Douneside 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!

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 .

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.

A really lovely four night stay in one of the apartments. Clean, bright and spacious, we had plenty of room as a family of four. We swam daily, used the gym, putting green, croquet lawn, tennis court and managed a spot of fishing. The trails around the hotel, in Tarland, are well marked out. Getting into the hills was easy to do, directly from the hotel.

A fantastic facility open to non members. We were in the area on a mountain bike holiday and fancied a swim and spa . We were over the moon to find this awesome facility just up the road from the Tarland Bike trails. A lovely warm pool , with a great jacuzzi, steam room and sauna a perfect way to end a days biking. The gym is also included in the price. The facilities were immaculately clean and the staff are lovely . We definitely will be back when we visit the area again !

We stayed at Douneside house for five days in one of the cottages. This is quite a hard review to write, the staff, food and house are absolutely excellent, nothing was too much much trouble, the level of service was beyond reproach, it is an excellent establishment and we can recommend it enough.

A group of us stayed here last weekend for dinner, bed and breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s clear the staff care, both about the customers but also the place itself. Walking around the house and grounds, you can feel the history which makes it both interesting and personal. The whole place has a lovely atmosphere which is beautiful and elegant yet approachable and gentle. Having stayed at Gleneagles earlier this year, I would say that the food was better at Douneside. I would highly recommend it and will definitely be returning.

My husband and I had another wonderful lunch at Douneside last week. The food is just exquisite, and the service is impeccable. We enjoyed a stroll around the beautiful gardens beforehand. I can't recommend Douneside more highly and wish I didn't live 400 miles away!