Restaurant & Bar at Balmoral Arms in Ballater

Sample the true taste of Scotland. Seasonal produce from the Cairngorms, working with local gamekeepers, farms and growers.

After a day on the hills, head to The Ghillies Bar for ales from the area before hearty dishes. Or sit back in 1852 to sample the flavours of the local larder.

Then snuggle up on the sofa by the roaring fire and traditional music with our range of over 100 Scottish malt whiskies and gins.

The Ghillies Bar

One person who knows the ever-changing landscape of the hills, how the river bed lies through the months and where the wildlife is, better than most, is the ghillie.

Kick-off muddy boots and mix with the locals in The Ghillies Bar. A popular venue with live music and traditional Scottish suppers created with local delights and game, sourced from the surrounding areas.

Sample salmon, home-cured in Pinewood Conservation Gin, to a slow-cooked game hot pot to classic burgers and gourmet flatbreads.

The dog-friendly Ghillies Bar is a welcome paw stop for adventure dogs and their owners.

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The "1852" Restaurant

'1852' marks the year that Balmoral Castle was purchased by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, having fallen in love with the estate many years before. The castle has been the Scottish home to the Royal Family ever since.

Lamb Shank at 1852 Restaurant in Ballater

Sit back and relax in 1852, where simple cooking and rich flavours come together to give a true taste of the Cairngorms.

The perfect place to enjoy a taste of the Cairngorms, with fresh produce from the surrounding hills and lochs. Begin with a wee taster of Balmoral Chicken before Pan Seared Scottish Salmon or a Signature Pie of the Day.

Our menu changes regularly to reflect specials created by the seasons and larder of Aberdeenshire.

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Tipping Our Team

Most of our guests now prefer to pay via debit or credit card and be able to include a service charge for great service. To make this easier we have added an automatic service charge - we’ve made it a default 10% which you can change to any percentage you wish, including no service charge.

Our teams have always shared service charges and this is no different - every penny you give is shared equally by our teams through our “Fair Fund”. There is no administration cost and nothing is retained by the company, 100% of what you give is guaranteed to go to our team.

Service charge is entirely optional, if you would like us to remove it, you need only ask.

To book a table, please call or get in touch.

Mark Tollet

"We chose the Balmoral Arms to eat on numerous occasions because they have great staff, good food as well as a lovely calm atmosphere. Furthermore we want to give special praise to Chef Gary who was nothing less than outstanding in every way. We advised him we had one Vegan in our group of 4 and he went out of his way to make suggestions as to what he could do for our Vegan colleague. The food was sensational. Thank you Gary we will always be grateful to you for your kindness and understanding."

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