Aberlour Old Station Tea Room reopens after last May’s flooding in Moray
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Aberlour Old Station Tea Room has finally reopened 342 days after it was badly damaged by floodwater sweeping down from the hill above the village.
The popular venue was forced to close after a “river of mud” caused more than £30,000 of damage to it and the visitors centre and public toilets next door.
Months of work were required to replace floors and repaint walls.
A celebration was held on Saturday to mark the efforts of many.
Jackie Prentice, treasurer of Aberlour Community Association, well remembers the events of May 10 last year.
She said: “I was at a crafts event in Buckie when someone rang to say what was going on.
“The tea room is at the bottom of a slope and, because of that, it acted as a sort of ‘back stop’ for all the horrible muddy water.
“It caused so much that damage, I could have cried.
“But it’s been a real community effort to get things opened again.”
Andy Simpson, who’s the Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, and local councillors Derek and Marion Ross were among the many to drop in on Saturday.
Jackie continued: “The tea room is a vital resource for the village.
“I want to thank all the people who have helped.
“That includes Willie Cameron for all his hard work overseeing the repairs, plus the Aberlour Community Association gardening team for tidying up the front of the building.
“Pamela Winchester was the main person sourcing the funding.
“Meanwhile, Moray Council, Chivas Brothers, Aberlour Veterinary Centre, and Parklands Care Homes have all helped with donations.
“Then there are the visitors who have turned out over the months for various coffee mornings and fundraisers.
“And, as usual, a final plug all the for volunteers who help staff the tea room.”
The public toilets are now back in use again, while the visitors centre is due to re-open within the near future.
Aberlour Old Station Team Room is housed in a quaint building which, until October 1965, was the village’s train station.
Its hours are 1pm-4.30pm from Thursday to Sunday.
To volunteer or to hire the venue, contact aberlourcommunity2@gmail.com
