Plans have been approved to redevelop a historic railway station in Aberdeenshire.

Proposals to reinstate the Old Royal Station in Ballater were given the go-ahead by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) on Friday, 16 September. The historic building was almost completely destroyed by a fire in May 2015.

Plans to redevelop the station includes reinstating the principle elevations of the original building to match the Victorian architecture and detailing, including Queen Victoria's Waiting Room. In addition, the internal plan layout will be altered to better provide for a variety of uses such as tourist information facilities, a café and a library.

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The platform side of the building will be extended to provide a better environment for exhibitions, while enhancements will be carried out to the building's surroundings with resurfacing works, tree planting and new seating areas creating a new public space in the form of a station square.

Chair of the Council's Marr Area Committee, Moira Ingleby, said: "I'm delighted the refurbishment of the Old Royal Station is moving ahead apace as it was such a focal point for the town, and I am equally pleased to see the station square will also benefit from the development.

"Approval of the plans is testament to the work which has gone on behind the scenes to get to this point, making sure the necessary funding is in place to provide something which is hopefully even better than was there before and continues to be a point of interest for locals and visitors alike."

(LM)