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Darroch Learg

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Traveller (32)
Room & Suite (15)
Dining (5)

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Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#1 of 4 hotels in Ballater
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Darroch Learg is located in the village of Ballater in the Cairngorms National Park and stands in a sunny position in wooded grounds on the slopes of Craigendarroch. Darroch Learg boasts a wonderful outlook across the valley of the River Dee to the hills around Glen Muick. With ten lovely bedrooms, delicious food, comfortable sitting rooms and stunning views, Darroch Learg is a haven to which many have returned time and time again.
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Property amenities
Car park
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Board games / puzzles
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Non-smoking hotel
Wine / champagne
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Room features
Bathrobes
Desk
Housekeeping
Interconnected rooms available
Seating area
Cable / satellite TV
Flatscreen TV
Walk-in shower
Telephone
Private bathrooms
Bath / shower
Hair dryer
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Room types
Mountain view
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
4.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Languages Spoken
English
148Reviews0Q+A33Room tips
Traveller rating
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Jo B wrote a review 9 Mar
3 contributions1 helpful vote
This fabulously located hotel is a gem in Deeside. My husband and I picked it for an overnight stop on February and loved it so much that we returned in March. Our room had a beautiful view across the hills. The food is something else. I can’t speak highly enough of the team running the hotel.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Shaken007 wrote a review Feb 2024
Edinburgh, United Kingdom105 contributions67 helpful votes
We visited Darroch Learg with friends who have stayed before. Our stay was perfect and we will definitely return. The hotel is in a beautiful setting with lovely views. The building is characterful and everything in the hotel is elegant and tasteful. Our room had a super comfortable bed and was delightfully appointed. All of the staff and the owners were charming and the warmth of welcome made our stay feel very special. We ate in the restaurant where we were treated to stunning food and a lovely wine list. Our fillet steaks merit a special mention, they were delicious. Breakfast was fresh, made with high quality ingredients and very relaxing in the lovely sun room. The hotel has beautiful communal spaces including a very chic bar. A very special place to visit and thoroughly recommended!
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CiceroneWit wrote a review Nov 2023
Midwest US5 contributions7 helpful votes
My wife and our 13-year-old daughter spent a lovely night here in November. At every turn, we were greeted with warm, comfortable hospitality. Rooms 10 and 11 are connected and were perfect for us (room 11 has two twin beds). Built in the 1880s, the Arts & Crafts house exudes charm with all of the luxuries one could also want from a modern hotel (including an elevator). After an afternoon walking the grounds of Balmoral, sitting by the fire in the drawing room was pretty much perfect. We didn't have dinner there (opting instead for the Fish Shop in town), but the lamb smelled divine, and the dining room is beautiful (a perfect day of food might include lunch at the Fish Shop and dinner at the hotel, or better yet, a two-night stay). The beds were comfortable, and the bathroom felt luxurious. In the morning, our top-floor view of the surrounding mountains was stunning. Breakfast was exquisite, and at every turn the service was meticulous. It all felt incredibly special and yet also entirely down to earth and welcoming. I suspect that we'll remember this visit fondly for a very long time to come. It's that kind of experience.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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dbhenderson wrote a review Oct 2023
Sevenoaks, United Kingdom25 contributions13 helpful votes
Our group of 16 were on a 4 day golfing trip to Royal Deeside. Nigel and Fiona were perfect hosts. DL is an ideal location with service and hospitality to match. Darroch Learg is a family business. Every effort is made to attend to guests’ needs.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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TheMajorGeneral wrote a review Oct 2023
London, United Kingdom10 contributions3 helpful votes
Beat a path to this hotel. It is run by a lovely couple Fiona and Nigel and has been in their family for years. Hospitality runs through their veins and they have a wonderful team of locals who welcome you and make you feel at home. The rooms were all remodelled a couple of years ago and have a light simple vibe to them. The beds are deliciously comfortable you are assured of a good nights sleep. The dining room is a joy. The two chefs David and Neil produce wonderful meals from the freshest local ingredients. Flavour burst through each creation. The choice of dishes is small, three starters, mains and pudds but all are wonderful. Some of the best triple cooked chips I have had in years accompanied my fillet steak which was perfectly cooked. Nigel’s wine list is extremely fairly priced and has some truly interesting wines. Some beautiful white burgundies and clarets but also a good choice from the rest of the world - something for everyone. I have worked in this amazing industry for 30+ years but rarely have I come across a gem as lovely as this.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
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PeteEdinburgh7 wrote a review Aug 2023
Edinburgh, United Kingdom13 contributions6 helpful votes
We stayed at the Darroch Learg for a couple nights during a trip round NE Scotland. It's a small traditional hotel that has been attractively refurbished to a high standard both in the rooms and the public areas. It is located on a beautiful forested hillside setting on the outskirts of the village of Ballater. The village centre is within easy walking distance. The restaurant serves fine dining standard food, but with limited choices due to the small size of the venue. Breakfasts were good, with various freshly cooked options. There was good use of local produce on the menu, and in the bar drinks. The staff were very pleasant and professional, and were particularly helpful arranging an early breakfast for us when we wanted to leave early for a big day of hillwalking. A good place to stay to explore Deeside. Features: free parking, EV charging, lift/elevator, bar, lounge, restaurant
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Scot211 wrote a review Aug 2023
London191 contributions32 helpful votes
Delicious dinner. Trout, steak and a range of cheeses washed down by a Sancerre. A very pleasant dining room with a lovely lounge. Definitely worth it. Lovely unobtrusive staff. Don’t miss this treat. They just need to purchase a Tomintoul for the bar!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Service is from 6-8pm
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Angela H wrote a review Jul 2023
North Berwick, United Kingdom8 contributions6 helpful votes
We recently booked this hotel for four nights. Our fairly small double room was well furnished in a contemporary style and had the added terrace which helped to expand the space. We were initially impressed with the relaxed style and nice touches such as elegant lounges which flowed into a conservatory dining room. However the hotel has faults, the dinner in the evening was a no choice single dish per course menu, for the four dinners we had duck in some form or another was the only option. This basic menu at 55 pounds per head is the only justification for an extensive overpriced wine list and extortionately priced cocktails. Ballater is a beautiful highland village and the location of this hotel high on a hill is unsurpassed for extensive views of the countryside that surrounds it. As a result they seemed quite busy. It is then such a pity that the ownen's find it necessary to extract as much money from guests as possible.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Call ahead for more details of the food they serve
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Emily J wrote a review Jul 2023
New York City, New York6 contributions10 helpful votes
+1
Our tour guide, Calum, from Bothies & Bannocks recommended we stay here and he was spot on. A truly lovely hotel run by equally lovely people. Our room was very comfortable with an excellent view and our dinner and breakfast was also excellent.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Russell C wrote a review Jul 2023
3 contributions
We loved staying at Darroch Learg and Nigel and Fiona are wonderful hosts. We arrived in time for dinner which was outstanding - among the best meals we had in Scotland. The family room was perfect for our family of four and the surroundings are beautiful and quiet (note that at least in our rooms a tiny key on the window sill is used to open the windows - we did wish we had figured that out earlier to enjoy fresh mountain air while we slept). Breakfast was just as good and we were well positioned for our visit to nearby Balmoral Castle. An excellent place to stay in the Cairngorms.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
₹18,985 - ₹24,540 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
darroch learg hotel ballater
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandAberdeenshireBallater
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.
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DARROCH LEARG (Ballater, Scotland) - Hotel Reviews, Photos, Rate Comparison - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Darroch Learg
Which popular attractions are close to Darroch Learg?
Nearby attractions include Old Royal Station (0.7 km), Glenshee Ski Centre (0.7 km), and Crathie Church (1.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Darroch Learg?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Darroch Learg?
Top room amenities include a flat screen TV, a desk, and a view of the mountains.
What food & drink options are available at Darroch Learg?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Darroch Learg?
Yes, a parking garage is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Darroch Learg?
Conveniently located restaurants include Rothesay Rooms, The Balmoral Bar, and Clachan Grill.
Is Darroch Learg located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.9 km away from the centre of Ballater.
Are there any historical sites close to Darroch Learg?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Crathie Church (1.1 km).
Is Darroch Learg accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.