The Bothy in Aberdeenshire

Yummy simple food (just the way I love it) and great, friendly service! Definitely my favourite breakfast spot in Ballater we visited. Very reasonably priced as well!

Had a full breakfast , it was ok , nothing special, quantity wise was good enough , beans were cold , I personally did not like the breakfast tea they use , staff were great , friendly and efficient, but I've had better food at lesser price

Lovely cafe in the centre of Ballater. Nice food and friendly service.

Delicious food. One of the best breakfasts I've had in Scotland. Service was nice and high level.

Nice enough coffee but there was hardly any bacon in the bacon roll for almost a fiver.

Nice location but I ordered the tomato soup with red peppers - yuk, it tasted & looked like a tin of chopped tomatoes with all the tin taste of the can - walk by, there are plenty of others to choose from.

Paid for coffee ,soup and carrot cake, sat at table for about 10/15 minutes before going up to the counter as they had clearly forgotten about our order, it wasn't very busy and the soup was at the counter in a soup cauldron. A few minutes later we got our soup but it wasn't even luke warm they had to reheat it! Meanwhile our coffee was cold, my partner ordered another one. This is the second time we have been in and the food wasn't served quickly or hot! Although the food was tasty when we got it! We are very disappointed with such a nice little cafe, we would be reluctant to return or recommend.

It was good, I had soup and sandwich. Prices were fair.

This nice little cafe is full of zing! Very nice decor, excellent staff, and a friendly environment. The Hummus sandwich was one of the freshest and brightest things I’ve ever tasted in my life. Definitely would recccomend if you’re a tourist in this small little town.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this place, it just doesn't have the 'zing' of other coffee shops in the village.

Had a great Continental breakfast and coffee ☕😋

We came all three morning we were here! The food and coffee were amazing and all the staff were delightful!

Had our breakfast stop here halfway through a long journey. It was superb. My wife opted for full breakfast while I had a bacon and egg roll. Delicious: well cooked and served hot. The eggs in particular were done to perfection. Coffee was strong and flavoursome. Service was pleasant and the food and drinks came quickly. Would highly recommend.

Arriving for the Thrive Bike festival early on a Sunday morning, after a long drive, we were delighted to find this lovely cafe was open and serving food. After a warm welcome we ordered two cooked breakfasts - one regular, one veggie - and both were excellent. Although I'm only vegetarian I actually ordered the vegan one as I didn't want an egg and would get more items (but I did stress real butter for my toast!). The portion sizes were good and everything was very tasty, and it felt like excellent value for money. The cakes on display looked mouth-watering too but sadly we had no room left once we'd finished! The place quickly got busy and it's clearly popular with locals too, which is always a good sign. We visit Ballater a few times a year and will definitely be coming back here.

I'm writing this sitting in beautiful park, after getting a coffee and sandwich from The Bothy Ballatter. If I were made to eat the smoked salmon and cream cheese on brown bread for the rest of my life, that would be just fine! And the young ladies working are just lovely!

A very busy cafe with great food served all day . The boss Risha ( I think name ) seemed so efficient and friendly with this well oiled machine being a great example of a country cafe / casual restaurant with excellent takeaway . Lovely lady Sarah was serving another time we visited . Always very busy but excellent coffee , breakfasts and soups always served with a smile - its why folks come from miles around . A class act !

Amazing porridge with Maple syrup and cream in two little jugs to add as needed, lovely warm atmosphere in cafe and although I didn't go in any other cafe in Ballater, I would go there again.

Great food, large servings, friendly staff, nicely spaced tables, and lots of light. Great for lunch and breakfast. Also espresso.

Lovely cafe, great coffee, soups, scones and toasties with a welcoming atmosphere and great service. Took the family here after a bike ride and wasn’t disappointed. The owner even went the extra mile when I left a bag in the shop. Thank you and the team for a great visit, recommended.

Lovely cafe, great coffee, soups, scones and toasties with a welcoming atmosphere and great service. Took the family here after a bike ride and wasn’t disappointed. The owner even went the extra mile when I left a bag in the shop. Thank you and the team for a great visit, recommended.

Leuke plek, lekkere gerechten, aardig personeel en goede vibe! Via een outdoorshop met mooi assortiment loop je naar buiten; wat ons betreft een aanrader. Zeker de yoghurt met granola is aan te raden!

Great service and good tasting coffee - we had the toasted sandwich and it was well prepared and full of brie bacon and cranberry. This is what coffee and a sandwich should be (so often the promise is high but the reality is low!). Friendly helpful staff let me go against the flow when leaving as it was easier for my mobility-challenged 92-year old mother (there is a one-way system in and out the cafe and adjoining shop). We'll be back, thank you.

Back again on 6th Aug 2024 and as before a cracking full breakfast, double everything, and very reasonably priced. Went back for tea and scones later in the day - just scrumptious. Friendly and helpful staff, nice and clean eating area and also toilets 🙂👍

A good cafe that offers varied dining choices. I recommend.

Great food and friendly service! Thank you for a nice experience!

Small breakfast was pretty good.

Really tidy and cosy with friendly service. The menu was very well displayed and easy to see. I came for a takeaway coffee and the service was quick even though it was a busy Sunday morning. I would come again!

Great little cafe and shop. Good coffee and cake, and great walk suggestions and items to buy. We will be back

We walked to Ballater from Dinnet along the dismantled railway footpath along the Dee. On arrival which was a Monday in late May, we decided to stop at The Bothy and we were not disappointed. We had a sandwich and the most amazing blueberry lemon cake. In fact I would go as far as to say that it was second to none. Highly recommend.

We visited Ballater on a trip from Aberdeen and stopped at 'The Bothy' for a snack (cheese scone) and a drink. We liked the ambiance and the vegan options. The scone tasted great and the staff (you order at the counter) were friendly. All the food consumed around us looked very attractive and freshly prepared. We'd love to come back.

Food and drink great. Views of the Cluney burn stunning

This is a great café. The coffee is excellent and we are really fussy about our coffee! We are also very grateful to find a cafe where, unlike many others, dogs are not permitted, (except guide dogs). Hooray! Thank you.

Great small breakfast and lovely coffee. Bought cherry and almond scones too! Staff very friendly. Would definitely return

Very friendly and attentive staff. We lost a backpack on the premises and when I asked for it they told me they would call me back as soon as they knew if the backpack was there. They did indeed call me and the backpack was there and we were able to retrieve it. Very grateful for their honesty and attention.

Great breakfast and nice coffee. Lovely atmosphere

A comfortable and convenient spot for very good good, service and a rest while enjoying long walks in the Ballater area.

Tasty, fresh rolls. Delicious breakfast and very nice service.

Don't skip over this place. Great food, nice atmosphere, and nice people. Had tea and scones here after a trip to Balmoral

Breakfast on Saturday morning, good selection of food, decent quality and reasonable service. Good coffee. Had to clear table when we arrived as appeared to be short of staff. No table service, order at till then delivered

Lovely atmosphere with warm log fire, nice food, service was decent but it's counter service so this makes it harder to review. Outdoor shop connected in which sells Patagonia and other high end clothing.

The best coffeeshop in all of Scotland in my opinion. The apple cinnamon scone, white chocolate cherry cake and even the cheese sandwich were amazing! Coffee is also really good. I had a black americano and I can say best in UK even

What a great find this place was! Called in for some lunch and the menu was really varied. We opted for soup and a sandwich and both were delicious. Good service and will definitely return, the next time we are in Ballater!

The Bothy is #1 and they should be. My wife and I just spent 10 days in Ballater and we ate here almost every single day. All the breakfast and lunch options are delicious and just as important, the coffee is the best in town. We had been in 5 years before and my wife and I were so excited to return. It lived up to the 5 year hype and that is not easy!! I forget all the names, but assume the owner and all the other ladies working the front were the best. You ask, "What should I try?". Well, everything!! Okay a couple of my favorites - The Full Breakfast if you are starving or want to try a little of everything. The Bothy Breakfast is a wee (see how I used that there!) healthier with Yogurt, Granola and delicious fruit. Fried Eggs and the Rolls with Egg and Bacon or Sausage is equally as good. Plenty of Coffee options and alternative milks such as Oat, Almond, etc. Thank you all. We will be back!

Lovely little cafe with a great selection. Our children both have allergies and we were VERY impressed with their menu. Everything was displayed so clearly on the chalkboard menu so without even asking we knew what the kids could have. We did have a couple of questions and they were answered so well and reassuringly. We will 100% be back here! It isn’t often we feel as comfortable with menus as we did here

Excellent quality food… had the veggie breakfast which was superb with generous portions of everything, catered very well for gf/df/ vegan including cakes. Friendly staff and nice environment and atmosphere.

Well worth a stop for a bite. Will definitely repeat if back in the area.

Stopped in by chance as we were starving after a long day of driving. So glad we did, the food was amazing, the coffee spectacular and the staff so friendly. If your are near don't drive past. Oh and the salad dressing is out of this world tasty.... Oh and there is a wood stove giving the place a really nice feeling...

Lovely little coffee shop and cafe on Ballater’s very short main drag. It’s attached to an outdoor shop, which is never a great idea: you go in for a latte and come out with a £300 Patagonia jacket. Great service from the ladies and tasty food, all made more pleasant by the roaring open fire.

Very clean and friendly went for a walk round village and came across cafe. There soup was delicious and staff bet friendly went

The Bothy is an amazing oasis for gluten free options. Staff are very friendly and most importantly for coeliac disease sufferers, they have a good understanding of the dangers of cross contamination. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast followed by a piece of delicious GF lemon cake.

Absolutely wonderful place. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and my two coeliac children were well catered for with a large choice of gluten free foods. Staff are well trained in cross contaimination. Food was excellent, perfectly cooked and prepared quickly. Baked goods and hot drinks were also superb, again with gf options. Staff very friendly. Would certainly recommend!

I have just done a Quality Assurance check… still the best breakfast in Royal Deeside! Friendly staff who go above and beyond and delicious food.

A welcoming cafe with tasty coffee and scones (and a huge slice of caramel shortbread). Made particularly special by the lovely staff member who found my mum and dad a copy of the postcard they were looking for. Thank you,

Love clean and friendly cafe . Thank you

Our favorite place in all East Scotland to have a warm meal and tea/coffee, amazing service, delicious food, I drove from Banchory today just to have breakfast here in my way to Inverness.

We drove a bit and stopped here for brunch. Everyone was friendly and the food was phenomenal. I got a bacon brie cranberry panini and some tea. It was delicious!

Fabulous for all the family and such a good selection of gluten free, dairy free options. Thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon treat.

Very nice coffee shop with a good selection of food at good prices. Staff very friendly.

What a nice eatery. Had some soup and pot of tea. Wife had a sandwich and tea. Lots of locals were eating there. I would go there again.

Enjoyed a nice soup and panini, decent size portions and reasonably priced. Also enjoyed a bounty bar which tasted very nice aswell.

Busy, happy place with good light lunch fare- friendly forgiving (to tourists) staff. Food was tasty.

Excellent coffee lovely place we’ve been coming here every year at this time and it’s always fantastic ! Great atmosphere and very cosy on a dreich day !!

Great place to eat, good food and friendly staff. Breakfast was a great sized portion, exactly what you need for a day of walking or cycling. The clothing shop attached has a great selection of high quality outdoor wear and the team in there will help you with local walks and sights to see.

A lovely old fashioned tea shop. Went in for a cup of tea and was served with the best ever fruit scone and also my first ever King Charles 50p coin. It also helps with having very pleasant staff.

Good food and coffee, nice staff, good amount of tables

Amazing cheese scones & delicios gluten free breakfast which included haggis. Welcoming service. Thank you

1st time trying this place, luvly staff and the food was delish , very clean and will defo go back ,

lovely staff and cakes went 4 times

We stopped at the Bothy for lunch after our Cairngorms hike. The coffee shop was so cute and cozy on a beautiful Scottish day! We ordered two Tomato soups and a grilled cheese- sadly they had just run out of tomato soup so one of us got the Lentil, which was reported as very good. I think I overpaid for a grilled cheese but overall- the atmosphere was so cute and the shop smelled amazing of pastries!

Went for breakfast after a night of camping. The food was amazing and just what we needed, with an excellent range of vegan options too. Staff were very friendly and attentive. The facilities were clean. It is also attached to a little outdoors shop.

A fantastic café and outdoor shop with lots of vegetarian and vegan options. I had the full vegan breakfast which was delicious - especially the vegan 'haggis' - and was very reasonably priced too.

Great spot for a sandwich or snack. Wifi available. Good cappuccino.

Fantastic service and customer loyalty!

Lovely independent cafe/restaurant. Excellent food at reasonable prices.

Best bacon, brie, and cranberry ciabatta ever.

I had such a great lunch and rest here after backpacking in the cairngorms. The staff were lovely and happily charged my phone and battery pack. The food was superb and I'll definitely visit again if I'm back in the area !! Highly recommend.

Friendly and efficient good value cafe serving light homemade food. Generous quantities. We had the smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches which had plenty of filling. Baking on a daily basis. Good fresh tasty cheese scones. Mocha brownie delicious. Attached outdoor shop.

Lovely place to unwind after driving the scenic snow route. Selection of non-dairy / vegetarian food and drinks.

Excellent breakfast and also reasonably priced, friendly and helpful staff, nice and clean eating area and also toilets.

Excellent breakfast. Went here with my husband and my guide and we all enjoyed breakfast and great tea and coffee. The cafe was very busy and yet the staff was very nice and attentive and our order came out quickly, hot and delicious.

Cooked breakfast and coffee as it should be, fresh and stimulating

Ook hier heerlijke koffie en sandwiches, net als bij het zusterbedrijf in Braemar.

SUPERB! Food, service, atmosphere. Worth walking that little bit further up the road from the Bridge Café. You won't be disappointed!

If you like your bacon crispy, your portions generous and your toast actually warm and not just cold cardboard accompanying your meal, then The Bothy is for you. Best breakfast we have had in a long time, superb home bakes and friendly staff. Can’t ask for much more!

Nettes Cafe in Ballater. Essen und Trinken ist an der Theke zu bestellen und wird an den Tisch gebracht. Preise sind absolut angemessen und die Portionen echt nicht klein. Das Sandwich mit Brie und Schinken war echt Klasse und dann noch die Suppe des Tages dazu war echt reichlich.

Excellent service and tasty food. A nice atmosphere too.

Wonderful coffee and tea. One do the best cappuccinos I’ve had. The scones with clotted cram and jam were some of the best we had while in Scotland.

Popped in for lunch with my partner and we were not disappointed. Lots of choices of sandwiches, toasties, soup and baked potatoes. My partner got the special which was a sausage and caramelised onion ciabatta and I had a cheese jacket potato. Biggest potato ever! A lovely fresh salad and some crisps to garnish but again, huge portions! The food was tasty, the staff were so friendly and there's a great outdoor shop you can access through the cafe! We will be coming back.

Wonderful, clean and pretty eatery. Only had coffee but the table next to us had the breakfast and it looked awesome.

Nice vegan cakes (sampled the sticky date slice, and the choc and orange cupcake), friendly and fast service, reasonable prices.

Love the old Town feel. connect to the next-door store and counter order. Staff polite and accommodating. Order the Ham and Cheese with local soda(Summer house) and Soup. Soup very good and creamy. Sandwich feel fresh and well toasted. Excellent food

Excellent shortbread and decent coffee

Excellent food and excellent service!!! A quiet, peaceful place to enjoy lunch! The coronation chicken toastie was so good!

Stopped in after a hike for a much needed and generous lunch. Friendly service.

Bothy was good. Food & drink was a good quality. Staff very polite and helpful.

Brilliant staff really friendly and great service. Food was lovely premises very clean will definitely eat here again and deft recommend

Best cafe I’ve been to in ages. Great coffee, cake and friendly staff. Didn’t eat but from what I saw the food looked great.

Great breakfast and brunch spot

The Bothy became our favorite breakfast spot in Ballater. The team is very friendly. They didn't even laugh at me when I didn't know that a "filter" meant American style coffee as opposed to espresso. My favorite was the bothy breakfast. Ham, Cheese, Yogurt with...

Bacon rolls to go to the hills, a great start to the day