Posts for August, 2025

Ballater Golf Club are delighted to welcome Shamrackle on Saturday 27th September!

Tickets now available and include a basket supper. Call 01339755567 to book a table.

The DoonThaBrae Enduro Series is back for 2025!


Here it is the final showdown of the Tartan Enduro Series! We’ll be wrapping up the epic season with Round 4 at Bike Glenlivet on 14th September!

Glenlivet Mountain Bike Trail Centre is the perfect place to end the series in style, with stunning scenery, variety of trails and seemingly endless improvements to the trail centre. Expect a party atmosphere to celebrate an incredible season of grassroots Enduro and crowning our series winners! With Laggan, Aboyne, and Tarland, it will all comes down to this. Who will take the top step? Who’s just here for the good times? Either way, you don’t want to miss this one!


Save the Dates: 2025

• Round #1 – 18th May

• Round #2 – 29th June

• Round #3 – 17th August

• Round #4 – 14th September


What to Expect:

•Thrilling Trails: Explore the diverse and challenging terrains that Scotland has to offer. From technical descents to smile inducing flow trail, each stage promises an unforgettable ride.

•Unmatched Scenery: Immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes of Scotland. Picture-perfect vistas will be your backdrop as you navigate through the course.

•Friendly Competitive Spirit: Test your skills against some of the best riders in the country. The DoonThaBrae Enduro Series is not just racing though; it’s a celebration of passion, sportsmanship, and camaraderie and a great day out.


Spread the Word:

Share this announcement with your fellow riders, friends, and family. Let’s make the DoonThaBrae Enduro Series 2025 a series to remember!

Join us for a full day of workshops designed to restore balance, improve body awareness and connect with natural movement.

9-10.30am: Restore Foot Function, Play & Balance with Louise of Foot Forte Podiatry and Nathan of Play with Strength. Discover how to build stronger, healthier feet with playful movement and balance drills. Suitable for all abilities and ages.

11-12.20pm: Holistic Approach to Dog Training & Communication with Jalen of Paw Prides. Learn techniques that deepen trust with your dog and build an understanding of how they express themselves. Ideal for both new and experienced dog owners. Dogs welcome to join if they are comfortable in a group environment.

1.30-3pm: Explore Body Awareness, Breath & Movement Flow with Nathan. Experience rope flow for coordination, rhythm and mindful movement. Suitable for all abilities. Ropes provided on the day.

3.30-4pm: Shoes optional stroll. Finish the day with a relaxed walk in nature, connecting with each other & to integrate all that you’ve learned.


Follow booking link & click on group sessions tab to see booking options.

The 2025 theme is: Highland Games

Categories:

Cut Flowers: From your garden or picked while out walking. Any size,
Colour, or variety. Display in a vessel of your choice (vases, teapots, baskets,
jars, milk bottles etc).

Floral Art Displays: Express your artistic vision by creating a floral
masterpiece that represents the Highland Games.

Plants in Pots/Planters/Hanging Baskets: Pot plants, planters or hanging
baskets.

Fruit & Vegetables: Show off your home-grown delights, perfect or wonky.
Any variety, large or small, in baskets, boxes, or on their own. just ensure
they are home-grown and clean.

Crafts (Needlework and Handiwork): Anything you have created, or made
jointly as a group. Knitting, crochet, paintings, models, painted stones etc.

Home Produce: Jams, chutneys, wine, honey, home bakes. Anything
homemade. Produce will be judged at the start of the festival.

Children’s Competition: Let your creativity bloom! Create and submit your
own model inspired by the Highland Games.

These categories will be judged by the public (excluding Home Produce which will be judged by nominated individual). The winner of each category will receive a £20 cash prize.

Special features:

Floral Art Group Display: stunning Highland Games showcase exhibited down the middle of the hall.
Children’s Craft Groups: Held during the holidays to encourage children’s participation.

Photographic Slideshow: showcasing photos of the local area based on our festival theme you would
If you would like to participate, please send your photos to ballaterhorticulturalsoc@outlook.com. Selected photos will be featured in a slideshow that will be displayed throughout the festival weekend.

Open to Everyone!

Free entry in as many categories as you wish.

Fun for all ages.

For more details and to contact us􀀏 visit our Facebook page
Facebook.com/ballaterroyalhorticulturalsociety

Exhibits can be dropped off at the Victoria Hall on
Friday August 15th from 5-8pm and Saturday 16th from 8-9:30am

Sunday 17th: Voting closes 2 PM, Winners announced 3 PM, Raffle drawn 3:30 PM
We look forward to seeing you this summer at the Victoria Hall.

Join us for the fun of it!

Join me for a creative workshop where we will explore different printing techniques using screen printing, LEGO printing, nature and recycling.

July 28th – Screen print with Lego dots to create your own unique prints
July 29th – Be inspired by nature and print using found objects outdoors or simply take inspiration from colours and shapes outdoors to screen print adventure patches
July 30th – Bring along some of your recycling and get creative making patterns, shapes and print a wooden wall tile
July 31st – Bring along your own T-shirt and design and screen print your own unique design

Classes run from 9am – 3pm (bring your own lunch) and cost £38 per day per child or book all four days in advance for £140
Suitable for children age 8 – 16

Entries will open approximately 6 weeks prior to the race ie late June.

The Glenshee 9 hill race is a 19 mile/5,500ft run across the 9 Munro’s bordering Glenshee Ski Centre in the East Highlands.

The race is run in an anticlockwise circuit across the following summits in this order:-

Creag Leacach (987m)
Glas Maol (1068m)
Cairn of Claise (1064m)
Tom Buidhe (957m)
Tolmount (958m)
Carn an Tuirc (1019m)
Carn Aosda (917m)
Carn a’Gheoidh (975m)
The Cairnwell (933m)
Start and finish is at Glenshee Ski Centre

There is one road crossing after approximately 13 miles (GR NO 147800) This checkpoint is also a cut-off which must be reached by 2.30pm. (ie. 3.5 hours from the start for faster competitiors up to 4.5hours for older age categories). This will be strictly enforced.

Route details can be found at www.stevenfallon.co.uk/glensheeroute.html

Entry Fee
Entry fee includes post race refreshments from Glenshee Catering. All profits from the race will be donated to Braemar MRT who will be providing event safety cover. 300 limit. Closing date Thursday 31st July 2025.

Wave Start
We will operate a two wave start. A 10am start for those in Veteran categories who would like this option (it is not mandatory!) and the main race start at 11am. We would not expect you to pick the 10am start if you are able to comfortably reach the road crossing within 3.5 hours.

Rules
This is a Category A long race and competitors are required to have completed similar events in the last two years.

Entrants must be over 18 years old.

Competitiors will be required to carry full body cover, whistle, map (this map must extend at least 2km beyond your race route in all directions and be waterproof), compass and some emergency food. PLUS any additional clothing dependent on the forecasted weather conditions.

Please note that although it is held in summer, it is Scotland, and well over 50% of the route lies above the 900m contour line. The route is not flagged and there are no water stations. Competitors will cross a number of burns which normally flow even in very dry summers.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND WILL NO LONGER TAKE PLACE TODAY (SUNDAY 29TH)

Lego fans and families! What does “Home” mean to you?
What could a home in the Cairngorms National Park look like? A cabin? An eco house?
Perhaps a tree, nest, drey or dam? A river?
Use the bricks available in the National Park’s Ballater space to build something new, then leave it to inspire others and form an exhibition for all to see over the summer.
All children must be accompanied and adequately supervised by a responsible adult.
Adults do not have to be accompanied by a child 🙂
Free | Donations to Ballater Lego Club welcome
Builds will be displayed until mid-September
No booking required but space is limited in the public area.
If it looks busy, please come back later 🙂

Come along on the last Thursday of the month for 5 months and have fun creating and printing.
Join me in our Aviemore studio where each month we will experiment and play with a new printing style while meeting other creative folk.

April 24th – printing with Lego to make occasion cards

May 29th – mark making/printing with your recycling to make small drawstring bags

June 26th – screenprinting with hand cut stencils to make a wooden wall tile or coaster

July 31st- mark making/printing with found objects in nature to make wrapping paper

August 28th – Screenprinting with hand cut stencils to upcycle one of your own pieces of clothing

Thursday Print club runs from 7pm-9pm
You can book just one week = £20
Book for all five weeks = £90
Adults only
Class hosted by Timber + Stitch

Cairngorm Community Cinema – On Falling.

On Falling tells the story of Aurora, a Portuguese warehouse picker working in a vast fulfilment centre in Scotland. Trapped between the confines of a vast distribution centre and the solitude of her own bedroom. An intimate and unwavering portrait of an isolated migrant and her relationship to the precarious labour that constrains and defines her.

The film had its World premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2024 and its European premiere at the 72nd San Sebastián Film Festival where director Laura Carreira won the Silver Shell for Best Director. The film also won the Sutherland Award at the 68th BFI London Film Festival.

Doors at 6.30pm, film start 6.40pm.
Run length 1hr45min.

Community-owned but operated in partnership with Spey Valley Cinema and supported by the BFI and Film Hub Scotland, Cairngorm Community Cinema aims to create a space where the community can gather, discover new perspectives, and enjoy film.

At just £5 a ticket, we’re making it accessible to all.
Tickets only available on the door, so just show up!

Please come once again support our community cinema to keep it running for the rest of the year.

Are Car Boot Sales your ‘thing’? If so, book in for our last sale of the year! All indoors so we don’t need to worry about what the weather will be doing.

📅 Sunday 05 October 2025
⏰ 12:00
📍 Boat of Garten Community Hall (main hall)

Our Car Boot Sales will happen in August (outdoor), October (indoor).

If you are interested in holding a stall, please get in touch.
Contact Boat Hall:
📧 info@boathall.org.uk
☎️ 01479 831123

£10 per car/space to be paid in advance