THE restoration of Ballater Old Royal Station in Aberdeenshire has been completed and handed over to the client for fit out works.
Moran Sindall was appointed to the multi-million pound project through Aberdeenshire Council’s Main Contractor Framework after the original station was almost destroyed in a fire in 2015.
Located near Balmoral Castle, the listed building was historically used by the Royal Family during visits to the area and ceased operations in 1966. It has been leased to Scotland’s national tourism agency, VisitScotland, for the last 15 years, during which time it has been used as a tourist information centre and museum.
The building’s principal elevations have now been reinstated, matching the original Victorian architecture, including a restoration of Queen Victoria’s waiting room. A new library and larger exhibition space have also been added to a visitor information centre and restaurant.
Stuart Parker, managing director of Morgan Sindall in Scotland said, “This was a highly complex project that required attention to detail and specialist skills in order to bring the building back to life following the fire while maintaining the original heritage features.
“Our team has worked very closely with Aberdeenshire Council, Historic Scotland and Cairngorm National Parks to ensure the accuracy of all of the external detailing, some of which had to be hand carved on site.
“We’re thrilled to see the station restored to its former glory and look forward to it continuing its function as a stronghold of the area’s cultural history and tourism industry for many years to come.”
The building is expected to reopen to the public in the summer.
