Cambus O'May Hotel in Aberdeenshire

The Cambus O May is a 150 year old Victorian building full of character, our spacious room had a roll top bath and a lovely view toward the old bridge over the river Dee. The hotel is deliberately set up to maintain its Victorian look and feel, if you want modern and glossy, look elsewhere! We had a lovely dinner in the evening, before sitting in front of the open fire in the cozy bar area for a few drinks. Breakfast was a good selection of cereals, pastries, juices, etc. Across the road is the 100 year old Cambus O May bridge, with excellent woodland walks, or take the trail to Ballater. We will stay again next time we are in the area.

Lovely little gem out of the hustle and bustle of life. Lovely grounds and walks. A wee bit shabby but warm and welcoming. My room was fabulous for one person. Very comfy mattress and new showeroom was excellent. Dinner mains were quite basic and not the best but breakfast was a big surprise. Whilst no hot food the choice was excellent. Rooms priced well but need to up the standard for £20 for mains at dinner.

Our stay here was amazing. Renovated hunting lodge, convenient to hiking trails along the river and short drive to Balmoral. Staff was very accomodating and the dinner was fantastic. Proprietor checked on us frequently and even bussed our table during the dinner rush. 4

We stayed for 1 night during a tour of Scotland, we had no expectations but were thrilled by the hotel - the location is great and the grounds were lovely. Only suggestion I would have is to have a better breakfast selection - some warm food would be great even if not a full breakfast maybe some eggs or something warm as only continental breakfast was available and it was relatively limited. I would also maybe like to see the bar area be open longer as it closed at 10pm which left us with little options when we would have liked another drink after a long day of hiking. We would definitely visit again!

What an absolute gem of an overnight stay. Beautiful hotel in a wonderful setting, we could even see the historic Cambus O May bridge from our bedroom window. Staff were welcoming and very attentive throughout our stay. Would most certainly return.

Wow, where to start. I booked the cottage for a birthday treat weekend and we're already planning when we can go back. Our friends who stayed on the Saturday are also looking to go themselves as well as a 30th birthday weekend away for someone. Jake and everyone who works there are a credit to themselves. Nothing was to much trouble and we even got a quick tour of some of the hotel rooms as we checked out for future booking and the attention to detail is apparent to the level of care taken by Jake and Co in making the hotel what it is. A special mention must go the the 'Loo' which is absolutely amazing. If you can imagine a hotel being the setting for an Agatha Christie novel this would be it. We didn't explore the grounds to much (that will be done on a future visit) but what we saw was wonderful. Our evening meal on Friday was perfect, so much so that when Susan took her first spoonfull of the sauce in the sticky toffee pudding it was like a little girl tasting a Wonka Bar for the first time. Add to that her steak was cooked to perfection. I could go on about how much we fell in love with the place and the staff but my advice would be to go and see for yourself.

My favorite place is Scotland. Always when I can I pop up! The staff and the owners are so friendly and they are pet friendly as well, so comfy for me to bring my little one 🤍

We stayed at this amazing little hotel for one night whilst walking in the area. The rooms were fantastic, a step back in time, but so comfortable. Iron, ironing board, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities. The bathroom was bang up to date with spotless showers and toilets. We ate dinner in the bar area, great food, reasonably priced and a lovely selection. Breakfast was included in our room deal and we were spoilt for choice. The bar had a big log fire with comfortable leather sofas. Just what we needed after a day walking in the Cairngorms. The couple who were managing the hotel, were so friendly and helpful, they couldn’t do enough for us. And as a bonus a wee ‘dug’ joined us on the sofa as we enjoyed our drinks. Cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. I was very sorry to leave. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

What a lovely surprise this hotel was. The building is stunning and the grounds perfect for a dog friendly stay. To find a hotel that doesn’t charge extra for taking your pets is very rare but very welcome. The room was large, comfortable and cosy. Breakfast is continental and lots of choice. Location was perfect for us, just outside Ballater and walks a plenty from the door. We will definitely return.

Chouette hôtel à la déco vintage et soignée, salon avec cheminé en marche, vue superbe, chambre de charme, petite salle de bain moderne. Restaurant bon, petit-déjeuner très sympa.

I’ve been to Cambus twice and couldn't be a better place to chill out and enjoy the nature around, also it’s pet friendly, and I could enjoy my days there with my little dog 💕 The food was beyond my expectations because it was very good and tasty and I loved the desserts. The room has amazing decoration and is very clean, the hotel itself looks like a little castle, perfect landscape. Highly recommended.

A very quirky but friendly place with old fashioned furniture, open fire and a homely feel. Wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it is very laid back, but we really enjoyed our overnight stay. The room was simply furnished but very clean. Restaurant menu wasn’t vast but enjoyable. A slight downside was the bar closed at 9pm as they were a bit short staffed when we stayed. Breakfast was continental style buffet. Overall we had a great time, received a warm welcome and loved the wee dog who had the run of the hotel. Would definitely stay again.

Absolument prodigieux ! Superbe hôtel écossais … décoration très ancienne qui lui procure une atmosphère envoûtante … chambre magnifique et confortable ..Nous avions celle du coin , probablement la mieux placée ( numero 2) … décoration victorienne , un peu lugubre mais c’est ce qu’on cherche dans un séjour en ecosse … personnel charmant , petit dej et dinner au top ! Je le recommande vivement

This is a lovely hotel. My kids and I really enjoyed it. The Brazilian man at reception, the bar and in the dining room (busy person!) is a friendly and entertaining character. I believe it was Derek the ground keeper, another great member of staff. He kindly organised and prepared bikes for us to use. Great guy. Shall certainly be back .

Definitely in need of some investment and care. It's a gorgeous old building with real Victorian charm in a meautiful natural setting. The problem is that the rooms are miniscule--in my single, I literally could barely stand in front of the bathroom sink because it was so close to the opposite wall. No real place for clothes, just three pegs on the wall. Mattress was old and sank in the middle. Generally not worth 100 pounds a night, which is what we were charged. Uncomfortable.

Could be a wonderful hotel. It was adequate. Plus side: location, faded grandeur. Minus: customers service - the staff were lesser spotted to say the least. DIY breakfast. No hot breakfast served. It wouldn’t be difficult to have a member of staff to offer tea/coffee would it? Cracked glass in bedroom window. Generally tired looking interior ie stains on the ceiling. Crumpled bed linen. Very, very dangerous entrance off road. Shame as it could be glorious with a little more effort.

Hotel in a beautiful place and very near to the suspension bridge walk. Friendly owner and housekeeper made us feel welcome. Lovely bathroom with great shower. Good selection of continental breakfast.

We stayed there for 2 nights, but were disapointed there was no one to receive us upon arrival. There was a note on a desk with the code for our room - so we had to find our way ourselves. Unfortunatly, they don’t have a chef - so the kitchen was closed. The lady of the house was very kind and booked us a last minute table somewhere else in town. Our toilet ik the room was broken, so after 1 night we had to move to another room. There was the heating broken, so we had a very cold night. Breakfast was disapointing, since the baked bread was old. I almost couldn’t cut through and it was so hard i couldn’t eat it. The second morning we ate breakfast somewhere else in town. This was so unfortunate, because the ground is fantastic, if only they picked up where they left off to keep the 4 stars… :(

We booked last minute and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. Absolutely stunning hotel in a stunning location. We travelled for a wedding but would book here again for a holiday.

Just back from two nights at Cambus o May hotel ( 28-30th)and I can't rate then highly enough. Lovely staff, beautiful hotel and very clean. Are only issue involved a very rude English old woman at breakfast who threw, what I can only describe as a temper tantrum, as the staff put the same milk carton out as the day before (as if she opens a fresh carton every morning!) and she didn't like the bread. Her manner and language towards the young staff member was disgraceful and I was impressed with how well the staff member kept her cool. I definitely would return to this hotel as its friendly, well priced and the team genuinely care about their hotel

For the discerning traveller visiting Royal Deeside Why not book into the Cambus o May Hotel on Ballater's Southern Side... Where comfort and warmth are palpable ...the fitments so exquisite.. Start the day with a croissant and coffee ..in Jake's dining room you will sit.

We were delighted when we arrived, not knowing anything about the place other than it was on our Air B&B listing. What a beautiful building, with gorgeous, antique furnishings. The owners are so sweet, and their children and dog are adorable. We were fortunate enough to arrive on a night that they were serving a dinner menu, and for a very reasonable price, we were treated to fish pie and lamb, cooked to perfection. If we are ever back in the area, we will definitely be back to the comfortable, quiet room, with beautiful garden views.

This was a good find, what a lovely place, fortunately untouched by over modernisation still very much original even had bell pulls in the well furnished rooms. Nice comfortable bed with a wonderful brass bedstead. A pleasant touch was a glass of wine on arrival and friendly, helpful staff. OK, so they don’t yet do evening meals and there’s no bar, simple solution is you can bring your own and there are places to eat in Ballater, Braemar and Aboyne. Breakfast is self service but set us up for some excellent walks from the hotel, easy access to the river Dee and the old railway for cycling. Great to see the hotel back on the scene.

Recently spent two nights here. Hotel has recently reopened after a five year closure. New owners couldn't be more helpful. The old building is fantastic and has a very homely feel. Like visiting friends rather than being a pretentious posh place. While it is still very well furnished, with lovely furniture and fittings, roll top bath etc. Kitchens weren't fully finished(which we knew prior to arrival) but continental breakfast was fine. Tea and coffee were available to help yourself and owner had even left wine out. They have opened to bring in revenue while kitchen work being completed and I would definitely stay there again if in the area. There is plenty of food choice in nearby Ballater and dining room/outside patio can be used for a takeaway if you Get one. Recommend a walk round Loch Muick

Un accueil chaleureux dans un écrin du 19ème siècle avec tout le confort moderne malgré le fait de ne rester...

Just returned from a weekend away here and it has exceeded our expectations! The place is very charming with lots of quirky features, beautiful grounds and views. The rooms have recently been renovated, lovely bathroom and comfy bed. The owners were very welcoming and accommodating....

First hotel we’ve arrived at & couldn’t stay. it’s so run down and shabby. Currently being mis-sold as nowhere is it advertised as being under refurbishment or that it’s a self serve hotel. Had we known this we wouldn’t have booked. Too late to find...

A very quirky place with huge amounts of history! The new owners are slowly redecorating the hotel and were incredibly kind - even let us borrow their bikes to cycle to Ballater to enjoy some fish and chips in the evening sun. Definitely check out...

Arrived here Friday afternoon to be met by the "guard dog".... A little unknown breed of dog but the friendliest little animal we've ever met! The owner came out to greet us and gave us information on local cycle paths and walks. We were in...

We very much enjoyed our one night stay in the Cambus O'May. Our room was beautifully decorated with quality bedding and a new bathroom. Breakfast was a buffet in a lovely room with a beautiful view of the mountains. Recommended.

This old fishing Lodge is being refurbished for use as a hotel again after being closed for 6 years. Just bed & breakfast at the moment. Traditional period pieces are being acquired but the bathrooms, plumbing and heating are all new and excellent. Big comfortable...

The place is very cosy, food was amazing and the bread was homemade. They also had delicious gelato, I had a sandwich ice cream. A great treat! Will definitely come again.

Have been here before and love it. Today food was great as usual but a bit slow although quiet when we arrived. Usually I go in the week and a lovely young woman is front of house today it was an older lady who was...

This hotel has been run by the same family for over 40 years, is situated in the woods very near the River Dee with excellent walks. The food is good, the bed comfortable, the water hot, and the lights in the bedrooms all work (often...

Looks like this place is now closed- despite the signs at the bottom of the drive. Ignore the signs in the door stating walkers and cyclists are welcome - as we were turned away. In addition, despite being disabled, I wasn't even allowed to use...

A group of us go fairly regularly for dinner and its fabulous. Warm welcome, cosy bar, Bertie the friendly retriever. The food is lovely, the portions are huge, its in a lovely traditional setting. What more can I say.

Haven't stayed as we live in Ballater but a group of us go for dinner there regularly - now we've found it. The menu is quite small but it caters for all. Let them know beforehand if you have special requirements. The bar is very...