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Ten miles west of Aboyne is the neat and ordered town of BALLATER , attractively hemmed in by the river and fir-covered mountains. It was in Ballater that Queen Victoria first arrived in Deeside by train from Aberdeen back in 1848; she wouldn't allow a station to be built any closer to Balmoral, eight miles further west. Although the line has long been closed, the town's rather self-important royalism is much in evidence at the restored train station in the centre of town (same hours as the tourist office), where various video presentations and life-sized models relive the comings and goings of generations of royals. The local shops, having provided Balmoral with groceries and household basics, also flaunt their connections, with oversized 'By Appointment' crests sported above the doorways of most businesses from the butcher to the newsagent.

If you prefer to discover the fresh air and natural beauty that Victoria came to love so much, Ballater is an excellent base for local walks and outdoor activities . There are numerous hikes from Loch Muik (pronounced "mick"), nine miles southwest of town, including the Capel Mounth drovers' route over the mountains to Glen Doll, and a well-worn but strenuous all-day trek up and around Lochnagar (3789ft), the mountain much painted and written about by the current Prince of Wales. The starting point for all these walks is the Balmoral Rangers' visitors' centre , on the shores of the loch (call 013397/55059 for opening hours), which also offers a series of free guided nature walks. Good-quality bikes can be rented from Wheels and Reels (tel 013397/55864) at 2 Braemar Rd, just over the railway bridge from Station Square.