’ we are all hoping for much more of what the eagle is enjoying this spring!

The dates you need:

4-5

HorsebackUK

An inspirational article helping our heroes 26

Ballater School

The latest activities and news:

The Crathie Pages Groups, School and more:

30 33

Tiny and cute, are they cat fairies?

2nd in the series with a glimpse back in time:

Healing Waters?

More than just H2O:

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

Time for a spring clean?

STATION Popular Informal Restaurant in the Old Royal Station

Open daily from 10am Station Square, Ballater AB35 5PB Telephone 013397 55050

Shaken to the Corps Part 7 of this series:

Contact us:

All the ways YOU can contribute:

Ballater Business Association: 10 Ballater Enhancement Group: 12 Ballater Floral Art Group: 11

Ballater (RD) Ltd: 13 Ballater Royal Horticultural Society: 9

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Ballater Running Club: 23 Churches: 10

Halls Minutes Extract

Pottering About

Ballater Boules: 24

Ballater Judo Club: 24

Munchkin Cats

Work to protect our favourite squirrels:

Local Groups:

39

Community Council: 15 Deeside & Donside Development Project: 21

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Halls Committee: 18 Homestart Deeside: 17 Royal Deeside and Cairngorms DMO: 20

44 51 53

SWRI: 8 Upper Deeside Art Society: 10 Upper Deeside Music: 8 9Zero Freewheelers: 25

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Advertising: Full page: £60; Half page: £30; Quarter page: £20; Eighth page: £10 Book and pay for 4 issues: series discount of 10% - copy can be changed each issue

Donations:

Donations are gratefully received, and acknowledged. You can also put money into our tins in the Library or Yules Newsagents.

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Eagle Eyes...

“Bovaglie”

by Mary Munro

Fowk sing o’ the Cammas, leaf-green come the Spring,

March

Sat 12 Mon 14 Wed 16

Thu 24

Mon 28 Wed 30

SWRI Upper Deeside Industrial and Bulb Show, Victoria Hall, 2-4pm Ballater and Crathie Community Council, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm SWRI Open Evening and Sales Table. Talk by Stewart Millar, Albert Hall, 7.30pm Family Games Night, Ballater School, £1.00 entry (includes refreshments), 7-9pm Ballater Running Club, Monaltrie Park, 6.30pm, see Pg 23 New CLAN Carers Group. Inaugural meeting at the VSA Carers’ Centre, Unit 9, Aboyne Business Centre, 7.30pm Second Chancers Cancer Support Group upstairs, Ballater Golf Club, 4pm Ballater Running Club, Monaltrie Park, 6.30pm, see Pg 23 Ballater History Group Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm

Fri 1 Mon 4

Wed 6 Sat 9

Mon 11

Tue 12 Mon 18 Wed 20

Thu 21

Fri 22

Ballater School term ends BRHS Talk: Freelance Gardening by Simon McPhun, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm Deeside Carers Support Group meeting, The Auld Kirk, Ballater, 11am Ballater Business Association meeting, Glen Lui Hotel, 7.30pm Ballater Bike Bash – Cyclehighlands, 10am, www.cyclehighlands.com Coffee Morning at Royal Lochnagar Distillery, Crathie, in aid of The Anchor Unit, Aberdeen, and CLAN Upper Deeside, 10.30am-12.30pm Ballater and Crathie Community Council, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm CLAN Walking Group meets at CLAN Centre. 1.30pm Ballater School term starts SWRI Business meeting conducted by Leochel Cushnie SWRI, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm BRHS Floral Art: Gleneagles florist John McDonald, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm Easter Bingo and Raffle, Ballater School, doors 7pm to start 7.30pm Good Friday Ballater Library CLOSED

April

Or Darroch’s great oaks in bricht Autumn goons.

The bards heap praises on Morven’s deep snaws, Bit o’ Bovaglie’s wild beauty fain would I sing.

There’s mony a glen as bonny and fair; Dee’s silvery threed spun lang o’er the lan; Heather bells dry-reeshlin o’er wine-reed meers; Still an on, I lang for Bovaglie’s hill air.

Happit and snod in a pine-green plaid, Bovaglie cries on me thro’ the mists o’ the Glen.

Syne a yearnin comes on me tae flee hine awa Tae see Lochnagar’s shaddas dwinle an fade.

I’d sit by yon auld hoose, look o’er the braid meer, Tae Lochnagar’s glowerin auld face; Jist mile aifter mile o’ peat –heather grun, Hill upon hill stretchin quaet, far an near.

Fan the hert is sair laden, a body seeks rest, Find the balm at Bovaglie’s lost “toun”, Soothin yer sowl an gaitherin yer thochts As the saft evening-lowe dwines in the West.

A Voice from the Past

57

by Betty Wilson

A number of older Ballater natives will remember Paddy Porter and his daughter, Joan. Sadly, Joan died in May 2010, but her husband, Mr. E. J. Bye has written to the Eagle recalling happy memories of their life together.

Joan spent the first 40 years of her life in Ballater, working for the Bank of Scotland both here and in Tarland. In 1965, she met Mr. Bye in Venice at the start of a coach touring holiday to Istanbul. Both were travelling alone, and Fate played a hand in uniting them, as he was English and living in Essex at the time. To cut a long story short, they fell in love, were married in Scotland in the following year, and enjoyed 44 wonderful years together.

Joan has been a postal subscriber to the Eagle from her home in Sussex since its beginning. It seems that her husband fell in love with Scotland also, for he has decided to continue the subscription, and wishes the Eagle good fortune for the future. In turn, the Eagle Team sends condolences to him and hopes he will enjoy good health and peace in the years to come.

Firewood

Sae, sing ye lang o’ Bovaglie’s steep braes, Hine awa fae the soss an dule o’ mankind.

Thon’s a place gars yer hert wing like a bird, Soarin free as the eagle on saft simmer days.

Tel: 013397 55997 Mobile: 07821 746756

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remind his father that there was also his brother ‘Big Chis’ to be considered, for he was at that very moment upholding the family honour in the heart of the Corps at Buller Barracks in Aldershot, but it seemed that the Major had had enough for one day.

Being embarrassed by a fourteen-year-old laddie was bad enough, but to be lectured by an ex Sgt Major was altogether too much for his pride. With a tight smile he shook their hands and wished them well as they took their leave. He had been well and truly ‘Shaken to the Corps’, as Auld Chis reflected dryly with a grin later on that day as they ate their pie and chips in the Market Café off Union Street, before catching the Strachan’s bus for the long journey home.

He was greatly relieved that the testing was over and was happy in the knowledge that for

that day at least, he had been thoroughly tested in mind and body and found fit and able to be a soldier. On the bus journey home and as he thought back over the solemn oath he had made that day to Almighty God, that he would protect his King, in crown, dignity and honour and bear allegiance to him and to the officers and generals set over him, he concluded that whether he liked it or not, this also included a certain recruiting officer!

Up to that stage in his life, he was quite unaware just how exceptional a Ballater School education was. The entrance exam he had just sat however, had given him the first inkling how fortunate he had been and on ‘Boy Service’ he was soon to find out how, initially, it placed him way ahead of his rivals. But how was he now going to tell the headmaster and ‘Auld Gilly’ that he would not now be going on to Banchory?

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)

...so you know What’s Going On Sat 23 Mon 25

Wed 27

Fri 29

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Run Balmoral, free entry to castle grounds for spectators Easter Monday Ballater Post Office CLOSED Parent Council meeting, Ballater School, 7pm Second Chancers Cancer Support Group upstairs, Ballater Golf Club, 4pm CLAN Carers Group, VSA Carers’ Centre, Unit 9, Aboyne Business Centre, 7.30pm Royal Wedding Public Holiday Ballater Post Office CLOSED Ballater Library CLOSED Sat 30 Hall Fundraiser - Silent Auction, Victoria Hall, 7.30pm

May

Mon 2 Bank Holiday Ballater Post Office CLOSED

Summer Eagle copy date Ballater School in service day Tue 3 Ballater School in service day Wed 4 Ballater Business Association meeting, Glen Lui Hotel, 7.30pm Mon 9 Deeside Carers Support Group meeting, The Huntly Arms, Aboyne, 11am

Ballater and Crathie Community Council, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm

BRHS Open Evening, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm Tue 10 CLAN Walking Group meets at CLAN Centre 1.30pm Sat 14 Tartan Trek for CLAN in the Community on the Balmoral Estate Sat 14-Fri 20 Royal Deeside Golf Week, Ballater Golf Club www.ballatergolfclub.co.uk Thur 19 BRHS Floral Art: Judith Lorimer from Aberdeen, Mike Sheridan

Room, 7.30pm

Sat 21-Fri 27 Ballater Walking Festival, varied programme, details 55467

Wed 25 Second Chancers Cancer Support Group upstairs, Ballater Golf

Club, 4pm

CLAN Carers Group, VSA Carers’ Centre, Unit 9, Aboyne Business

Centre, 7.30pm Wed 1

June

Ballater Business Association meeting, Glen Lui Hotel, 7.30pm

Are Your Dates Here?

For inclusion in this FREE section of the Eagle, please contact Cat Houston  55243, 07968 941359 (texts welcome) or catrionahouston@yahoo.co.uk .

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Letter from our Editor

aking s are t any e g n a s for m and ch rR Dea ange, hie, who ha that it is h c f o e ic d is a tim decide tion sabel M Spring the Eagle. I cretar y, has e new genera the er and at ith la Pott und Se l f th o w e o y t o r t d r S a e e e i v h b c l gro vo wit em eD pla een th off the been in s l, along n to a m years b ass the bato . Isabel has instrumenta infant Eagle ms or article p m s s e t e a a u i o e t h o w t l y T l time Eagle est days, and s for getting typed up an as a mar ve for e h t n i i d l fun ered with nce its ear also nised s g orga raising ememb si c. She Eagle acIntosh, in omputers et rhaps best r sco was bein r instruction i e c e he John M purchasing pt. She is p l when any D ted to defy mour will b u p s i e r r h e r o m c c r f e i s and manu or at the Ba ber, ever att usiasm and for her ser v n i d h e o t o r v d s recei n the , drunk or ses! Her en thanks he cer ” o i e ber, “boun nds. No on in the prem nd the Team nt”.

Decem ok f o a e u h f t , s m i s e a Eagl ehaviour w le meeting xing “retire the traum Now we lo b Eag ter. om rela later about sed at wish her a recovered fr es with win ning in Bal us s i m y l e vario great happ n, and at com e has ly give , the villag s and all th ne. Much is ly sought by isers as e e r f o s pipe ager nshi rgan while Mean now, frozen and some su munity is e se give the o mmunity. s m a s Ple eep e co ime our co y with d to warmer t upport of th the village. g hard for y n Ha n in s d i r k a s r e a e I o h i w t t w i r l e d fo ci they ar ent, an rove fa at pres r ying to imp ossibly can – t p bodies pport as you u much s ,

ers ead

By Popular Demand!

Ballater Library opening Hours:

Sunday & Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:

Closed 10am-1pm, 6.30pm-8pm Closed 2pm-4pm, 6.30pm-8pm 2pm-5pm 10am-12noon

of an inch tall.

They soon arrived back at the Recruiting Centre, where the now friendly Major informed them that he had achieved ninety eight percent for his English essay. He was then asked to take the Bible in his right hand and in a moment of great solemnity was duly sworn in as a member of the Armed Forces.

‘Well young Arthur,’ the Major said,’ you are now a soldier, but bear in mind one thing,’ and ‘Wee Chis’ failed to notice the sly wink that passed between him and his father, ‘not only can you be done by the civilian police if you do anything wrong, but you are now subject to military law and the Army can therefore do you as well. Sorry you don’t get given the Kings shilling anymore, but that has been done away with.’

It was then that the recruiting officer made his second ‘faux pas’ of the day, for turning to ‘Auld Chis’ he said, ‘You know Mr Chisnall, there is no doubt such an education as we have seen demonstrated here today will be wasted in the Service Corps, I’m sure your son here would have no difficulty achieving a much more worthwhile career in one of our ‘line’ regiments. What do you say to that?’

For a brief moment ‘Wee Chis’ felt sure the floor had moved. A slow growl started in his father’s chest that finally emerged in a great splutter of rage. ‘What!’ he bellowed.

‘Wasted! Wasted in the ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS,’ that Sir is absolute nonsense; the ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS has a tradition and record equal to any of your line regiments. Like our father before us, both myself and my brother also served for twenty eight years apiece in that particular Corps and what was good for us, is certainly good enough for any son of mine.

No Sir,’ he roared, ‘THE ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS it is or nothing.’ Each

55

time his father said the name of his old Corps it rolled off his tongue with great emphasis and in a tone worthy of his days as a Regimental Sergeant Major. It was for his family a proud title and ‘Wee Chis’ knew that the shortening of it, as the Major had done, was in his father’s eyes, a mark of disrespect.

In those days, many regiments still had to earn the title of ROYAL and as he stood there listening to the exchange he suddenly recalled the acronym ‘CLAP’ that he had been taught in the old territorial hut by his Army Cadet instructors. This was used to remind them that when giving an order it had to be given Clearly, Loudly, As an order and with Pauses and that was just how his father had rattled his words out.

Stony faced, the recruiting officer seemed to wilt under this verbal onslaught and for a moment ‘Wee Chis’ wondered if he should

54

harder you know.’ ‘Wee Chis’ raised his head, the injustice of it finally giving him courage.

‘But Sir,’ he said, ‘I really have finished,’ and he slid the papers across the table towards the disbelieving Officer. ‘I see,’ that worthy said, ‘it’s wasting the Kings time is it laddie, well don’t say you weren’t warned, you’ve had your chance with the sums, so now get stuck into one of these essays.’

Grabbing the Maths papers, he flung another question paper on the table and went storming angrily back into his office, giving the door a good slam. There was then a long period of silence, during which ‘Wee Chis’ scribbled furiously.

Sometime later the outside door of the office opened and his father eased quietly into the room. With a big wink, he gestured to him to carry on, and sat down quietly in a corner to read his Press and Journal. Shortly afterwards

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his son laid his pencil down with a sigh, his fingers aching from the continual writing and turning to his father said, ‘Well that’s it Dad, I can’t do any more.’ They chatted away for a while and he related the argument that had taken place with the recruiting officer regarding the Maths paper, as a result of which, he was a little worried that it would get savaged during the marking. ‘I don’t know what all the fuss was about Dad,’ he said, ‘as the sums were dead easy and about the same standard we used to get in the First Year at school.’

At that moment, the inner office door opened and the recruiting officer returned once more, this time he appeared to be in a much better frame of mind and if anything, his face was more florid than before. Ignoring ‘Wee Chis’ for the moment, he spoke directly to his father. ‘Well Mr Chisnall, I really don’t know what to make of all this, here was I accusing young feller m’ lad here of being idle and not trying, when all the time he was telling the truth and really had finished his Maths paper in record time. This is the first time in twenty years that I’ve ever known anyone achieve a hundred percent in this particular test and to think it only took him less than thirty minutes.’

Then turning to ‘Wee Chis’, he said.’ Well now, how did you get on with the English paper young man, finished that too I see?

Mr Chisnall, if you would like to take young Einstein along to the hospital next door for his medical, I’ll just see what our educators make of this and I’ll see you again shortly.’

Auld Chis fairly beamed with pride and taking his bemused son by the arm he made for the door. ‘Wee Chis’ felt like he was walking on air and the visit to the medical board passed off without a hitch. No comment was made about his eyesight and all that he could remember, was that he weighed ninety-eight pounds and was five foot one and three eighths

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How to contact our Representatives:

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Scottish Parliament: Mike Rumbles MSP Tel: 01330 820268 Fax: 01330 820106 e-mail: Mike.Rumbles.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Westminster: Sir Robert Smith MP Tel: 01330 820330, Fax: 01330 820338, e-mail: robert.smith.mp@parliament.uk Aberdeenshire Council: Peter Argyle: Tel: 013398 81180 e-mail: cllr.p.argyle@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Rosemary Bruce: Tel: 013398 89318 e-mail: cllr.r.bruce@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Marcus Humphrey: Tel: 013398 85332 email: cllr.m.humphrey@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Cairngorms National Park: Geva Blackett email: geva.blackett@btconnect.com

Eagle Who’s Who & Where

Editor: Ian Hay  55941 Treasurer: Dr. Sheila Sedgwick  55292 Secretary: Betty Wilson  55791 Advertising Manager: Faye Swan  55345 Distribution: Andy and Julie Bloor Diary Secretary & Typing: Cat Houston  55243 Design: Ollie Ross  42300, Stella Potter  55969 & Karen Major  55026 Email us at: ballater.eagle@btopenworld.com Eagle Online by Tom Potter: www.ballaterscotland.com/eagle

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

8

Local Group News SWRI Ballater

by Frances Johnstone The SWRI meeting on 17th November was well attended, with a team of ladies, Mary Munro, Anne Richardson, Veronica Houston and Betty Wilson giving a demonstration on “Variations on a Theme”, as they had done when representing Ballater at Inverurie. The speaker for the evening was Heather Morrison of the Forget-me Not Club, who gave a very thorough and varied account of how the club had started, the good work which is undertaken, and how it is now run.

Sadly, our Christmas meal at the Glenaden Hotel in December had to be cancelled twice because of the stormy weather, but it will be held at a later date – maybe mid-summer!

On 19th January, eleven ladies were invited by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay to

a very pleasant evening drinks reception at Birkhall. It is now a few years since the Duchess was made an honorary member of Ballater WRI. Unfortunately, the invitation was for the same evening as our January meeting, and we are very grateful to the ladies who held the fort and enjoyed an illustrated talk by Dr. Mike Stephen on the Halambu Project in Nepal.

Weather permitting, the annual Deeside Industrial and Bulb Show will be held in the Victoria Hall on Saturday 12th March. Teas and home baking will be provided in the Mike Sheridan Room from 2.00pm to 4.00pm, where there will also be raffles and a sales table. All are welcome.

Upper Deeside Music

by Jane Angus

This was to be a year in which there would be no deferred concerts but some lovely surprises with old friends if the weather held – probably at short notice. Of course, so far we have just had some surprises.

We still hope to hear Philip Highman with his eighteenth century cello and Simon Lane on the piano in Darroch Learg, but the difficulties in reaching airports in December soon after Mr Highman did so well in the Potsdam cello competition, meant trying for his tour again, probably at the end of next February. Instead we hope for the very young cello entry in an informal meeting at Craig Megan to allow us to share in their musicmaking together under Jamie Barclay.

T h e Pi a t t i Q u a r t e t c o m e t o S t .

Kentigern’s on March 20th at 4.30 p.m. to play Haydn’s Op. 776, the ‘Emperor’, Quartet ; the Debussy Quartet and the Beethoven Op.59, No 2.. This British-Irish quartet studied at the Royal College of Music in London together, and have travelled extensively besides founding their own Festival in Kingsland in

‘Shaken to the Corps’

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by Arthur Chisnall So the war years passed and slowly the evacuees and other foreigners gradually drifted back to their previous lives. A few however had become so fond of the village that they decided to stay on and put down their roots.

One cold ‘dreich’ November day, a few months after the hostilities were all over, ‘Wee Chis’ sat nervously at a brown-varnished table chewing on the end of a pencil, his eyes downcast. In the background the muted roar of the late morning Woolmanhill traffic was the only sound in the bleak and cheerless Army Recruiting Office. Not quite the way I would have preferred to spend my fourteenth birthday he mused, but then this was an event he had long been waiting for and he only had one real worry and that was the dreaded medical examination, for he was sure his eyesight would let him down. His mother had caught him enough times under the bedclothes reading the ‘Hotspur’ and the ‘Adventure’ by torchlight into the ‘wee sma’ hoors’ and she’d warned him enough times that reading with such a poor light, was a sure way to ruin his eyes.

It was the harsh scrape of a chair on the brown polished linoleum floor of the office next door that broke into his reverie and a moment later, the door opened. The same portly officer who had welcomed him half an hour earlier and set him the Maths test, which he now had before him, said, not unkindly, ‘Well young Chisnall, looks like you’re a wee bit stuck eh!

Ach well, don’t worry son, you’ve got another two hours to go yet and I don’t mind giving you a wee nudge in the right direction, if that will get you going.’ ‘Wee Chis’ squirmed uncomfortably on the hard seat, ner ves making his throat dry, ‘Eh no thank you Sir,’

he managed at last, ‘I’ve finished all that you gave me to do.’

A loud snort greeted this statement and a red flush started at the collar of the Major’s shirt and continued upwards past his large handlebar moustache to where his eyes fairly bulged with astonishment. Although quite fascinated by this sight, ‘Wee Chis’ felt obliged to concentrate on the shiny brown linoleum floor. ‘Now see here my lad,’ the Major roared, ‘I thought you were keen to join up? Well let me tell you something laddie, this is the Army Third Class Certificate of Education you are sitting, which by the way, qualifies you for promotion all the way up to Sergeant in the Man’s Army. There is no way anyone can complete that Maths paper and get a pass mark in thirty minutes, you’ll really have to try

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over the jammies? Nowadays I have no such qualms. Being more laid back in my middle age, on goes the long black coat and boots over the jammies, as I’m perfectly respectable on the outside.

This method has certainly made my life more pleasant and snug. Although now I’ve told you all, if you need to commit me to something, you’ll know I might have a Jammie Day booked. But then, sharing this method probably outweighs that risk, as I’m sure someone out there can adapt this technique to their own needs. And I suppose if you see me in the Co-op with my long black coat on you’ll want to ask if I have my jammies on underneath.

Do - I won’t mind!

There is something else many friends have successfully done to improve their lives that I just can’t bring myself to do. Remove clutter from my home. Go minimalist. I’m perfectly aware that my rooms seem to get smaller due to life’s gentle accumulation of stuff. I’m not a

hoarder - I do give things to the charity shops, Freecycle, or gratifyingly, have the exact random thing that someone needed. I know my stuff accumulates dust, and that dusting is not a life’s pleasure. But it’s our stuff. The “World’s Worst Parker” award my eldest gave me years ago.

(Probably true, sadly as I’m only comfortable if the space would take a bus.) The gorgeous 3D sun my youngest made. Things I remember from my childhood: Mum’s candlestick and snuffer, Grandma’s vase - that she saved up for by starching Grandpa’s collars herself for weeks rather than sending them to the laundry - and Grandpa’s ancient metal money box. All these things not only give me great pleasure, but are also a comforting documentation of my family life. They tell some of our stories. It feels good to have that mantle of love around. So despite dust and clutter I’m sticking to my comfort zone and leave those who like sleek uncluttered lines to enjoy them in their own way.

However you organise your life, may it be good to you all this spring.

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Cornwall. They come to us in a tour arranged

by EMS and the Tunnell Trust and we hope that skiing will stay on the hills rather than on the roads for their visit.

Our nearer neighbours, the Strathmore Singers from Kirriemuir and points south, are coming on May 8th, again to St Kentigern’s at 4.00 p.m. The concert will include Haydn’s Little Organ Mass and I hope to have a better idea of the rest of the programme before long.

There may still be surprises – including more deferrals if the weather forecasts do not turn out to be accurate. However we hope that the high standard of music which those who have apparently enjoyed coming to Deeside, continues whenever they manage to arrive.

Victoria Week will include the greatly enjoyed organ and trumpet duo – The Trumpet Shall Sound.

Ballater Royal Horticultural Society

by Mairi Burgess Hopefully, we will not get too much snow from now on, as the aconites have just appeared, heralding the coming of spring.

Fortunately they are quite hardy, and usually pop up from a covering of snow every year.

The Society has a varied programme for 2011 starting in March with Mrs. Janice Kennedy telling us all about Bees in our Gardens. If this sounds familiar, Mrs. Kennedy was scheduled for last March but due to bad weather the meeting was cancelled.

Members and friends were very disappointed, so we hope to have a good turnout for this most interesting topic, as all gardens need bees.

In April, we hope that the meeting will be a very colourful display for the Mini Bulb Show. There are many classes to enter in this fun show – bulbs in and out of pots, very clever floral art arrangements, and usually some very stately Amaryllis. The display will be judged

by Mr. Simon McPhun who will enlighten us

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on Freelance Gardening.

In May we have our Open Night when everyone relaxes over a glass of wine and nibbles.

We are planning a special evening but are keeping it as a surprise just now. Keep an eye on the village notice boards for further news. June 11th will see us hard at work on the Green selling plants of all descriptions.

We hope you will be able to share any surplus plants you may have and find some exciting new ones to buy. We would also appreciate any home baking to boost our sales. All these fund raising events allow us to stage our annual show, and to add to the attractions of the village for locals and visitors.

The Annual Show, which this year is our 135th, will take place on 20th and 21st August as usual and now is the time for all local gardeners to study the seed catalogues or visit garden centres to plan their entries. We welcome all new members and will give help or advice to anyone wishing to exhibit. This

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year we have a brand new and exciting venture in the form of a Children’s Challenge. Special schedules will be available for children up to 16 to have a go, and there are lots of prizes and trophies to be won. Remember, these are the gardeners of tomorrow and without encouragement from parents and the Society the village could become a dull place.

Come on kids – have a go. We will help you.

Happy gardening and good weather!!

Ballater Business Association by Faye

Swan 2010 has been a difficult trading year for many and the weather wasn’t the best but the BBA continues to make a positive contribution for its members across a broad spectrum of activities.

Our web site, www.visitballater.com continues to increase in popularity and will be

C.S.M. Handyman J.Lanigan All the little jobs you can’t get any1 to do

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further refined and expanded in 2011.

The new web site, www.ballatercommunity.com, was started last year and is just the place for all your local information on events, clubs and groups. Our thanks to Kathleen Puddicombe for her beautiful photographs! Both web sites are now on Facebook as well. While a basic listing is available to all businesses, BBA membership benefits include an enhanced listing on the websites and discounts on a number of advertising opportunities. Call Faye Swan on 07814-035983 for details. Go online and email your business information, your favourite photos and the latest updates on events in the Ballater area.

Lenten Lunches by Jim

McCulloch The three Ballater Churches will be offering Lenten Lunches each Tuesday from 15th March to 12th April in Glenmuick Church Hall from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The proceeds are to be split between the Aberlour Trust and the Salvation Army in Aberdeen. Everyone will be most welcome for home made soup, bread, and tea or coffee-- and of course, great company and a good blether!

Upper Deeside Art Society

by Moira Mackenzie As you read this today, many of the painters in our Society should be very busy at their easels producing paintings for our Exhibition in Balmoral Castle Stables. This Exhibition runs for the next 4 months from Friday 1st April through to the end of July 2011 and we hope that you manage to come and see it.

Membership of our Society (UDAS for short ) is open to people living in the local postcodes of AB31, AB34, AB35 and AB36 and we welcome inquiries from anyone interested in finding out more about us. Jane

51

Pottering about

by Stella Potter

Many years ago I was given a magnificent piece of advice from a friend who cheerfully, impressively and successfully juggled freelance work, play and family responsibilities. It’s such a simple thing: diary in days off. It works a treat. Those who also experience the juggle will know the joy of seeing a blank day coming up.

However, next time the phone goes, or a new email comes in requesting of your time, you can’t help yourself and bung it in the blank day. The result is that those blank days never come. You work for weeks on end with no time off. This is a Bad Thing. On the other hand, if you write in large friendly letters “Day Off ” and learn to say “I’m unavailable that day” it can be done.

I have adapted the method over the years.

Some of my work is done at the laptop on my kitchen table. I have an eclectic selection of fleece pyjamas, thick dressing gowns and furry bootie slippers. Upon rising I don a clean suitable

selection of the above, make a pot of tea, sit at the laptop, immensely comfy, cosy and warm. If I’m prepared, there is no need to go out, therefore no need to get dressed. (Although a fellow Eagle team member came round one afternoon a few years back, and asked me if I’d just got up… but they are used to me now!) These days I diary in Jammie Days. I had a perfect one recently. There was computer and paperwork to do. Outside, where I satisfyingly smugly had no need to venture, the rain was horizontal and the gale was whooshing with great gusto. It was with huge pleasure I comfortably and cosily flitted between tasks, not going anywhere near my front door.

Of course, being human, I’m not perfect.

Sometimes well-organised preparation for the Jammie Day goes awry, and I have to nip to the Co-op for an essential. I used to swither: get “properly” dressed or put boots and long coat

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those present, who presumably saw the improvement in her health.

Francis built a Pump Room or Spa at the wells and a Lodge near the end of the present bridge. Lodge and Pump Room were too far apart, so higher up the hill Francis Farquharson built before 1815 an attractive “Hotel.” Tullich became a boom town.

There was no bridge over the Dee and eventually the ferry at the Boat of Dalmuickeachie just could not cope with the influx of visitors. So in 1783 a granite bridge was built over the Dee, the first of four. Francis and later his nephew William laid out a new village on a grid plan. Ballater was born. Tullich became a “ghost town.” Theories exist that Ballater was created to enable local markets to be established, but Monaltrie family records do not bear this out.

Pannanich, at the wells, was popular. It

was the centre for visits from Jacobites, many titled, as was Strathspeffer and by Victorian times it was the done thing in society to “take the waters.” John Brown started his career as an ostler here and Queen Victoria was a visitor. In 1906 there was a 9-hole golf course.

Now our Pannanich Water is a commercial enterprise, with bottled water sold world-wide.

The Hotel is an intriguing building with wonderful views over the land once controlled by the Knights Templar.

Even if we do not now believe in the magic of water and rivers, as did our ancestors, the scene of the setting sun over the Dee and Muick and the golden glow is in itself magical.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

Proverb

After ‘Plant and Roots’ I decided to write a Trilogy: ‘Two Years’, about my time in National Service with the British Army. Then, ‘Forestry Days’ recalling my eight years with the Forestry Commission. Although this work is mainly completed but not yet published, I wrote this little ‘Albert Road’ book to keep the Ballater theme alive.

Price: £9.99 P&P: £2.15 To order ‘Albert Road, Ballater’ contact:

Ian Cameron, Abergairn, Bridge of Gairn, Ballater, AB35 5TY. Phone: 013397 56002 E-mail: barytesmining@btconnect.com

Williamson, the Membership Secretary will be pleased to answer your queries if you give her a phone on 01330 823158 or you can contact her by email j.t.williamson@btinternet.com UDAS intends to have their own dedicated website up and running by summer so look out in the next edition of Eagle for our very own email address!

For your Diary, our Summer Exhibition in the Victoria Hall will be beginning on Thursday, August 25th 2011, through to Sunday September 4th 2011. Be sure to pass the word on for us please, so that visitors and locals alike don’t miss this very popular Exhibition – thank you!

Ballater Floral Art

Group

by Mildred Coull The final meeting of last year’s BRHS Floral Art Group was the Christmas Charity event which is the culmination of our year and our main fundraising event.

The sudden early arrival of atrocious weather conditions gave great concern to our Chairperson, Kathleen McCulloch who had the responsibility of deciding whether to go ahead, or lose a great deal of money by cancelling. The evening’s demonstration stayed in place.

To those who attended, we send our grateful thanks, and to those who bought tickets but were unable to come, we also thank for their generosity and understanding.

Because of the support we received, we were able to send donations to Alzheimer Scotland and to the Halls Development Fund.

Jenny Houston has joined the committee and Sheila Skene, although not a committee member, has kindly offered to change the seasonal floral arrangements at Aboyne Hospital. Maria Franklin continues to produce and distribute her beautiful posters each month. Our thanks go to them for their

11

support in such practical ways.

Our new session starts on April 21st and all dates can be found in the diary pages at the front of the Eagle. Detailed announcements will appear in the Piper a week in advance of the meetings which are always held in the Mike Sheridan Room at 7.30pm. Our first meeting will be a special occasion with the talented John McDonald, florist at Gleneagles Hotel, demonstrating for us and describing his work at the hotel.

In May, Judith Lorimer from Aberdeen will be with us and, in June, our own highly talented local lady, Mary Wright, will conduct a workshop. The numbers for this will be limited, however. Our annual garden visit is still being negotiated and will be publicised later.

Look out also for Maria’s posters in the village shops and the library, and come along to enjoy an evening which is always a happy occasion.

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12

Our grateful thanks go, as ever, to Ivy Duncan who serves us with tea and coffee at the close of our meetings, when everyone gets a chance to view the arrangements at close quarters, and have a chat with the demonstrator before the lucky winners remove the flowers and take them home.

A warm welcome awaits you in April.

Ballater Enhancement Group by Martin

Holroyd Ballater Enhancement Group once again would like to thank the people of Ballater for their wonderful support. This allows us to provide the great display of lights over the festive period. Everyone again supported our Twelve days of Christmas Draw and lots of you had a nice surprise just before Christmas.

Thanks are due to Dinnet Estates for the donation of the Christmas tree this year, and

their help in putting it up. We have plans to put (as Braemar has done) a growing tree in the centre of the village so we can look at lots of options including permanent lights in the future.

The contribution by the Chiels in helping to arrange for the illumination of the Church Spire is much appreciated. The lighting there is a wonderful and breath taking addition to the festive scene in Ballater. The Chiels have also intimated that they would like to donate extra monies to the Enhancement Group, and Pat Downie and I would wish to assure you that every penny will be spent on lights or the village.

Thank you to all who helped, particularly the Chiels and members of the Angling Association, the School, The Pipe Band, indeed all members of the community.

We are so lucky to have so many great supporters.

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HEALING WATERS?

49

by Sheila Sedgwick

Water has always been essential to human life, but when we turn on the tap to make a cup of coffee or go to take a shower, do we ever think of the inconvenience before the days of water pipes? Our early settlements had to be built near a river, a spring or a well.

Our ancestors thought the way water rose to the surface of wells and springs was miraculous, so such sources were considered holy and would bring good luck. “Well-worship” began.

The Celts probably introduced wellworship, built altars and made sacrifices.

The Church denounced these practices as idolatrous but villagers gave offerings and hung cloth on nearby trees, convinced that healing powers were present. Sprinkling of holy well-water on doors and windows kept away demons. We have wells dotted about the region and our rivers, particularly the Dee named after a Roman Goddess Deva and the Muick, were thought to have magical powers.

The Muick was particularly sacred for here was “unspoken water”, - water from under a bridge over which the living and the dead passed. The living crossed regularly and the dead were carried across to the burial ground.

Wells were trysting places, like Mungo’s Well, Glengairn, and St. Mary’s Well, Inverey, reputedly the first Christianised place on Deeside. Wells dedicated to St. Mary had a special fascination for childless women desiring motherhood. They stood in the well and friends threw water over them. Sometimes the river was used and near Deecastle is a stone with a hole in through which a woman put her breast, hoping to achieve the same motherhood result.

The most famous of our wells is at Pannanich.

From the Monaltrie Papers we know that before 1745 old Elspet Michie who suffered from scrofula (inflammation of the nodes) with sores over her neck and upper body appeared to be cured after bathing in and drinking the water from the well. When Francis Farquharson, Laird of Monaltrie returned from house-arrest in England following his activities in the ’45, he had the waters analysed. This showed the water contained iron, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, chlorine and silica – all in small quantities! The original analysis still exists. There are references to four wells but the 1796 Statistical Account, written by the minister, mentions only three. There is an original Monaltrie document verifying the woman’s use of the well water and signed by

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48

government troops approaching from both ends. He escaped by running up the north side of the pass between the cliffs holding on to the bridle of his horse. This part of Francis’ estate is crossed by the Ballater Burn (the ancient settlement of Tullich begins at the barely noticeable small bridge just east of Morven Way) which, after joining the Tullich Burn, enters the Dee 1 km SE of the township of Tullich whose ancient kirk, the home of the famous (or infamous?)

Reel of Tullich eventually fell into ruin.

A new Glenmuick (Ballater) Kirk was built in 1798. It was replaced by the present

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one in 1873. According the Robert Anderson in his 1911 book ‘Deeside’, Ballater existed within the united parish of Glenmuick, Glengairn and Tullich. To help people from hill settlements across the ‘Pass’ to reach the now more distant Glenmuick Kirk on the Sabbath, Francis created a shortcut that passes Monaltrie House, long known as the ‘Cinder Path’ from its former cover of cinders during the days of steam railway engines to Ballater.

Fr a n c i s d i e d i n 1790. His good works and most of the early development of Ballater were continued by his nephew William, who died in Switzerland in 1828 aged 75. In 1836, William’s widow built the Farquharson monument south of the A93 near Tomnakiest which, before the self-sown birches grew too high, could be seen from Monaltrie House. As neither Francis nor William had any children, their estates reverted to the clan chieftain at Invercauld on William’s death. But the village of Ballater continued to grow in both area and population, especially after the arrival at Balmoral of Victoria & Albert.

(Jenny Johnstone, Aberdeen University, is thanked for drawing the map of the Ballater area.)

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

Doug Larson

Ballater (RD) Ltd

by Gillian Sinclair

Ballater Walking Festival 2011.

In 2011 we shall be running our fourteenth consecutive walking festival from the 21st – 27th May. We endeavour to provide three grades of walks/rambles for six days, for participants of mixed ability, to transport them safely to the beginning of and collect them at the end of each outing.

A professional mountain guide normally leads the strenuous walks. The moderate and easy walks are usually led by local residents or fulltime rangers from Aberdeenshire Council or Balmoral Estate, many of whom have special knowledge of the wild life, vegetation or local history, which they are happy to share with visitors.

The evening entertainment programme starts with the formal registration and complimentary reception in the Albert Hall, on the Saturday evening. This gives participants the opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones, to speak with the leaders and local residents, who will accompany them on the walks. Other highlights include dinner at a local restaurant and the week is rounded off on Friday with a traditional ceilidh.

For those who would like more information or wish to offer to help in the event and require a 2011 Brochure, please contact: Ballater (RD) Ltd Walking Festival The Bank House, 7 Bridge Street, BALLATER, AB35 5QP Tel: 013397 55467 E mail: info@walkballater.com You can also get further information and download a booking form from our website: www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDnews/Walkweek.htm Ballater Old School For some years now the Ballater Centre Development Group (BCDG) has been

13 negotiating with Aberdeenshire Council about ways to redevelop the Old School. The ideas included affordable housing, adult learning centre, commercial office space, medical outreach centre and some community facilities (such as an arts centre). A Feasibility Study carried out in 2005 reported favourably but the group then encountered a long series of obstacles. Ultimately it learnt in October 2010 that Aberdeenshire Council had offered the Old School to the North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT). The trust is intending to commission an Options Appraisal study to seek viable ways to redevelop the site given the constraints resulting from the building’s ‘listed’ status.

BCDG has now disbanded. BRD will however partner NESPT in commissioning the

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appraisal but further involvement is dependent on the outcome of the appraisal. The community will be asked for views as to the future of this site and we would encourage everyone to take the opportunity to comment at the appropriate time.

The Big Red Bus Most of you will have seen BRD’s big red minibus in the village or further afield.

This is available for hire by any local group or organisation. Recent hires have included sporting activities such as golf outings, the judo club, walking groups and swimmers, not forgetting Ballater’s Tartan Army (home games only)! Over the festive season the “party people” were out in force with several trips to pantomimes at Dinnet and Aberdeen as well as meals out both in the village and further afield. Our most regular clients are the local Evergreen Club which meets each

Thursday. Unfortunately a number of other trips had to be cancelled because of the severe weather in December. For this valuable service to the community we have to thank our group of about twenty volunteer drivers.

If you feel that you would like to join this group of drivers or if you or your organisation would like to make use of the minibus, please contact Gillian in the BRD office for further information.

If you would like to contact Ballater (RD) Ltd. (BRD), feel free to phone Gillian Sinclair on 013397 55467 or email ballaterdeeside@btinternet.com We will do our best to help with your requests.

Ballater One Voice Our Future (BOVOF) After the recent spell of severe weather, Christmas holidays and meeting cancellations, all groups are now meeting again. Look out for more information in the next edition of the Eagle.

But where does Ballater come into the story? When Francis Farquharson finally returned to Deeside, his former home of Monaltrie, just west of Crathie, had been burned by government troops shortly after Culloden (the home farm, Mains of Monaltrie, is still there). In 1781-2 he built a new house on his Ballater estate at the foot of Craigendarroch which he called Ballater House (later renamed both Tullich Lodge and Monaltrie House).

About that time he realised that many people from Aberdeen and elsewhere were ‘taking the waters’ from wells on his land above the south bank of the Dee at Pannanich, which had become famous for their healing properties. Only the North Deeside ‘road’ existed as a useable track at that time. A small ferry carried visitors staying in the small village of Tullich north of the Dee to the Pannanich side but it was probably not always easy to land dry shod on the boulder-strewn southern shore, and the melt waters from Cairngorm or Lochnagar snows would not be warm. Having landed, they would then have to climb about 200 feet to the wells. Rather than risk these poor souls getting wet when trying to cross the Dee, Francis persuaded other lairds to join him in 1783 in building a stone bridge, the most suitable site being close to where the present (4th) bridge exists. The first bridge was demolished by floods in 1789; a second stone bridge built in 1809 was removed by the ‘muckle spate’ of 1829 but a wooden bridge built in 1837 lasted until replaced by the present stone bridge in 1885. At his own expense, Francis also improved many roads of the area, including, no doubt, the south Deeside road with its gentle incline up to Pannanich Wells.

If you needed to take the waters, better accommodation was required. This was built initially at Pannanich Wells but reinforced, after the bridge was built, by a larger hotel, Pannanich Lodge, with supporting services

47

close to the new bridge. To this end Francis donated the almost flat moorland between the bridge and Craigendarroch (Hill of the Oaks) that became Ballater. Pannanich Lodge was eventually replaced by at least one larger hotel which went through a series of names that included Invercauld Arms Hotel and Monaltrie Hotel before being converted into the Monaltrie Apartments during the first decade of the 21st century.

This incipient village was named after his Ballater estate. This included today’s Morven Way next to the Pass of Ballater, which was described by Thomas Pennant in his 1769 Tour in Scotland as the “eastern entrance to the Highlands”. Incidentally, about 80 years earlier (1689), the Pass of Ballater, an almost straight geological wrench fault scoured by late glacial melt waters, was where John Farquharson of Inverey, the “Black Colonel” (he of the ‘Colonel’s Bed’) was nearly trapped by

46

Francis Farquharson, the Originator of Ballater

by Ken Glennie

In London, Volume XVII of The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1747, announced the following on Thursday 8 March: A reprieve to the 10th of March was granted for the following 16 rebels, lately convicted of high treason at St. Margaret’s-Hill, viz.

Francis Farquharson, Walter Mitchel, Thomas Watson, George Ramsay, James Lindsey, Allen Cameron, Sir James Kinlock, Alex. MacLauchlan, Geo. Abernethy, Hector MacKenzie, John Burnet, Roderick MacCullock, Charles Gordon, John Farquharson, James Gordon, James Stewart.

These men had been captured after the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746. All had been taken by ship from Inverness to London, where they were incarcerated in Newgate Prison and then the New Gaol, Southwark.

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Francis and the other prisoners listed above were sentenced to death on 8 November 1746.

Francis was a nephew of John Farquharson of Invercauld who refused to raise the clan in support of the ‘45 rebellion. This may have helped in his reprieve.

On the following Tuesday, 13th March, The Gentleman’s Magazine announced that “Ld (Lord) Lovat was carry’d from the tower under a strong guard to the house of peers, where he deliver’d in his answer to his impeachment, in which he deny’d every article, and after making a long speech was order’d into custody again by the lord chancellor.” Lord Lovat lost his appeal, was sentenced to death on 19 March and beheaded on April 9th, aged about 80, despite the fact that he had been too old and sick to fight at Culloden.

Had the first 16 suffered the same fate as Lord Lovat, Ballater might not exist, or at least not under that name and probably not at its present locality. How come?

After his reprieve, Col. Francis Farquharson, who had commanded the Farquharson Battalion at Culloden, was ordered to remain in southern England until he was allowed to return to Scotland in 1766. Capt. John Farquharson, of the Donside Allargue House just south of the Lecht, was medically minded and was captured while tending the wounded after the battle. He skipped his parole not long after his reprieve and escaped to France, where he spent the rest of his life practicing medicine, never to return to Scotland again.

And presumably Charles Gordon was the laird of Blelack House, Logie Coldstone, who had asked John Farquharson, the ‘Fairy Doctor’ to remove the fairies from the adjacent Seely Howe shortly before the ’45 rebellion?

Ballater & Crathie Community Council

15

by Robin Blyth

The traumas and triumphs of 2010 are behind us and we are into the New Year. The winter is still with us but hopefully we will not suffer the levels of snow and ice we were faced with prior to Christmas. The levels of snow although not unprecedented, certainly proved a challenging experience for all.

One of the factors exercising the Community Council’s mind is how well Aberdeenshire rose to its challenge. Feedback suggests many recognised the level of effort that was made to ensure the passage of all. Equally so, some shortcomings were identified, not least of which was the time taken to clear the back streets of Ballater! Some claim they never saw a snowplough for three days.

Whether the shortcomings were perceived to be in manpower, equipment or finance, many voices were raised in protest. In defence of the Authority, they were confronted with a situation not expected to arise so early in the winter and with so much snow. Their teams worked manfully throughout the Shire to maintain the major routes, always their prime requirement. They were not slow to bring in contractors to lift and dispose of the snow, and that in its self gave rise to comment and complaint. The use of the spare park adjacent to the entrance of the Pannanich estate by the A93 has left a legacy that will take months to disperse and heal the grass.

Another of the legacies of 2010 has been our very successful consultation covering the whole geographical area of B&CCC’s remit.

We now have a comprehensive body of work that will give great value for some time to come.

The CC wishes to formulate an Action Plan - nothing to move the world, but a reasonable collection of aspirations that we

feel will prove achievable. The returns from the questionnaire gave us plenty of food for thought and whilst the Action Plan is still in development, some of the ideas coming forward are already being acted upon. Please check the Notice Board, or our website [see over] for updates on this process.

For those who have not been keeping their ear close to the ground, Aberdeenshire Council has published its response to the government cuts in the settlement grants to the Local Authorities. Suffice to say these have proved severe, but fortunately the prudence of Aberdeenshire over the years has resulted in less of a reduction than some of the more spendthrift councils elsewhere in Scotland.

The impact will still be felt across the Shire.

With 900 jobs going, 10% of the workforce, it will prove painful for many. Car parking

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charges will be rising, and many of the services provided by the Authority will be reviewed.

Schools, Special Schools, libraries and other aspects of our daily lives will be changed for many years to come. It is estimated we will not enjoy the same level of public spend again for a ten year period; it’s going to be bumpy ride!

Sports Leaders are in short supply in Upper Deeside and we appeal to all who have a talent coupled with an interest to come forward and lead our young and not so young residents in healthy activities. The subjects can be as varied as cycling to fishing with everything in between. Communities will now be thrown much more onto their own resources and we must respond to the challenge.

Another much noted happening over the winter months has been the Astronomical event taking place recently in Ballater in conjunction with BBC. Dark skies now mean a lot more

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to some folk. This is another varied subject in which this area enjoys a large amount of expertise. Several members of our community have membership of the British Astronomical Association and this is a source of knowledge that could bear great fruit if tapped. This happily leads me to another topic, the proposed trialling by Aberdeenshire Council, in a few outlying settlements, turning off half the streetlights after certain hours, which if successful could lead to it becoming common practice throughout the Shire. It is the hours ‘late on’ that will be the target of these measures and the money saved could be very meaningful.

Phil Swan one of our highly active members is volunteering to stand as a candidate for election to the Cairngorm National Park Authority and his candidacy has been endorsed by a majority of the CC. We urge all residents in the South of the Park [that’s us] to vote in this forthcoming election, no matter which candidate you support. These posts are vital to the good running of an authority which plays an increasingly influential part in our lives. Gordon Riddler has recently been appointed by the Minister for Environment in Edinburgh to the Authority and we wish to congratulate him on his appointment.

From feedback to our survey questionnaire, it seems there may be a number of people in the area who wish to enable their kids to attend swimming lessons at Aboyne Academy pool, but who need to find a low cost means of transport to and from Aboyne. Because the survey responses were mainly anonymous, we don’t know how many or who these folks are. We are looking into possible ways of providing this service but we need more information from residents about what exactly is required. If you would like to have such a service, please contact Phil Swan (55345) who is looking into this. It would help us greatly in trying to set this up. http://ballaterandcrathie.org.uk

Ballater Post Office

Hours of Opening: Mon: 9am - 5.30pm Tues: 9am - 5.30pm Weds: 9am - 5.30pm Thurs: 9am - 12.30pm Fri: 9am - 5.30pm Sat: 9am - 12.30pm Please note we are OPEN over lunchtime

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45

delighting visitors and residents alike”, says Hollie.

During Red Squirrel Week last autumn (2 – 10 October 2010), the trial Text-a-Squirrel campaign was launched. This innovative idea was designed to make squirrel reporting as easy as possible from your mobile phone, and an impressive 151 squirrel sightings were reported over the two-week period. The scheme was very successful and Hollie hopes to roll it out on a permanent basis.

Like many conservation projects, SSRS relies upon its volunteers and their support.

Volunteers can help the project in a number of ways, on a scale which suits them. Perhaps the most important action is to report red and grey squirrel sightings on our website (www. swt.org.uk/wildlife/squirrelsightings).

Thankfully, Upper Deeside remains a stronghold for the charismatic red squirrel.

There is an abundance of excellent habitat and grey squirrel sightings have been few and far between. There have, however, been grey squirrels in Aboyne and a handful of reports from Ballater. It is, therefore, particularly important for the public to immediately report a grey squirrel sighting, either by contacting us (see details below) or preferably via our website.

With wildlife tourism a fast growing aspect of Scotland’s economy, it is in everyone’s interests that we secure a long-term future for this iconic woodland mammal. The North East holds one of the strongest red squirrel populations in the UK and SSRS are making every effort to keep it that way!

For further information, contact Hollie Walker, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels North East Project Officer, Scottish Wildlife Trust Tel: 01224266526 or email: redsquirrelgrampian@swt.org.uk

44

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels by Hollie Walker

Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project in the North East has now been running for almost 2 years. The project has made some significant progress thanks to the innovative thinking and enthusiasm of the dedicated team at the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Hollie Walker, project officer for the North East, recently delivered a talk to Ballater and District Probus Club about red squirrel conservation in Grampian. “The woodlands of Aberdeenshire and Moray still hold healthy populations of red squirrels,” says Hollie.

“However, the introduction of the non-native grey squirrel to Aberdeen in 1970 poses a very real threat to the native red squirrel.”

The SSRS project aims to co-ordinate and monitor grey squirrel control, advise

landowners on woodland management for red squirrels, increase knowledge of squirrel distribution, and raise public awareness of red squirrel conservation issues. The project has taken huge strides since its launch in the North East in 2009. As Hollie explains, “Public interest is growing all the time, and we have been very lucky to have the support of many volunteers and a number of local estates.”

The project currently employs Hollie, a project assistant and 1 full-time grey squirrel control officer, along with one contractor and two seasonal contractors. The trapping of grey squirrels is carried out in targeted areas where it will directly benefit red squirrels. “In some areas where control work has been successful, we have anecdotal evidence that red squirrels have returned to old haunts and have been

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Happy New Year from 17 Home-Start Deeside by Linda Clark This Banchory based voluntary, charitable organisation is managed by Senior Coordinator Linda Clark and admin. colleague Kirsti Ward.

The scheme recruits, trains and matches volunteers, who themselves are parents, with families who have at least one child under 5 years. The families are referred by Social Work, Health Visitors, other related agencies or indeed can refer themselves. The reasons for seeking our support ranges from rural isolation, lack of extended family support, financial or social deprivation, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues including post natal depression, being a single parent, multiple births including twins, having several children under 5 years etc. A minority of families have issues around alcohol and drug mis-use and are supported by specially trained volunteers. Sometimes the volunteer will meet with the family at the Hill of Banchory Family Centre where Home-Start enjoys a self-support group opportunity.

The volunteer visits the family home for at least two hours weekly and gets to know the main carer and the child(ren). They will support the family by caring for children whilst the parent attends family appointments either for themselves or for their children, and they may have to address the needs of their other family members. They may accompany parents when they attend hearings (in the case of Social Work families). The volunteers, in the main become a family friend who supports with kindness and common sense.

The volunteers undertake a training course which consists of one-day per week attendance for approx. 7 weeks. Some of the subjects covered are “The importance of Play”, talks from Social Workers, Community Psychiatric

Nurses, Health Visitors, Domestic Violence issues and of course Child Protection. An enhanced Disclosure check is made on behalf of the volunteer and indeed personal references are sought.

Regular “Support and Supervision” sessions with Scheme Senior Co-ordinator Linda Clark ensures that the volunteers discuss any concerns or issues they might have regarding their volunteering and family reviews are done too on a regular basis. These meetings mean that both the volunteers and the families are encouraged to speak about their Home-start experience and any problems ironed out.

The scheme has many volunteers who prefer to work in the Aboyne charity shop which is its main fund-raiser. The other way a volunteer can support the scheme is by taking a place on the Trustee Board as a member which entails attending meetings 6-weekly.

Volunteers from all backgrounds can bring their skills and experiences to the Board which is the immediate tier of Governance supporting the staff members directly.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the services offered by Home-Start Deeside whether as a referrer, family or volunteer should please contact Linda Clark on 01330 824443 or email info@homestartdeeside.org

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VICTORIA AND ALBERT MEMORIAL HALLS

by Bell Macaulay

Fundraising for the planned heating and renovation upgrades to the Victoria and Albert Memorial Halls is moving up a gear, with the 300+ Club Lottery tickets proving a popular way of showing support.

In the meantime, ongoing care has kept the Development Association (the Halls Committee) very busy over the last few months. With its high ceilings and unreachable areas, the building was in need of a deep clean. Tenders were scrutinised, a deal done, and the work was completed in November by a professional company with scaffolding and heavy duty equipment. This certainly brightened up the high lighting, and removed old deposits of polish before re-sealing the

floors. This will make it easier to keep clean, and help protect from water damage.

Unfortunately, as we all know the weather turned nasty thereafter, and our Hallkeeper, Billy and his wife Annetta were kept busy mopping up and dealing with nasty leaks in several areas. We certainly need to review insulation of vulnerable piping and explore the possibility of installing trace heating as a matter of urgency. With the completion of the Feasibility Studies, the Refurbishment Group is taking further advice before prioritising the work to be done. In the current economic climate, many funding sources have dried up, but there are still sources of assistance for improvement of community facilities, particularly when it involves reviewing more efficient sources of energy.

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Key Box - As I reported in the last Eagle, new locks have been fitted on the main entrance doors, and a key box installed beside the Albert Hall door. The doors will be opened for groups as usual, but a coded key box will give access if necessary. Please note that there is a duty member each month – see notices in the Halls and in the notice board outside the Albert Hall door – they should be contacted where assistance is required.

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area was bounded by the Burn of Coilacreich, the Linn of Muick, the Burn of Ballaterach, Cambus o May including the Gardener’s House, and the farms of Lary and Littlemill.

Special invitations would go to Mr and Mrs Farquharson, Invercauld, Lord and Lady Huntly, Sir William and Lady Brookes, Sir Allan and Lady McKenzie, Dr Profeit, Mr and Mrs Foggo, Mr and Mrs Keillor, Mr and Mrs. Wilson, Dr and Mrs Campbell and the Reverends Michie and Lowe. Tea was to be served in the afternoon (perhaps using some of the 14 dozen cups and saucers ordered from Mr Kitson of Gallowgate, Aberdeen, at 18 to the dozen at a cost of 2/6 [12½ pence] per dozen) and two local pipers would play during tea. There would be a concert in the evening with the proceeds going to the deserving poor, run under the auspices of the Burns Society.

Unfortunately, in January 1896 Sir John Clark had to withdraw due to his wife’s illness so the invitation went next to Mr Farquharson

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and when he could not do it then Colonel Innes of Learney was asked. He was able to oblige and the ceremony was to take place on 12 February. On the 21st January Mr Duguid said the building would not be ready then and the opening was postponed until 26 February. Colonel Innes was still available and the new buildings were duly opened. There was just one small unpleasantness when Mr Duguid complained that Colonel Innes had described Mr Gordon’s architect, whose name appeared with Mr Duguid’s on the plans, as the architect of the building rather than Mr Duguid. The trustees regretted that this clerical error had “crept into” the Colonel’s brief but considered that the instant correction made to the newspaper reporters, and the proper account being printed, should end the matter.

The final cost of the building was £2025.11/4(£2025.57pence).

42

to the laying of the foundation stone. The Prince of Wales, though wishing the project well, declined the invitation, and also to open the new building once completed. At this time, with Mr Gordon’s approval, the names Victoria Hall and Gordon Institute were adopted. Mr Jenkins found fault with much of the building so far undertaken – the masonry work was not well enough matched with the Albert Hall, the mortar joints were too thick and the mason was not using sharp sand as specified. The mason was ordered to rectify the errors without taking down any of the work so far completed.

On 11 June 1895 Mr Farquharson of Invercauld was asked to lay the foundation stone on the 20th of that month to which he was agreeable. The programme was the Hundredth Psalm, a dedication prayer, an address by Mr. Farquharson followed by the laying of the stone, a benediction and the

presentation of the trowel to Mr Farquharson.

(This very trowel was returned to Ballater in the past few years and is currently to be seen in a glass case on the wall within the Mike Sheridan Room - pic on the back cover.) In the cavity of the stone, a bottle was placed containing gold, silver and bronze coins of the realm, the names of the donor, the trustees and the contractors and copies of local newspapers.

Cakes and wine would be served in the Invercauld Arms (Monaltrie Hotel).

As in all building projects, the next months were taken up with chasing progress, correcting faults, getting contractors on site and trying to manage the tradesmen so that tardiness by one did not delay work by another. The Great North of Scotland Railway Company had to be taken to task for removing material from the south side of Station Square which was against the feuing rights of the trustees. Arrangements were made to have the billiard table removed to its new home and for the library to be fitted with shelves and a counter from which the librarian would hand out the books as ordered from the catalogue.

Borrowers were strictly prohibited from handling the books.

In September came the sad news that Mr Gordon had died at his home in Kent on the 20th of the month and the trustees sent a long letter of condolence to his widow. Mr Barnett was elected President of the trustees in his place.

By October it had become clear that Mr Emslie the plumber was about to be declared bankrupt and Mr Davidson of Ballater was asked to complete the work.

In December the trustees began to plan the opening of the new building. Mr George Gordon, nephew of Mr Alexander Gordon, was asked if he would undertake the task. Failing him, Sir John Clark of Tillypronie would be asked. Two members of each household within the Hall area were to be invited. This

emergencies, even coping with the stairs by an ingenious system of wheels. We are extremely grateful to the Fund as our Halls receive no formal subsidies, and fundraising is always ongoing. (see pic on back cover) Fundraising Victoria and Albert Halls 300+ Club – Application forms were included in the last issue of the Eagle, and if you have not already done so, I would urge you to consider supporting this now. Tickets price £10 are available from Willie Meston, Coilacriech Inn, Eileen Collins 14 Dee Street, Ballater or from Gows Delicatessen - draws take place every second month from April onwards with good prizes!

St Andrews Ceilidh Saturday 26th November – Get the date in your diary NOW and look out for further information.

Spring Sale – A Giant Jumble Sale is planned for May. The Ballater branch of the SWRI has already pledged to organise teas for us with their delicious home baking, so remember to keep some of your unwanted Spring Cleaning items for us – one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

19

about events, general minutes etc. As you can see, we have a mountain of work ahead of us, and some serious decisions to be taken. If you would like to get involved, we would be delighted to welcome you.

Come along to our meetings held once a month! Please contact me Bell Macaulay, Chair, Victoria & Albert Memorial Halls Development Association, Email; marybellmacaulay@btinternet.com Tel. 013397 55745 We are lucky to own such a beautiful building, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that it caters for the needs of the community in a world of changing expectations.

The Committee and Trustees are all volunteers giving freely of their time – please consider your own contribution.

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Think ahead – Could your group organise an event to help us build up some match funding ready for the renovations? Some groups have already pitched in, but we are in this for the long haul, and every penny counts.

Become a Member! ! Why not formally join the Halls Association?

Membership is free, and it will help us demonstrate the importance of the Halls to the community in any future funding bids – get in touch with me if you would like an application form. If you like, we can also send you information

Paul Spencer Telephone: 013397 42295 or Mobile 07814 051388

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Royal Deeside & the Cairngorms DMO

As Spring approaches and the first snowdrops start to appear, we are looking forward to a busy Spring tourism season.

The Dine on Deeside Festival will take place from 18 -27 March 2011 throughout Royal Deeside. We have a large number of Ballater businesses taking part and we are aiming, like the Venison Festival, to expand the tourism season into the shoulder months and highlight our world-class food produce. Dine On Deeside is the perfect ten day recipe for cuisine designed to fire up the taste buds.

Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms produce is some of the finest quality in the UK and chefs will be serving up seasonal spring menus of everything from rustic bistro to fine dining. Special menus in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars will be on offer in set price

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bands - so there will be something on offer for every pocket and taste. We will be distributing leaflets and posters for the event and more information can be found at www.discoverroyaldeeside.com/Larder/dine-on-deeside/ It was altogether “a stag do” of a very different kind last Autumn as Scotland’s first Venison Festival took place and was a roaring success. Over 25 events got underway at various locations in Ballater and across Royal Deeside and the festival succeeded in showcasing the area to the wider world receiving a huge amount of press coverage across the UK. It really grabbed the attention of the media and everything from smoked venison sandwiches, broths and burgers to venison haggis and even venison vindaloo was highlighted. The Festival was not just about eating – there were a number of wildlife safaris organised, ceilidhs, concerts and the Deeside Sessions to whet the appetite. We are aiming to repeat the Festival this year.

2011 is officially Scotland’s ‘Year of Active Scotland’ and the government initiative encourages everyone to get active in Scotland’s great outdoors. In terms of Royal Deeside this presents us with an opportunity to highlight the wealth of activities available in the area to UK and international visitors as well as residents.

The Destination Management Organisation (DMO) will have a focus on Outdoor Activities in 2011 and we are forming a Forum for this which businesses can attend. The aim is for us to showcase Deeside as a great destination for walking, wildlife, horse riding, running and fishing etc and we are preparing a marketing campaign for this. Accommodation providers also have a key role to play and we look forward to working on this during the year.

croquet lawn by the trustees was abandoned the game had failed to catch on in Ballaterso there was plenty of room to move the site of the building. A sub-committee with Mr Barnett as Convenor was appointed to oversee the work. It was agreed that if Mr Duguid tendered for the building work he could not be the inspector. Advertisements for tenders for the various works were placed in the Aberdeen Journal and the Free Press. Sadly for Mr Gordon once all the offers were agreed and taking into account that there would be a reduction if the back wall of the hall was ashlar rather than granite the whole cost of building excluding drains would be £2000.5/6 (£2000.27½ pence). On being applied to for help, the unfailingly generous Mr Gordon sent another £500.00. The contracts were let to Mr Smith, mason, Mr Duguid, carpenter, Mr Grant, slater, Mr Emslie, plumber, Mr Mitchell, plasterer and Mr William Austin, painter, all on condition of lodging acceptable

41

securities. Mr Smith withdrew his tender when one of his guarantors was found to come from Tarland and therefore was quite unknown to the trustees and so unacceptable. Mr Stewart took his place.

The committee had asked Mr. Anderson, the clerk of works at Balmoral, to be the building inspector but as he was unavailable Mr G Jenkins, Civil Engineer from Aberdeen, was approached. He agreed to make six visits at 31/6 (£1.57½ pence) per visit, including rail fare. With the permission of Mr Foggo, the Invercauld factor, stone would be available from the quarry in the Pass of Ballater at a price charged according to the usual prevalent custom of the village. Trees were not to be damaged and Mr Stewart was asked to have the kerb stones on the north of the building (south side of Station Square) covered with gravel to prevent the carts damaging them.

By April 1895 attention was being paid

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were sent to Mr Gordon for his approval. There was lengthy correspondence over the next few months but by August Mr Duguid’s plans had been accepted. The new building would consist of a public hall to the west side and a reading room and library on the ground floor of the east side with a billiard room (now the Michael Sheridan Room) and committee room (now the kitchen and store room) above. There would also be a basement housing the boiler room and kitchen with storage rooms that could be let out. To the front of the building and to the left of the side access to the new hall would be a ladies’ room with lavatory and washhand basin with similar facilities for gentlemen to the rear of the building (where the kitchen is at present).

The reading room and library were separately entered by the left hand door of the building.

There was a vestibule with stairs up to the billiard room and another lavatory and basin

to the right of the door. The library was at the back of the building and the reading room the whole width of the easternmost part. There was also a lavatory at the top of the stairs but no basin – presumably billiard players would not need to wash their hands!

Mr Duguid’s estimate for the new building came to £1667.11/- (£1667.55 pence). Mr Gordon, who had promised substantial help with the cost, was apprised of this figure and though he said he thought it was rather more than expected and wanted more details, he nevertheless sent £1500.00. Mr Duguid was instructed to draw up more detailed plans and to try to reduce the costs. The original plan had been to build the new hall’s west wall on the boundary with the property belonging to the Town and County Bank but the Bank objected due to the difficulty of snow and rainwater removal. There was to be a space of at least three feet between the two properties. Luckily, at this time provision of the

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Over 20 press visits have been made to the Royal Deeside and Ballater area over the past few months by media from all over the UK. They have been visiting DMO members’ establishments and have written extensively about the area in their features. It is good to shout about our area and back it up with exciting new initiatives such as the Dine on Deeside Festival. Marketing campaigns have also been taking place and these have been directly targeted at 300,000 potential customers throughout the UK, and have also featured in the UK wide press. For more information on the DMO, please contact info@discoverroyaldeeside.com or telephone 013397 55283. Please check out the website www. discoverroyaldeeside.com which is the key tourism web site for all visitors to the area.

Please also check our Facebook page and join it to discuss anything of interest in the Ballater area. The url is www.facebook. com/DiscoverRoyalDeeside

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Following the winter period, a number of initiatives slowed down due to severe weather and Christmas but these have now picked up again, although by the time you read this we may be under a few feet of snow again!!

The biggest issue to affect everyone is the extent of Aberdeenshire Council’s cuts.

The Council is currently looking at the most appropriate areas to make these cuts and of course everyone will be impacted in some way.

The main point which the Council has tried to make, is how much it values the communities and their ability to rally together and make

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things happen. The next point is how much it will need to rely on the communities to undertake many of the roles which were formerly Council roles.

Because of this we are going to see a race to source funds and greater competition for resources to keep many of the current initiatives going. These initiatives range from Council run businesses or facilities, to provision of village summer flowers, support for Christmas lights, sports and childcare funding etc. Not all areas will be impacted and we won’t know the full extent for some time but it is clear that the Council is less likely to deliver what had previously been expected.

With these cuts it is important that people are aware that there are a number of organisations which can assist communities continue to move forward with aspirations and initiatives. These organisations include the Development Trusts Association Scotland, the Council for Voluntary Services Aberdeenshire, Marr Area Partnership and the Deeside and Donside Development Project, among others. Therefore if you would like help for your organisation or group please contact me or any of the above mentioned agencies As I said in the last edition of the Eagle, the Development Project has been involved in a number of initiatives. These included the submission of applications for rural broad-

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band services from Linn of Dee, Corgarff, Glen Muick, Glen Girnoc and Glen Gairn and Glen Livet. Unfortunately the Scottish Government Rural Broadband Challenge fund did not award any money to Aberdeenshire, The Cairngorms National Park or Highlands and Islands. Although this is bad news, there is still reason for optimism as discussions continue with the Scottish Government, the Park Authority, BT and other potential funders. With this in mind I would ask again if anyone has problems with poor broadband or no broadband, please contact me and I will see if the future fund applications can help your case.

The Project continues to assist with a number of tourism and renewable energy related projects in Ballater, Braemar and Donside. In Ballater I have been asked to coordinate one of the housing partnership sub groups which is looking at the development of the proposed housing site by Monaltrie Park in Ballater. My only role in this is to bring the relevant parties together to see if we can have a real community influenced development.

Meetings are already afoot with the developers, the landowners, Aberdeenshire Council and the Park Authority. I will keep everyone informed of the outcomes in the next edition of the Eagle In the meantime I can only repeat my message that folk must ask me what I can do to assist their group or organisation. I am happy to be involved in any activities from sourcing funds, assisting with funding applications to finding the right persons from the various agencies and departments to help out. I can be contacted on 07834 512029 or 013397 53775 or drop in to the Bank House, 7 Bridge Street, Ballater.

I look forward to hearing from you….. so get in touch.

Building the Victoria Hall & 39 Gordon Institute 1894-1896 Extracted from the minutes of the Halls

by Janet Riddler The first business of the Albert Hall Trustees in 1894 was to arrange a paraffin supply for the building. After due consideration, the contract went to Mr Alfred Barnett, the Alistair Cassie or George Strachan of his day, whose shop in Bridge Street served Ballater as draper, ironmonger, grocery and provision merchant and specialist in goods for the tourist trade. He was also able to supply paraffin at one halfpenny per gallon less than anyone else.

His position as vice-president of the trustees could have had no influence on the decision.

Mr. Barnett was in fact also provost of the Burgh of Ballater during this time, and had a second term in 1902.

The next difficulty for the trustees was

a request from the Aberdeen postmaster for more accommodation in the Albert Memorial Hall due to increased business. The limited space had meant that the Balmoral Telephone was in the Post Mistress’s private parlour.

The trustees decided to approach their benefactor and President of the trustees, Mr Alexander Gordon, with the problem of how to accommodate the post office whilst retaining a billiard hall and reading room. Whatever Mr Gordon’s ideas were, they were rejected by the trustees who then asked Mr Duguid of Dee Bank, Ballater, local builder and carpenter, to draw up plans for a complete new hall to be built alongside but separate from the Albert Memorial Hall. These plans

38

A letter from New Zealand

Jim and Pam Smith, Invercargill

Dear folk of Ballater,

Jim writes: The purpose of our first two visits to Ballater was to explore the birthplace of my Grandfather, William Smith and to try to locate relatives remaining in the area. With scant information, we relied upon the goodwill and friendliness of Deeside folk. These qualities we found in abundance and met many kind folk with the name Smith, but alas, not related. I wish they were. Your support enabled me on our third visit in 2009, to stand upon the pile of stones that was once the cottage called Aultmore on the property Balmanech occupied by the Michies.

William was born and raised in that cottage by his mother and aunt Janet Ritchie.

In the hope that someone might have information that will assist, I provide the following:

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My Grandfather, William Smith (born 26.11.1883). Elder son of James Smith of Aboyne (b.23.7.1869) and Annie Campbell (b. 17.8.1862). James’s parents were Peter Smith and Jane Brebner.

Pam writes: Prior to our visit to Ballater in 2009, I was exploring the Internet and chanced upon information that established a close relationship to the Gordons of Abergeldie.

My Great Great Grandfather was John Gordon who was born and raised at Bovaglie on the Abergeldie Estate. Although he was the eldest son, he and other siblings established farms in the Crovie area, leaving younger brother Donald to assist an aging father on the Bovaglie property. You can imagine my excitement when I made contact with Doctor Peter Gordon, Bridge of Allan, who invited us to accompany his family and other Gordon pilgrims to the Bovaglie Homestead in 2009.

Lochnagar hid behind a misty rain as we picnicked and explored Bovaglie and Camlet homesteads, the experience exceeding my expectations. How amazing that the valley I thought contained only the roots of my husband, should also be the land of my own forebears.

So, many thanks to Librarians Sheena Armstrong and Faye Swan, Double Sandy, Molly Croll, Ian Smith, Brian Smith ( who kindly played the “Bovaglie Plaid” on his fiddle), Miss Greig, Sheila Sedgwick, Peter Gordon, Angela Michie and her father, Walter Coutts along with many others who assisted us on this amazing journey.

We have purchased our tickets for July/ August 2011 and look forward to wandering the streets of Ballater once again, and seeing an increasing number of faces that have become familiar to us in our second home on the other side of the world.

Yours sincerely (address supplied)

Ballater Running Club

23

by Catriona Houston Need a new exercise habit but can’t get motivated? This could be the time to join Ballater Running Club, which starts its new season on Monday March 28.

The club meets twice a week in Monaltrie Park (the Cricket Park), Ballater, on a Monday and Wednesday at 6.30pm for runs of between 3km and 10km. More experienced runners may choose longer routes while beginners are encouraged to start small – and no one is left behind! There is a wide age range of both males and females within the group, which has had some sort of basis in the village since 2006.

They make the most of the beautiful scenery and paths around the village, jogging around the Golf Course, the Old Line, Birkhall, the Pass of Ballater and the Seven Bridges, to name but a few. All levels of fitness and ability are welcome to come along, though children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Collectively the club clocked up a fair few miles last year, with members taking part in local events such as the Run Balmoral 10K, the Ballater 10 (miles) and the hill race, as well as travelling farther afield for the Edinburgh, Nairn and Dyce marathons.

Don’t be put off by that, though! Beginners are most welcome and there are no fees to pay.

All you need are some comfy clothing, suitable for whatever the weather is throwing at you that day, and some trainers (most people have some under the bed or at the back of the wardrobe).

Once you get established, other members can advise you of what kit you may need to invest in to keep going strong.

And there’s a social side to the club, too, as they indulge in Christmas meals and summer barbecues every year to replace some of the calories they’ve burned off.

If you are unable to make Monday or Wednesday evenings then there is also a good mobile text network within the group, so there’s a good chance of finding someone free to join you for a run at other times.

Several members intend to take part in Run Balmoral again this year and there are also plans just in the offing to perhaps host a running event in the village during Victoria Week this year – watch this space…

This is a very friendly, sociable club and the numbers that meet varies from week to week. There are no commitments or contracts to make, just turn up when you can and you are sure to find a buddy to fall in step with.

For more details contact Donna Leslie on 55374 or at dleslie2@btinternet.com

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24

Ballater Judo Club

by Ian Halliday

Another new year and with it more new members for the Judo club. We have 7 new members who were all sitting patiently on the waiting list and hopefully we will have more new members by the time the Eagle goes to print.

In the last Eagle I said that if there are any Eagle readers wanting to weigh themselves (in privacy) with the Judo Club’s new scales, then they should just to come along on a Friday evening. Well, with the rising price of baggage for air travel you can now, at an arranged time, weigh your holiday cases for a donation of £1 per case or 50p for hand luggage. Just contact the Judo club on info@ballaterjudoclub.co.uk or call 56044.

I have always said that I will give up coaching judo at 50 and that’s in three year’s time. I would not give up completely but could still do the admin side of it. So if you are in your late teens or older and live and work in the Ballater area, why not come along and try judo to see if you like it and who knows maybe in three years you could be a qualified Judo Coach.

The first competition of 2011 is at Elgin on the 2nd April, so watch this space.

Forbes Duguid Painter & Decorator Tel .55816 el.55816

Ballater Boules Challenge Breaks Record

by John Holley

Over the recent Christmas and New Year Holidays, participants in The Ballater Boules Challenge played for the coveted ‘Golden Boules’ Trophy and ‘New Year Quaich’, to raise money for a good cause.

Over the two meetings, a total of £600.00 was raised and donated to the Inspire Charity based in Aberdeen. The money will be used to support at least two Ballater born and bred people with learning difficulties to attend the ‘Inspire’ Academy Training Scheme which will increase their self esteem, social contact and independence and will then help them to go on to achieve greater things in life.

The £525.00 donated by our players and a donation of £75.00 from Aboyne & Upper Deeside Rotary Club enabled the ‘Challenge’ to break all previous collection records by a huge margin. The ‘Challenge’ organisers would like to thank everyone who contributed to such a worthy cause for their extreme generosity.

Things are now back to normal and meetings are held twice a month on alternate Sundays, 10.30am at the The Pavilion, Monaltrie Park (Dates displayed in Cassie’s Emporium and Yules Newsagents both located in Bridge Street).

A warm welcome awaits you. The theme, as always, is Fun, Friendship & Fresh Air. Web Address www.ballaterboules.webs.com Email ballaterboules@gmail.com (see the winners on the back cover)

As our programmes developed, we decided that a move to a larger property was required and as a result, we moved to Crathie nearly two years ago, enjoying the summer weather, when we got it, and simply bearing the long, gruelling winter. We struggled, but we had to take extra care of our cats by providing additional support in the form of heated beds, electric blankets, ultra-violet lighting and an increase in their food intake. However, we all survived the winter and our adult cats produced some amazing babies, which have been sold throughout the UK and have generated a lot of interest throughout Europe. We will continue to breed Munchkins, due to their personality mainly. However their ‘dog-like’ characters combined with their sweet, gentle, laid-back nature makes them all the more desirable. Furthermore, and consistent with all pedigree cats, they remain very expensive. Our aim is to breed stunning looking kittens, where

37

their health and well-being are our paramount concerns, with a view to being able to provide affordable kittens to appropriate and responsible new owners in the hope that Munchkins will continue to develop and prosper in the UK. Many people ask me why people want so many different varieties of dwarfs. I know my motivation, but cannot explain others’ fascination. Maybe they are as close as we can get to Cat Fairies. Who knows?

36

Breeding Munchkin cats in Crathie by Wayne Yule

Munchkins are still a very new and rare breed of cat to the UK. Being the foundation breeders of this remarkable breed, we brought three adult cats in from America just over three years ago; two studs and one pregnant queen.

These were the first Munchkins to arrive in the UK. They are unique because of their short legs, similar to the Dachshund.

Their history began when two pregnant Munchkins were picked up by Sandra Hochenedal in Rayville, Louisiana, USA 1982, subsequently named Blackberry and Blueberry. She kept Blackberry and found Blueberry a home in Monroe, LA. When kittens were born, the short legged ones were called “Babylegs”. They are now simply called “Standard Munchkins” and their long-legged siblings are recognised as “Non-Standard” ones. The ratio is approximately 50% of each leg size in a litter, although you cannot guarantee anything with nature.

Interestingly, Sandra contacted Dr. Solveig Pflueger, the Chief of Medical Genetics at Baystate Medical Center, and TICA’s Chair of the Genetic committee, who specializes in dwarfism in human children. She agreed to breed them to see if they could aid the research in studying dwarfism in children.

May 1, 1995 the cats became eligible to compete in TICA (The International Cat Association) in the New Breed and Colour Category. In January of 1995 there were 230 registered Munchkins. In February 2002 the breed was advanced to compete in Championship status.

The traditional Munchkin breed is very popular as pets, but they still face controversy in the show halls. One of the reasons is that breeders have come up with “Designer Cats”, borrowing from the Munchkin the gene for dwarfism. There are now several varieties of short-legged breeds, but not all are accepted by TICA. The Napoleon, for registration only, is a Persian group hybrid, while the Minskin, is now able to present at TICA shows in the PNB (Preliminary New Breed) group.

I have been focussed on developing popular Munchkin hybrids including Bambinos, (a totally hairless dwarf), Kinkalows, (a dwarf with ears that curl backwards), and Skookums, (curly coat derived from the LaPerm breed). There are several other breeds too that are not quite so well known. We are the proud owners of the few Kinkalows in the UK. Our first Bambino was born last year, and is believed to be the first and only one in the UK so far. All hairless cats require further additional support and the Bambino is extremely high maintenance.

They require additional warmth, including knitted jumpers in the winter, and in the summer if they are allowed outside, need to be covered in Factor 50 Sun Creams. Their high metabolism needs to be maintained too, as they eat almost double the amount of food required by their hairy cousins. Therefore, careful consideration has to be given by any potential cat owner before taking on any bald cat breed. Similarly, a rigorous assessment and selection process must be adhered to by any breeder when identifying best possible homes for their kittens.

9Zero Freewheelers 25 Ballater’s Mountain Bike Club

by Ian Halliday

During the year, our Sunday morning runs are very seldom cancelled but on the lead up to Christmas, most of the runs were cancelled due to the deep snow and hard packed ice. We did however have a nice run on January the 1st known at the club as the ‘Whisky Run’. We rode very carefully down the Old Line, to the Willows and headed for the Burn O’ Vat. When we got down to the visitor centre, we headed clock wise round Loch Kinord, and at Meikle Kinord, we stopped and had a well deserved dram to toast the New Year (Hence the Whisky Run). We then headed for the main road, on to the Old Line again and back to Ballater.

Back in Ballater, we went to the Balmoral Bar where the Queen of Balmoral (Sandra) welcomed us with free hot chocolate and a

finger buffet. The 2011 Whisky Run was well attended with 11 riders, 8 of them members and 3 non members.

The first Sunday run of 2011 was also cancelled as the route chosen was completely covered in ice. Stuart from the Aboyne chapter attempted the route on Glen Tanar the previous day to see if it was safe but it was far too dangerous. A fortnight later, 12 of us completed a 15 mile loop round Glen Tanar, starting and finishing at Stuart’s house in Aboyne. A big thanks to Stuart and his wife for their hospitality after the run.

The 9 Zero Freewheelers meet every second Sunday and if you are interested in Mountain Biking and want to join us on one of our rides, please get in touch by email at info@9zerofreewheelers.co.uk.

DARROCH LEARG Dinner 7pm - 9pm Sunday Lunch 12:30 - 2pm A Red Star Hotel An AA Inspector’s Choice Hotel Also recommended in the Good Food Guide, and Scotland the Best

Royal Deeside’s Award Winning Highland Retreat Darroch Learg, Braemar Road, Ballater AB35 5UX Telephone 013397-55443 www.darrochlearg.co.uk

26

HorseBack UK

by Emma Hutchison

“I didn’t hear a click or the bang but I knew I had been blown up. I do remember hitting the ground and the pain not yet registering. There was a quiet and still feeling with echoed pinging sounds, followed by a pulsing, throbbing sensation. Then the world seemed to speed up as if it had just stood still “, recounts Lance Corporal Jay Hare of 45 Commando Royal Marines. He was extensively wounded in Afghanistan, but he now works with HorseBack UK to help run courses for others who are on their road to recovery.

With the recent tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, casualty numbers for the British Military have been very high. The primary medical care for these men and women is world class, but the recovery for most is long, gruelling

Crathie Cricket Club

by Peter J. M. McEwan

and painful, requiring humbling reserves of courage and determination to adapt to the new bodies they find themselves left with.

Ex-Royal Marine Jock Hutchison and his wife, Emma, moved to a farm on Royal Deeside with the initial plan of breeding horses. Jock explains: “The more tales we heard about the damage being caused to the

The Oven Valet Oven Cleaners

Doing the jobs you hate!

By gracious permission of The Queen, Crathie Cricket Club has been privileged to play in the beautiful grounds of Balmoral Castle.

The club is currently in Grade 2 of the Aberdeenshire League. In addition to Grade and Cup fixtures, a number of friendlies are played, mostly towards the end of the season.

We also play in the National Village Championship, and last year reached the Scottish Regional Final.

We pride ourselves on our friendliness and the good spirit in which all our games are played. This year, as another season approaches, a number of key players have left the district, creating an urgent need for new players. We would warmly welcome anyone who may be interested, whether experienced or beginner. The subscription is only £35 and for Juniors £5, with all equipment provided.

Please contact either Andy Shore in Braemar (013397 41275), Rhod McEwan in Ballater (013397 55429) or Chris Bell in Aboyne (07900 807453).

Using Non Toxic,

Moira Melrose Kiltmaker

Non Caustic Products in Your Home

since 1992 Quality Hand Sewn Kilts

www.theovenvalet.com

M: 07920483233 info@theovenvalet.com

Guest House Ballater Page 1 Self Catering Ballater Page 1 Hotel Ballater Page 1 Hostel Ballater Page 1 B&B Ballater Page 1

Bringing the Sparkle back to your oven.

T: 01330 823079

Our current35 Ballater Accommodation clients on Google:

013398 800 74 8007

Where is your website? call Ian MacIntosh on 078181 53121 for help

Email: kiltmaker@hotmail.co.uk

www.deesidedesign.co.uk

34

Swimming

For six weeks on a Thursday the whole of Crathie School went swimming at the Craigendarroch in Ballater. The children were split into two group. The beginners went first.

The stronger ones went after.

We learnt life saving skills and swam on our backs and fronts and it was great fun.

When we got changed we got biscuits.

Murdo

Angels up high In December we did a nativity play called “Angels up High”. Main characters were Mary and Joseph. Some pupils were angels and others were kings and shepherds. There were lots of activities that were really fun.

Eve

Sleeping Beauty

Crathie School went to HM theatre in Aberdeen to see Sleeping Beauty. There was a 3D part in the middle where spiders were jumping at you. Most people took their glasses off when they jumped at you.

There was an interval half way through and we had ice cream. When the play came back on a Tardis like the one from Doctor Who appeared.

The whole school enjoyed the panto.

Josh

Golden Activities

On Fridays all pupils in Crathie School have some fun activities after break. There are four groups: knitting, cookery, keep fit and art. There are four pupils in each group.

After we have had 4 weeks of everything we change the activities.

Maggie, one of the helpers at the school, taught us how to knit. There was a big

bag full of lovely thick and thin wool. We learned how to purl stitch and how to knit normally. I did a really nice wavy pattern which I thought was normal knitting but it wasn’t. Maggie said that it was nice and she wished she could use the pattern for a bag for her daughter. The group had so much fun. We got to take the wool and needles home.

I am looking forward to do our next activity.

Rachel

Evacuees

Standing in the station Where is my destination I’m waiting for the train to come Feeling shy and sick.

Here comes the train Chugging along the track Coughing as the steam comes past “There’s no turning back” Here is the town hall A bench full of whimpering children I better go and join them Feeling very small Crowded out by children Different shapes and sizes Fat and slim Tall and small Will I be picked?

Will I be selected?

I remember my warm cosy bed Will it be there if I get back?

Cameron

British Military, the more we were convinced that we needed to do something to help. We could immediately see the benefit of getting them involved with the horses. The challenge, freedom and mobility of riding, combined with the therapeutic value horses can provide in recovering self-esteem and soothing shattered nerves, was the starting point for HorseBack UK.” The charity is backed by Help for Heroes and was developed with the Royal Marines.

Having had amazing results, it’s ready to open its doors to all military personnel. “’Help our heroes help themselves’ is our motto,” said Jock. “We already have several soldiers who we hope will become part of the team – their experiences both before and after injury are

27

invaluable.”

One of the key roles of HorseBack UK is to introduce military personnel who have had to leave the service due to injuries, to job opportunities that exist within the countryside. During the courses, guests are briefed by a wide range of local people who work within the community, such as local craftsmen, gamekeepers, fishermen, countryside rangers, and dry stone wallers, as well as those in the tourist trade.

HorseBack UK may be contacted at Ferrar, Dinnet, Aboyne AB34 5LD, by telephone at 0780 557 0636 or Email: emma@horseback.org. uk The Web address is: www. horseback.org.uk

Ballater’s New:

Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit

Fresh Daily.

Wholefoods & Spices Pickles & Chutneys Homemade Jams & Marmalade Homemade in store: Sauces Quiches, Tarts, Salads, Cakes Soups, Sandwiches Smoked Salmon Monday - Saturday

Fabulous Fresh Flowers

Bunches to Bouquets.

Handcooked Crisps Cheeses & Biscuits Olives Antipasto Charcuterie Picnic Hampers Buffets catered for

47 Bridge Street, Ballater. 013397 55741

28

Balmoral Estate Spring Events by Glyn Jones

Balmoral Woodland Walks – every Wednesday from 6th April to th 27 July .

Discover the grounds and woods around Balmoral Castle. Learn about the estate’s history and wildlife. Distance 4Kms, ascent 130m. Meeting point: Balmoral Carriage Exhibition. Time: 2-4pm. Cost: Free once entry fee into grounds has been paid.

Saturday 16th April Learn to read or get Lost A practical guide to basic navigation, including taking bearings, grid references, mountain safety and use of a GPS. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre.

Distance: 10Kms, ascent 350m. Cost: £5.

Time: 10-4pm.

Booking Essential– 013397 55059.

Balmoral Children’s Events.

Join the Rangers for exciting nature activities and games. 19 th, 26 th July and 2nd, 9th August Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick Visitor Centre. Time: 2-4pm. Cost: Free.

Booking Essential– 013397 55059.

Friday 22nd April – Birds B4 Breakfast.

An excellent opportunity to observe the courtship rituals of black grouse from a Land Rover Discovery. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre. Time: 6:00am8:30am. Cost: £5 per person.

Booking essential, limited places available– 013397 55059.

Worrying, Costly and Dangerous!

Revolutionary ‘SNO DEVIL’: an affordable, modern method of reducing this problem, which can cause serious structural damage.

All work done by Ballater workmen.

Free ‘no obligation’ estimate and questions truthfully answered: T:013397 56221 M:077 284 80706 Email: snodevilmelt@gmail.com Visit: www.snodevil.webs.com

Friday 20th May – Red Deer Ramble.

Discover the intriguing lifestyle and learn about the management of the majestic red deer of Glen Muick. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre. Distance 4.5Kms, ascent 50m. Time: 6-8pm. Cost: Free.

Booking essential– 013397 55059.

Wednesday 8th June – Lochnagar Ascent.

Enjoy a full day on one of Scotland’s highest peaks, looking at the natural history and management of ‘Dark Lochnagar’. A full mountain day. Hill-walking gear and a good level of fitness required. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre. Time: 9:30am5:00pm. Cost: £10/person. Distance: 19Kms (12 miles), ascent 1050m.

Booking essential– 013397 55059.

Crathie News

33

by Marion MacIntyre Coffee at the Distillery The annual Coffee Morning at Royal Lochnagar Distillery will this year take place on Saturday 9 April from 10.30am to 12.30pm. There will be the usual homebakes, raffle, bottle stall and home baking stall. Entry will be £3.50 and all proceeds will go to CLAN Upper Deeside and the Anchor Unit Aberdeen. The fire will be burning brightly, the tea and coffee will be flowing and there will be plenty of good things to eat - do put the date in your diary and we will look forward to welcoming you!

Coffee at the Kirk The Coffee Ladies of Crathie Kirk will be resuming their very popular Coffee Mornings starting in April. Come along to the Church hall between 10am and 12.30pm on Mondays to enjoy great home baking and a warm friendly atmosphere.

Crathie Bowling Club The Crathie bowlers continue to meet on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7pm in Crathie New Hall and, as always, are happy to welcome new members.

The Tartan Trek is back!

Following on from last year’s success, CLAN Upper Deeside’s Tartan Trek will take place on Saturday 14 May 2011, again in the beautiful surroundings of the Balmoral Estate, and with a choice of a 15k walk or a more modest 6k walk.

If you would like more information, phone Marion on 42361, Linda on 56224 or watch out for posters and registration forms in local venues.

Crathie Book Group Crathie Book Group meetings were restricted over the winter months due to the severe weather, however we did manage to meet to discuss “Room” by Emma Donaghue

in order to come up with a review of the book for Mslexia magazine. This turned out to be an interesting and challenging undertaking as we had to produce a review restricted to 600 words (which was to include a brief preamble giving an outline of the book) and which had to take the form of a conversation between the members of the group. Jackie had the unenviable task of editing down a discussion which lasted for about an hour and a half into a coherent piece which gave equal weight to each person’s contribution. She did a brilliant job and everyone was happy with the resulting piece which was sent off to Mslexia and has now appeared in the January issue.

At the time of writing this, at our next meeting we will be discussing two books, “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro and “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantell.

NEED A WEBSITE FOR YOUR ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS? Call Ian MacIntosh on 078181 53121

www.deesidedesign.co.uk

Project2_Layout 1 27/01/2011 11:43 Page 1

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Total Building Services For all your home improvement needs

• Carpentry

• Driveways

• Electrics

• Kitchens

• Roofing

• Bathrooms

• Plastering

• Extensions

• Plumbing

• Landscapes

• Brickwork

• Decorating

• Tiling

• Guttering

Balmoral SCOTTISH HOME

T H E R O YA L F A M I LY

Domestic & Commercial

All Property Maintenance

Crown Thinning & Reduction

Telephone 013397 56221 or 07728 480706

Dismantling & Felling

No Job Too Small / Distance No Object

TO

Hedge Pruning & Maintenance Dangerous Tree Control

Bill Yule PGA Golf Professional Tuition available £20 per 1/2 hour - 5 Lessons for £80 Non Members Welcome! *Gift Vouchers Available*

Stockist of:

Ping / Titliest / Nike / Glenmuir / Srixon

Ballater Golf Shop

*Open 7 Days a Week* Ballater Golf Club

Victoria Road, Ballater AB35 5QX Tel. 013397 55658 Email: shnyule@aol.com

Stump Grinding & Removal

Open April 1st - July 31st 2011 Castle Ballroom and Royal Dress Exhibition, Gardens, Audio Tour, Coffee Shop, Balmoral Collection and Gift Shop

Professional Tree Surgeon N.P.T.C. Qualified

Fully Insured Free Estimates call: 013398 80823 m: 07786 756078 e: deesidetreecare@gmx.co.uk w: www.deesidetreecare.co.uk

Tel: 01339 742 534 for further information

www.balmoralcastle.com

Ballater School

30

for its people and Katie and Ossian appreciate living in a beautiful village.

Hannah and Lily give Ballater thumbsup for tidiness. But though Lily loves the nice plants and flowers, Hannah would like it to be more eco-friendly.

John Muir Award

The John Muir Trust is a leading UK charity dedicated to the protection of wild land for both nature and people. Congratulations from the Eagle Team to all our award winners.

Last year, P5/6 took part in the John Muir Award. They undertook an environmental project for their “Discovery Level” . They explored Woodland, learning about biodiversity, Two stars and a habitat and conservation. They planted wish for Ballater trees at Glen Gelder and Cambus If another long, cold winter’s been getting O’May, learning about the tree plant- you down, here’s a reminder from P5/6 ing process and the importance of trees. of some of the best things about Ballater to cheer you up. A big thank you The class applied for the award and to all our contributors for their thoughts every child was successful. All were and pictures. excited that one of the pupils, Michael Mitchell, was the 10,000 th award winner. Some VIPs came to the school to present the award. The pupils explained the challenge and showed a DVD of their work. All pupils and “I wish staff are very proud of this achievement. there was a big tree house in Ballater for everyone.”

Finlay

Lily

Ballater seems to be big enough, but not too big, according to Ethan; Zoë, Holly and Ryan give Ballater stars

“I think Ballater is lovely and there are really nice people and they talk to you.”

Pacha Ethan, Pacha, Hannah and Orla really like the shops in Ballater; Holly, Orla and Zoë particularly liked the sweety shop; Kyle likes the computer and toy shops, and Finlay likes the lego shop. However, Ethan and Kyle wish there was a Game shop here, too.

Outdoor facilities are also very popular – perhaps this is why Pacha thinks

Many thanks to the Staff and Pupils of Ballater School for all these splendid contributions - it’s just a great shame we couldn’t fit them all in! We do hope some of your wishes for Ballater come true.

31

having a golfcourse and being close to Glenshee. Sam thinks there’s a nice nature area for wildlife; Katie loves the old line in summer and Kara likes the river and having lots of trees to climb.

“I wish they could fix some of the Xmas lights.”

Ossian But one or two items feature heavily on the pupils’ wish lists, including a swimming pool for Kara and Orla – complete with slides and diving boards; a sports centre where you can do boxing, bowling, archery and football for Ryan, swings in the playground for Zoë and Holly, horse riding for a pound for Louise, and a big, big plea for the cinema to reopen from Katie and a theatre for Pasha and Orla.

Cinderella Caitlin P3/4’s favourite characters from the Christmas Pantomime

Garth Ball ater is healthy and fit. Ryan enjoys the whole environment; Finlay, Hannah, Sam and Ossian are particularly keen on the park, although Lily wishes the park wasn’t muddy all the time on wet days. Garth enjoys

Angel Gabriel

Fairy Nuff Hannah

Eilish

Ballater School

30

for its people and Katie and Ossian appreciate living in a beautiful village.

Hannah and Lily give Ballater thumbsup for tidiness. But though Lily loves the nice plants and flowers, Hannah would like it to be more eco-friendly.

John Muir Award

The John Muir Trust is a leading UK charity dedicated to the protection of wild land for both nature and people. Congratulations from the Eagle Team to all our award winners.

Last year, P5/6 took part in the John Muir Award. They undertook an environmental project for their “Discovery Level” . They explored Woodland, learning about biodiversity, Two stars and a habitat and conservation. They planted wish for Ballater trees at Glen Gelder and Cambus If another long, cold winter’s been getting O’May, learning about the tree plant- you down, here’s a reminder from P5/6 ing process and the importance of trees. of some of the best things about Ballater to cheer you up. A big thank you The class applied for the award and to all our contributors for their thoughts every child was successful. All were and pictures. excited that one of the pupils, Michael Mitchell, was the 10,000 th award winner. Some VIPs came to the school to present the award. The pupils explained the challenge and showed a DVD of their work. All pupils and “I wish staff are very proud of this achievement. there was a big tree house in Ballater for everyone.”

Finlay

Lily

Ballater seems to be big enough, but not too big, according to Ethan; Zoë, Holly and Ryan give Ballater stars

“I think Ballater is lovely and there are really nice people and they talk to you.”

Pacha Ethan, Pacha, Hannah and Orla really like the shops in Ballater; Holly, Orla and Zoë particularly liked the sweety shop; Kyle likes the computer and toy shops, and Finlay likes the lego shop. However, Ethan and Kyle wish there was a Game shop here, too.

Outdoor facilities are also very popular – perhaps this is why Pacha thinks

Many thanks to the Staff and Pupils of Ballater School for all these splendid contributions - it’s just a great shame we couldn’t fit them all in! We do hope some of your wishes for Ballater come true.

31

having a golfcourse and being close to Glenshee. Sam thinks there’s a nice nature area for wildlife; Katie loves the old line in summer and Kara likes the river and having lots of trees to climb.

“I wish they could fix some of the Xmas lights.”

Ossian But one or two items feature heavily on the pupils’ wish lists, including a swimming pool for Kara and Orla – complete with slides and diving boards; a sports centre where you can do boxing, bowling, archery and football for Ryan, swings in the playground for Zoë and Holly, horse riding for a pound for Louise, and a big, big plea for the cinema to reopen from Katie and a theatre for Pasha and Orla.

Cinderella Caitlin P3/4’s favourite characters from the Christmas Pantomime

Garth Ball ater is healthy and fit. Ryan enjoys the whole environment; Finlay, Hannah, Sam and Ossian are particularly keen on the park, although Lily wishes the park wasn’t muddy all the time on wet days. Garth enjoys

Angel Gabriel

Fairy Nuff Hannah

Eilish

Project2_Layout 1 27/01/2011 11:43 Page 1

29

Total Building Services For all your home improvement needs

• Carpentry

• Driveways

• Electrics

• Kitchens

• Roofing

• Bathrooms

• Plastering

• Extensions

• Plumbing

• Landscapes

• Brickwork

• Decorating

• Tiling

• Guttering

Balmoral SCOTTISH HOME

T H E R O YA L F A M I LY

Domestic & Commercial

All Property Maintenance

Crown Thinning & Reduction

Telephone 013397 56221 or 07728 480706

Dismantling & Felling

No Job Too Small / Distance No Object

TO

Hedge Pruning & Maintenance Dangerous Tree Control

Bill Yule PGA Golf Professional Tuition available £20 per 1/2 hour - 5 Lessons for £80 Non Members Welcome! *Gift Vouchers Available*

Stockist of:

Ping / Titliest / Nike / Glenmuir / Srixon

Ballater Golf Shop

*Open 7 Days a Week* Ballater Golf Club

Victoria Road, Ballater AB35 5QX Tel. 013397 55658 Email: shnyule@aol.com

Stump Grinding & Removal

Open April 1st - July 31st 2011 Castle Ballroom and Royal Dress Exhibition, Gardens, Audio Tour, Coffee Shop, Balmoral Collection and Gift Shop

Professional Tree Surgeon N.P.T.C. Qualified

Fully Insured Free Estimates call: 013398 80823 m: 07786 756078 e: deesidetreecare@gmx.co.uk w: www.deesidetreecare.co.uk

Tel: 01339 742 534 for further information

www.balmoralcastle.com

28

Balmoral Estate Spring Events by Glyn Jones

Balmoral Woodland Walks – every Wednesday from 6th April to th 27 July .

Discover the grounds and woods around Balmoral Castle. Learn about the estate’s history and wildlife. Distance 4Kms, ascent 130m. Meeting point: Balmoral Carriage Exhibition. Time: 2-4pm. Cost: Free once entry fee into grounds has been paid.

Saturday 16th April Learn to read or get Lost A practical guide to basic navigation, including taking bearings, grid references, mountain safety and use of a GPS. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre.

Distance: 10Kms, ascent 350m. Cost: £5.

Time: 10-4pm.

Booking Essential– 013397 55059.

Balmoral Children’s Events.

Join the Rangers for exciting nature activities and games. 19 th, 26 th July and 2nd, 9th August Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick Visitor Centre. Time: 2-4pm. Cost: Free.

Booking Essential– 013397 55059.

Friday 22nd April – Birds B4 Breakfast.

An excellent opportunity to observe the courtship rituals of black grouse from a Land Rover Discovery. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre. Time: 6:00am8:30am. Cost: £5 per person.

Booking essential, limited places available– 013397 55059.

Worrying, Costly and Dangerous!

Revolutionary ‘SNO DEVIL’: an affordable, modern method of reducing this problem, which can cause serious structural damage.

All work done by Ballater workmen.

Free ‘no obligation’ estimate and questions truthfully answered: T:013397 56221 M:077 284 80706 Email: snodevilmelt@gmail.com Visit: www.snodevil.webs.com

Friday 20th May – Red Deer Ramble.

Discover the intriguing lifestyle and learn about the management of the majestic red deer of Glen Muick. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre. Distance 4.5Kms, ascent 50m. Time: 6-8pm. Cost: Free.

Booking essential– 013397 55059.

Wednesday 8th June – Lochnagar Ascent.

Enjoy a full day on one of Scotland’s highest peaks, looking at the natural history and management of ‘Dark Lochnagar’. A full mountain day. Hill-walking gear and a good level of fitness required. Meeting point: Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre. Time: 9:30am5:00pm. Cost: £10/person. Distance: 19Kms (12 miles), ascent 1050m.

Booking essential– 013397 55059.

Crathie News

33

by Marion MacIntyre Coffee at the Distillery The annual Coffee Morning at Royal Lochnagar Distillery will this year take place on Saturday 9 April from 10.30am to 12.30pm. There will be the usual homebakes, raffle, bottle stall and home baking stall. Entry will be £3.50 and all proceeds will go to CLAN Upper Deeside and the Anchor Unit Aberdeen. The fire will be burning brightly, the tea and coffee will be flowing and there will be plenty of good things to eat - do put the date in your diary and we will look forward to welcoming you!

Coffee at the Kirk The Coffee Ladies of Crathie Kirk will be resuming their very popular Coffee Mornings starting in April. Come along to the Church hall between 10am and 12.30pm on Mondays to enjoy great home baking and a warm friendly atmosphere.

Crathie Bowling Club The Crathie bowlers continue to meet on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7pm in Crathie New Hall and, as always, are happy to welcome new members.

The Tartan Trek is back!

Following on from last year’s success, CLAN Upper Deeside’s Tartan Trek will take place on Saturday 14 May 2011, again in the beautiful surroundings of the Balmoral Estate, and with a choice of a 15k walk or a more modest 6k walk.

If you would like more information, phone Marion on 42361, Linda on 56224 or watch out for posters and registration forms in local venues.

Crathie Book Group Crathie Book Group meetings were restricted over the winter months due to the severe weather, however we did manage to meet to discuss “Room” by Emma Donaghue

in order to come up with a review of the book for Mslexia magazine. This turned out to be an interesting and challenging undertaking as we had to produce a review restricted to 600 words (which was to include a brief preamble giving an outline of the book) and which had to take the form of a conversation between the members of the group. Jackie had the unenviable task of editing down a discussion which lasted for about an hour and a half into a coherent piece which gave equal weight to each person’s contribution. She did a brilliant job and everyone was happy with the resulting piece which was sent off to Mslexia and has now appeared in the January issue.

At the time of writing this, at our next meeting we will be discussing two books, “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro and “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantell.

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Swimming

For six weeks on a Thursday the whole of Crathie School went swimming at the Craigendarroch in Ballater. The children were split into two group. The beginners went first.

The stronger ones went after.

We learnt life saving skills and swam on our backs and fronts and it was great fun.

When we got changed we got biscuits.

Murdo

Angels up high In December we did a nativity play called “Angels up High”. Main characters were Mary and Joseph. Some pupils were angels and others were kings and shepherds. There were lots of activities that were really fun.

Eve

Sleeping Beauty

Crathie School went to HM theatre in Aberdeen to see Sleeping Beauty. There was a 3D part in the middle where spiders were jumping at you. Most people took their glasses off when they jumped at you.

There was an interval half way through and we had ice cream. When the play came back on a Tardis like the one from Doctor Who appeared.

The whole school enjoyed the panto.

Josh

Golden Activities

On Fridays all pupils in Crathie School have some fun activities after break. There are four groups: knitting, cookery, keep fit and art. There are four pupils in each group.

After we have had 4 weeks of everything we change the activities.

Maggie, one of the helpers at the school, taught us how to knit. There was a big

bag full of lovely thick and thin wool. We learned how to purl stitch and how to knit normally. I did a really nice wavy pattern which I thought was normal knitting but it wasn’t. Maggie said that it was nice and she wished she could use the pattern for a bag for her daughter. The group had so much fun. We got to take the wool and needles home.

I am looking forward to do our next activity.

Rachel

Evacuees

Standing in the station Where is my destination I’m waiting for the train to come Feeling shy and sick.

Here comes the train Chugging along the track Coughing as the steam comes past “There’s no turning back” Here is the town hall A bench full of whimpering children I better go and join them Feeling very small Crowded out by children Different shapes and sizes Fat and slim Tall and small Will I be picked?

Will I be selected?

I remember my warm cosy bed Will it be there if I get back?

Cameron

British Military, the more we were convinced that we needed to do something to help. We could immediately see the benefit of getting them involved with the horses. The challenge, freedom and mobility of riding, combined with the therapeutic value horses can provide in recovering self-esteem and soothing shattered nerves, was the starting point for HorseBack UK.” The charity is backed by Help for Heroes and was developed with the Royal Marines.

Having had amazing results, it’s ready to open its doors to all military personnel. “’Help our heroes help themselves’ is our motto,” said Jock. “We already have several soldiers who we hope will become part of the team – their experiences both before and after injury are

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invaluable.”

One of the key roles of HorseBack UK is to introduce military personnel who have had to leave the service due to injuries, to job opportunities that exist within the countryside. During the courses, guests are briefed by a wide range of local people who work within the community, such as local craftsmen, gamekeepers, fishermen, countryside rangers, and dry stone wallers, as well as those in the tourist trade.

HorseBack UK may be contacted at Ferrar, Dinnet, Aboyne AB34 5LD, by telephone at 0780 557 0636 or Email: emma@horseback.org. uk The Web address is: www. horseback.org.uk

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HorseBack UK

by Emma Hutchison

“I didn’t hear a click or the bang but I knew I had been blown up. I do remember hitting the ground and the pain not yet registering. There was a quiet and still feeling with echoed pinging sounds, followed by a pulsing, throbbing sensation. Then the world seemed to speed up as if it had just stood still “, recounts Lance Corporal Jay Hare of 45 Commando Royal Marines. He was extensively wounded in Afghanistan, but he now works with HorseBack UK to help run courses for others who are on their road to recovery.

With the recent tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, casualty numbers for the British Military have been very high. The primary medical care for these men and women is world class, but the recovery for most is long, gruelling

Crathie Cricket Club

by Peter J. M. McEwan

and painful, requiring humbling reserves of courage and determination to adapt to the new bodies they find themselves left with.

Ex-Royal Marine Jock Hutchison and his wife, Emma, moved to a farm on Royal Deeside with the initial plan of breeding horses. Jock explains: “The more tales we heard about the damage being caused to the

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By gracious permission of The Queen, Crathie Cricket Club has been privileged to play in the beautiful grounds of Balmoral Castle.

The club is currently in Grade 2 of the Aberdeenshire League. In addition to Grade and Cup fixtures, a number of friendlies are played, mostly towards the end of the season.

We also play in the National Village Championship, and last year reached the Scottish Regional Final.

We pride ourselves on our friendliness and the good spirit in which all our games are played. This year, as another season approaches, a number of key players have left the district, creating an urgent need for new players. We would warmly welcome anyone who may be interested, whether experienced or beginner. The subscription is only £35 and for Juniors £5, with all equipment provided.

Please contact either Andy Shore in Braemar (013397 41275), Rhod McEwan in Ballater (013397 55429) or Chris Bell in Aboyne (07900 807453).

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Breeding Munchkin cats in Crathie by Wayne Yule

Munchkins are still a very new and rare breed of cat to the UK. Being the foundation breeders of this remarkable breed, we brought three adult cats in from America just over three years ago; two studs and one pregnant queen.

These were the first Munchkins to arrive in the UK. They are unique because of their short legs, similar to the Dachshund.

Their history began when two pregnant Munchkins were picked up by Sandra Hochenedal in Rayville, Louisiana, USA 1982, subsequently named Blackberry and Blueberry. She kept Blackberry and found Blueberry a home in Monroe, LA. When kittens were born, the short legged ones were called “Babylegs”. They are now simply called “Standard Munchkins” and their long-legged siblings are recognised as “Non-Standard” ones. The ratio is approximately 50% of each leg size in a litter, although you cannot guarantee anything with nature.

Interestingly, Sandra contacted Dr. Solveig Pflueger, the Chief of Medical Genetics at Baystate Medical Center, and TICA’s Chair of the Genetic committee, who specializes in dwarfism in human children. She agreed to breed them to see if they could aid the research in studying dwarfism in children.

May 1, 1995 the cats became eligible to compete in TICA (The International Cat Association) in the New Breed and Colour Category. In January of 1995 there were 230 registered Munchkins. In February 2002 the breed was advanced to compete in Championship status.

The traditional Munchkin breed is very popular as pets, but they still face controversy in the show halls. One of the reasons is that breeders have come up with “Designer Cats”, borrowing from the Munchkin the gene for dwarfism. There are now several varieties of short-legged breeds, but not all are accepted by TICA. The Napoleon, for registration only, is a Persian group hybrid, while the Minskin, is now able to present at TICA shows in the PNB (Preliminary New Breed) group.

I have been focussed on developing popular Munchkin hybrids including Bambinos, (a totally hairless dwarf), Kinkalows, (a dwarf with ears that curl backwards), and Skookums, (curly coat derived from the LaPerm breed). There are several other breeds too that are not quite so well known. We are the proud owners of the few Kinkalows in the UK. Our first Bambino was born last year, and is believed to be the first and only one in the UK so far. All hairless cats require further additional support and the Bambino is extremely high maintenance.

They require additional warmth, including knitted jumpers in the winter, and in the summer if they are allowed outside, need to be covered in Factor 50 Sun Creams. Their high metabolism needs to be maintained too, as they eat almost double the amount of food required by their hairy cousins. Therefore, careful consideration has to be given by any potential cat owner before taking on any bald cat breed. Similarly, a rigorous assessment and selection process must be adhered to by any breeder when identifying best possible homes for their kittens.

9Zero Freewheelers 25 Ballater’s Mountain Bike Club

by Ian Halliday

During the year, our Sunday morning runs are very seldom cancelled but on the lead up to Christmas, most of the runs were cancelled due to the deep snow and hard packed ice. We did however have a nice run on January the 1st known at the club as the ‘Whisky Run’. We rode very carefully down the Old Line, to the Willows and headed for the Burn O’ Vat. When we got down to the visitor centre, we headed clock wise round Loch Kinord, and at Meikle Kinord, we stopped and had a well deserved dram to toast the New Year (Hence the Whisky Run). We then headed for the main road, on to the Old Line again and back to Ballater.

Back in Ballater, we went to the Balmoral Bar where the Queen of Balmoral (Sandra) welcomed us with free hot chocolate and a

finger buffet. The 2011 Whisky Run was well attended with 11 riders, 8 of them members and 3 non members.

The first Sunday run of 2011 was also cancelled as the route chosen was completely covered in ice. Stuart from the Aboyne chapter attempted the route on Glen Tanar the previous day to see if it was safe but it was far too dangerous. A fortnight later, 12 of us completed a 15 mile loop round Glen Tanar, starting and finishing at Stuart’s house in Aboyne. A big thanks to Stuart and his wife for their hospitality after the run.

The 9 Zero Freewheelers meet every second Sunday and if you are interested in Mountain Biking and want to join us on one of our rides, please get in touch by email at info@9zerofreewheelers.co.uk.

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24

Ballater Judo Club

by Ian Halliday

Another new year and with it more new members for the Judo club. We have 7 new members who were all sitting patiently on the waiting list and hopefully we will have more new members by the time the Eagle goes to print.

In the last Eagle I said that if there are any Eagle readers wanting to weigh themselves (in privacy) with the Judo Club’s new scales, then they should just to come along on a Friday evening. Well, with the rising price of baggage for air travel you can now, at an arranged time, weigh your holiday cases for a donation of £1 per case or 50p for hand luggage. Just contact the Judo club on info@ballaterjudoclub.co.uk or call 56044.

I have always said that I will give up coaching judo at 50 and that’s in three year’s time. I would not give up completely but could still do the admin side of it. So if you are in your late teens or older and live and work in the Ballater area, why not come along and try judo to see if you like it and who knows maybe in three years you could be a qualified Judo Coach.

The first competition of 2011 is at Elgin on the 2nd April, so watch this space.

Forbes Duguid Painter & Decorator Tel .55816 el.55816

Ballater Boules Challenge Breaks Record

by John Holley

Over the recent Christmas and New Year Holidays, participants in The Ballater Boules Challenge played for the coveted ‘Golden Boules’ Trophy and ‘New Year Quaich’, to raise money for a good cause.

Over the two meetings, a total of £600.00 was raised and donated to the Inspire Charity based in Aberdeen. The money will be used to support at least two Ballater born and bred people with learning difficulties to attend the ‘Inspire’ Academy Training Scheme which will increase their self esteem, social contact and independence and will then help them to go on to achieve greater things in life.

The £525.00 donated by our players and a donation of £75.00 from Aboyne & Upper Deeside Rotary Club enabled the ‘Challenge’ to break all previous collection records by a huge margin. The ‘Challenge’ organisers would like to thank everyone who contributed to such a worthy cause for their extreme generosity.

Things are now back to normal and meetings are held twice a month on alternate Sundays, 10.30am at the The Pavilion, Monaltrie Park (Dates displayed in Cassie’s Emporium and Yules Newsagents both located in Bridge Street).

A warm welcome awaits you. The theme, as always, is Fun, Friendship & Fresh Air. Web Address www.ballaterboules.webs.com Email ballaterboules@gmail.com (see the winners on the back cover)

As our programmes developed, we decided that a move to a larger property was required and as a result, we moved to Crathie nearly two years ago, enjoying the summer weather, when we got it, and simply bearing the long, gruelling winter. We struggled, but we had to take extra care of our cats by providing additional support in the form of heated beds, electric blankets, ultra-violet lighting and an increase in their food intake. However, we all survived the winter and our adult cats produced some amazing babies, which have been sold throughout the UK and have generated a lot of interest throughout Europe. We will continue to breed Munchkins, due to their personality mainly. However their ‘dog-like’ characters combined with their sweet, gentle, laid-back nature makes them all the more desirable. Furthermore, and consistent with all pedigree cats, they remain very expensive. Our aim is to breed stunning looking kittens, where

37

their health and well-being are our paramount concerns, with a view to being able to provide affordable kittens to appropriate and responsible new owners in the hope that Munchkins will continue to develop and prosper in the UK. Many people ask me why people want so many different varieties of dwarfs. I know my motivation, but cannot explain others’ fascination. Maybe they are as close as we can get to Cat Fairies. Who knows?

38

A letter from New Zealand

Jim and Pam Smith, Invercargill

Dear folk of Ballater,

Jim writes: The purpose of our first two visits to Ballater was to explore the birthplace of my Grandfather, William Smith and to try to locate relatives remaining in the area. With scant information, we relied upon the goodwill and friendliness of Deeside folk. These qualities we found in abundance and met many kind folk with the name Smith, but alas, not related. I wish they were. Your support enabled me on our third visit in 2009, to stand upon the pile of stones that was once the cottage called Aultmore on the property Balmanech occupied by the Michies.

William was born and raised in that cottage by his mother and aunt Janet Ritchie.

In the hope that someone might have information that will assist, I provide the following:

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My Grandfather, William Smith (born 26.11.1883). Elder son of James Smith of Aboyne (b.23.7.1869) and Annie Campbell (b. 17.8.1862). James’s parents were Peter Smith and Jane Brebner.

Pam writes: Prior to our visit to Ballater in 2009, I was exploring the Internet and chanced upon information that established a close relationship to the Gordons of Abergeldie.

My Great Great Grandfather was John Gordon who was born and raised at Bovaglie on the Abergeldie Estate. Although he was the eldest son, he and other siblings established farms in the Crovie area, leaving younger brother Donald to assist an aging father on the Bovaglie property. You can imagine my excitement when I made contact with Doctor Peter Gordon, Bridge of Allan, who invited us to accompany his family and other Gordon pilgrims to the Bovaglie Homestead in 2009.

Lochnagar hid behind a misty rain as we picnicked and explored Bovaglie and Camlet homesteads, the experience exceeding my expectations. How amazing that the valley I thought contained only the roots of my husband, should also be the land of my own forebears.

So, many thanks to Librarians Sheena Armstrong and Faye Swan, Double Sandy, Molly Croll, Ian Smith, Brian Smith ( who kindly played the “Bovaglie Plaid” on his fiddle), Miss Greig, Sheila Sedgwick, Peter Gordon, Angela Michie and her father, Walter Coutts along with many others who assisted us on this amazing journey.

We have purchased our tickets for July/ August 2011 and look forward to wandering the streets of Ballater once again, and seeing an increasing number of faces that have become familiar to us in our second home on the other side of the world.

Yours sincerely (address supplied)

Ballater Running Club

23

by Catriona Houston Need a new exercise habit but can’t get motivated? This could be the time to join Ballater Running Club, which starts its new season on Monday March 28.

The club meets twice a week in Monaltrie Park (the Cricket Park), Ballater, on a Monday and Wednesday at 6.30pm for runs of between 3km and 10km. More experienced runners may choose longer routes while beginners are encouraged to start small – and no one is left behind! There is a wide age range of both males and females within the group, which has had some sort of basis in the village since 2006.

They make the most of the beautiful scenery and paths around the village, jogging around the Golf Course, the Old Line, Birkhall, the Pass of Ballater and the Seven Bridges, to name but a few. All levels of fitness and ability are welcome to come along, though children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Collectively the club clocked up a fair few miles last year, with members taking part in local events such as the Run Balmoral 10K, the Ballater 10 (miles) and the hill race, as well as travelling farther afield for the Edinburgh, Nairn and Dyce marathons.

Don’t be put off by that, though! Beginners are most welcome and there are no fees to pay.

All you need are some comfy clothing, suitable for whatever the weather is throwing at you that day, and some trainers (most people have some under the bed or at the back of the wardrobe).

Once you get established, other members can advise you of what kit you may need to invest in to keep going strong.

And there’s a social side to the club, too, as they indulge in Christmas meals and summer barbecues every year to replace some of the calories they’ve burned off.

If you are unable to make Monday or Wednesday evenings then there is also a good mobile text network within the group, so there’s a good chance of finding someone free to join you for a run at other times.

Several members intend to take part in Run Balmoral again this year and there are also plans just in the offing to perhaps host a running event in the village during Victoria Week this year – watch this space…

This is a very friendly, sociable club and the numbers that meet varies from week to week. There are no commitments or contracts to make, just turn up when you can and you are sure to find a buddy to fall in step with.

For more details contact Donna Leslie on 55374 or at dleslie2@btinternet.com

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things happen. The next point is how much it will need to rely on the communities to undertake many of the roles which were formerly Council roles.

Because of this we are going to see a race to source funds and greater competition for resources to keep many of the current initiatives going. These initiatives range from Council run businesses or facilities, to provision of village summer flowers, support for Christmas lights, sports and childcare funding etc. Not all areas will be impacted and we won’t know the full extent for some time but it is clear that the Council is less likely to deliver what had previously been expected.

With these cuts it is important that people are aware that there are a number of organisations which can assist communities continue to move forward with aspirations and initiatives. These organisations include the Development Trusts Association Scotland, the Council for Voluntary Services Aberdeenshire, Marr Area Partnership and the Deeside and Donside Development Project, among others. Therefore if you would like help for your organisation or group please contact me or any of the above mentioned agencies As I said in the last edition of the Eagle, the Development Project has been involved in a number of initiatives. These included the submission of applications for rural broad-

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band services from Linn of Dee, Corgarff, Glen Muick, Glen Girnoc and Glen Gairn and Glen Livet. Unfortunately the Scottish Government Rural Broadband Challenge fund did not award any money to Aberdeenshire, The Cairngorms National Park or Highlands and Islands. Although this is bad news, there is still reason for optimism as discussions continue with the Scottish Government, the Park Authority, BT and other potential funders. With this in mind I would ask again if anyone has problems with poor broadband or no broadband, please contact me and I will see if the future fund applications can help your case.

The Project continues to assist with a number of tourism and renewable energy related projects in Ballater, Braemar and Donside. In Ballater I have been asked to coordinate one of the housing partnership sub groups which is looking at the development of the proposed housing site by Monaltrie Park in Ballater. My only role in this is to bring the relevant parties together to see if we can have a real community influenced development.

Meetings are already afoot with the developers, the landowners, Aberdeenshire Council and the Park Authority. I will keep everyone informed of the outcomes in the next edition of the Eagle In the meantime I can only repeat my message that folk must ask me what I can do to assist their group or organisation. I am happy to be involved in any activities from sourcing funds, assisting with funding applications to finding the right persons from the various agencies and departments to help out. I can be contacted on 07834 512029 or 013397 53775 or drop in to the Bank House, 7 Bridge Street, Ballater.

I look forward to hearing from you….. so get in touch.

Building the Victoria Hall & 39 Gordon Institute 1894-1896 Extracted from the minutes of the Halls

by Janet Riddler The first business of the Albert Hall Trustees in 1894 was to arrange a paraffin supply for the building. After due consideration, the contract went to Mr Alfred Barnett, the Alistair Cassie or George Strachan of his day, whose shop in Bridge Street served Ballater as draper, ironmonger, grocery and provision merchant and specialist in goods for the tourist trade. He was also able to supply paraffin at one halfpenny per gallon less than anyone else.

His position as vice-president of the trustees could have had no influence on the decision.

Mr. Barnett was in fact also provost of the Burgh of Ballater during this time, and had a second term in 1902.

The next difficulty for the trustees was

a request from the Aberdeen postmaster for more accommodation in the Albert Memorial Hall due to increased business. The limited space had meant that the Balmoral Telephone was in the Post Mistress’s private parlour.

The trustees decided to approach their benefactor and President of the trustees, Mr Alexander Gordon, with the problem of how to accommodate the post office whilst retaining a billiard hall and reading room. Whatever Mr Gordon’s ideas were, they were rejected by the trustees who then asked Mr Duguid of Dee Bank, Ballater, local builder and carpenter, to draw up plans for a complete new hall to be built alongside but separate from the Albert Memorial Hall. These plans

40

were sent to Mr Gordon for his approval. There was lengthy correspondence over the next few months but by August Mr Duguid’s plans had been accepted. The new building would consist of a public hall to the west side and a reading room and library on the ground floor of the east side with a billiard room (now the Michael Sheridan Room) and committee room (now the kitchen and store room) above. There would also be a basement housing the boiler room and kitchen with storage rooms that could be let out. To the front of the building and to the left of the side access to the new hall would be a ladies’ room with lavatory and washhand basin with similar facilities for gentlemen to the rear of the building (where the kitchen is at present).

The reading room and library were separately entered by the left hand door of the building.

There was a vestibule with stairs up to the billiard room and another lavatory and basin

to the right of the door. The library was at the back of the building and the reading room the whole width of the easternmost part. There was also a lavatory at the top of the stairs but no basin – presumably billiard players would not need to wash their hands!

Mr Duguid’s estimate for the new building came to £1667.11/- (£1667.55 pence). Mr Gordon, who had promised substantial help with the cost, was apprised of this figure and though he said he thought it was rather more than expected and wanted more details, he nevertheless sent £1500.00. Mr Duguid was instructed to draw up more detailed plans and to try to reduce the costs. The original plan had been to build the new hall’s west wall on the boundary with the property belonging to the Town and County Bank but the Bank objected due to the difficulty of snow and rainwater removal. There was to be a space of at least three feet between the two properties. Luckily, at this time provision of the

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Over 20 press visits have been made to the Royal Deeside and Ballater area over the past few months by media from all over the UK. They have been visiting DMO members’ establishments and have written extensively about the area in their features. It is good to shout about our area and back it up with exciting new initiatives such as the Dine on Deeside Festival. Marketing campaigns have also been taking place and these have been directly targeted at 300,000 potential customers throughout the UK, and have also featured in the UK wide press. For more information on the DMO, please contact info@discoverroyaldeeside.com or telephone 013397 55283. Please check out the website www. discoverroyaldeeside.com which is the key tourism web site for all visitors to the area.

Please also check our Facebook page and join it to discuss anything of interest in the Ballater area. The url is www.facebook. com/DiscoverRoyalDeeside

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Following the winter period, a number of initiatives slowed down due to severe weather and Christmas but these have now picked up again, although by the time you read this we may be under a few feet of snow again!!

The biggest issue to affect everyone is the extent of Aberdeenshire Council’s cuts.

The Council is currently looking at the most appropriate areas to make these cuts and of course everyone will be impacted in some way.

The main point which the Council has tried to make, is how much it values the communities and their ability to rally together and make

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Royal Deeside & the Cairngorms DMO

As Spring approaches and the first snowdrops start to appear, we are looking forward to a busy Spring tourism season.

The Dine on Deeside Festival will take place from 18 -27 March 2011 throughout Royal Deeside. We have a large number of Ballater businesses taking part and we are aiming, like the Venison Festival, to expand the tourism season into the shoulder months and highlight our world-class food produce. Dine On Deeside is the perfect ten day recipe for cuisine designed to fire up the taste buds.

Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms produce is some of the finest quality in the UK and chefs will be serving up seasonal spring menus of everything from rustic bistro to fine dining. Special menus in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars will be on offer in set price

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bands - so there will be something on offer for every pocket and taste. We will be distributing leaflets and posters for the event and more information can be found at www.discoverroyaldeeside.com/Larder/dine-on-deeside/ It was altogether “a stag do” of a very different kind last Autumn as Scotland’s first Venison Festival took place and was a roaring success. Over 25 events got underway at various locations in Ballater and across Royal Deeside and the festival succeeded in showcasing the area to the wider world receiving a huge amount of press coverage across the UK. It really grabbed the attention of the media and everything from smoked venison sandwiches, broths and burgers to venison haggis and even venison vindaloo was highlighted. The Festival was not just about eating – there were a number of wildlife safaris organised, ceilidhs, concerts and the Deeside Sessions to whet the appetite. We are aiming to repeat the Festival this year.

2011 is officially Scotland’s ‘Year of Active Scotland’ and the government initiative encourages everyone to get active in Scotland’s great outdoors. In terms of Royal Deeside this presents us with an opportunity to highlight the wealth of activities available in the area to UK and international visitors as well as residents.

The Destination Management Organisation (DMO) will have a focus on Outdoor Activities in 2011 and we are forming a Forum for this which businesses can attend. The aim is for us to showcase Deeside as a great destination for walking, wildlife, horse riding, running and fishing etc and we are preparing a marketing campaign for this. Accommodation providers also have a key role to play and we look forward to working on this during the year.

croquet lawn by the trustees was abandoned the game had failed to catch on in Ballaterso there was plenty of room to move the site of the building. A sub-committee with Mr Barnett as Convenor was appointed to oversee the work. It was agreed that if Mr Duguid tendered for the building work he could not be the inspector. Advertisements for tenders for the various works were placed in the Aberdeen Journal and the Free Press. Sadly for Mr Gordon once all the offers were agreed and taking into account that there would be a reduction if the back wall of the hall was ashlar rather than granite the whole cost of building excluding drains would be £2000.5/6 (£2000.27½ pence). On being applied to for help, the unfailingly generous Mr Gordon sent another £500.00. The contracts were let to Mr Smith, mason, Mr Duguid, carpenter, Mr Grant, slater, Mr Emslie, plumber, Mr Mitchell, plasterer and Mr William Austin, painter, all on condition of lodging acceptable

41

securities. Mr Smith withdrew his tender when one of his guarantors was found to come from Tarland and therefore was quite unknown to the trustees and so unacceptable. Mr Stewart took his place.

The committee had asked Mr. Anderson, the clerk of works at Balmoral, to be the building inspector but as he was unavailable Mr G Jenkins, Civil Engineer from Aberdeen, was approached. He agreed to make six visits at 31/6 (£1.57½ pence) per visit, including rail fare. With the permission of Mr Foggo, the Invercauld factor, stone would be available from the quarry in the Pass of Ballater at a price charged according to the usual prevalent custom of the village. Trees were not to be damaged and Mr Stewart was asked to have the kerb stones on the north of the building (south side of Station Square) covered with gravel to prevent the carts damaging them.

By April 1895 attention was being paid

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to the laying of the foundation stone. The Prince of Wales, though wishing the project well, declined the invitation, and also to open the new building once completed. At this time, with Mr Gordon’s approval, the names Victoria Hall and Gordon Institute were adopted. Mr Jenkins found fault with much of the building so far undertaken – the masonry work was not well enough matched with the Albert Hall, the mortar joints were too thick and the mason was not using sharp sand as specified. The mason was ordered to rectify the errors without taking down any of the work so far completed.

On 11 June 1895 Mr Farquharson of Invercauld was asked to lay the foundation stone on the 20th of that month to which he was agreeable. The programme was the Hundredth Psalm, a dedication prayer, an address by Mr. Farquharson followed by the laying of the stone, a benediction and the

presentation of the trowel to Mr Farquharson.

(This very trowel was returned to Ballater in the past few years and is currently to be seen in a glass case on the wall within the Mike Sheridan Room - pic on the back cover.) In the cavity of the stone, a bottle was placed containing gold, silver and bronze coins of the realm, the names of the donor, the trustees and the contractors and copies of local newspapers.

Cakes and wine would be served in the Invercauld Arms (Monaltrie Hotel).

As in all building projects, the next months were taken up with chasing progress, correcting faults, getting contractors on site and trying to manage the tradesmen so that tardiness by one did not delay work by another. The Great North of Scotland Railway Company had to be taken to task for removing material from the south side of Station Square which was against the feuing rights of the trustees. Arrangements were made to have the billiard table removed to its new home and for the library to be fitted with shelves and a counter from which the librarian would hand out the books as ordered from the catalogue.

Borrowers were strictly prohibited from handling the books.

In September came the sad news that Mr Gordon had died at his home in Kent on the 20th of the month and the trustees sent a long letter of condolence to his widow. Mr Barnett was elected President of the trustees in his place.

By October it had become clear that Mr Emslie the plumber was about to be declared bankrupt and Mr Davidson of Ballater was asked to complete the work.

In December the trustees began to plan the opening of the new building. Mr George Gordon, nephew of Mr Alexander Gordon, was asked if he would undertake the task. Failing him, Sir John Clark of Tillypronie would be asked. Two members of each household within the Hall area were to be invited. This

emergencies, even coping with the stairs by an ingenious system of wheels. We are extremely grateful to the Fund as our Halls receive no formal subsidies, and fundraising is always ongoing. (see pic on back cover) Fundraising Victoria and Albert Halls 300+ Club – Application forms were included in the last issue of the Eagle, and if you have not already done so, I would urge you to consider supporting this now. Tickets price £10 are available from Willie Meston, Coilacriech Inn, Eileen Collins 14 Dee Street, Ballater or from Gows Delicatessen - draws take place every second month from April onwards with good prizes!

St Andrews Ceilidh Saturday 26th November – Get the date in your diary NOW and look out for further information.

Spring Sale – A Giant Jumble Sale is planned for May. The Ballater branch of the SWRI has already pledged to organise teas for us with their delicious home baking, so remember to keep some of your unwanted Spring Cleaning items for us – one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

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about events, general minutes etc. As you can see, we have a mountain of work ahead of us, and some serious decisions to be taken. If you would like to get involved, we would be delighted to welcome you.

Come along to our meetings held once a month! Please contact me Bell Macaulay, Chair, Victoria & Albert Memorial Halls Development Association, Email; marybellmacaulay@btinternet.com Tel. 013397 55745 We are lucky to own such a beautiful building, but we also have a responsibility to ensure that it caters for the needs of the community in a world of changing expectations.

The Committee and Trustees are all volunteers giving freely of their time – please consider your own contribution.

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Think ahead – Could your group organise an event to help us build up some match funding ready for the renovations? Some groups have already pitched in, but we are in this for the long haul, and every penny counts.

Become a Member! ! Why not formally join the Halls Association?

Membership is free, and it will help us demonstrate the importance of the Halls to the community in any future funding bids – get in touch with me if you would like an application form. If you like, we can also send you information

Paul Spencer Telephone: 013397 42295 or Mobile 07814 051388

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VICTORIA AND ALBERT MEMORIAL HALLS

by Bell Macaulay

Fundraising for the planned heating and renovation upgrades to the Victoria and Albert Memorial Halls is moving up a gear, with the 300+ Club Lottery tickets proving a popular way of showing support.

In the meantime, ongoing care has kept the Development Association (the Halls Committee) very busy over the last few months. With its high ceilings and unreachable areas, the building was in need of a deep clean. Tenders were scrutinised, a deal done, and the work was completed in November by a professional company with scaffolding and heavy duty equipment. This certainly brightened up the high lighting, and removed old deposits of polish before re-sealing the

floors. This will make it easier to keep clean, and help protect from water damage.

Unfortunately, as we all know the weather turned nasty thereafter, and our Hallkeeper, Billy and his wife Annetta were kept busy mopping up and dealing with nasty leaks in several areas. We certainly need to review insulation of vulnerable piping and explore the possibility of installing trace heating as a matter of urgency. With the completion of the Feasibility Studies, the Refurbishment Group is taking further advice before prioritising the work to be done. In the current economic climate, many funding sources have dried up, but there are still sources of assistance for improvement of community facilities, particularly when it involves reviewing more efficient sources of energy.

Larks Gallery

Key Box - As I reported in the last Eagle, new locks have been fitted on the main entrance doors, and a key box installed beside the Albert Hall door. The doors will be opened for groups as usual, but a coded key box will give access if necessary. Please note that there is a duty member each month – see notices in the Halls and in the notice board outside the Albert Hall door – they should be contacted where assistance is required.

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Emergency Transfer Chair – Over the years there have been occasions when it has been difficult to help Halls users if they suddenly fall ill whilst attending events, especially in the upper areas. Ballater Medical Amenities Fund has very generously gifted a robust folding chair which can be used in

area was bounded by the Burn of Coilacreich, the Linn of Muick, the Burn of Ballaterach, Cambus o May including the Gardener’s House, and the farms of Lary and Littlemill.

Special invitations would go to Mr and Mrs Farquharson, Invercauld, Lord and Lady Huntly, Sir William and Lady Brookes, Sir Allan and Lady McKenzie, Dr Profeit, Mr and Mrs Foggo, Mr and Mrs Keillor, Mr and Mrs. Wilson, Dr and Mrs Campbell and the Reverends Michie and Lowe. Tea was to be served in the afternoon (perhaps using some of the 14 dozen cups and saucers ordered from Mr Kitson of Gallowgate, Aberdeen, at 18 to the dozen at a cost of 2/6 [12½ pence] per dozen) and two local pipers would play during tea. There would be a concert in the evening with the proceeds going to the deserving poor, run under the auspices of the Burns Society.

Unfortunately, in January 1896 Sir John Clark had to withdraw due to his wife’s illness so the invitation went next to Mr Farquharson

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and when he could not do it then Colonel Innes of Learney was asked. He was able to oblige and the ceremony was to take place on 12 February. On the 21st January Mr Duguid said the building would not be ready then and the opening was postponed until 26 February. Colonel Innes was still available and the new buildings were duly opened. There was just one small unpleasantness when Mr Duguid complained that Colonel Innes had described Mr Gordon’s architect, whose name appeared with Mr Duguid’s on the plans, as the architect of the building rather than Mr Duguid. The trustees regretted that this clerical error had “crept into” the Colonel’s brief but considered that the instant correction made to the newspaper reporters, and the proper account being printed, should end the matter.

The final cost of the building was £2025.11/4(£2025.57pence).

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Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels by Hollie Walker

Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project in the North East has now been running for almost 2 years. The project has made some significant progress thanks to the innovative thinking and enthusiasm of the dedicated team at the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Hollie Walker, project officer for the North East, recently delivered a talk to Ballater and District Probus Club about red squirrel conservation in Grampian. “The woodlands of Aberdeenshire and Moray still hold healthy populations of red squirrels,” says Hollie.

“However, the introduction of the non-native grey squirrel to Aberdeen in 1970 poses a very real threat to the native red squirrel.”

The SSRS project aims to co-ordinate and monitor grey squirrel control, advise

landowners on woodland management for red squirrels, increase knowledge of squirrel distribution, and raise public awareness of red squirrel conservation issues. The project has taken huge strides since its launch in the North East in 2009. As Hollie explains, “Public interest is growing all the time, and we have been very lucky to have the support of many volunteers and a number of local estates.”

The project currently employs Hollie, a project assistant and 1 full-time grey squirrel control officer, along with one contractor and two seasonal contractors. The trapping of grey squirrels is carried out in targeted areas where it will directly benefit red squirrels. “In some areas where control work has been successful, we have anecdotal evidence that red squirrels have returned to old haunts and have been

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Happy New Year from 17 Home-Start Deeside by Linda Clark This Banchory based voluntary, charitable organisation is managed by Senior Coordinator Linda Clark and admin. colleague Kirsti Ward.

The scheme recruits, trains and matches volunteers, who themselves are parents, with families who have at least one child under 5 years. The families are referred by Social Work, Health Visitors, other related agencies or indeed can refer themselves. The reasons for seeking our support ranges from rural isolation, lack of extended family support, financial or social deprivation, learning or physical disabilities, mental health issues including post natal depression, being a single parent, multiple births including twins, having several children under 5 years etc. A minority of families have issues around alcohol and drug mis-use and are supported by specially trained volunteers. Sometimes the volunteer will meet with the family at the Hill of Banchory Family Centre where Home-Start enjoys a self-support group opportunity.

The volunteer visits the family home for at least two hours weekly and gets to know the main carer and the child(ren). They will support the family by caring for children whilst the parent attends family appointments either for themselves or for their children, and they may have to address the needs of their other family members. They may accompany parents when they attend hearings (in the case of Social Work families). The volunteers, in the main become a family friend who supports with kindness and common sense.

The volunteers undertake a training course which consists of one-day per week attendance for approx. 7 weeks. Some of the subjects covered are “The importance of Play”, talks from Social Workers, Community Psychiatric

Nurses, Health Visitors, Domestic Violence issues and of course Child Protection. An enhanced Disclosure check is made on behalf of the volunteer and indeed personal references are sought.

Regular “Support and Supervision” sessions with Scheme Senior Co-ordinator Linda Clark ensures that the volunteers discuss any concerns or issues they might have regarding their volunteering and family reviews are done too on a regular basis. These meetings mean that both the volunteers and the families are encouraged to speak about their Home-start experience and any problems ironed out.

The scheme has many volunteers who prefer to work in the Aboyne charity shop which is its main fund-raiser. The other way a volunteer can support the scheme is by taking a place on the Trustee Board as a member which entails attending meetings 6-weekly.

Volunteers from all backgrounds can bring their skills and experiences to the Board which is the immediate tier of Governance supporting the staff members directly.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the services offered by Home-Start Deeside whether as a referrer, family or volunteer should please contact Linda Clark on 01330 824443 or email info@homestartdeeside.org

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charges will be rising, and many of the services provided by the Authority will be reviewed.

Schools, Special Schools, libraries and other aspects of our daily lives will be changed for many years to come. It is estimated we will not enjoy the same level of public spend again for a ten year period; it’s going to be bumpy ride!

Sports Leaders are in short supply in Upper Deeside and we appeal to all who have a talent coupled with an interest to come forward and lead our young and not so young residents in healthy activities. The subjects can be as varied as cycling to fishing with everything in between. Communities will now be thrown much more onto their own resources and we must respond to the challenge.

Another much noted happening over the winter months has been the Astronomical event taking place recently in Ballater in conjunction with BBC. Dark skies now mean a lot more

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to some folk. This is another varied subject in which this area enjoys a large amount of expertise. Several members of our community have membership of the British Astronomical Association and this is a source of knowledge that could bear great fruit if tapped. This happily leads me to another topic, the proposed trialling by Aberdeenshire Council, in a few outlying settlements, turning off half the streetlights after certain hours, which if successful could lead to it becoming common practice throughout the Shire. It is the hours ‘late on’ that will be the target of these measures and the money saved could be very meaningful.

Phil Swan one of our highly active members is volunteering to stand as a candidate for election to the Cairngorm National Park Authority and his candidacy has been endorsed by a majority of the CC. We urge all residents in the South of the Park [that’s us] to vote in this forthcoming election, no matter which candidate you support. These posts are vital to the good running of an authority which plays an increasingly influential part in our lives. Gordon Riddler has recently been appointed by the Minister for Environment in Edinburgh to the Authority and we wish to congratulate him on his appointment.

From feedback to our survey questionnaire, it seems there may be a number of people in the area who wish to enable their kids to attend swimming lessons at Aboyne Academy pool, but who need to find a low cost means of transport to and from Aboyne. Because the survey responses were mainly anonymous, we don’t know how many or who these folks are. We are looking into possible ways of providing this service but we need more information from residents about what exactly is required. If you would like to have such a service, please contact Phil Swan (55345) who is looking into this. It would help us greatly in trying to set this up. http://ballaterandcrathie.org.uk

Ballater Post Office

Hours of Opening: Mon: 9am - 5.30pm Tues: 9am - 5.30pm Weds: 9am - 5.30pm Thurs: 9am - 12.30pm Fri: 9am - 5.30pm Sat: 9am - 12.30pm Please note we are OPEN over lunchtime

Foreign Currency We now stock both Euros and U.S. Dollars for immediate purchase.

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delighting visitors and residents alike”, says Hollie.

During Red Squirrel Week last autumn (2 – 10 October 2010), the trial Text-a-Squirrel campaign was launched. This innovative idea was designed to make squirrel reporting as easy as possible from your mobile phone, and an impressive 151 squirrel sightings were reported over the two-week period. The scheme was very successful and Hollie hopes to roll it out on a permanent basis.

Like many conservation projects, SSRS relies upon its volunteers and their support.

Volunteers can help the project in a number of ways, on a scale which suits them. Perhaps the most important action is to report red and grey squirrel sightings on our website (www. swt.org.uk/wildlife/squirrelsightings).

Thankfully, Upper Deeside remains a stronghold for the charismatic red squirrel.

There is an abundance of excellent habitat and grey squirrel sightings have been few and far between. There have, however, been grey squirrels in Aboyne and a handful of reports from Ballater. It is, therefore, particularly important for the public to immediately report a grey squirrel sighting, either by contacting us (see details below) or preferably via our website.

With wildlife tourism a fast growing aspect of Scotland’s economy, it is in everyone’s interests that we secure a long-term future for this iconic woodland mammal. The North East holds one of the strongest red squirrel populations in the UK and SSRS are making every effort to keep it that way!

For further information, contact Hollie Walker, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels North East Project Officer, Scottish Wildlife Trust Tel: 01224266526 or email: redsquirrelgrampian@swt.org.uk

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Francis Farquharson, the Originator of Ballater

by Ken Glennie

In London, Volume XVII of The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1747, announced the following on Thursday 8 March: A reprieve to the 10th of March was granted for the following 16 rebels, lately convicted of high treason at St. Margaret’s-Hill, viz.

Francis Farquharson, Walter Mitchel, Thomas Watson, George Ramsay, James Lindsey, Allen Cameron, Sir James Kinlock, Alex. MacLauchlan, Geo. Abernethy, Hector MacKenzie, John Burnet, Roderick MacCullock, Charles Gordon, John Farquharson, James Gordon, James Stewart.

These men had been captured after the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746. All had been taken by ship from Inverness to London, where they were incarcerated in Newgate Prison and then the New Gaol, Southwark.

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Francis and the other prisoners listed above were sentenced to death on 8 November 1746.

Francis was a nephew of John Farquharson of Invercauld who refused to raise the clan in support of the ‘45 rebellion. This may have helped in his reprieve.

On the following Tuesday, 13th March, The Gentleman’s Magazine announced that “Ld (Lord) Lovat was carry’d from the tower under a strong guard to the house of peers, where he deliver’d in his answer to his impeachment, in which he deny’d every article, and after making a long speech was order’d into custody again by the lord chancellor.” Lord Lovat lost his appeal, was sentenced to death on 19 March and beheaded on April 9th, aged about 80, despite the fact that he had been too old and sick to fight at Culloden.

Had the first 16 suffered the same fate as Lord Lovat, Ballater might not exist, or at least not under that name and probably not at its present locality. How come?

After his reprieve, Col. Francis Farquharson, who had commanded the Farquharson Battalion at Culloden, was ordered to remain in southern England until he was allowed to return to Scotland in 1766. Capt. John Farquharson, of the Donside Allargue House just south of the Lecht, was medically minded and was captured while tending the wounded after the battle. He skipped his parole not long after his reprieve and escaped to France, where he spent the rest of his life practicing medicine, never to return to Scotland again.

And presumably Charles Gordon was the laird of Blelack House, Logie Coldstone, who had asked John Farquharson, the ‘Fairy Doctor’ to remove the fairies from the adjacent Seely Howe shortly before the ’45 rebellion?

Ballater & Crathie Community Council

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by Robin Blyth

The traumas and triumphs of 2010 are behind us and we are into the New Year. The winter is still with us but hopefully we will not suffer the levels of snow and ice we were faced with prior to Christmas. The levels of snow although not unprecedented, certainly proved a challenging experience for all.

One of the factors exercising the Community Council’s mind is how well Aberdeenshire rose to its challenge. Feedback suggests many recognised the level of effort that was made to ensure the passage of all. Equally so, some shortcomings were identified, not least of which was the time taken to clear the back streets of Ballater! Some claim they never saw a snowplough for three days.

Whether the shortcomings were perceived to be in manpower, equipment or finance, many voices were raised in protest. In defence of the Authority, they were confronted with a situation not expected to arise so early in the winter and with so much snow. Their teams worked manfully throughout the Shire to maintain the major routes, always their prime requirement. They were not slow to bring in contractors to lift and dispose of the snow, and that in its self gave rise to comment and complaint. The use of the spare park adjacent to the entrance of the Pannanich estate by the A93 has left a legacy that will take months to disperse and heal the grass.

Another of the legacies of 2010 has been our very successful consultation covering the whole geographical area of B&CCC’s remit.

We now have a comprehensive body of work that will give great value for some time to come.

The CC wishes to formulate an Action Plan - nothing to move the world, but a reasonable collection of aspirations that we

feel will prove achievable. The returns from the questionnaire gave us plenty of food for thought and whilst the Action Plan is still in development, some of the ideas coming forward are already being acted upon. Please check the Notice Board, or our website [see over] for updates on this process.

For those who have not been keeping their ear close to the ground, Aberdeenshire Council has published its response to the government cuts in the settlement grants to the Local Authorities. Suffice to say these have proved severe, but fortunately the prudence of Aberdeenshire over the years has resulted in less of a reduction than some of the more spendthrift councils elsewhere in Scotland.

The impact will still be felt across the Shire.

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appraisal but further involvement is dependent on the outcome of the appraisal. The community will be asked for views as to the future of this site and we would encourage everyone to take the opportunity to comment at the appropriate time.

The Big Red Bus Most of you will have seen BRD’s big red minibus in the village or further afield.

This is available for hire by any local group or organisation. Recent hires have included sporting activities such as golf outings, the judo club, walking groups and swimmers, not forgetting Ballater’s Tartan Army (home games only)! Over the festive season the “party people” were out in force with several trips to pantomimes at Dinnet and Aberdeen as well as meals out both in the village and further afield. Our most regular clients are the local Evergreen Club which meets each

Thursday. Unfortunately a number of other trips had to be cancelled because of the severe weather in December. For this valuable service to the community we have to thank our group of about twenty volunteer drivers.

If you feel that you would like to join this group of drivers or if you or your organisation would like to make use of the minibus, please contact Gillian in the BRD office for further information.

If you would like to contact Ballater (RD) Ltd. (BRD), feel free to phone Gillian Sinclair on 013397 55467 or email ballaterdeeside@btinternet.com We will do our best to help with your requests.

Ballater One Voice Our Future (BOVOF) After the recent spell of severe weather, Christmas holidays and meeting cancellations, all groups are now meeting again. Look out for more information in the next edition of the Eagle.

But where does Ballater come into the story? When Francis Farquharson finally returned to Deeside, his former home of Monaltrie, just west of Crathie, had been burned by government troops shortly after Culloden (the home farm, Mains of Monaltrie, is still there). In 1781-2 he built a new house on his Ballater estate at the foot of Craigendarroch which he called Ballater House (later renamed both Tullich Lodge and Monaltrie House).

About that time he realised that many people from Aberdeen and elsewhere were ‘taking the waters’ from wells on his land above the south bank of the Dee at Pannanich, which had become famous for their healing properties. Only the North Deeside ‘road’ existed as a useable track at that time. A small ferry carried visitors staying in the small village of Tullich north of the Dee to the Pannanich side but it was probably not always easy to land dry shod on the boulder-strewn southern shore, and the melt waters from Cairngorm or Lochnagar snows would not be warm. Having landed, they would then have to climb about 200 feet to the wells. Rather than risk these poor souls getting wet when trying to cross the Dee, Francis persuaded other lairds to join him in 1783 in building a stone bridge, the most suitable site being close to where the present (4th) bridge exists. The first bridge was demolished by floods in 1789; a second stone bridge built in 1809 was removed by the ‘muckle spate’ of 1829 but a wooden bridge built in 1837 lasted until replaced by the present stone bridge in 1885. At his own expense, Francis also improved many roads of the area, including, no doubt, the south Deeside road with its gentle incline up to Pannanich Wells.

If you needed to take the waters, better accommodation was required. This was built initially at Pannanich Wells but reinforced, after the bridge was built, by a larger hotel, Pannanich Lodge, with supporting services

47

close to the new bridge. To this end Francis donated the almost flat moorland between the bridge and Craigendarroch (Hill of the Oaks) that became Ballater. Pannanich Lodge was eventually replaced by at least one larger hotel which went through a series of names that included Invercauld Arms Hotel and Monaltrie Hotel before being converted into the Monaltrie Apartments during the first decade of the 21st century.

This incipient village was named after his Ballater estate. This included today’s Morven Way next to the Pass of Ballater, which was described by Thomas Pennant in his 1769 Tour in Scotland as the “eastern entrance to the Highlands”. Incidentally, about 80 years earlier (1689), the Pass of Ballater, an almost straight geological wrench fault scoured by late glacial melt waters, was where John Farquharson of Inverey, the “Black Colonel” (he of the ‘Colonel’s Bed’) was nearly trapped by

48

government troops approaching from both ends. He escaped by running up the north side of the pass between the cliffs holding on to the bridle of his horse. This part of Francis’ estate is crossed by the Ballater Burn (the ancient settlement of Tullich begins at the barely noticeable small bridge just east of Morven Way) which, after joining the Tullich Burn, enters the Dee 1 km SE of the township of Tullich whose ancient kirk, the home of the famous (or infamous?)

Reel of Tullich eventually fell into ruin.

A new Glenmuick (Ballater) Kirk was built in 1798. It was replaced by the present

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one in 1873. According the Robert Anderson in his 1911 book ‘Deeside’, Ballater existed within the united parish of Glenmuick, Glengairn and Tullich. To help people from hill settlements across the ‘Pass’ to reach the now more distant Glenmuick Kirk on the Sabbath, Francis created a shortcut that passes Monaltrie House, long known as the ‘Cinder Path’ from its former cover of cinders during the days of steam railway engines to Ballater.

Fr a n c i s d i e d i n 1790. His good works and most of the early development of Ballater were continued by his nephew William, who died in Switzerland in 1828 aged 75. In 1836, William’s widow built the Farquharson monument south of the A93 near Tomnakiest which, before the self-sown birches grew too high, could be seen from Monaltrie House. As neither Francis nor William had any children, their estates reverted to the clan chieftain at Invercauld on William’s death. But the village of Ballater continued to grow in both area and population, especially after the arrival at Balmoral of Victoria & Albert.

(Jenny Johnstone, Aberdeen University, is thanked for drawing the map of the Ballater area.)

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

Doug Larson

Ballater (RD) Ltd

by Gillian Sinclair

Ballater Walking Festival 2011.

In 2011 we shall be running our fourteenth consecutive walking festival from the 21st – 27th May. We endeavour to provide three grades of walks/rambles for six days, for participants of mixed ability, to transport them safely to the beginning of and collect them at the end of each outing.

A professional mountain guide normally leads the strenuous walks. The moderate and easy walks are usually led by local residents or fulltime rangers from Aberdeenshire Council or Balmoral Estate, many of whom have special knowledge of the wild life, vegetation or local history, which they are happy to share with visitors.

The evening entertainment programme starts with the formal registration and complimentary reception in the Albert Hall, on the Saturday evening. This gives participants the opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones, to speak with the leaders and local residents, who will accompany them on the walks. Other highlights include dinner at a local restaurant and the week is rounded off on Friday with a traditional ceilidh.

For those who would like more information or wish to offer to help in the event and require a 2011 Brochure, please contact: Ballater (RD) Ltd Walking Festival The Bank House, 7 Bridge Street, BALLATER, AB35 5QP Tel: 013397 55467 E mail: info@walkballater.com You can also get further information and download a booking form from our website: www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDnews/Walkweek.htm Ballater Old School For some years now the Ballater Centre Development Group (BCDG) has been

13 negotiating with Aberdeenshire Council about ways to redevelop the Old School. The ideas included affordable housing, adult learning centre, commercial office space, medical outreach centre and some community facilities (such as an arts centre). A Feasibility Study carried out in 2005 reported favourably but the group then encountered a long series of obstacles. Ultimately it learnt in October 2010 that Aberdeenshire Council had offered the Old School to the North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT). The trust is intending to commission an Options Appraisal study to seek viable ways to redevelop the site given the constraints resulting from the building’s ‘listed’ status.

BCDG has now disbanded. BRD will however partner NESPT in commissioning the

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Our grateful thanks go, as ever, to Ivy Duncan who serves us with tea and coffee at the close of our meetings, when everyone gets a chance to view the arrangements at close quarters, and have a chat with the demonstrator before the lucky winners remove the flowers and take them home.

A warm welcome awaits you in April.

Ballater Enhancement Group by Martin

Holroyd Ballater Enhancement Group once again would like to thank the people of Ballater for their wonderful support. This allows us to provide the great display of lights over the festive period. Everyone again supported our Twelve days of Christmas Draw and lots of you had a nice surprise just before Christmas.

Thanks are due to Dinnet Estates for the donation of the Christmas tree this year, and

their help in putting it up. We have plans to put (as Braemar has done) a growing tree in the centre of the village so we can look at lots of options including permanent lights in the future.

The contribution by the Chiels in helping to arrange for the illumination of the Church Spire is much appreciated. The lighting there is a wonderful and breath taking addition to the festive scene in Ballater. The Chiels have also intimated that they would like to donate extra monies to the Enhancement Group, and Pat Downie and I would wish to assure you that every penny will be spent on lights or the village.

Thank you to all who helped, particularly the Chiels and members of the Angling Association, the School, The Pipe Band, indeed all members of the community.

We are so lucky to have so many great supporters.

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HEALING WATERS?

49

by Sheila Sedgwick

Water has always been essential to human life, but when we turn on the tap to make a cup of coffee or go to take a shower, do we ever think of the inconvenience before the days of water pipes? Our early settlements had to be built near a river, a spring or a well.

Our ancestors thought the way water rose to the surface of wells and springs was miraculous, so such sources were considered holy and would bring good luck. “Well-worship” began.

The Celts probably introduced wellworship, built altars and made sacrifices.

The Church denounced these practices as idolatrous but villagers gave offerings and hung cloth on nearby trees, convinced that healing powers were present. Sprinkling of holy well-water on doors and windows kept away demons. We have wells dotted about the region and our rivers, particularly the Dee named after a Roman Goddess Deva and the Muick, were thought to have magical powers.

The Muick was particularly sacred for here was “unspoken water”, - water from under a bridge over which the living and the dead passed. The living crossed regularly and the dead were carried across to the burial ground.

Wells were trysting places, like Mungo’s Well, Glengairn, and St. Mary’s Well, Inverey, reputedly the first Christianised place on Deeside. Wells dedicated to St. Mary had a special fascination for childless women desiring motherhood. They stood in the well and friends threw water over them. Sometimes the river was used and near Deecastle is a stone with a hole in through which a woman put her breast, hoping to achieve the same motherhood result.

The most famous of our wells is at Pannanich.

From the Monaltrie Papers we know that before 1745 old Elspet Michie who suffered from scrofula (inflammation of the nodes) with sores over her neck and upper body appeared to be cured after bathing in and drinking the water from the well. When Francis Farquharson, Laird of Monaltrie returned from house-arrest in England following his activities in the ’45, he had the waters analysed. This showed the water contained iron, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, chlorine and silica – all in small quantities! The original analysis still exists. There are references to four wells but the 1796 Statistical Account, written by the minister, mentions only three. There is an original Monaltrie document verifying the woman’s use of the well water and signed by

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50

those present, who presumably saw the improvement in her health.

Francis built a Pump Room or Spa at the wells and a Lodge near the end of the present bridge. Lodge and Pump Room were too far apart, so higher up the hill Francis Farquharson built before 1815 an attractive “Hotel.” Tullich became a boom town.

There was no bridge over the Dee and eventually the ferry at the Boat of Dalmuickeachie just could not cope with the influx of visitors. So in 1783 a granite bridge was built over the Dee, the first of four. Francis and later his nephew William laid out a new village on a grid plan. Ballater was born. Tullich became a “ghost town.” Theories exist that Ballater was created to enable local markets to be established, but Monaltrie family records do not bear this out.

Pannanich, at the wells, was popular. It

was the centre for visits from Jacobites, many titled, as was Strathspeffer and by Victorian times it was the done thing in society to “take the waters.” John Brown started his career as an ostler here and Queen Victoria was a visitor. In 1906 there was a 9-hole golf course.

Now our Pannanich Water is a commercial enterprise, with bottled water sold world-wide.

The Hotel is an intriguing building with wonderful views over the land once controlled by the Knights Templar.

Even if we do not now believe in the magic of water and rivers, as did our ancestors, the scene of the setting sun over the Dee and Muick and the golden glow is in itself magical.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.

Proverb

After ‘Plant and Roots’ I decided to write a Trilogy: ‘Two Years’, about my time in National Service with the British Army. Then, ‘Forestry Days’ recalling my eight years with the Forestry Commission. Although this work is mainly completed but not yet published, I wrote this little ‘Albert Road’ book to keep the Ballater theme alive.

Price: £9.99 P&P: £2.15 To order ‘Albert Road, Ballater’ contact:

Ian Cameron, Abergairn, Bridge of Gairn, Ballater, AB35 5TY. Phone: 013397 56002 E-mail: barytesmining@btconnect.com

Williamson, the Membership Secretary will be pleased to answer your queries if you give her a phone on 01330 823158 or you can contact her by email j.t.williamson@btinternet.com UDAS intends to have their own dedicated website up and running by summer so look out in the next edition of Eagle for our very own email address!

For your Diary, our Summer Exhibition in the Victoria Hall will be beginning on Thursday, August 25th 2011, through to Sunday September 4th 2011. Be sure to pass the word on for us please, so that visitors and locals alike don’t miss this very popular Exhibition – thank you!

Ballater Floral Art

Group

by Mildred Coull The final meeting of last year’s BRHS Floral Art Group was the Christmas Charity event which is the culmination of our year and our main fundraising event.

The sudden early arrival of atrocious weather conditions gave great concern to our Chairperson, Kathleen McCulloch who had the responsibility of deciding whether to go ahead, or lose a great deal of money by cancelling. The evening’s demonstration stayed in place.

To those who attended, we send our grateful thanks, and to those who bought tickets but were unable to come, we also thank for their generosity and understanding.

Because of the support we received, we were able to send donations to Alzheimer Scotland and to the Halls Development Fund.

Jenny Houston has joined the committee and Sheila Skene, although not a committee member, has kindly offered to change the seasonal floral arrangements at Aboyne Hospital. Maria Franklin continues to produce and distribute her beautiful posters each month. Our thanks go to them for their

11

support in such practical ways.

Our new session starts on April 21st and all dates can be found in the diary pages at the front of the Eagle. Detailed announcements will appear in the Piper a week in advance of the meetings which are always held in the Mike Sheridan Room at 7.30pm. Our first meeting will be a special occasion with the talented John McDonald, florist at Gleneagles Hotel, demonstrating for us and describing his work at the hotel.

In May, Judith Lorimer from Aberdeen will be with us and, in June, our own highly talented local lady, Mary Wright, will conduct a workshop. The numbers for this will be limited, however. Our annual garden visit is still being negotiated and will be publicised later.

Look out also for Maria’s posters in the village shops and the library, and come along to enjoy an evening which is always a happy occasion.

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10

year we have a brand new and exciting venture in the form of a Children’s Challenge. Special schedules will be available for children up to 16 to have a go, and there are lots of prizes and trophies to be won. Remember, these are the gardeners of tomorrow and without encouragement from parents and the Society the village could become a dull place.

Come on kids – have a go. We will help you.

Happy gardening and good weather!!

Ballater Business Association by Faye

Swan 2010 has been a difficult trading year for many and the weather wasn’t the best but the BBA continues to make a positive contribution for its members across a broad spectrum of activities.

Our web site, www.visitballater.com continues to increase in popularity and will be

C.S.M. Handyman J.Lanigan All the little jobs you can’t get any1 to do

general maintenance inside and out, gutter cleaning, garden tidying, chimney sweep, etc.

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further refined and expanded in 2011.

The new web site, www.ballatercommunity.com, was started last year and is just the place for all your local information on events, clubs and groups. Our thanks to Kathleen Puddicombe for her beautiful photographs! Both web sites are now on Facebook as well. While a basic listing is available to all businesses, BBA membership benefits include an enhanced listing on the websites and discounts on a number of advertising opportunities. Call Faye Swan on 07814-035983 for details. Go online and email your business information, your favourite photos and the latest updates on events in the Ballater area.

Lenten Lunches by Jim

McCulloch The three Ballater Churches will be offering Lenten Lunches each Tuesday from 15th March to 12th April in Glenmuick Church Hall from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The proceeds are to be split between the Aberlour Trust and the Salvation Army in Aberdeen. Everyone will be most welcome for home made soup, bread, and tea or coffee-- and of course, great company and a good blether!

Upper Deeside Art Society

by Moira Mackenzie As you read this today, many of the painters in our Society should be very busy at their easels producing paintings for our Exhibition in Balmoral Castle Stables. This Exhibition runs for the next 4 months from Friday 1st April through to the end of July 2011 and we hope that you manage to come and see it.

Membership of our Society (UDAS for short ) is open to people living in the local postcodes of AB31, AB34, AB35 and AB36 and we welcome inquiries from anyone interested in finding out more about us. Jane

51

Pottering about

by Stella Potter

Many years ago I was given a magnificent piece of advice from a friend who cheerfully, impressively and successfully juggled freelance work, play and family responsibilities. It’s such a simple thing: diary in days off. It works a treat. Those who also experience the juggle will know the joy of seeing a blank day coming up.

However, next time the phone goes, or a new email comes in requesting of your time, you can’t help yourself and bung it in the blank day. The result is that those blank days never come. You work for weeks on end with no time off. This is a Bad Thing. On the other hand, if you write in large friendly letters “Day Off ” and learn to say “I’m unavailable that day” it can be done.

I have adapted the method over the years.

Some of my work is done at the laptop on my kitchen table. I have an eclectic selection of fleece pyjamas, thick dressing gowns and furry bootie slippers. Upon rising I don a clean suitable

selection of the above, make a pot of tea, sit at the laptop, immensely comfy, cosy and warm. If I’m prepared, there is no need to go out, therefore no need to get dressed. (Although a fellow Eagle team member came round one afternoon a few years back, and asked me if I’d just got up… but they are used to me now!) These days I diary in Jammie Days. I had a perfect one recently. There was computer and paperwork to do. Outside, where I satisfyingly smugly had no need to venture, the rain was horizontal and the gale was whooshing with great gusto. It was with huge pleasure I comfortably and cosily flitted between tasks, not going anywhere near my front door.

Of course, being human, I’m not perfect.

Sometimes well-organised preparation for the Jammie Day goes awry, and I have to nip to the Co-op for an essential. I used to swither: get “properly” dressed or put boots and long coat

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52

over the jammies? Nowadays I have no such qualms. Being more laid back in my middle age, on goes the long black coat and boots over the jammies, as I’m perfectly respectable on the outside.

This method has certainly made my life more pleasant and snug. Although now I’ve told you all, if you need to commit me to something, you’ll know I might have a Jammie Day booked. But then, sharing this method probably outweighs that risk, as I’m sure someone out there can adapt this technique to their own needs. And I suppose if you see me in the Co-op with my long black coat on you’ll want to ask if I have my jammies on underneath.

Do - I won’t mind!

There is something else many friends have successfully done to improve their lives that I just can’t bring myself to do. Remove clutter from my home. Go minimalist. I’m perfectly aware that my rooms seem to get smaller due to life’s gentle accumulation of stuff. I’m not a

hoarder - I do give things to the charity shops, Freecycle, or gratifyingly, have the exact random thing that someone needed. I know my stuff accumulates dust, and that dusting is not a life’s pleasure. But it’s our stuff. The “World’s Worst Parker” award my eldest gave me years ago.

(Probably true, sadly as I’m only comfortable if the space would take a bus.) The gorgeous 3D sun my youngest made. Things I remember from my childhood: Mum’s candlestick and snuffer, Grandma’s vase - that she saved up for by starching Grandpa’s collars herself for weeks rather than sending them to the laundry - and Grandpa’s ancient metal money box. All these things not only give me great pleasure, but are also a comforting documentation of my family life. They tell some of our stories. It feels good to have that mantle of love around. So despite dust and clutter I’m sticking to my comfort zone and leave those who like sleek uncluttered lines to enjoy them in their own way.

However you organise your life, may it be good to you all this spring.

the

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Cornwall. They come to us in a tour arranged

by EMS and the Tunnell Trust and we hope that skiing will stay on the hills rather than on the roads for their visit.

Our nearer neighbours, the Strathmore Singers from Kirriemuir and points south, are coming on May 8th, again to St Kentigern’s at 4.00 p.m. The concert will include Haydn’s Little Organ Mass and I hope to have a better idea of the rest of the programme before long.

There may still be surprises – including more deferrals if the weather forecasts do not turn out to be accurate. However we hope that the high standard of music which those who have apparently enjoyed coming to Deeside, continues whenever they manage to arrive.

Victoria Week will include the greatly enjoyed organ and trumpet duo – The Trumpet Shall Sound.

Ballater Royal Horticultural Society

by Mairi Burgess Hopefully, we will not get too much snow from now on, as the aconites have just appeared, heralding the coming of spring.

Fortunately they are quite hardy, and usually pop up from a covering of snow every year.

The Society has a varied programme for 2011 starting in March with Mrs. Janice Kennedy telling us all about Bees in our Gardens. If this sounds familiar, Mrs. Kennedy was scheduled for last March but due to bad weather the meeting was cancelled.

Members and friends were very disappointed, so we hope to have a good turnout for this most interesting topic, as all gardens need bees.

In April, we hope that the meeting will be a very colourful display for the Mini Bulb Show. There are many classes to enter in this fun show – bulbs in and out of pots, very clever floral art arrangements, and usually some very stately Amaryllis. The display will be judged

by Mr. Simon McPhun who will enlighten us

9

on Freelance Gardening.

In May we have our Open Night when everyone relaxes over a glass of wine and nibbles.

We are planning a special evening but are keeping it as a surprise just now. Keep an eye on the village notice boards for further news. June 11th will see us hard at work on the Green selling plants of all descriptions.

We hope you will be able to share any surplus plants you may have and find some exciting new ones to buy. We would also appreciate any home baking to boost our sales. All these fund raising events allow us to stage our annual show, and to add to the attractions of the village for locals and visitors.

The Annual Show, which this year is our 135th, will take place on 20th and 21st August as usual and now is the time for all local gardeners to study the seed catalogues or visit garden centres to plan their entries. We welcome all new members and will give help or advice to anyone wishing to exhibit. This

8

Local Group News SWRI Ballater

by Frances Johnstone The SWRI meeting on 17th November was well attended, with a team of ladies, Mary Munro, Anne Richardson, Veronica Houston and Betty Wilson giving a demonstration on “Variations on a Theme”, as they had done when representing Ballater at Inverurie. The speaker for the evening was Heather Morrison of the Forget-me Not Club, who gave a very thorough and varied account of how the club had started, the good work which is undertaken, and how it is now run.

Sadly, our Christmas meal at the Glenaden Hotel in December had to be cancelled twice because of the stormy weather, but it will be held at a later date – maybe mid-summer!

On 19th January, eleven ladies were invited by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay to

a very pleasant evening drinks reception at Birkhall. It is now a few years since the Duchess was made an honorary member of Ballater WRI. Unfortunately, the invitation was for the same evening as our January meeting, and we are very grateful to the ladies who held the fort and enjoyed an illustrated talk by Dr. Mike Stephen on the Halambu Project in Nepal.

Weather permitting, the annual Deeside Industrial and Bulb Show will be held in the Victoria Hall on Saturday 12th March. Teas and home baking will be provided in the Mike Sheridan Room from 2.00pm to 4.00pm, where there will also be raffles and a sales table. All are welcome.

Upper Deeside Music

by Jane Angus

This was to be a year in which there would be no deferred concerts but some lovely surprises with old friends if the weather held – probably at short notice. Of course, so far we have just had some surprises.

We still hope to hear Philip Highman with his eighteenth century cello and Simon Lane on the piano in Darroch Learg, but the difficulties in reaching airports in December soon after Mr Highman did so well in the Potsdam cello competition, meant trying for his tour again, probably at the end of next February. Instead we hope for the very young cello entry in an informal meeting at Craig Megan to allow us to share in their musicmaking together under Jamie Barclay.

T h e Pi a t t i Q u a r t e t c o m e t o S t .

Kentigern’s on March 20th at 4.30 p.m. to play Haydn’s Op. 776, the ‘Emperor’, Quartet ; the Debussy Quartet and the Beethoven Op.59, No 2.. This British-Irish quartet studied at the Royal College of Music in London together, and have travelled extensively besides founding their own Festival in Kingsland in

‘Shaken to the Corps’

53

by Arthur Chisnall So the war years passed and slowly the evacuees and other foreigners gradually drifted back to their previous lives. A few however had become so fond of the village that they decided to stay on and put down their roots.

One cold ‘dreich’ November day, a few months after the hostilities were all over, ‘Wee Chis’ sat nervously at a brown-varnished table chewing on the end of a pencil, his eyes downcast. In the background the muted roar of the late morning Woolmanhill traffic was the only sound in the bleak and cheerless Army Recruiting Office. Not quite the way I would have preferred to spend my fourteenth birthday he mused, but then this was an event he had long been waiting for and he only had one real worry and that was the dreaded medical examination, for he was sure his eyesight would let him down. His mother had caught him enough times under the bedclothes reading the ‘Hotspur’ and the ‘Adventure’ by torchlight into the ‘wee sma’ hoors’ and she’d warned him enough times that reading with such a poor light, was a sure way to ruin his eyes.

It was the harsh scrape of a chair on the brown polished linoleum floor of the office next door that broke into his reverie and a moment later, the door opened. The same portly officer who had welcomed him half an hour earlier and set him the Maths test, which he now had before him, said, not unkindly, ‘Well young Chisnall, looks like you’re a wee bit stuck eh!

Ach well, don’t worry son, you’ve got another two hours to go yet and I don’t mind giving you a wee nudge in the right direction, if that will get you going.’ ‘Wee Chis’ squirmed uncomfortably on the hard seat, ner ves making his throat dry, ‘Eh no thank you Sir,’

he managed at last, ‘I’ve finished all that you gave me to do.’

A loud snort greeted this statement and a red flush started at the collar of the Major’s shirt and continued upwards past his large handlebar moustache to where his eyes fairly bulged with astonishment. Although quite fascinated by this sight, ‘Wee Chis’ felt obliged to concentrate on the shiny brown linoleum floor. ‘Now see here my lad,’ the Major roared, ‘I thought you were keen to join up? Well let me tell you something laddie, this is the Army Third Class Certificate of Education you are sitting, which by the way, qualifies you for promotion all the way up to Sergeant in the Man’s Army. There is no way anyone can complete that Maths paper and get a pass mark in thirty minutes, you’ll really have to try

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54

harder you know.’ ‘Wee Chis’ raised his head, the injustice of it finally giving him courage.

‘But Sir,’ he said, ‘I really have finished,’ and he slid the papers across the table towards the disbelieving Officer. ‘I see,’ that worthy said, ‘it’s wasting the Kings time is it laddie, well don’t say you weren’t warned, you’ve had your chance with the sums, so now get stuck into one of these essays.’

Grabbing the Maths papers, he flung another question paper on the table and went storming angrily back into his office, giving the door a good slam. There was then a long period of silence, during which ‘Wee Chis’ scribbled furiously.

Sometime later the outside door of the office opened and his father eased quietly into the room. With a big wink, he gestured to him to carry on, and sat down quietly in a corner to read his Press and Journal. Shortly afterwards

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his son laid his pencil down with a sigh, his fingers aching from the continual writing and turning to his father said, ‘Well that’s it Dad, I can’t do any more.’ They chatted away for a while and he related the argument that had taken place with the recruiting officer regarding the Maths paper, as a result of which, he was a little worried that it would get savaged during the marking. ‘I don’t know what all the fuss was about Dad,’ he said, ‘as the sums were dead easy and about the same standard we used to get in the First Year at school.’

At that moment, the inner office door opened and the recruiting officer returned once more, this time he appeared to be in a much better frame of mind and if anything, his face was more florid than before. Ignoring ‘Wee Chis’ for the moment, he spoke directly to his father. ‘Well Mr Chisnall, I really don’t know what to make of all this, here was I accusing young feller m’ lad here of being idle and not trying, when all the time he was telling the truth and really had finished his Maths paper in record time. This is the first time in twenty years that I’ve ever known anyone achieve a hundred percent in this particular test and to think it only took him less than thirty minutes.’

Then turning to ‘Wee Chis’, he said.’ Well now, how did you get on with the English paper young man, finished that too I see?

Mr Chisnall, if you would like to take young Einstein along to the hospital next door for his medical, I’ll just see what our educators make of this and I’ll see you again shortly.’

Auld Chis fairly beamed with pride and taking his bemused son by the arm he made for the door. ‘Wee Chis’ felt like he was walking on air and the visit to the medical board passed off without a hitch. No comment was made about his eyesight and all that he could remember, was that he weighed ninety-eight pounds and was five foot one and three eighths

Keep in touch with a Subscription UK: £8.00 EC: £10.00 Overseas: £14.00 For the rates above, four issues will be posted.

A subscription can be a very welcome gift to farflung friends and relatives.

Simply provide the name & address to whom the issues should be sent, with a cheque or postal order for ‘Ballater Eagle’ for the relevant amount and drop off your request to the Library. Betty, our Subscriptions person will do the rest. Easy!

Ways to contact the Eagle:

Hand in to the Library  Post to Ballater Eagle, c/o Ballater Library, Ballater, AB35 5QB

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Contributions of any kind on PC disc (Word format) always welcome.

How to contact our Representatives:

7

Scottish Parliament: Mike Rumbles MSP Tel: 01330 820268 Fax: 01330 820106 e-mail: Mike.Rumbles.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Westminster: Sir Robert Smith MP Tel: 01330 820330, Fax: 01330 820338, e-mail: robert.smith.mp@parliament.uk Aberdeenshire Council: Peter Argyle: Tel: 013398 81180 e-mail: cllr.p.argyle@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Rosemary Bruce: Tel: 013398 89318 e-mail: cllr.r.bruce@aberdeenshire.gov.uk Marcus Humphrey: Tel: 013398 85332 email: cllr.m.humphrey@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Cairngorms National Park: Geva Blackett email: geva.blackett@btconnect.com

Eagle Who’s Who & Where

Editor: Ian Hay  55941 Treasurer: Dr. Sheila Sedgwick  55292 Secretary: Betty Wilson  55791 Advertising Manager: Faye Swan  55345 Distribution: Andy and Julie Bloor Diary Secretary & Typing: Cat Houston  55243 Design: Ollie Ross  42300, Stella Potter  55969 & Karen Major  55026 Email us at: ballater.eagle@btopenworld.com Eagle Online by Tom Potter: www.ballaterscotland.com/eagle

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

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Letter from our Editor

aking s are t any e g n a s for m and ch rR Dea ange, hie, who ha that it is h c f o e ic d is a tim decide tion sabel M Spring the Eagle. I cretar y, has e new genera the er and at ith la Pott und Se l f th o w e o y t o r t d r S a e e e i v h b c l gro vo wit em eD pla een th off the been in s l, along n to a m years b ass the bato . Isabel has instrumenta infant Eagle ms or article p m s s e t e a a u i o e t h o w t l y T l time Eagle est days, and s for getting typed up an as a mar ve for e h t n i i d l fun ered with nce its ear also nised s g orga raising ememb si c. She Eagle acIntosh, in omputers et rhaps best r sco was bein r instruction i e c e he John M purchasing pt. She is p l when any D ted to defy mour will b u p s i e r r h e r o m c c r f e i s and manu or at the Ba ber, ever att usiasm and for her ser v n i d h e o t o r v d s recei n the , drunk or ses! Her en thanks he cer ” o i e ber, “boun nds. No on in the prem nd the Team nt”.

Decem ok f o a e u h f t , s m i s e a Eagl ehaviour w le meeting xing “retire the traum Now we lo b Eag ter. om rela later about sed at wish her a recovered fr es with win ning in Bal us s i m y l e vario great happ n, and at com e has ly give , the villag s and all th ne. Much is ly sought by isers as e e r f o s pipe ager nshi rgan while Mean now, frozen and some su munity is e se give the o mmunity. s m a s Ple eep e co ime our co y with d to warmer t upport of th the village. g hard for y n Ha n in s d i r k a s r e a e I o h i w t t w i r l e d fo ci they ar ent, an rove fa at pres r ying to imp ossibly can – t p bodies pport as you u much s ,

ers ead

By Popular Demand!

Ballater Library opening Hours:

Sunday & Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:

Closed 10am-1pm, 6.30pm-8pm Closed 2pm-4pm, 6.30pm-8pm 2pm-5pm 10am-12noon

of an inch tall.

They soon arrived back at the Recruiting Centre, where the now friendly Major informed them that he had achieved ninety eight percent for his English essay. He was then asked to take the Bible in his right hand and in a moment of great solemnity was duly sworn in as a member of the Armed Forces.

‘Well young Arthur,’ the Major said,’ you are now a soldier, but bear in mind one thing,’ and ‘Wee Chis’ failed to notice the sly wink that passed between him and his father, ‘not only can you be done by the civilian police if you do anything wrong, but you are now subject to military law and the Army can therefore do you as well. Sorry you don’t get given the Kings shilling anymore, but that has been done away with.’

It was then that the recruiting officer made his second ‘faux pas’ of the day, for turning to ‘Auld Chis’ he said, ‘You know Mr Chisnall, there is no doubt such an education as we have seen demonstrated here today will be wasted in the Service Corps, I’m sure your son here would have no difficulty achieving a much more worthwhile career in one of our ‘line’ regiments. What do you say to that?’

For a brief moment ‘Wee Chis’ felt sure the floor had moved. A slow growl started in his father’s chest that finally emerged in a great splutter of rage. ‘What!’ he bellowed.

‘Wasted! Wasted in the ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS,’ that Sir is absolute nonsense; the ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS has a tradition and record equal to any of your line regiments. Like our father before us, both myself and my brother also served for twenty eight years apiece in that particular Corps and what was good for us, is certainly good enough for any son of mine.

No Sir,’ he roared, ‘THE ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS it is or nothing.’ Each

55

time his father said the name of his old Corps it rolled off his tongue with great emphasis and in a tone worthy of his days as a Regimental Sergeant Major. It was for his family a proud title and ‘Wee Chis’ knew that the shortening of it, as the Major had done, was in his father’s eyes, a mark of disrespect.

In those days, many regiments still had to earn the title of ROYAL and as he stood there listening to the exchange he suddenly recalled the acronym ‘CLAP’ that he had been taught in the old territorial hut by his Army Cadet instructors. This was used to remind them that when giving an order it had to be given Clearly, Loudly, As an order and with Pauses and that was just how his father had rattled his words out.

Stony faced, the recruiting officer seemed to wilt under this verbal onslaught and for a moment ‘Wee Chis’ wondered if he should

56

remind his father that there was also his brother ‘Big Chis’ to be considered, for he was at that very moment upholding the family honour in the heart of the Corps at Buller Barracks in Aldershot, but it seemed that the Major had had enough for one day.

Being embarrassed by a fourteen-year-old laddie was bad enough, but to be lectured by an ex Sgt Major was altogether too much for his pride. With a tight smile he shook their hands and wished them well as they took their leave. He had been well and truly ‘Shaken to the Corps’, as Auld Chis reflected dryly with a grin later on that day as they ate their pie and chips in the Market Café off Union Street, before catching the Strachan’s bus for the long journey home.

He was greatly relieved that the testing was over and was happy in the knowledge that for

that day at least, he had been thoroughly tested in mind and body and found fit and able to be a soldier. On the bus journey home and as he thought back over the solemn oath he had made that day to Almighty God, that he would protect his King, in crown, dignity and honour and bear allegiance to him and to the officers and generals set over him, he concluded that whether he liked it or not, this also included a certain recruiting officer!

Up to that stage in his life, he was quite unaware just how exceptional a Ballater School education was. The entrance exam he had just sat however, had given him the first inkling how fortunate he had been and on ‘Boy Service’ he was soon to find out how, initially, it placed him way ahead of his rivals. But how was he now going to tell the headmaster and ‘Auld Gilly’ that he would not now be going on to Banchory?

Brian Smith Funeral Services Ltd

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...so you know What’s Going On Sat 23 Mon 25

Wed 27

Fri 29

5

Run Balmoral, free entry to castle grounds for spectators Easter Monday Ballater Post Office CLOSED Parent Council meeting, Ballater School, 7pm Second Chancers Cancer Support Group upstairs, Ballater Golf Club, 4pm CLAN Carers Group, VSA Carers’ Centre, Unit 9, Aboyne Business Centre, 7.30pm Royal Wedding Public Holiday Ballater Post Office CLOSED Ballater Library CLOSED Sat 30 Hall Fundraiser - Silent Auction, Victoria Hall, 7.30pm

May

Mon 2 Bank Holiday Ballater Post Office CLOSED

Summer Eagle copy date Ballater School in service day Tue 3 Ballater School in service day Wed 4 Ballater Business Association meeting, Glen Lui Hotel, 7.30pm Mon 9 Deeside Carers Support Group meeting, The Huntly Arms, Aboyne, 11am

Ballater and Crathie Community Council, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm

BRHS Open Evening, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm Tue 10 CLAN Walking Group meets at CLAN Centre 1.30pm Sat 14 Tartan Trek for CLAN in the Community on the Balmoral Estate Sat 14-Fri 20 Royal Deeside Golf Week, Ballater Golf Club www.ballatergolfclub.co.uk Thur 19 BRHS Floral Art: Judith Lorimer from Aberdeen, Mike Sheridan

Room, 7.30pm

Sat 21-Fri 27 Ballater Walking Festival, varied programme, details 55467

Wed 25 Second Chancers Cancer Support Group upstairs, Ballater Golf

Club, 4pm

CLAN Carers Group, VSA Carers’ Centre, Unit 9, Aboyne Business

Centre, 7.30pm Wed 1

June

Ballater Business Association meeting, Glen Lui Hotel, 7.30pm

Are Your Dates Here?

For inclusion in this FREE section of the Eagle, please contact Cat Houston  55243, 07968 941359 (texts welcome) or catrionahouston@yahoo.co.uk .

4

Eagle Eyes...

“Bovaglie”

by Mary Munro

Fowk sing o’ the Cammas, leaf-green come the Spring,

March

Sat 12 Mon 14 Wed 16

Thu 24

Mon 28 Wed 30

SWRI Upper Deeside Industrial and Bulb Show, Victoria Hall, 2-4pm Ballater and Crathie Community Council, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm SWRI Open Evening and Sales Table. Talk by Stewart Millar, Albert Hall, 7.30pm Family Games Night, Ballater School, £1.00 entry (includes refreshments), 7-9pm Ballater Running Club, Monaltrie Park, 6.30pm, see Pg 23 New CLAN Carers Group. Inaugural meeting at the VSA Carers’ Centre, Unit 9, Aboyne Business Centre, 7.30pm Second Chancers Cancer Support Group upstairs, Ballater Golf Club, 4pm Ballater Running Club, Monaltrie Park, 6.30pm, see Pg 23 Ballater History Group Mike Sheridan Room 7.30pm

Fri 1 Mon 4

Wed 6 Sat 9

Mon 11

Tue 12 Mon 18 Wed 20

Thu 21

Fri 22

Ballater School term ends BRHS Talk: Freelance Gardening by Simon McPhun, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm Deeside Carers Support Group meeting, The Auld Kirk, Ballater, 11am Ballater Business Association meeting, Glen Lui Hotel, 7.30pm Ballater Bike Bash – Cyclehighlands, 10am, www.cyclehighlands.com Coffee Morning at Royal Lochnagar Distillery, Crathie, in aid of The Anchor Unit, Aberdeen, and CLAN Upper Deeside, 10.30am-12.30pm Ballater and Crathie Community Council, Mike Sheridan Room, 7pm CLAN Walking Group meets at CLAN Centre. 1.30pm Ballater School term starts SWRI Business meeting conducted by Leochel Cushnie SWRI, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm BRHS Floral Art: Gleneagles florist John McDonald, Mike Sheridan Room, 7.30pm Easter Bingo and Raffle, Ballater School, doors 7pm to start 7.30pm Good Friday Ballater Library CLOSED

April

Or Darroch’s great oaks in bricht Autumn goons.

The bards heap praises on Morven’s deep snaws, Bit o’ Bovaglie’s wild beauty fain would I sing.

There’s mony a glen as bonny and fair; Dee’s silvery threed spun lang o’er the lan; Heather bells dry-reeshlin o’er wine-reed meers; Still an on, I lang for Bovaglie’s hill air.

Happit and snod in a pine-green plaid, Bovaglie cries on me thro’ the mists o’ the Glen.

Syne a yearnin comes on me tae flee hine awa Tae see Lochnagar’s shaddas dwinle an fade.

I’d sit by yon auld hoose, look o’er the braid meer, Tae Lochnagar’s glowerin auld face; Jist mile aifter mile o’ peat –heather grun, Hill upon hill stretchin quaet, far an near.

Fan the hert is sair laden, a body seeks rest, Find the balm at Bovaglie’s lost “toun”, Soothin yer sowl an gaitherin yer thochts As the saft evening-lowe dwines in the West.

A Voice from the Past

57

by Betty Wilson

A number of older Ballater natives will remember Paddy Porter and his daughter, Joan. Sadly, Joan died in May 2010, but her husband, Mr. E. J. Bye has written to the Eagle recalling happy memories of their life together.

Joan spent the first 40 years of her life in Ballater, working for the Bank of Scotland both here and in Tarland. In 1965, she met Mr. Bye in Venice at the start of a coach touring holiday to Istanbul. Both were travelling alone, and Fate played a hand in uniting them, as he was English and living in Essex at the time. To cut a long story short, they fell in love, were married in Scotland in the following year, and enjoyed 44 wonderful years together.

Joan has been a postal subscriber to the Eagle from her home in Sussex since its beginning. It seems that her husband fell in love with Scotland also, for he has decided to continue the subscription, and wishes the Eagle good fortune for the future. In turn, the Eagle Team sends condolences to him and hopes he will enjoy good health and peace in the years to come.

Firewood

Sae, sing ye lang o’ Bovaglie’s steep braes, Hine awa fae the soss an dule o’ mankind.

Thon’s a place gars yer hert wing like a bird, Soarin free as the eagle on saft simmer days.

Tel: 013397 55997 Mobile: 07821 746756

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3

Inside Your Spring Eagle: Kettle on, feet up? Its the spring edition of the Eagle

Diary Here at ‘The Eagle’ we are all hoping for much more of what the eagle is enjoying this spring!

The dates you need:

4-5

HorsebackUK

An inspirational article helping our heroes 26

Ballater School

The latest activities and news:

The Crathie Pages Groups, School and more:

30 33

Tiny and cute, are they cat fairies?

2nd in the series with a glimpse back in time:

Healing Waters?

More than just H2O:

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

Time for a spring clean?

STATION Popular Informal Restaurant in the Old Royal Station

Open daily from 10am Station Square, Ballater AB35 5PB Telephone 013397 55050

Shaken to the Corps Part 7 of this series:

Contact us:

All the ways YOU can contribute:

Ballater Business Association: 10 Ballater Enhancement Group: 12 Ballater Floral Art Group: 11

Ballater (RD) Ltd: 13 Ballater Royal Horticultural Society: 9

36

Ballater Running Club: 23 Churches: 10

Halls Minutes Extract

Pottering About

Ballater Boules: 24

Ballater Judo Club: 24

Munchkin Cats

Work to protect our favourite squirrels:

Local Groups:

39

Community Council: 15 Deeside & Donside Development Project: 21

49

Halls Committee: 18 Homestart Deeside: 17 Royal Deeside and Cairngorms DMO: 20

44 51 53

SWRI: 8 Upper Deeside Art Society: 10 Upper Deeside Music: 8 9Zero Freewheelers: 25

3

Advertising: Full page: £60; Half page: £30; Quarter page: £20; Eighth page: £10 Book and pay for 4 issues: series discount of 10% - copy can be changed each issue

Donations:

Donations are gratefully received, and acknowledged. You can also put money into our tins in the Library or Yules Newsagents.

The McEwan Gallery New Paintings by

Stuart Luke Gatherer

Halo - Oil on canvas Ballater (200 metres off A93) AB35 5UB Tel: 013397 55429 E: dot@mcewangallery.com www.mcewangallery.com

H.P.S. (Aberdeen) Ltd Integrated Building / Landscaping Services and Supplies Chanaich Lodge Provost Craig Road Ballater Aberdeenshire AB35 5NN

Tel: 01339 756336 Fax: 01339 755893 Mobiles: 07710 469563 07850 653160

Managing Director Peter Henderson Email: peter.hps@btconnect.com

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The Transfer Chair

- read about this generous donation on Page 18

Showing us how its done - Donna Leslie and

Ballater & crathie Community magazine no. 61 spring 2011

Bridget McAllister after completing the Run Balmoral 10K 2010. See page 23 to see what you could do.

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.

Chinese Proverb

The Presentation Trowel - see it in the Mike Sheridan Room, and read about it on Page 42

First a howling blizzard woke us, Then the rain came down to soak us, And now before the eye can focus Crocus.

Lilja Rogers The Ballater & Crathie Eagle is made possible by:

“Awards for All� Lottery funding, Advertising, Donations, and Fundraising.

Thank You. We deliver FREE to inner village households, and thanks to Yules for delivering some outlying areas with their orders.

Spring Crocuses By Ian Cameron

Boules - The delighted winners of the New Year Quaich, Peter and Jenny Henry (on the right). Read about their victory on Page 24