Douneside House & Health Club

Message: Visiting Douneside House for our anniversary lunch. Have stayed previously and rooms are excellent. Plan to visit again.

Message: We had our 15 months old granddaughter with us, and the staff couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. Not to mention the food being amazing.

Message: Very good, easy to locate, great staff, best swimming pool in the area.

Message: A wonderful small hotel. From booking to departing after our stay, the staff were brilliant. Always helpful and friendly. Food was fantastic. The setting is incredible, with amazing views to the Grampian Mountains. The gardens are excellent especially the streamside and walled gardens. Spa and pool are clean and uncrowded. Rooms are beautifully decorated, some with direct views to the hills. Plenty of walks directly from the hotel up hills or on local paths. The hotel is on the edge of Tarland village, which is a thriving place that has a great community feel.

Message: This was our second time staying at it was very special. We got engaged on a hill up behind Douneside and then had a wonderful evening celebrating. We stayed in the gatehouse lodge which was exceptionally comfortable! The Christmas decorations throughout the hotel were beautiful, giving the whole place a very festive and atmospheric vibe. We were very impressed by the tasting menu and wine paring which we had in the library - special mention to James the sommelier whose knowledge and enthusiasm were superb! Thank you to all the Douneside team - we will be back!

Message: Had an amazing afternoon tea in the sumer house. Weather not great but staff persisted and made it very special for my guests. Cakes are Amazing as is all food here. And great price.

Message: This is a very special place you will want to stay at, eat in and or join the health club. The grounds are beautiful, the history is intriguing, poignant and thought-provoking.. the food.. well.. each mouthful is delicious, precious and so memorable. Just the right portion sizes, the care, attentiveness, knowledge and care of the staff is inspiring. The only thing I struggled with was not being able to resist dessert. Another diner ordered the Douneside House special dessert and as it was being carried across the restaurant, for me it became and must have. For sure, I will be back for another one - can't remember what it was called but it is their own special dessert. The Health Club is just right for anyone and everyone too. Great staff and gym with a lovely pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.

Message: We stayed at Douneside House twice between 2011 and 2014, once at Easter and once at Christmas. It was absolutely amazing. My daughter was 8 years old, and she still talks about it as one of her fondest memories. We lived in the UK for 4 years, and while we did a lot of travelling in the UK and mainland Europe, these visits count amongst our favourite trips of all. The place was lovely, the food were great, the service from top to bottom was stellar - my kids felt just as important to the staff at any adult in the building at the time. The area is magical, and well worth exploring. We were there for the holiday Ceilidh - one of the best experiences of my life. The only thing that would make these stays better would be to be able to visit again.