First glimpse inside Ballater’s new look Rothesay Rooms

Award-winning Royal Deeside restaurant Rothesay Rooms, which is run by The Prince’s Foundation, is set to reopen to the public today (Friday 21 May) in its new home of Ballater station.

Rothesay Rooms was first established as a pop-up eating destination by Prince Charles, to drive tourism and employment to the area following flooding and fire in the village in 2015.

After the station was destroyed by fire, The Prince’s Foundation undertook an extensive restoration and renovation project, with support from Royal Lochnagar. It has brought jobs and visitors to Ballater, with its burgeoning reputation rubber-stamped by several awards, and inclusion in the Michelin Guide for the past four years.

Executive chef Ross Cochrane has been busy preparing a new menu ahead of the reopening

The renowned destination eaterie is led by celebrated north-east chef Ross Cochrane, with all profits generated from the restaurant ploughed back into The Prince’s Foundation, of which HRH is President, to support its charitable work.

Executive chef Ross said: ‘We are very much looking forward to starting the next chapter in the Rothesay Rooms success story in the beautiful surroundings of the historic Ballater Station.

‘Ahead of our reopening, our award-winning kitchen team has been busy curating a new Spring/Summer menu full of creative dishes made from the finest local produce for our guests to enjoy. We really can’t wait to welcome them back.’

The Prince’s Foundation provides holistic solutions to challenges facing the world today. It champions a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our communities, runs a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds, and regenerates and cares for places where communities thrive and that visitors enjoy.

The charity works nationally and internationally but at the heart of the organisation is the heritage-led regeneration of the Dumfries House estate and its wider community, where its principles and philosophies are explored and put into practice.

Prior to the establishment of the restaurant, The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation made a donation in 2016 towards the community effort to restore Ballater Caravan Site following the flooding.

Rothesay Rooms will be open for lunch service on Fridays (noon-2pm), Saturdays (noon-2pm) and Sundays (noon-3pm), and for dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays (6-9pm).

To book a table, visit https://tinyurl.com/RRbookings

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