The Best Holiday Cottages in Aberdeenshire

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoBanchoryNorth Lodge and River CabinPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Built in the 1890s for the caretakers of Glen Dye Lodge, North Lodge sleeps six on the banks of the River Dye. A private riverside path leads to its own cabin, with a wood-fired hot tub, log stove and a Big Green Egg for cooking outdoors.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoCrathieFaunoran HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 10

The newest of the Gairnshiel properties, set among silver birches at Crathie, a short walk from Balmoral. Five ensuite bedrooms over three floors, all with super king beds, plus a black-finished bar and a large rear terrace. Built for gatherings.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoBanchoryNo 5 Steading CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 7

One of the converted farm cottages at the centre of Glen Dye, with room for seven. Guests can collect eggs from the estate hens, raid the vegetable garden in season and finish the evening at the Glen Dye Arms, the estate's BYOB pub.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoStrachanThe Hay Loft at GlendyePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The old hay loft above the steading, now a light-filled home for four. Firewood is unlimited and a welcome hamper waits on arrival, both standard at Glen Dye. The wood-fired hot tub is the spot for a late dram.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoStrachanNo 4 Steading CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 7

Another of the steading cottages, with interiors in the confident, colourful style the Gladstones have made their signature. The family have been on this land for seven generations, and the place is run with real care.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlen TanarButler's LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Home to the Glen Tanar butler in 1900, when the job paid £85 a year plus a weekly beer allowance. It sleeps six in the middle of the estate, with an open-plan living space, original doors and an enclosed garden with a crab apple tree.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoBallaterOld School CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 7

A former village schoolhouse ringed by a dry-stone dyke, next door to Gairnshiel Lodge and ten minutes from Balmoral. High ceilings, a log burner and a farmhouse table made for long dinners. Sleeps seven.

Self-catering cottages and apartments on the MacRobert Estate, a short walk from Douneside House and its gardens. Sleeping up to six, with dog-friendly options, they suit anyone wanting hotel-standard grounds at cottage prices.

A late 18th-century coaching inn above the River Don in Strathdon, refurbished with twin log burners and a box bed tucked into the smallest bedroom. Sleeps six, sits just off the North East 250, and makes a fine base for Donside's castles.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlen TanarWoodendPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A former hydro sub-station in Glen Tanar, now an open-plan cottage for four with skylight windows, a double-height stove flue and French doors onto an enclosed garden. The trout loch and the estate's Victorian ballroom are a short stroll away.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlen TanarWest MillfieldPlace to stay · Sleeps 5

A granite cottage on the Glen road, once lived in by the estate's forestry horse handler. Low ceilings, wood-panelled walls, stained glass and window seats. Sleeps five, a few minutes on foot from the Glen Tanar visitor centre.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlenkindieChapeltonPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Sleeps six on the Glenkindie Estate in Strathdon, where the laird's house dates in part to 1595. Stylish pet-free interiors, panoramic views and a welcome hamper on arrival. Walks start at the door, with the Cairngorms just over the hill.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoStrachanThe Coach HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 12

The estate's former coach house, close to the heart of Glen Dye. Warm, characterful interiors in the family's usual style, and evenings tend to end at the Glen Dye Arms, a BYOB pub with a roaring fire and a record player. Bring your own vinyl.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoStrachanThe Corner HousePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Set on the 15,000-acre Glen Dye estate, which climbs through ancient woodland to the granite tor of Clachnaben. Inside, expect the estate's trademark warmth and colour; outside, moorland walks and some of the darkest night skies in the county.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlenkindieHome FarmPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

One wing of Glenkindie's converted clock tower steading, right at the centre of the estate with its own private garden. Sleeps six. Watch the farm go about its business, then fish the Don by arrangement.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoStrachanNo 2 Steading Cottage at GlendyePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

The smallest of the Glen Dye steading cottages, sleeping four. Compact, characterful and well placed for Garden Camp, the estate's shared recreation space with outdoor games and a stove-warmed room for wet days.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlengairnGairnshiel LodgePlace to stay · Sleeps 16

A Victorian sporting lodge on the estate next door to Balmoral, stripped back to its granite bones by the Belgian family who took it on in 2015. Nine minimalist bedrooms sleeping sixteen, a games room, sauna and outdoor hot tub. Made for big private gatherings.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoBallaterInverenzie CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

An old farmhouse on the Gairnshiel estate, renovated in 2016 and kept deliberately simple so nothing competes with the view. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms for four guests, plus a terrace with a barbecue for slow mornings in the sun.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlenkindieGreenstylePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

Glenkindie's cottage at Kildrummy, sleeping six in pet-free comfort. The ruins of Kildrummy Castle, a 13th-century stronghold of the Earls of Mar, stand nearby, and the Lecht's ski slopes are within easy reach in winter.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlenkindieDalgrassickPlace to stay · Sleeps 4

A two-bedroom Glenkindie cottage for four, tucked up a quiet corner of the estate with a wood burner, an enclosed garden and space for two dogs. Small, warm and very easy to settle into.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoBanchoryThe Bothy, GlendyePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

Glen Dye's smallest hideout, built for two. A log burner, unlimited firewood and a wood-fired hot tub under the trees cover the essentials. Romantic without trying too hard, which is the best kind.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoAboyneJoiner’s CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 4

Once the estate joiner's home at Glen Tanar, and the craftsmanship shows: exposed beams, solid detailing and a wood-burning stove for the evenings. Sleeps four, with forest trails starting more or less at the door.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlen DyeCuttieshillockPlace to stay · Sleeps 6

'Cutties' to locals, a former inn on the fringe of Glen Dye Forest that has stood the best part of 300 years; legend says Jacobite troops billeted here before battle. Sleeps six, with a studio outbuilding, an outdoor pizza oven and its own wood-fired sauna and hot tub.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoAboyneRowan CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A snug open-plan farm cottage for two at Glen Tanar. Nothing flashy, just a well-made little house in one of Deeside's loveliest glens, with the estate's pine forests and hill tracks waiting outside.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoStrachanGamekeeper’s CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 6

The gamekeeper's old house at Glen Dye, now sleeping six. Days go on river dips and moorland tramps; evenings in the wood-fired hot tub with a view of the hills and not much else. Two dogs welcome, as is the way here.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoGlenkindieTornahatnachPlace to stay · Sleeps 5

A 19th-century cottage at the end of its own track on the Glenkindie Estate, sleeping five across three bedrooms. There's a wood burner in the kitchen, a big garden, and the water supply runs straight off the hill. You don't get that in town.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoAboyneTower O'EssPlace to stay · Sleeps 2

A turreted Victorian tower at the mouth of Glen Tanar, where the Water of Tanar meets the Dee. Built under William Cunliffe Brooks, the banker who reshaped the estate after 1865, it sleeps two. Strange, romantic and unlike anything else on this list.

BookmarkAdd to tripMore infoBallaterLaggan CottagePlace to stay · Sleeps 8

The largest of the Gairnshiel cottages, sleeping eight on the banks of the River Gairn. The panoramic room is the party piece, glazed for watching the weather roll down the glen. Ballater is a short drive for supplies and a decent supper.