A £4.2 million redevelopment scheme which restored Ballater's fire-damaged Old Royal Station has been shortlisted for an industry accolade.

The B-listed station was destroyed by fire in May 2015, before being restored and unveiled in August 2018.

Old Royal Station will compete in the National Rail Heritage Awards after judges described it as "an outstanding project in which all concerned can take great pride". 
The award ceremony will take place in the Merchant Taylors' Hall in London on 04 December.


Judges who visited the station this summer said the reconstruction of the building was "most praiseworthy" and singled out the council's determination to see the works completed to a high level. 




They also singled out the renovation of the Royal waiting room – now used as a private dining room – as a "jewel in the crown" and an "astonishing display of craftsmanship" which could easily have merited its own entry for an award. 
Following the devastating blaze ripped through the building in May 2015, officers quickly committed to the restoration of the structure, working with partners including Historic Environment Scotland and the Royal Household.

Architects Halliday Fraser Munro undertook the design work to faithfully restore the station and worked with main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction who used 3D laser scanning and modelling to capture the exact size and proportions of timber mouldings and fretwork allowing any new timbers to be as accurate as possible and reduce waste.

A key focus of the repair and conservation work was to retain and utilise as much of the original fabric as possible.
The initial project was expected to be completed in late 2017, however some funding sources did not come to fruition and revised reports were approved by councillors which resulted in a delay to the opening, as well as an increase in the overall cost.

(CM/JG)