
Bailies Cottage
For six, with three bedrooms, a hot tub and room for the dog. Three nights at least.
Bailies Cottage is a traditional stone cottage for six on the Mayen Estate near Rothiemay, moments from the River Deveron, with a stroll through the estate's historic rock gardens taking you down to the water.
It was renovated in 2024, with a brand new kitchen and a big table for family cooking, a living room with a wood-burning stove and unlimited logs, and a sun room by the back door. The downstairs double has an accessible en-suite with a walk-in shower and a roll-top bath, and upstairs there's a second double, a twin and a family bathroom with a freestanding bath. The private garden has a wood-fired hot tub big enough for all six, a gas barbecue, a pizza oven and a fire pit. It isn't fenced, so keep an eye on the dogs: up to two large, well-behaved ones are welcome. Anglers can fish the Deveron with a ghillie.
It's a place full of calm, beauty, and hidden corners waiting to be discovered.
Inside there’s a big family kitchen with a range cooker, an American fridge-freezer, a microwave, a dishwasher, a washing machine and a tumble dryer, a living room with a wood-burning stove, 4G Wi-Fi and a television, and a sun room by the back door.
- Sleeps
- Six in three bedrooms: two doubles and a twin.
- Meeting you
- In person, 4pm to 6pm. The team welcomes every guest; no arrivals on Thursdays or Sundays.
- Dogs
- Up to two large dogs. The garden is not fenced.
- Children
- Welcome. Cot and high chair on request.
- Hot tub
- Wood-fired, big enough for six.
- Logs
- Unlimited, for the stove.
- Food
- Bring the basics. The nearest shop is the Co-op in Aberchirder, 6 miles; supermarkets in Huntly.
- The Shoppe
- Pizza kits, charcoal and ice cream. The estate's own shop has s'mores kits too, and vegetables to order ahead.
- Walled garden
- Guests only, 8.30am to 4.30pm. Shut on Sundays and from November to February.
- On the estate
- Fishing, shooting lessons and picnics. Salmon fishing with a ghillie; book a week ahead.
- Shooting days
- Mondays and Fridays, October to January. Parts of the estate close for the shoots.
- Bring
- Wellies and a waterproof. Slippers for the uneven old floors.
- Wifi
- 4G wifi.
- Visitors
- No parties. Visitors only by arrangement.
November2026
Your dates
Choose the night you arrive.Then the morning you leave.
The owner confirms the final price.
Butlers CottageSleeps 4- Painted box beds
- A hot tub over the valley
MidparkSleeps 2- A larch A-frame
- Highland cows next door
Gate LodgeSleeps 2- Built in 1788
- A sauna in the woods
Bailies Cottage stands on the Mayen Estate at Rothiemay, near Huntly, moments from the River Deveron.
Huntly has the big supermarkets and you'll drive through it on the way in, and the nearest small shop is the Co-op at Aberchirder, 6 miles off.
Getting hereThe estate emails how to find it, and how check-in works, the day before you arrive. It is near Rothiemay in the Deveron Valley, and from the south you drive through Huntly on the way.
Huntly CastleA walk from the middle of Huntly along the Deveron to the ruined castle and back through the town: two miles, fine for children and dogs.10 miles 19 min by road
Leith HallA stately home with historic links to Mayen: easy trails past a pond, a bird hide and an ice house, for dogs, wheelchairs and buggies.17 miles 27 min by road
Tap o' NothSomething more of a climb: a 4.8km semi-rugged trail, with quiet spots on the way for a picnic over the countryside.20 miles 30 min by road
Sandend BeachRoss's favourite place for quiet time by the sea: a shallow harbour and gentle shore to paddle, swim or let a dog splash about.20 miles 29 min by road
Findlater CastleRuins on the cliffs above Sunnyside Beach, for seabirds and the views; Ross walks there from Cullen, about 2.5 miles.19 miles 31 min by road
CullenPark under the viaduct, pass the Three Kings rocks and find a spot on the golden sands; seals and dolphins are often out on the firth.17 miles 26 min by road
Rockpool CaféOne of the places in Cullen, home of Cullen skink, that Ross names for a meal of freshly sourced local produce.17 miles 26 min by road
Portsoy Ice CreamStop in Portsoy for an ice cream on the way home from the coast.14 miles 25 min by road
Duff HouseWhere the tree-covered path along the Deveron to the Bridge of Alvah begins: look for the ice house, the mausoleum and red squirrels.15 miles 25 min by road
Macduff Marine AquariumA family favourite: Moray Firth sea life, touch pools and a glass kelp reef tank with live feeding shows.16 miles 28 min by road
Cullykhan BayRoss's favourite place to watch the sun rise: caves and rock pools, shallow water for a dip, and the Northern Lights from the clifftops.road
Linn FallsFrom Aberlour's distillery stream, through sunlit woods to the falls; the splash pool is for a summer swim.road
BennachieWalks from the visitor centre: the Mither Tap climb, about 2.5 hours there and back, to an Iron Age hill fort.road
Ben RinnesSpeyside's big hill: a steady 5-mile climb from the Glack Harnes car park, with the Cairngorms and the coast from the top.road
The GlenDronach distillery and Delgatie Castle4 miles away A few hours
Knock Hill and an ice cream in Portsoy5 miles away A few hours
Huntly Castle and tubing at the Nordic Centre5 miles away A few hours
Huntly Castle and River Deveron walk6 miles away A few hours
The Bin of Cullen11 miles away A few hours
Leith Hall and lunch at the Kildrummy Inn11 miles away A few hours
The Banff coast: two harbour towns and three cliff villages12 miles away A day out
A walk through Duff House woods to the Bridge of Alvah12 miles away A few hours
Findlater Castle, Sunnyside Beach and lunch in Cullen12 miles away A few hours
Findlater Castle, Sandend and lunch in Portsoy12 miles away A few hours
A round at Duff House Royal12 miles away A day out
A walk up the Hill of Dunnideer at Insch12 miles away A few hours
Fyvie Castle and Haddo House13 miles away A day out
Cullen to Portknockie and the Bow Fiddle Rock walk13 miles away A few hours
A surf lesson at Cullen Beach13 miles away A few hours
A walk up Tap o' Noth and the Rhynie stones13 miles away A few hours
Bow Fiddle Rock at sunset and fish and chips in Portknockie14 miles away A few hours
A walk up Oxen Craig, Bennachie's highest top15 miles away A day out
A walk in the Winding Walks at Fochabers15 miles away A few hours
The stone circles of Aberdeenshire: four recumbent circles and Cullerlie16 miles away A day out
Tullynessle Deer Farm and lunch at the Forbes Arms16 miles away A few hours
Gordon Castle Walled Garden at Fochabers16 miles away A few hours
The Keith and Dufftown Railway and lunch at the Sidings16 miles away A few hours
The Giant's Chair walk from Dufftown's Clock Tower17 miles away A few hours
The river Deveron just minutes away, which we loved, almost as much as our two dogs who love to swim.
Maggie, spring 2023Scotland, in print.
We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.











