The Boat Hotel Bistro in Highland

We stayed at this Inn/Hotel at the beginning of November, returning home we received an email asking us to review our stay. This we did by email, however, we did not receive a reply nor did we receive a reply to our follow up copy email, which I now type below. "Many thanks for your email, usually we send a report good or bad to Tripadvisor, as you have asked for feedback I am happy to share our thoughts with you initially. I have an email from you confirming our reservation from the 4th to the 8th November, 2024 in a Garden Room. This was because we have a dog and thought this would be an easier option should she need to go outside. When we arrived we had NOT been booked into a Garden Room for our five nights, as per your confirmation. We were offered a garden room for 3 nights and two other nights elsewhere within the hotel. I really did not feel changing rooms, packing and unpacking for two nights was a good idea, so we opted to stay again in Room 111 for the five night stay. I am sure you will agree, this was not a good start to our holiday. I spoke to another couple who had also booked a garden room only to find they too had been misallocated a room and these long established customers were very upset and vowed not to return next year for their 8th year. I feel it necessary to draw to your attention the lack of servicing for Room 111. Each day our duvet was "just turned over at the top", the bottom sheet was not straightened and the pillows were as we had arisen, not even straightened and aligned. The cleanliness in the bathroom left much to be desired. As I am sure you are aware there is no toilet brush next to the lavatory. The toilet was not cleaned throughout our stay and the bowl after five nights was turning a light shade of brown, however, diligent attention was paid to folding and making the spare toilet roll and the one for use look pretty. I would have preferred a clean toilet. This takes me on to the bath. On arrival there was a single long dark hair in the bath, as we did not use the bath and both have grey hair, this was still there when we left!! The shower doors require a thorough clean and polish, there is black mould on the wall and around the base of the shower. During our stay this was NOT cleaned at all. Mould and Mildew spray with a toothbrush would solve this problem. Likewise the wash hand basin was neglected. No dusting or vacuuming was carried out in the room for the duration of our stay. For your information I left a piece of cotton and a clean tissue on the floor and they were not picked up. When we had dinner in the bar area dogs were quite welcome. However, in the morning we did feel rather like second class citizens as we were with other dog owners required to use the alternative dining room, which was uninviting and a long way from the self-service area in the breakfast room. On two days for breakfast we were along with four other owners with dogs, allowed to use the breakfast room. No explanation was given for the flexible rule. To end on a good note, the staff were pleasant and helpful, always willing to assist in anyway they could. It is with interest I await your response. " On our next trip to Scotland we shall stay elsewhere.

We all had Sunday lunch (£22), service was good and waitress was friendly. However the Roast dinner was lukewarm, the beef was far from tender and the Yorkshire pud was clearly reheated and very greasy. The bar wasn’t able to provide many of the beers/lagers on tap. Altogether a very disappointing visit. We were here last year and I still remember The Venison I had. Clearly new management/chef. Definitely give it a miss.

I went there for dinner two nights in a row, once as a couple and once as a large group. The food was good (especially the Cullen Skink) and the portions were generous - to the extent that I couldn’t manage dessert. The restaurant was very busy (partly because of our party), but the service was good. Quite pricey for what it is (although the only other restaurant in town is no cheaper). The only downside was when we came to pay - in theory it’s ’card only’ but the wifi was down so we had to pay by cash. If the WiFi is less than robust (and it’s quite a remote area) it makes sense to accept cash as well as cards as standard.

Beautiful location, was a fun drive up to the hotel and easy to find! Not a lot of parking, we were lucky we had a small car so we could shove it in the last available space. The room itself was small and the hotel feels like a bit of a maze to get around at first, but we had everything we needed. Felt a little pricey for what you get. The shower had the worst pressure of any shower I have ever used in my life. I may as well have gone and stood out in the spitting rain, it would've had more impact. The service in the restaurant was terrible and they were clearly busy so it took a long time for any food to come out. We had to get our own menus and were left waiting a really long time even to order drinks. The table next to us were offered a free round of drinks as the kitchen was backed up and they weren't able to take any more food orders. And then they were told their drink choices weren't available. The food was worth the wait, the Cullen skink was beautiful as was the risotto. Quite pricey though. However the breakfast was absolutely shocking so clearly a different chef. I ordered avocado on toast. It was avocado clearly out of a packet - it was watery and bland. The toast was more just bread and the egg was over cooked, it was completely inedible. And the waiters were moaning about a customer next to us as she didn't speak English so they'd got her order wrong. Very unprofessional. Unexpectedly we got to see the Royal Scotsman sitting in the next door platform station though so that kind of made up for the awful shower/breakfast. And it was a sunny day! A rarity up there.

Spent the night and booked dinner for 8pm. We never got seated till nearer 9pm. Waiter was extremely stressed and quite abrupt in his manner throughout service. We were over charged on our final invoice at checkout which i noticed after leaving. I have called the hotel twice to highlight their mistake and was told they would refund the cost of the bottle of wine we never drank and the table next to ours drinks for that evening that we paid for. 6 weeks later and still no refund.

A very average meal for the money we spent, the highlights were the mussels, the rest felt very much bought in or microwaved Rigatoni was very very average, as was the garlic bread and the desserts were very much bought in They were exceptionally busy that evening, but the food needs work

Our DB&B deal entitled us to a 3 course set menu for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. A good choice of dishes available, the smoked peppered mackerel was a lovely light starter, as was the pate. For mains, we had the Steak Pie and Fish and Chips, both were cooked perfectly and very generous portion sizes. For Dessert, we opted for Sticky Toffee pudding and the Sundae of the day. The bar had some lovely locally brewed beer (Uile-bheist brewery in Inverness), which we had never tried before, so we just had to try them and they were all really nice, would definately recommend.  All staff in the bar and restaurant were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. We would definitely recommend here and we will definitely return 👍

We pulled in for a bite to eat and were very happy we did so. Very relaxed atmosphere and the food was really good. Very generous servings. Would come again.

Very poor service. Order of 1 bottle red wine and 1 pint lager + jug of tap water received alcohol but no tap water. Food order 2 soup and sandwiches + 1 sandwich - 1 soup sandwich and 2 sandwiches arrived - we said it was 2 soup sandwiches and 1 sandwich waiter apologised and brought soup with side order of bread. As soon as food eaten and no further order he said he’d bring bill even though we still had half a bottle of wine to drink. He did bring bill and card reader giving little time to check bill. Member of party stated not happy to pay added gratuities on alcohol but didn’t try to rectify this. Finally checked bill at home to find we had been charged for soup and sandwich separately not soup and sandwich deal - extra £7.00. Unpleasant experience and will not return.

We stayed there for 2 nights and had dinner there both, and on lunch. Very good and imaginative dishes. Very busy but great friendly service.

Зашли выпить кофе. Заказали выпечку. Сели на улице. Долго ждали, ходили напоминали. Ждали столько, что молодой человек принес кофе абсолютно холодный и по дороге разлитый из чашек на блюдце.

Having eaten here in the past we were keen to return whilst in the area with friends. We were a bit put off by some recent reviews but we found both the staff and the food great. The menu is quite pricey these days but it was nice.

We booked a table at the Boat following good reviews and were not disappointed. As Aviemore was being invaded by Harley Davidson bikers we decided to head out of town and after having a drink here the previous couple of days we decided to book an evening meal for three. We ordered Steak & Ale Pie, Burger & Roast Beef. All the meals were very tasty and the portions were very generous. I have to say the Roast Beef was exceptional! We had excellent service and the drinks and food arrived very quickly. I can also recommend the Cairngorm Brewery draught beers! We will definitely return.

Sadly I will never go back and being a local that is not good. Food was ok BUT the staff behaviour including the managers was totally unacceptable. The rolling of eyes the manager arguing with staff was not what you want when paying for food and polite service. I have never encountered such poor service anywhere before! Very sad

Quelle magnifique découverte! L’accueil était super grâce à Gary qui nous a fait découvrir les spécialités de la maison. Ces choix étaient excellents et les enfants ont adorés leurs steak pies. Le gibier était parfaitement cuit. Et l’assiette de saumon cuit, très bien assaisonnée avec des légumes agréablement croquants. Une adresse à recommander sans hésiter même avec enfants.

We went as large family group and pre booked the dinners for everyone. The service was shocking no friendly atmosphere from staff who served us. Took ages for drinks to come to our table and the kids pizzas were basically frozen supermarket pizzas Kids desert didn't come and no one else was offered a desert menu.

When we went in, there was a choice of “bar” or “restaurant”. So we went into the bar and asked if they serve food and yes, they did. The menu was a simple bar menu but reasonable choices - sandwiches, fish and chip, steak pie, soup, even haggis! Had the steak pie. Nicely cooked steak, reasonable amount, perhaps a bit salty. Chips were good. However, the amount of vegetables was pitiful- a handful of steamed items. Prices were more like in a restaurant rather than bar £6 for a glass of wine, £4.80 for a soft drink, mains £15-20.

My previous review showed the bill for our lunch was £4.35. Sunday roast was £18.50, Cheese and pickle sandwich was £9.50 !!, pint of real ale and one soft drink. The actual cost was £42.35 !! As I said no itemisation and no explanation. Won't be back.

So pleased that we decided to book the Boat again for our Hogmanay celebrations! We had pre ordered our dishes and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals, particularly the salmon main course. The atmosphere and service were excellent and the pay as you go system for ordering drinks worked really well. We will be booking again for December 2023!

My wife and I recently had a meal in the hotel, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We called and spoke to Rachel about the menu as there were no vegan options on it. Rachel told us, they had a brilliant chef and he would create a vegan menu for us. We arrived at this most stunning of venues, with a warm welcome and shown to our table. Our specially prepared vegan menu was brought to us and we had a choice of 3 starters, 3 mains and 2 desserts. All mouthwatering and not a burger or pizza in sight! We both chose tempura veg to start and my wife had a herb roasted aubergine and I had a wild mushroom risotto, with a fan of mango, lemon sorbet a d poached plums to finish. All 3 courses were absolutely exquisite, full of flavour and freshness. There is a superb range of drinks to choose from, with some very nice whiskies. Our waitress Jennifer was brilliant all evening and we had a truly unforgettable wedding anniversary. Thank you all, for making it so special.

We have visited this place several times before, so decided to pop in for an early evening drink while staying near-by A really nice venue, with comfy chairs and pleasant staff. However, drink prices have increased and are quite dear now. We only had a lager and a glass of wine and we were £14.00 and the Birra Moretti lager was flat - certainly not worth the money. A very disappointing experience.

Some of the rudest service I have ever received, made to feel completely and utterly unwelcome, as if we were nuisances, not guests! Give this place a miss

Terrible place. Our older male server was grumpy to the point of being misanthropic, the food was low quality (the wings appetizer was obviously of the Lidl-freezer-bag-and-microwave variety but even so came out cold and had to be sent back--with no apologies from the staff), and the prices way out of line with what was being served. After the lousy meal we get the exorbitant bill (including a 10% "service" fee), go to pay and are told that they refuse to take cash (which is legal tender last time I checked), with the aforementioned grumpy-pants going through a litany of reasons why it's so convenient for the restaurant to accept only cards. So bad it was borderline comical other than the fact that we paid 160 pounds for slop and lousy service... It is understood that in these days of high demand and short staffing that restaurants are busy, but we'd had dinner the night before up the street at a restaurant called Andersens which was just as busy but presented a great dining experience nonetheless.

Definitely Best Restaurant in Boat of Garten quick service, great food and good beer and cider. Will def go there again.

Visited last week whilst staying in BOG. The prices here are beyond a joke especially for the poor quality food. £6.50 A PINT. £9 for small glass of wine. £10 for a basic sandwich with very little filling. Sub-Wetherspoon quality but x3 the price.

A good place to eat at busy times it may be best to book before arriving we were lucky and managed to get a table. The Cullen Skink was very good with the steak pie also being tasty.

£6.50 for a pint of Guinness £6.50 for a pint of Morreti £3 for a can of irn bru My pint was lovely but those prices are utterly outrageous

we were residents for a week. fully sampled the menu and every dish was good. Cullen Skink and thew Thai curries terrific

Coté hôtel, chambres très classiques. Pression d’eau a revoir. Difficile de se laver avec si peu d’eau… Coté restaurant, les...

I used to work in the Boat Hotel back in the 1980s (for the legendary Bruce Wilson) but lived in the village and still have a lot of connections to the area. I took a friend out for a belated 80th birthday present. We both...

My wife and I were looking for a dog-friendly place to have lunch. This place was just perfect for us!!! First, we were greeted with such a nice welcome at the front door by "Rachael" who made us feel very welcome with our two Golden...

Dirty old place needing a revamp Showers don’t work No hot water Dirty rooms Dirty carpets Unhelpful staff and management The food is over priced rubbish Ordered gammon steak when it arrived you could bounce it down the road it was that hard as they...

Had a lovely meal with my family here. The food was great - we had a mixture of sandwiches, fish & chips and the burgers. Their beer selection was good and we topped this all off with a good round of dessert. My only issue...

Expensive, bland, pub food. e.g. £16 Mac & cheese with “bacon” - Couldn’t taste any cheese and “bacon” looked and tasted like ham. Wrong orders were served, so had to be returned. Side orders were missing and when prompted, came half way through dinner. Food...

I was married in this hotel 8 years ago. It was stressful planning it as this hotel had a huge turnover of staff. We have visited every year since as we have a two timeshares nearby at different times in the year. We visited last...

Been in Boat of Garten many times but never ate out. Nice old hotel with friendly staff. Don’t understand previous comments about service as we were well looked after. Food was very good but fairly expensive for quality pub meals.

After arriving at what seemed like a nice old hotel things went down hill rapidly Lack of interest from the staff One family member had to change rooms because of the smell and no hot water in his first room No hot water in the...

Three of us had a roast last Sunday. Service was excellent as was the atmosphere. Meal not so good. Our beef was in my opinion over cooked and was tough. My roast potatoes weren't crispy enough, infact they were still very pale. Vegetables were lovely...

Having stayed in February we had an enjoyable stay. We decided to return in April as a larger group for a big family birthday. One family member had to be moved rooms due to a smell and then had no hot water prior to going...

As always we were treated like family, can’t think of spending anywhere else on Hogmanay ,fantastic special menu every course cooked perfectly ! Staff friendly as ever & nothing to much trouble!

We stayed here for 3 nights in December 21. We had such a lovely time. All the staff were welcoming and friendly. We were greeted by the lovely lady on reception after a 6hr drive and she gave out dogs some welcome packs. We booked...

We ate here both days/nights during our stay. The staff were very friendly and welcoming throughout. The food was excellent, beautifully cooked and presented, everything we tried was fantastic. Interesting menu with lots of choice, with the addition of a few daily specials. Breakfast menu...

We were staying in a cottage about a mile away and called in on the Saturday after our walk for a couple of pints. You can only sit in the bar area if you're eating so we sat in the lounge. The staff were very...

We came here for an Afternoon tea Overall the food was decent but 60/30 in favour of cakes and biscuits , the sandwiches were made up of smoked salmon and cheese, unfortunately my Wife likes neither and we weren’t asked about likes dislikes or allergies...

Dropped in here on spec during first trip to the area. Most welcome at Sunday lunchtime and providing a stress free dog friendly environment. Servers impeccably turned out and professionally skilled young people, pleasant and unfussy. Décor was nostalgic and the original (?) floor added...

Staff are lovely. Outside is perfect for watching the world - mainly cyclists - go by. Inside cosy. Really great food and good value.

Lovely meal and atmosphere in the Boat last night. Our two ladradors were made very welcome and where given a “Dog welcome pack”

While on holiday at Boat of Garten we popped in for a lunch. Three adults and two dogs 👍 it was a lovely day so chose an outside table...but were assured by the friendly staff that it was no problem to take the dogs indoors....

Just a pity that they can’t get themselves organised. Yes, you must use the app to order even when you appear to be the only people there and the following customers didn’t appear to. Not a problem you would have thought but it takes time...

We stayed in the boat hotel for 3 nights as a base for a golf break which the hotel had booked the golf courses on our behalf, the hotel was fantastic with the friendliest staff anyone would be lucky to be tended by. Food was...

Enjoyed a lovely evening meal here. It was quite busy and I imagine could get a bit noisy at times. Staff helpful.

We called in here following a walk around Lake Garten and the Garten woods. We were desperate for a coffee and a piece of cake - as you are following a 5 mile walk! We sat outside at a nice table for two, as we...

Family meal with friends at hotel was disappointing. Chicken was over cooked and onion rings over cooked. Curry was very good and staff very keen to feed us and move us on. Not unpleasant but we left disappointed and unlikely to return sadly. Have given...

Myself, husband, 2 children and grandparents visited the Cainghorms for 5 days. Twice we went to the Boat County Inn & Restaurant. We had lunch one afternoon and dinner a few days later. Both time the food were great, good variety. My mum-in-law requires gluten-free...

Beautiful place! We went here after being disappointed by a restaurant on the same road so we decided to come here for desserts. We phoned to see if they had last min availability for desserts and they said yes straight away! They did not have room in the restaurant however they served us in the comfy lounge which is beautifully decorated in typical Scottish decor. The guests there were also chatty and friendly. They spaced out the tables well with covid. The desserts were great value for money and huge! I got crumble with custard and ice cream too which was an added bonus and great portion size! Very yummy and obviously home made. The only reason i gave this 4/5 was because it was under renovation and bathrooms were in a bedroom which was weird and the staff were very busy and didn't really acknowledge us but thats ok as it was their first week open after the lockdown lift

Very disappointing meal, ordered the gammon with Jacket Potato which tasted like it was days old, light brown in colour and tasteless. Complained to the staff, she said sorry at the time but it was brushed to one side, on being presented with the bill I mentioned the jacket potato as I didn’t get any feedback and was told it was free with the meal , when pushed and they took off a whole £1.70. Not worth a visit.

Side salad had exactly the right amount of dressing. A really lovely coating of dressing, so that all the ingredients were still tasty. A lovely tattie too. Very competent, friendly and professional young male waiter. Will definitely return.

I have stayed in this hotel about 3 times now. Once Dec 2020 and twice last winter.The hotel is a lovely and cosy place to be in winter with fireplaces in several places in the communal areas (bar, lounge, reception).The rooms that I have stayed in have been spacious and beautifully decorated and have had good heating. Nice comfortable beds as well.The staff have always been fantastic, polite and friendly.The location is great. There are some walks in the local area that are easily accessible on foot from the hotel. The hotel is also close to Aviemore (about a 10 minute drive).The negative points have been:- restaurant menu does not appear to change. Would be good to see a bit more creativity with meal choices too.- I have been twice in the same room with not great shower pressure, although the bathroom was fresh and modern. Bath was at least present and was good. I do like high pressure in my showers so this point may not bother everyone. The temperature of the water was good and lots of heat.- One night (last winter) I had a terrible sleep due to noisy family in room next door. Obviously not the hotels fault. It felt like I could hear everything through the wall. I am not sure why I tolerated it without asking reception to quieten them as normally I would do that (not the first time I have been in such a situation). I sense the walls are not so thick, at least in the room I was in, it felt like that. Or maybe it was just an unbelievably noisy family!Overall, this is a hotel that I would definitely return to again and I do recommend it.

The staff are amazing, the setting ideal but...The breakfasts were good but the dinners are so unamaginative, this hotel heaps the plates with lots of frozen chips, millions of them! Steak pie and fish and chips? Surely you can do better than that?TIP: get the chef to make 6 x hand cut chips, if he/she can't do that retrain them.Very much a case of quantity over quality.My suite was nice but the carpet was stained, the room needs a revamp.The bathroom was very smelly but we got a free bottle of bubbly for that, thanks.The mainly young staff were a credit to the hotel and I know we're in the middle of a pandemic but please, pay attention to quality of the dinners and sort out the wee problems please.

Nice atmosphere, family and dog friendly. Good menu with a good selection. Nice seating area out side with heaters 👍

Stayed with my son and his fiancee for two nights on DB&B basis. Polite friendly and caring staff. Rooms spotless,food excellent and a wide choice of craft beers. Will stay again can't recommend high enough. Neil McFarlane

Well situated for a quiet weekend in the Spey Valley, and the adjacent steam railway ,I found the hotel comfortable and welcoming.The food was exceptional and the chefs specials , a delight.

Lovely food , great beer , sky sports. Friendly staff . Nice visit . Been going for over 40years . Visiting again next year

Very average. Great potential but the food was not good enough. Terrible greasy burger with undercooked chips. Ridiculously overpriced. Never got offered specials, staff were nice but not very efficient. Haggis balls were nice.

Check out the specials menu. Was pleasantly surprised by our visit to this restaurant. If you look at the menu on the website it’s fairly straightforward pub bistro food, however when we arrived they offered us a lovely selection of specials. We had one each and both were amazing. Worth a visit.

A lovely restaurant with a touch of class. The food was excellent; all of the group enjoyed all three of the courses. Service was a little below par however, as we had to wait 15 minutes to order our drinks to start with, and then they failed to provide cutlery for both the starter and the dessert. This was disappointing as the food was exceptional. Despite that hiccup, I’d highly recommend!

The food is pretty basic, my pie was a stew with a pastry hat and was incredibly hot. The staff were a bit mixed with one lady who was really helpful and nice and another who could not care less. Desert was nice but overall it was a bit of a disappointment

Great specials and food.Came with 2 children and their menu was ideal, both had sausages which were of really great quality and they loved them!We had the special Hake topped Thai curry and steak pie which were delicious and freshly cooked .The service was excellent.

We enjoyed an evening meal here. Good service and a very nice basket of Scampi. The location in the village by the tramline is excellent for some good views

I’ve eaten here a couple of times before, which had been great, so I was very surprised at how bad it was this time.The staff were all very disorganised - any question was met by a blank expression and “don’t know” and no real urgency to help. The food took an age to arrive, and when it did, we had no cutlery. 5 minutes passed and I went to ask for some, and they still took another 5 minutes to bring it! Terrible! The mushy peas were cold and fish and chips very poor. My friends had the duck, which was so overcooked it was difficult to eat. My mac’n cheese was very watery and tasteless.Hugely disappointing as my previous experiences had been excellent. Kitchen staff and waiters all need replacing. Sounds harsh, but necessary.Avoid, unless you like poor service, overpriced and tasteless food.

What a shame. We stopped for a quick drink and a comfort break, despite the facilities being quite run down and poorly maintained, the glasses were clean and the beer was good so we decided to have a meal. We ordered the steak and the fish and chips which would ordinarily have been overpriced, but the eat out to help scheme brought the bill down to pretty reasonable. After our food arrived we waited nearly five minutes for our cutlery, and because we were outside it was cooling quickly. This didn’t dampen or spirits much and the food was still plenty warm enough to eat. We were enjoying our meals, then without a word of warning, the waitress dragged the table next to us out of the way so a bin wagon could reverse right next to our table, thinking it was just turning we carried on our meal, and tried to ignore the interruption which added nothing to the Highland ambience. Then they proceeded to empty an industrial wheelie bin within a yard of our table, which was quite unbelievable in the middle of a pandemic. The cloud of dirt and flies really ruined the meal. When we were asked if everything was ok, we explained it wasn’t, and received an apology but nothing more. Any business willing to do this to their customers, doesn’t deserve their custom. We won’t return and would recommend others don’t either.

Had a lovely lunch, nice to be able to sit outside, staff were all really friendly - really good pub grub / sandwiches were really nice

Really nice hotel restaurant, we visited as a family in February and ate in the restaurant on the Saturday night.Very busy and because of this the staff put us in a separate dining room which was most welcome due to the noise in the main room.The food was decent hotel fayre, not awe inspiring but nevertheless ok.The location is what separates this hotel from the rest, on the doorstep of the Cairngorm National Park, fantastic area to see the best Scotland has to offer!!I’d definitely stay and eat here again.

Stopped here for lunch,having stayed on a previous visit.Don't know if it has new owners since I was last here,but I felt it was quite pricey compared to the last time I was there.Staff all pleasant,nice log fires blazing away,still like the hotel,just felt the prices had jumped a fair bit.

Went to get some food as visited in Feb 2019 twice and food was excellent, so we tried again in Feb 2020 and so disappointed with food this time, Fish & Chips the fish was smaller than table next to us with cold chips and cold peas and mushy peas, one pie was hot and other was slightly heated. Had to ask for pie to be heated, instead of taking fish & chips back was just given more hotter chip and peas. As dishes removed once finished was offered free deserts then another lady came back and only offered free ice cream, I don’t think so. Offered a discount on main food. Did not go back was a disappointment visit.

We had an amazing time over Hogmanay in our little home from home , nothing is to much trouble for any of the fantastic attentive staff , we were always greeted by a smile and a wonderful welcome by everyone! Dean & Magda are the very best of host’s and you feel like part of their extended family as you arrive at the Hotel . The wood fire in reception is always a welcome sight with the big comfy chairs either side ! Cannot wait to return in February for our valentine getaway Already booked ready for this year’s Hogmanay See you all soon xxxx

Second visit & probably the last, we arrived Boxing Day & had booked a table for evening dinner.The young lady serving was very nice but did not seem to have much idea, I still gave her a generous tip!However I feel the food quality does not meet the prices charged, we left our desert which was supposed to be apple crumble but we could not find any crumble it was more like apple stew!Another evening I asked for fish & chips but no peas I was told? However the guy on a table next to me also asked for fish & chips & he was served peas? So does it come with peas or not? When I complained I got a shrug of shoulders from a young man who. Served me.Stairways were dirty & need a good daily hoovering as does the entrance, I understand people are coming & going but there seems no effort to keep clean?Seems to me it has gone down hill since our last visit 4 years ago.Most annoying was whilst dining one evening in the restaurant the table behind us seemed to be running a staff meeting with the management, we.could hear word for word the conversation that was going on & it was not good, there was a lot of loud foul language coming from the manager and berating the chefs as not up to the job!Should they even conduct such a meeting in the dining room whilst guests are eating!Sorry to say and experience this but when you pay hard earns money for a get away you expect more but this experience has put us of visiting again.The only consolation or positive was the breakfast staff whom very very friendly & helpful.Australian lady on reception when checking out was very friendly so extra star for her.

I booked a table here on a Sunday evening for a group of us which was fine, except that they had set the tables up separately. Granted we were a large group, there were 13 of us, but they split us into two tables which spoilt the atmosphere a bit, and they have plenty of space and tables so we could have all been seated together. The menu had some nice dishes, and the food was good but it did take a long time to come. The kitchen had run out of Yorkshire puddings, but really in the time it took to get the main courses out they could have made more, some people were offered more veg or meat, others weren't. It resulted in us asking for a discount off our bill. The waiting staff were really good, nice friendly and approachable. The decor and surroundings nice, though there was a Christmas tree up in the lobby and we were there at the end of September - not particularly seasonal!A glass of red at the bar costs a whopping £9 - it was nice but at £9 a glass I'll give it a miss next time. I enjoyed my visit, but I think I'd go somewhere else next time.

Lovely country pub with a roaring fire which is awesome after a chilly walk. We had a few drinks here one evening last week whilst on holiday in the area. Liked it so much we returned the next morning for breakfast. Delicious!

Had lunch at this hotel which was very good. The views from the hotel are lovely with the snow topped cairngorms dominating the scene. Food and service was excellent I would thoroughly recommend.

Stayed for a couple of nights as we were visiting Aviemore and had stayed here a few years previously. We were in a garden room which had paper thin walls which were no use in stopping the noise from the room next door, and the one beyond. Corridor floors were very soft & creaky leading to lots of noise every time anyone walked past, or even in a nearby area. There is a fire door to the carpark near the garden rooms which doesn't close. Although the area isn't exactly inner city, it wasn't that comfortable knowing that anyone could walk in from the street 24/7.Food was average pub grub & quite expensive for what it was. Wine list similar, especially as I recognised some of the wines which were offfered at a higher markup than is usual. Service was ok but no checkbacks were made to the table on either night. Overall, it was ok but no more. We thought it had definately deteriorated over the last few years & probably wouldn't go back

Our experience today (5 for lunch) suggests strongly that the Boat has improved somewhat, under new management, during the past 2 years. The staff were pleasant & helpful, and the food was good. I had the Cullen skink. A small “gripe “ however. The cakes, definitely bought in, were £4 each, which is outrageous, as they only cost a fraction of that price in the shops. Otherwise I recommend.

We booked 3 nights b&b; with our dogs. On booking were given Deluxe rm as hotel full. It's an old hotel and this was a long walk upstairs in the eaves with lovely views, so don't forget anything! The shower screen was not fitted properly and swung outwards from the bath soaking the floor. It had obviously been like that a while as bath panel was damaged. Toiletries are minimal and not good quality. TV situated too high on wall and nothing in room could be classed as luxurious or extra. Mirrors throughout hotel needing good clean. Dinner in the hotel was expensive for what it was, my husband's fish wasn't large portion and looked as if it came from cheap supermarket. I had Rissotto which was over £16. We ate at the other local restaurant the next 2 nights which was superb! The full cooked breakfasts arrived cold and virtually inedible! Therefore, we took poached or scrambled eggs on the next 2 mornings. The foreign staff serving in the dining room were lovely and couldn't be more helpful, but the 'management' who hovered around the reception were offhand and didn't engage at all.

Having read the reviews my wife and I and two friends were apprehensive about a visit, but were presently suprised to find a warm welcome and tasty food albeit with a tint table more suited to 2 than 4, however the food was delicious haggis pakora hit the spot and the salmon fillet was superb. Highly recommended!

Lovely scampi and chips. Served quickly and efficiently. A tip though ! There is lots of parking above but not clearly marked. We nearly gave up

Recently ate here and also had a few drinks on a separate evening, overall very good but did feel a little on the higher price side for food offered. Good atmosphere, good service and very welcoming however. Would go back again if in the area.

Great location. Lovely view from room. Attentive staff. Beautifully decorated room, unfortunately water pressure in bathroom poor... Would come back..

Sehr leckeres Essen, umfangreiches Speisenangebot, super freundliches Personal. Getränkeangebot spitze (logisch ist ja ein Pub). Fernseher stören nicht!!!

Worst meal ever, Haggis neeps and tattles were disgusting watery tattles and turnip was indescribable and it was not haggis don’t know what it was. My husbands Gammon steak was raw in the middle, chips were the left over scraps ifrom the bottom of a frozen chip bag. Complained but they just took £5 of our bill.

Nice staff and good simple food. Can get a bit noisy as the floor is wooden so you end up shouting. Traditional highland pub/hotel next to steam railway.

A rest bite for a coffee and cake, most enjoyable environment with good prompt service just what I remember from a previous visit..

Stayed Saturday night when 14 of us were up playing golf. Hotel was perfect for what we wanted. Some found that they had double rooms but hotel staff sorted all this quickly and split up the beds with no fuss. Very quiet so good sleep and great breakfast. If staying in the area I would recommend it be here.

We have visited the Boat many times over the years and the food and service have always been good .

We had a lovely warm welcome and fast service with drinks etc. Our starters were lovely, mussels and Camembert, we both had the highland burger and it wasn’t very nice. Very greasy and damp. Both left feeling a bit funny after it.

Went into the bar during the afternoon to get a bar meal, and enquired about the gluten free options they had available as there was no mention of any alergens on the specials board.

Tres grande chambre pour 2 mais cet hotel veut se donner un style moderne et design au point d'installer une baignoire au milieu de la chambre en face de la fenêtre. Mais le vis à vis avec la petite gare n'est pas approprié avec cette baignoire. Il aurait mieux fallu installer un canapé.

Stayed in Boat of Garten for a couple of nights and kept ending up here for a pint. Situated next to the railway and on the cycle route so it’s slap bang in the centre.

We had a meal here a few days ago and the setting was lovely having just come from Loch Garten. Great food on offer. Wonderful waitress called Romano served us. Very lovely, attentive and attuned to what we needed from the menu. Fantastic!

We had a late lunch at the pub and it was really up to our expectations. Fish and chips, burgers, haggies where delicious. The kids menu burgers were served in generous portions. The service was spotless. Had a good laugh with the waiters. I would go again without hesitation.

Stayed for a night last weekend. Our double room was just 2 single beds pushed together, with a double sheet over the top. Had dinner at the hotel....felt like it was an inconvenience ordering more drinks, the drinks also took at least 10mins to be served each time, in a bar that was pretty empty. Food was just ok, but it was an expensive meal.