Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Douneside House is a truly special place in heart of The MacRobert Estate. Here you can expect a warm welcome, award-winning dining, and luxurious comfort in this most hospitable and unique country house. Set in seventeen acres of landscaped gardens, Douneside House makes the perfect base to explore the fantastic area of Royal Deeside. The Douneside Health Club is fully equipped with a gym, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. Outside is an all-weather tennis court and croquet, badminton, and putting on our splendid 2-acre lawn. Our Conservatory restaurant offers a range of menus including lunch, afternoon tea and, dinner. Our Library Restaurant serves its signature tasting menu on Wednesday-Saturday evenings. Douneside House is independently owned and run by The MacRobert Trust, a Scottish charity, originally set up by Lady MacRobert, based in Aberdeenshire.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TheAA: The Automobile Association.
From our arrival to our departure our experience was literally perfect! On arrival we were given a tour of the hotel before being shown to our room for the evening (Lochnagar suite). The cosy sitting room features comfortable seating, tv, complimentary mini bar, workstation, storage and a beautifully written welcome guide along with a history of the property and the MacRobert Trust. The bathroom has a luxuriously deep bath with overhead rainfall and standard shower heads. There are multiple lighting options which are perfect for us girls, lovely towels, toiletries and underfloor heating. The bedroom again has an abundance of storage options, full length mirror, tv, bedside tables with sockets & usb points and a wonderfully comfortable bed. When I say they have thought of everything….they genuinely have! We were served tea, coffee & cake in the piano room mid afternoon which was a really nice touch. Cocktails from the bar are lovely, the staff are very knowledgable and passionate about the ingredients and where they are produced. As part of our package we had a reservation for the tasting menu with wine pairings which is served in the library. The food, wine and service were amazing! The thoughtfulness shown to our dietary requirements far exceeded our expectations. Breakfast is served in the beautiful conservatory. There’s an extensive offering with continental, full breakfast and lighter options. We took advantage of the onsite health club and went for a post breakfast swim & sauna. The facilities are fantastic and very clean. Douneside have perfected the definition of hospitality. The staff are what makes this hotel and their pride in their roles emanates around the resort. I hope they are all very proud at the standard they set! We cannot wait to return in the near future.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Make the reservation….you’ll be glad you did!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wanting a relaxing night away to explore the area around Aboyne we came across Dounside house & it looked ideal. Good food, congenial surroundings and easy access to some sites we wished to visit. All in all our expectations were met, with one caveat. The hotel is up a long private drive, standing at the top of large private field, surrounded by woods & fields and has some of the best views I've seen from a hotel in many a year. It has various rooms in the main building plus a view lodges a short walk away. The is a Spa & a gym, several bars and two dining rooms. We elected to have the tasting menu which was served in the Library. It is a tasting menu that is expertly cooked and we couldn't fault. A three hour gourmet feast well deserving the three AA rosettes. All the staff were aware of food allergies and menus adjusted accordingly, again without fuss or quibble and with no loss to the experience. It was all very impressive. The bars and lounges in the main house are comfortable, with log fires, books and art to peruse and there are some excellent gardens to wander around. We stayed in a lodge which was sizeable and well equipped, even having a small kitchen. The bed was comfortable & the seating area a good place to relax. There was an issue with noise from the adjacent rooms but we might have been unlucky.
Finally the staff. They are the people who make your stay memorable. Absolute troopers. They are friendly and welcoming, knowledgable and helpful. We had a small issues that impacted our stay but they were dealt with swiftly and with good grace. The resolultions went beyond our expectations and we can't praise them highly enough for their kindness, patience and understanding. They turned what could have been a disaster into a situation where we are already planning when we can return for a longer stay
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Date of stay: October 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doune side House is a beautiful hotel but it’s the staff who make it special. There was a warm welcome on our arrival and a speedy resolution of an issue with our booking. To allow accessibility, we were transferred to one of their luxurious cottages with everything being arranged while we were served tea. Very impressive.
During our stay we had their 7 course tasting menu and the 3 course dinner. The tasting menu is superior to some Michelin star restaurants with innovative cooking. The sommelier, James, took great care in choosing wines for us to make an overall special experience.
Every member of staff is friendly, relaxed and highly professional. Amongst those on duty when we were staying were James, Leon and Amy who were simply outstanding.
We made time to see the beautiful gardens, now linked with the RHS.
Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: September 2024
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arrived for a midweek break in March. Lovely entranceway and decor in main building and restaurants and the girl on reception was welcoming and lovely as were almost all staff. Stayed in casa 23: immaculate with lovely log fire, well stocked with logs, has a small bedroom and note the shower is really small. Parking excellent. 4 options on the dinner menu with one daily specialboth nights. The pheasant and pork belly were very difficult to cut but were tasty plates of food. Desserts were average and one in particular i did not like even though I usually love those ingredients. Breakfasts were the not what we expected. Service good on first day, however on the 2nd day was poor. The poorest and most unappetising continental 'buffet' I've ever seen. I pointed out to the waiter the sliced cheese and processed cheese that were curled up and dried at the edges. The waiter was somewhat huffy about that Nd we felt somewhat awkward. There were a couple of unappetising cereals and plain old apples and oranges with mini croissant. Nothing there that I would find a nice treat to eat in a hotel. I tried the eggs benedict...tasteless. Service quite slow eg you will finish a pot of lukewarm tea or weak coffee, the toast arrived 15 minutes later. No offer of fresh coffee or tea. The 2nd day we had to physically go twice looking for a waiter to get sugar. I ordered some egg, tomatoe and acone for breakfast. My pet hate is half raw cold egg running onto my plate and porage with salt in (which wasnt in it the day before). Then the staff seemed to disappear for a while and the breakfast diners eventually saw themselves out. Would be a lovely hotel to visit if they improved the breakfast food in particular. We did mention these comments on checkout. We still cannot find anywhere like for like who can beat the all round service, food, accommodation, staff and grounds at Dumfries House.
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Date of stay: March 2025
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Don't forget to book a slot at the pool/ Spa in advance.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Douneside cannot be rated too highly. The front of house welcome from Alex and Melanie on arrival, through to the superlative dining and wining experiences provided by Gordon, James and Victor and their team leaves one with the feeling that a very generous wealthy individual has lent you their home and staff for a few days whilst they are elsewhere.
The house and rooms are immaculately presented, as are the grounds with the added treat of a top class swimming pool with sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and full sized gym.
Douneside partners with The Royal Horticultural Society and local staff with students maintain the extensive grounds to a very high standard, with the vegetable garden producing all the needs of the kitchen.
Kitchen? I wouldn’t dare to step in when Chef Victor Navarro and his team are in full flow, for fear of disturbing what must be an incredibly well honed operation. Points of 12 out of 10 for quality and presentation are not praise enough. Culinary excellence is their goal and thankfully well beyond the early days of nouvelle cuisine, which I once described as ‘photographs on a plate’ in that servings could be set out artistically but in minuscule proportions. I defy anyone to leave a Douneside table hungry. Meals are taken in The Conservatory with the deed attraction of special tasting Menu evening hosted in The Drawing Room, how Victor serves the two rooms with such different styles at the same time astonishes. The Conservatory menu can be found on the web site, the tasting menu I have attached as a photograph.
The Douneside experience can truly be given the accolade unique and is highly recommended.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Douneside House, Owner at Douneside House
Responded Oct 24, 2022
Thank you for such an eloquent write-up of your recent return stay with us. You have described perfectly what we hope to achieve - an all-round team effort bringing together all the elements which combine for a special stay. I'm sure Chef Victor and his team would always welcome you popping in - especially if it's to award a 12/10 score! Thank you once again. We will look forward to seeing you both again soon. Yours aye, The Douneside Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Douneside has a unique history and offers guests a unique experience set amidst beautiful countryside. Country house style with a touch of old style Officers Mess, five star standard of furnishings in bed and public rooms, open log fires, one room lined with Harris Tweed. The food is cuisine not simply ‘food’ enormous thought and skill put into the presentation of every dish, most created from local produce. The excellent swimming pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and gym more than matching the best of country clubs. The finest recommendation for any hotel is its staff, Douneside staff are exemplary in every way, warm and welcoming, highly professional …..strongly recommended.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had the loveliest stay here, beautiful hotel in lovely surrounding grounds, very relaxing. Staff was very attentive and the food was first class. Our room was very comfortable with a stunning view of the lawn, large bathroom with a roll top bath, dressing gowns and slippers provided and a nice little touch of a complimentary whisky and gin. Hope to return soon ❤️
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Date of stay: April 2023
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Remember to take your swim wear as there is a pool/spa/gym.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Douneside House, Owner at Douneside House
Responded May 17, 2023
Thank you so much for your review, we really appreciate it. Delighted you enjoyed your stay and the extra touches in the deluxe room. Hope we get to welcome you back soon for another visit.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea at Douneside House this week. A belated birthday visit to use a voucher I had been given as a very welcome birthday gift. The library is a wonderful location and we spent a lovely couple of hours enjoying the delicious food on offer. We were warmly welcomed by Amy and learnt a lot about Douneside and their apprentice scheme when talking with Amelia as she served us and kept us topped up with tea. We love Douneside, the location, the story, the ambiance but particularly the staff. Sadly, James wasn't on duty this time but hopefully we'll catch up with him next time. Yes , there will most definitely be a next time. I think breakfast is the only meal we haven't eaten there ! Wishing all the staff a successful festive season.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Douneside House, Owner at Douneside House
Responded Dec 14, 2022
Many thanks for your lovely review. James passes on his apologies that he missed you this time and will look forward to catching up next time. We are very proud of our apprentices, who are, in our opinion, future stars of the hospitality industry! We are lucky that The MacRobert Trust (which owns and runs Douneside) supports and invests in the many apprenticeship schemes we run from Douneside House - hospitality, cookery and horticulture. So many thanks for highlighting Amy and Amelia's contribution to your visit. See you next time for the best meal of the day - breakfast! With our best wishes for the festive season, All at Douneside
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A real find , douneside house is becoming a favourite of ours . Aberdeenshire is not blessed with high quality food but douneside breaks the trend in lively setting and staff are attentive, knowledgeable and vey friendly. Set in country near Tarland , it’s a beautiful setting . Rooms have individual character ( albeit we have been in same room twice and it’s a bit on small side , will remember to ask for diff one !!) breakfast was very tasty and plentiful , and we have enjoyed both tasting menu and a la carte . We look forward to summer visit
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Douneside House, Owner at Douneside House
Responded Jan 20, 2022
Dear William, Many thanks for the fantastic write up, we very much appreciate it. Please do remind us next time and we will definitely make sure you can experience a different room, as you say, all have their own character. We look forward to welcoming you back in the Summer and our thanks again. Kind regards, The Douneside team
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I have just returned from a wonderful residential event at Douneside. The hotel is marvellous-set in beautiful grounds with excellent facilities Even amongst the already high standards I would like to praise the hospitality, the food and the very high standards of housekeeping. Our party were looked after very well with the staff anticipating any issues and dealing with them unobtrusively and efficiently.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
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Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Christine - thank you for your enquiry. Many of our Classic Rooms have king size ‘zip & link’ beds.
May I recommend you continue your enquiry via our direct contact email, where we will be better able to answer any further questions.
Kind regards
James Payne
Operations Manager
Many thanks for your enquiry. Dogs are most welcome in our apartments and cottages but they aren't allowed in the main hotel building or bedrooms. There is a vast network of footpaths and trails from our doorstep - perfect for long or short scenic dog walks. I hope this helps but if you have any other queries please don't hesitate to contact me.
Many thanks
Marcel
There are more places to choose from in the Aboyne area.
PRICE RANGE
$240 - $316 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandAberdeenshireAboyne
NUMBER OF ROOMS
28
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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