Ballater is a delightful 'Victorian' town in the centre of Royal Deeside some 40 miles west of Aberdeen. Originally founded at the start of the 19th century to accommodate visitors to the nearby Pannanich Wells spa, it subsequently became the site for the railway station that serviced nearby Balmoral Castle and Upper Deeside. For about 100 years this station was used by the Royal Family and their guests and by thousands of holiday makers from Aberdeen and elsewhere coming to enjoy the delightful surroundings. The station is now a popular visitor centre.