The Bothy in Aberdeenshire

Visited here for lunch during our visit to Braemar. We both had the curried cauliflower soup with cheese scone. It was delicious! We returned the following morning for breakfast. Will definitely visit again.

Nice breakfast and lunchtime venue. Prices are fairly high at £8.95 for a brie, bacon and cranberry panini but I guess it comes with salad and tortilla chips. Good soup. My only gripe is they have too many huge tables and as I was coming on my own at lunchtime it felt a bit awkward. Oh and make the water glasses bigger.

Beautiful village to visit and a very nice cafe to sit down and enjoy views over the River Dee. Ordered a Chai Latte. Seating available indoor, outdoor and in an outdoor hut. Amazing views. Coffee hit the spot. Friendly staff. Highly recommend

The main positive of the Bothy is the absolutely fantastic location. Looking out over the river is just brilliant. Unfortunately the service wasn't great. You order at the till which is fine but the staff are so grumpy. We went in on 5 different occasions over a week and not once was there a smile or any politeness. You feel like you're annoying the staff. I could understand this if they were busy and understaffed but they weren't busy and appeared to have more than enough staff. I've worked in the hospitality trade for almost 20 years and could not get over the attitude of the 3 different ladies who served me. We had the full breakfast a couple of times, it was ok but not worth the money in my opinion. Being in Scotland I would also prefer a tattie scone but that's just personal preference. Had the bacon and Brie ciabatta too, again it was ok but nothing to rave about. Was debating giving this a 3 star as the food is average but the grumpy service made me decide to give it a 2. Huge potential here if they got friendlier staff and gave the food a bit more bang for buck.

Beautiful spot by the river to eat, wonderful views to the falls, plenty choice on the menu. I had large breakfast which was excellent and service was quick and staff friendly.

The Bothy was recommended to us by a work colleague so we thought we'd check it out during our day trip to Braemar. I had the lentil soup and my partner had the spiced butternut and coconut, both washed down with a hot mocha. The soups were the best we'd had for a long time and the mochas were made to perfection. We sat in the covered seating area out the back which sits next to a waterfall, above the River Dee which snakes away to the East flanked by trees displaying their Autumn gowns of orange and reds. Just perfect. The ladies at the helm of the operation were very pleasant, very friendly and, judging by the fares they were serving, very good at what they do. Full credit to all of you, we look forward to returning to The Bothy very soon.

This cafe beside a hiking clothing store has a great location high above the river. We had toasties and tea, and enjoyed the warm atmosphere after our cold motorcycle journey. The bathroom by the front door was clean.

Disappointed with lunch today. Both had ham and cheese toastie. Thick bread, cheese poor as was the ham. The crisps accompanied were obviously the dregs from a bag as mainly small bits.Sad as have been before and way nicer.

The place looked nice enough at first sight. Having had numerous wonderful experiences with scottish hospitality we did not expect the"welcome" of the staff at the counter. Unfriendly would be understated. Had it not been for the wonderful view, we would have turned on our heel and left. The food was bland, averaged and overpriced. Not an experience we would like to repeat!!

Having visited a new times before and always enjoyed our experience, we visited recently. This time, however, we were extremely disappointed. The service was so slow and the food was very average. The place was not very busy either. There is no excuse for serving cold food. Although we didn't wait, a good selection of cakes were on offer.

Staying in the cabins, I visited The Bothy on several occasions over a few days. Coffee is good, the porridge was lovely, very decadent with fresh cream and maple syrup, and they do a great baked potato. Lots of seats both indoors and out. One member of staff (small lady) was particularly welcoming for me as a return solo visitor, engaging in chat about my day - thank you.

Always come here as good but today was very poor. Extremely slow service. Staff so sullen verging on rude. Bland soup. Next time we will try somewhere else!

What a wonderful cafe/bar. The staff were all really friendly, and food was served quickly - with a free smile! Prices were reasonable, and food was tasty too.

Had great sandwiches at lunchtime. Good service, good value. Great coffee. Good selection of cakes too. Everywhere was very clean.

Lovely cafe and would highly recommend. Cakes delicious (would recommend the orange and almond cooke!). Service very friendly, welcoming and helpful. Dogs allowed in the downstairs area.

The most amazing views from this cafe! Brilliantly cosy cafe which has lovely views of the gorge river and surrounding hills. We loved it so much we went twice in three days. The menu features classic lunch dishes such as toasties, sandwiches and baked potatoes - lots of choices for fillings for all of these (meat, veggie and vegan). We had beans and cheese baked potato and tuna cheese toastie and many pots of tea after a walk around the area. Staff were bright and helpful. Delicious range of cakes - do not leave without sampling at least one! We went back for breakfast - lovely breakfast rolls! The attached outdoors shop is also worth a look too.

Been visiting Braemar for years but never made it to The Botha until this morning. Decided to go for breakfast, what a lovely place! Every member of staff we had contact with was pleasant, polite and genuinely wanted to help. Our food was really nice and d well cooked. Will definitely be back

We can’t fault the breakfast we had at The Bothy. We had a full breakfast and a scrambled egg and salmon. Both were delicious. The coffee was also excellent. How refreshing to find a place that serves breakfast until 1200. We had no issues grabbing a table Easter weekend but I bet you should book in the summer. We finished with a relaxing walk through the town.

Stopped in for lunch and we’re not disappointed. Friendly staff, good coffee, panini and baked potatoes were freshly made and tasty. Little salad on the side and dogs welcome.

Very friendly staff and very welcoming with good selection on offer for lunch. Family friendly. Recommend the soup and sandwich combination.

Ordered flat white, observed good pour but milk was simply heated with excess froth skimmed off, not the creamy micro smooth texture expected for price charged. Feedback comment, which was acknowledged so perhaps more training required.

We have dined here many times in last 13 years. Always great quality home cooked food, comfortable welcoming setting and service with a smile! Until this day. Possibly understaffed as stress was evident. Rude waitress scoring 0 on scale of 0-10 for hospitality. Abrupt, told me I was standing too far to right of the till when there was no one else in queue. When we queried why one of us had received lentil soup when carrot had been ordered, she reached over me at our table and stuck a spoon in my soup bowl while stirring to check proclaiming we were wrong. Wasn’t even my soup that was being queried…I ordered lentil and received lentil! It was honestly like being on the set of Faulty Towers. Have written it off as a bad day. Hoping this lady will no longer be on duty when we return. Which we will as we live Braemar and have had too many positive experiences here to let it deter us, just yet. Give it a try but keep an open mind!

We visited The Bothy several times and weren't disappointed once. It's a very comfortable, clean cafe, warm and festive with the Christmas decs. The staff are friendly - particularly the lady with the short brown hair, and the lady with the purple hair - great singing! One morning we had the full breakfast and the gf breakfast - both delicious. On other occasions we had soup, followed by treats - scones, gf treats and mince pies - again delicious.

Warmest of welcomes, dogs too. We called in on a quick visit to Braemar, will definitely return next time we are back in Scotland. Hope there will be more mince pies!

Very pleased with the service and friendly staff that served us. Everything was freshly made as we waited with our drinks. Really clean and fresh, we couldn't fault a thing. Plenty of tables and chairs for couples or larger groups, well worth a visit, we can't wait to return.

A nice cafe with a lot more seating than you'd think. We stopped for coffee and cake, which were very nice and reasonably priced. Notices ask you to find a clean table before making your way to the counter with your table number, where service is efficient. Our coffee and cake were prepared at the counter and we took them to our table. There is extra seating inside down a couple of steps to an area which is dog friendly and beyond is an outside terrace with river views.

A fabulous little lunch time stop, with a great view of the Clunie Water as well. My husband had the smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich, they didn't scrimp on the smoked salmon, and I had a cheese and onion toasted sandwich. Both served with crisps and a fresh salad, with a very pleasant dressing. We both had the fruit scones, which were an absolute delight with butter and jam. One of the best Mocha's I have had in a long while and very pleasant staff doing the serving and the making. Dog friendly too. We would definitely recommend a visit. Thank you for a pleasant lunch.

Called in for coffee so clean friendly staff and lovely food, would use again. Reasonable prices and wheelchair friendly, also dog friendly which I think is a big plus.

To the Lady with the Pink Hair Our Favourite spot in Braemar - Beats the Fife Arms hands down. Fabulous food and service - Thank you From The Ginger Flapjack Man

Friendly service with great food. Lots of vegetarian and gluten free options. Coffee particularly good. Not expensive either.

Best breakfast in Braemar! Went here twice on the weekend and it was fantastic both times. Food was excellent, great value and a big portion. There is also a great view of the river at the rear. Coffee was very good too. Staff could be...

Great spot for lunch - went twice. Friendly staff, lovely soup and sandwiches Right beside the river with seating outside

Un endroit chaleureux avec vue sur la rivière. Nous nous sommes arrêté pour la pause du midi et avons commandé une soupe du jour (légumes en morceaux avec riz) avec un scone au fromage et une soupe au lait de coco chili avec un sandwich...

This café is a bit of a dangerous place for us, as its directly next door to where we stay and serves fabulous breakfasts, coffee, cakes etc. Put it this way when you manage to fill up one of their buy 10 drinks get 1...

Called for breakfast and was really impressed with the service and food. Lovely setting and plenty of seating. Staff were really polite and helpful. Definitely recommend.

Great tea and cakes. Crisp with sandwich very good. Soup fantastic. Cozy af. Would go to again, can’t recommend enough!

Terrific tuna salad (tuna mayo) sandwich (twice) and my wife loved her bowl of soup on our first visit. Speedy friendly service.

We knew Braemar would be quiet on a Monday but didn't bargain on all the cafes being closed. It was the only place open it seemed so we gave it a go. Thank goodness for the owners commercial savvy. A great breakfast was had with...

Excellent full English breakfast, which set set us up for the day. I chose the "small English breakfast" on the second visit and this was adequate.Food piping hot. Staff polite, cheerful and helpful.

Although we had no issue finding a table on our visit, the queue to order was obstructing access and the process seemed a little flawed at best. Staff serving also process your drinks order before taking payment, this would be so much slicker if someone...

Our chocolate lab Ripple highly recommends The Bothy, as she was gifted a biscuit and a whole sausage by a lovely young man working there. We also enjoyed our coffee and homemade cakes outside overlooking the river. A super friendly cafe with lots of room...

Called in for light lunch and enjoyed our ham and cheese toastie. Very busy but found a table as you order at the counter. Too wet to sit outside which we normally do.

We loved it here. The food is great and its dog friendly and there are beautiful views from the outside area. The lay out is quirky - it reminds me a lot of a restaurant in Pont Aven, Brittany, which is built in an old...

We were looking for a. Gluten free breakfast when we found this place and it did not disappoint. A huge plate with gluten free sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns and beans with gluten free bread made my husbands day! They also do a smaller full cooked which was enough for me. They had a great range of home baked cakes including vegan options. Would definitely recommend as service was really quick and staff friendly.

Busy little tearoom in the centre of the village and the quality of the food is excellent all appeared to be home made with a good selection of different things throughout the day

Back after the pandemic, to have a late breakfast here. Superb setting, nice friendly staff, all very covid-safe. We very much enjoyed it.

We visited twice for coffee and cakes and once for breakfast during our week long stay in a cottage over the road and loved each time. Since we were last here, the wee bothy has been added so we can enjoy our food with our dog and sit in comfort overlooking the water rushing below. Cakes are delicious and there is always a great selection and our cooked breakfasts were excellent. Very friendly staff and very COVID safe. Can’t wait to come back!

This place could not of been more accomodation for a group of wet and tired bikers arriving unannounced. Instantly giving us a warm room with under floor heating to get warm and relax was perfect. The view out the back was also amazing. Thanks for the great food, coffee and great service. We will be back whenever passing.Thanks again

Nice lunch, well filled sandwiches and the quiche was tasty. Staff friendly and helpful. Good COVID precautions in place which the staff were all adhering to.

Popped in for a snack mid-afternoon and they were serving sausage and bacon rolls. We had the sausage rolls which were really really good! Four sausages in a warmed buttered roll. Great staff and felt very safe from a covid perspective.

Once a month roughly myself & a few friends travel from Aberdeen - Glenshee in our cars, taking in the magnificent scenery... or in this case the rain & hail! Still a great drive through many terrains & mountains.The Bothy is always our number one stop to fill up our tanks ready to get back on the road, it is such a clean & tidy restaurant. Full of inside, outside, cabin seating areas with a breathtaking view of the Clunie. Staff are always really friendly, with a little bit of humour between all of us.Its always really vibrant, with a well varied menu & specials. First time they had Boar Burgers - definitely recommend. On this occasion it was a classic Ham/Cheese toasties which went down a treat with a coffee to warm up the insides, being it winter. Food came out really quickly and went down a treat.If your in the area or travelling through make sure you grab some food at The Bothy or even just a coffee & cake.

The staff greeted us and gave us clear, simple instructions about social distancing, how to order etc. Two vegans in our party and the soup available was vegan along with a selection of milk alternatives and a yummy, filling homous and salad sandwich. I did change my mind a few times and the lady was very patient and pleasant. Food was great, especially the soup. I would definitely come back if visiting Braemar again.

We visited today for lunch! The staff attitude was not very welcoming and her instructions to us were abrupt! We sat at the table which was sticky. The food was good! We left and said goodbye and thank you the lady was cleaning the tables not very well I would say and hardly lifted her head to say goodbye! We wouldn't return unfortunately as in the present climate I would have thought the customer is precious but not at The Bothy!

We visited for a brunch, very nice and lovely coffee. The disappointment was the table tops, these would have looked lovely at one time but perhaps with lock down a lot of the paint has been removed leaving a sticky surface, feels weird.

Stopped here a couple of times whilst we were staying nearby, always a lovely place to visit even with the current Covid19 restrictions of less tables. Food, coffee, cakes were lovely as was the full breakfast. A couple of the younger staff were a little over bearing enforcing the distancing rules which people were complying with ! As stated there could have been more condiments provided without having to constantly ask staff for them. Well worth a visit, and did stay open unlike other local places indicating that they were open and then weren’t !

I loved the setting of this place and the view out back down to the river is spectacular. Popped in for breakfast and found the food was well cooked and the ingredients were quality. Could have been a bit more generous with the jam and forgot the orange juice with the granola breakfast but otherwise pretty good.

Really first class home baking, when so many places claim their stuff is 'homemade' and it's a far cry from that. This is the real deal.We never fail to stop here when in Braemar, nowhere better hereabouts to stop for tea and a great slice of cake.Nice outdoor tables and some overlooking the river as well as an attractive indoor seating area too.I like to sit somewhere that's attractive as well as somewhere offering good food.Lang may their lum reek...

Yet again excellent venue for lunch, cake and coffee. Very COVID-19 secure with very pleasant staff. Dog friendly.

Great location on the river and the wee bothy is a superb little warm dog friendly room. The food let’s it’s down a little though, average toasties and breakfast rolls, dry scones served with no butter and cream out of a can.

Came here for lunch after a walk at the Linn of Dee. Great food and the coffee was amazing. Well worth a visit. It’s dog friendly too. Brilliant spot. If you’re in the area and want a brew then go!

Enjoyed an excellent lunch after a morning's walk. The Bothy was very bus,y but the lovely staff managed the short queue in a very COVID appropriate way, greeting everyone warmly and the queue moved quickly. Food is good and we were given a large pot of tea for two. The menu leans a lot on cheese-based dishes so not many savoury choices for those for whom this is not their preference. Lots of delicous cakes to choose from though. I'd recommend the Bothy as a great place to eat in Braemar.

Excellent Food - especially catch of the day (monk fish ) and delicious scallops and mussels Knowledgeable staff able to recommend a variety of whisky to try Good social distancing and cleaning in evidence

The Bothy is well known in the village for providing a warm welcome to both locals and visitors. It has freshly made sandwiches, soup and salads. It also has a selection of lovely homemade cakes. It strictly adheres to coronavirus guidelines making it as safe as possible.

Great breakfast, lovely coffee and superb service. A really nice decking outside too. Would definitely recommend- thank you

We stopped for a quick lunch here and seemed to be quite lucky to get a table. We went outside first but my wife's scone jam attracted wasps which signalled a hasty retreat indoors. I had a lovely cappucino and a tasty toasted cheese sandwich with crisps and salad. The location is lovely and the staff were efficient.

We sat outside with our dog overlooking a lovely waterfall. The setting was beautiful. Covid practices are in place. The fist tim3 we went in was late afternoon and we enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony.we returned the next morning for breakfast and had very good bacon rolls and coffee. Staff were friendly and efficient.

We called in here a few times on a recent holiday around Braemar.The flat white was the best coffee I've had in a long time, perfectly done :)And the 'small' breakfast was a perfect size and they were happy to swap out items we don't like (black pudding) for more of another (hash browns).We can't wait for our next visit :)

We visited The Bothy each of the 3 days we were in Braemar, twice for tea and delicious cakes and our last day for breakfast. Super value for money and the 'little' breakfast' was a big 'little'!! Quickly served too! Popular for very good reason.Thank you

..Covid secure..we both felt very safe..great staff who served lovely coffee and cake..very clean and welcoming place..

We had been out most of the day and wanted a quick snack as it was a few hours to dinner. We had toasties with salad and crisps which was very filling(a little lack of seasoning). Also had hot chocolate which was nice. The cakes were very tasty. Very safe and staff cleaning properly after each guest. Very nice staff.A bit pricey.

Stopped in past for breakfast during the Governments "Eat out to help out" scheme which gave you 50% off your meal to a maximum of £10 per person from Monday - Wednesday. We quickly took our seats in the sun and went in to place our order. Was expecting our discount but they said that "because our seats were outside" (Bottom level) that is classed as "take away" Really? Come on, surely if you gave a dam about your customers you would have had the decency to inform us of this. This Government scheme was as much for us customers as it was for cafe's and restaurants owners. Really poor show and left pretty annoyed to be honest. Food was excellent though.

Lovely stop for coffee and to shelter from the rain. Great Covid precautions. Salmon and cream cheese sandwich packed with salmon. In fine weather the views over the Dee would have made sitting outside at rear essential.

Cakes excellent especially the vegan date cake. We visited both the Ballater and Braemar branches, more outside space in Braemar.

Great little cafe, friendly welcoming staff and excellent food. I had a small breakfast and it was cooked using good quality ingredients, the black pudding was superb. Covid has obvioulsy had an effect on table numbers on the coziness aspect but still worth a visit and the outside seating when weather permits was great, loved looking out over the river for breakfast.

We stopped for breakfast on our way up to Linn of Dee during our Scotland road trip.I had Scottish Breakfast and my partner had yoghurt and fruit. She tells me it was lovely, but most importantly the cooked breakfast was really nice.Sitting out the back is what you have to do, as the view over the river is lovely. Having a drink with the sound of rushing water is what it's all about

came here for breakfast and was very good. cakes were nice and homemade and coffee was good too. We sat out the back and had fantastic vies of the river an mountains. Id recommend this place and their covid19 practices are safe. There was sanitiser at the door and tables were socially distanced. I did not feel unsafe here

Visited here with family as a group of 7 with two dogs. We sat in the outside area at the rear of the property. We were happy with our coffees but disappointed with the lack of covid precautions. The Bothy was busy but we didn’t see any members of staff wearing face masks or face shields, nor did we see any hand sanitiser. The staff working behind the counter where you placed your order were behind a plastic screen but not wearing masks either with food on display there. Our details were not obtained as visiting the premises which was concerning also. Staff were pleasant but the lack of precautions mean we won’t be back.

Lovely friendly staff! Gluten-free options. Was very busy despite or because of pouring rain but the staff weren’t phased, great COVID-19 set up.

Solid homey food with good coffee to match! Very much enjoyed our breakfasts we had here when staying the area. The dining room also has a lovely view over the river - and we even spotted a red squirrel while there!

We both had soup and toasties. Nothing wrong at all except the soup didn’t have much flavour, but otherwise great. What’s not to like.

Always a great stop when coming through the mountains. Grab a very cheesy toasty and head out through the back to look at the falls.

It's a great place for coffee. The food looks lovely. Staff are friendly and the atmosphere is really good.

Stopped by today for lunch having been sightseeing in the area.A warm welcome from behind the counter, coffees, luxury hot chocolate, panini and toasties were excellent. Lots of filling and of high quality. Couldn’t resist the cake selection, I had a Pineapple, rum and coconut cake that just melted in the mouth. I have to say the best cake ever. Will definitely return

We had travelled a fare bit and wanted a quick snack as it was few hours to dinner so we had toasties with salad and crisps it was very filling safe to say I couldn't eat all my dinner later very nice staff

Really enjoyed this welcoming and quality cafe in central Braemar. Busy place on a January Sunday, but menu was excellent and service fast. It all seems to be real food, well prepared and at good prices. A tribute to the Highlands!

We visited this cafe whilst on a bus trip with shearing so the coffees and toasted ciabatta was delicious and the view from the balcony was to die for

Stopped here on a bit of a tour around the area. Very busy cafe but service was spot on, efficient and friendly. Scones, which were lovely, came with a little pot of delicious jam. Seemed to be popular with locals and tourists.

We visited in 2018 and thought we had done a review so I was upset when I got a reminder as this place is amazing. It’s on a small estate with residential homes but as soon as you walk through the door you could be in a cosy stylish Bothy (nothing like the ones my dad took us to in the highlands as kids). Beautiful accommodation and has everything you need, I’d say boutique accommodation really covers it. On top of this we actually had better ski conditions than we had in Chamonix earlie in the year. The brilliant thing about The area is if you don’t have the weather to ski there is so much to do. I’d really say especially to people with young kids on a budget but wanting to ski this is a great inexpensive alternative to France with alternatives to sking if it turns up not for you.

Myself and my wife had the full scottish breakfast here and we thought it was one of the best we have ever had.

A very nice restaurant situated on the main street in the middle of Ballater, a beautiful Highland town. Good wholesome food with large portions. Staff very pleasant.

Stopped off here before so we knew what to expect and pleased to say lunch was just as nice as I remember.

Popular and busy venue on a particularly " dreich" Saturday morning. When the ski resort opens on the arrival of the snow, access will difficult.

Called in for breakfast before heading home. I had scrambled eggs which were perfectly cooked and flat whites which really hit the spot. My mate had an egg & bacon roll which he said was very good. Staff very friendly. TBH we’ve eaten and drunk in several places in Braemar over the last couple of days and all have been very good.

Fantastic dog-friendly place to have lunch in Braemar. If you have a dog, you can sit in the Wee Bothy near the back of the restaurant with great views over the river. We both had soup and a sandwich, which was tasty, abundant and filling. Friendly staff, nice selection of food, cakes etc.

Lovely staff member met us as we dallied at the outside seating area with our dogs. It was raining lightly but as dog owners we expected to have coffee outside. But not here, she led us through to a separate seated area for dog owners. Truly delightful room. Like a snug with floor length windows overlooking the river. It’s the best place we have ever enjoyed coffee & cake with our dogs.

Gorgeous cafe in beautiful setting. Definitely worth a visit when in Braemar. We had coffee and cake which was lovely. Lunches that were being served looked great.

Stopped in for a morning Cappuccino and bacon on a bun. Friendly very very fast service...great coffee and bacon on a bun. Even bought some baby booties that were locally hand knitted there!

While staying in a village cottage and visiting family in the area we ate breakfast at The Bothy a couple of time. Good quality bacon and sausage. Staff very friendly and knowledgable about the area.

There is a separate area called ( surprise, surprise ) The Wee Bothy that is separate from the main Bothy that you can take the dog into. It only has a few tables, but it is lovely and warm with a great view above the river. There is also an outside area on 2 levels with heaters which is also dog friendly.These also have good views overlooking the river.

One of our usual stopping places when on a journey – this time returning from Oban to Aberdeenshire.