After reading previous reviews I was very sceptical about visiting this hotel. A party of 12 of us (50+) travelled with Cairngorm Travel to the Duke of Gordon. We were late arriving but received a very warm welcome from the manageress and were shown to our rooms before dinner. The rooms were immaculately clean - basic but plenty of room. Dinner was served after being piped in and the staff were really efficient and polite. Granted they cleared away the plates very quickly but they were catering for over 100 people. The 3-course meal had a choice of three for each course and was very appetising. We stayed for four nights and the linen was changed every day and the rooms kept spotless throughout our stay. The young staff worked like trojens to keep everyone happy and nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them. Maybe the ONLY small criticism was that the ballroom (where dancing took place) could not really accommodate all the guests but there were seats just outside for people to have a drink. Well done Duke of Gordon you did not deserve all the negative remarks previously made - unless you have suddenly changed but I doubt it.

Scotland "The Duke of Gordon" Hotel. August 10. 2007. We stayed at the"Duke of Gordon" for 5 days,our stay was most pleasant,all our meals were most enjoyable with plenty to eat.All the staff were most courteous and polite.The room although a little old-fashioned was clean and tidied every day.with entertainment on every night we were there,many thanks to the management and all the staff for alovely 5day stay !!!!

Our party of 6 arrived on the 23rd March 07. We were very concerned that the hotel had informed us very late in the day that they had had an outbreak of Norovirus but that it was clear but even so there would be hand gel available and advising people to be vigilant in hand washing and if anyone got it they were to inform the management and stay in their rooms for 24
hours.I took extra measures and took my own hand gel and enough for our party. The first one to become ill in our party happend the day after we arrived. The following day my husband contracted it and the day
after that I got
it. As we were due to go home the following day I was unable to travel on the coach home along wfth everyone else. Being confined to our room for a total of 3 days we missed the planned day trips out. Our friend assured us that other travel arrangement ould be made by the hotel. Our plight was met with total indifference by the hotel staff. No other travel arragements had been made and we were left to arrange our own way home. Not having our passports with us we were unable to fly toLiverpool. We had to book the train.
We had to change trains 3 times to get home and took a total of 7 hours. We felt exhausted and practically ubnable to lift our cases up flights of steps at each station. We were not even offered a lift to the train station . We left the Hotel at 6.30 am in the dark and dragged our cases through the deserted streets and sat in the cold damp station.
On arriving home I penned a letter to the Cairngorm
Travel Managing Director, owner of the Hotel explaining what our experiences had been like and explaining
my concern at the housekeeper cleaning the WC first and then the sink with the same cloth and not adhering to the procedures set down by the Environmental Health, who had visited them earlier.
I dread to think of what it would have been like if we were elderly,
as most of the guests were, struggling with our cases and climbing up many steps over the railway line and again at Edinborough Station. Our back and sides were painfull
from vomiting so many times
and that made movement very difficult.
I felt sure as I penned my letter to the Managing Director that he would reimburse our train fare at least. I wrote to him the week we got home and he still has not deigned to send a reply, some 12 weeks later.
I think its outragoust treat guest in this manner.
Kingussie is a very lovely spot and if you want to visit please do, just dont stay th the Duke of Gordon hotel. Apart from our contracting this virus, the entertainment wasdreadfull, the food meagre, and the rooms tatty and old. Our bathroom walls were black with mould and the curtain track was hanging off. The description given by the valentine couple was accurate, as was the Australians. I am still hoping that the Hotel will answer my letter somehow I dont think it will happen. Our frriend also wrote to complain at the way we were treated and after 3 weeks sent another letter recorded delivery. He did get a reply to that one but not to his satisfaction. Well I live in hope.

I stayed with my mother as part of a long weekend reunion of a group of elderly people and their families. This event happens every two years and has always been held at the Duke of Gordon. The stay was fine: the hotel was warm and welcoming, and the staff (as others have said, nearly all non-British) were extremely obliging. My brother forgot to bring a jacket for a formal dinner, and the porter lent him one for the whole weekend; we had two small children with us and the kitchen were happy to deal with bottles of milk etc; we had endless cups of tea in the lounges which were served graciously and promptly (and weren't charged for!). Several members of the party were disabled, and their requirements didn't seem to be a problem.

Perhaps because we were in a large party the food was only average - except for the buffet breakfast, which was extremely good, and included kippers and haggis; the fruit juice glasses were absolutely minute, though, and I had about eight of them each time. The bedrooms were fine - yes, a little bit dated, but ours were spacious and comfortable and the heating was adjustable; just one observation, though - the family room was directly above the dais in the ballroom which meant that the evening musical entertainment was a problem for the small children and their parents.

I wouldn't recommend the hotel as a romantic retreat, but for an old-fashioned lazy few days reading the newspaper in front of the fire it was fine, and the staff were very friendly and anxious to please.