Relocation of royal carriage signals start of station work

Heritage: Replica had to be moved as repairs start at fire-ravaged building

A Deeside village square was locked down yesterday as work on the site of a firehit former royal station got under way.

Aberdeenshire Council closed Ballater’s Station Square and brought in a crane in order to move a replica of Queen Victoria’s carriage.

The car park was out of use yesterday morning whilst the operation took place.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) approved the council’s planing application to reinstate the building in September last year.

Though work is yet to start on the rebuilding project, the moving of the carriage will allow the next phase of work to take place.

The station, which housed a museum, restaurant and tourist information centre, was devastated when the fire broke out on May 12, 2015.

More than 50 firefighters battled the blaze for six hours, and although they could not salvage much of the wooden building, they miraculously managed to save the royal carriage and part of the royal waiting room. The carriage is a duplicate of the one used by Queen Victoria on her trips to nearby Balmoral.

An Aberdeenshire Council spokeswoman said: “The carriage is only being moved a few metres to the side of the building to allow the rebuild work to commence.

“It will be boxed in and remain at this location until it is reinstated into the new station building.”

The local authority has committed to a £3million redevelopment of the site, transforming it into a community facility and square.

Photographs: Colin Rennie LIFT OFF: A crane moves the replica of Queen Victoria’s carriage at fire-hit Ballater Railway Station.