Little Chef, Balhaldie South

Located beside the A9, just north of Dunblane, the former Little Chef at Balhaldie South is a notable remnant of Scotland’s roadside restaurant history. Although the building is now vacant and weathered, it has a history predating its use as a Little Chef. The original building is understood to have previously been associated with a dwelling, garage and blacksmith’s before being adapted and extended for use as a Little Chef around 1982.

A second Little Chef opened on the opposite side of the A9 in 1984, establishing Balhaldie as a dual-sided roadside service location. Both restaurants operated for many years, serving motorists travelling along the A9. As the Little Chef chain began to decline, the Balhaldie South restaurant remained in operation. Following the closure of the northbound restaurant in 2012, the southbound branch continued as the only remaining Little Chef in Scotland from 2013.

The restaurant finally closed on 10 March 2017. Initial proposals indicated that the building would be converted into a Starbucks, with new entrance doors installed at the south-eastern end of the building. However, the proposed conversion did not proceed.

Subsequently, plans were developed to demolish the former Little Chef and replace it with a new drive-through restaurant. Planning permission was granted for the redevelopment in 2019. However, rather than replacing the existing building, a new Starbucks was constructed elsewhere within the site and opened in 2019, while the former Little Chef remained vacant.

The planning permission for the proposed redevelopment eventually expired in 2022. As a result, the former Little Chef remains standing, unused and increasingly deteriorated, beside the A9.