Douneside House

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.

From the moment we arrived at this beautiful place we knew were in for a special stay. The gardens and accommodation are stunning and the attention to detail is excellent. The staff are friendly, warm and polite without being in any way pretentious. The complimentary afternoon tea was a nice touch and a great way to ease into our stay. And then there was the tasting menu and paired wines. James and Callum were the perfect hosts and the food and wine were incredible. Surely worthy of a Michelin star! My wife had been at the Fife Arms for lunch earlier in the week and was more impressed with this place. Truly memorable - keep up the great work!

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

Although we only live an hour away, this was the first time we had visited. Beautiful setting, and really immaculately kept. The staff were so friendly and welcoming, attentive without being annoying and just clearly well trained. Simple menu, and the food was absolutely delicious. Mackerel starter was absolutely perfect. Best Sunday lunch we have had since moving to Scotland 7 years ago. Can’t fault anything, we will definitely be back!

I write at length because I want to tell you about rural excellence. We have had three two-night stays this summer (July to September) Special occasions at Douneside are made by the careful regular and everyday attentions of the staff. For three short whiles, we lived as we might like if we had the means to do it: beautiful surroundings, tranquillity, order, grace, well fed and watered, unobtrusive and friendly service. Perhaps we most enjoyed — the staff, and what they do to bring all these virtues together. Surroundings: house, garden and grounds are maintained meticulously and to beautiful effect. We enjoyed the delicacy of garden composition: the contrasts, the careful placing of species, the mixture of formality and horticultural rigour. Tranquillity: the complete separation of service and kitchen noise from the guests seems remarkable. Lounge, bar and dining areas are elegant and spacious, with many cosy corners. Order: we noticed nothing out of place, nothing neglected in corners, everything clean and ordered. Grace: staff have the rare skill of moving with grace, speaking with grace, and behaving in an atmosphere of mutual respect between staff and guests. We enjoyed the pampering dinners and breakfasts immensely. It was a delight to converse straight and honestly about wine and to be so well informed. Our three rooms were delightful, and each unique. Those we chose captured the spirit of Douneside – prospects over lots of Aberdeenshire, the amazing infinity lawn, the enticing gardens – a real sense of place and of the original vision of the long-gone MacRobert owners. Staff: there is a discerning and strategic approach to appointing and training all team members. I wondered of a young breakfast waiter if they were ever impatient for over-relaxed late breakfast eaters to leave. In many places I would have got an assenting answer; not at Douneside — I received a brisk “Never, they are enjoying themselves.” This epitomised our feeling that guests are the raison d'être of Douneside; not the convenience of staff, not the profits, but the guests. What more could one wish for? All staff were amiable, communicative, chatted when they had time, moved on courteously when busy. Everyone confided opinions, personal stories, attractive insights into different aspects of the hotel. As guests, we felt we were all playing parts on one of life’s very pleasant stages. Hotel chefs are often hidden away but we met one who was carrying ingredients … ready to make the Sunday lunch bread and butter pudding. And with what cheerful enthusiasm he told the tale! Such involvement surely explains the high standards we met. Gardening is one of the huge attractions at Douneside. The walled garden is an inspiration for produce growers. Walk down the garden stream and admire the transition from formal to Nature. The herbaceous sections are laid out intimately and provide hugely varying colour and form. There is astonishing generosity of effort in providing

Wonderful setting and very relaxing . Unfortunately the food was disappointing, breakfast was excellent but evening meals left a lot to be desired. If staying more than one night you are faced with the same choices apart from a “ special” . Would stay again but would dine out .