Maryculter House Hotel
If you like your hotel with a dash of history, look no further than this lovely old hotel right on the banks of the Dee. Although this fine laird’s house was latterly owned by a collection of grand old Scottish families, before that it had a remarkable story. The estate was originally owned by the monks of Kelso, before in 1187 it was granted to the Knights Templar, who built the house in 1227. On their dissolution in 1312, it passed to the Knights Hospitaller until the 1560s.
A huge amount of work was done during lockdown under the leadership of GM Peter Walker to explore that hidden heritage, and in the Great Hall – which doubles as a relaxed seating area near the bar – there are numerous signposts pointing to the fact that the house was once owned by the fabled warrior priests. In fact this whole area of Deeside is crawling with history, with 263 castles within easy reach, including Balmoral, Crathes, Dunottar and Drum Castle.
Just 15 minutes from central Aberdeen, there’s a vast amount to do here. The hotel own the longest stretch of the Dee in private hands, so salmon fishing is hugely popular, and there are exceptional walks and golf courses nearby.
We stayed in a huge room overlooking the river (see below). Packed with period touches, it boasted a fourposter bed and a cavernous bathroom. Dinner was in the restaurant overlooking the river, a lovely relaxing spot that is very popular with locals. In all, this was an enchanting venue that we’d heartily recommend.