The Cairngorm Hotel in Highland

Arrived and were advised we’d be 30-45 minute wait. We ended up being double this and had it not been late we’d have left. During this time we got chatting to a couple who were guests in the hotel and they advised that they weren’t allowed to make s a dinner reservation; that seems really poor! When we did get seated the dining room was half empty. We’d rather have been taken through and wait longer for food than having to sit in the bar so long. Service felt rushed with the exception of one young woman. Suspect there may be issues with staffing. Shame, as old regular staff still there, just not enough of them.

As a group of 7 who had no plan for food for this Saturday evening, we had great service! We asked at 6pm if they had a table available for us all, by 7pm after a few drinks in the bar we were at the table! Fantastic service from all, great food and reasonably priced. Best fish and chips i’ve had and pancakes for dessert. can definitely recommend here and we will be back

Had a fantastic family meal today at The Cairngorm Hotel, had the version casserole which was superb!! The meat was so chunky and tender, big chunks of delicious version!! The service was excellent too, everyone was on 150% on form, quick, efficient, and polite service. The vibe was so nice, a really nice family atmosphere with background music playing. Couldn't fault it.

Turned up to the public bar with my Spaniel and informed that dogs are not allowed. Come on in this day and age and a public bar. Every pub in the Lake District accepts well behaved dogs. Shame on you.

We were disappointed on last night of stay in aviemore. We had been to the Cairngorm hotel 2 nights previous and was great but last night waited 30 mins for main course , obviously forgotten about so left. Not hard to take an order and cook a burger

Great family hotel,plenty of things for the kids to do on site Staff friendly and helpful rooms basic but clean with 3 restaurants plenty of meal options Located in a nice quiet area just on the outskirts of town

We only ate in the restaurant here. The ambience was very classic. There are also a lot of locals here. There are very good Scottish dishes.

Reviewing for the restaurant/pub: Very attentive & competent staff, fair prices, good selection, pleasant ambience and atmosphere, would return

In Aviemore to play golf , popped in for a pint,cosy bar,staff were super.

Only went to the pub with live music...every evening...cool music, good atmosphere, nice people

We had a beautiful meal here, the mussels and the venison casserole were amazing, the others in the group had the burger and it also looked great with no complaints. The menu is varied, reasonable for the quality and the beer choice was also good. Well worth a visit if your in aviemore. I would maybe advise booking at the weekends as it gets busy!

Very nice hotel. Good restaurant with nice service. Recommended.

Fantastic hotel, very cozy with very friendly staff! Very nice pub at the hotel and a restaurant where you cannot make a reservation but where you can eat very well!

Excellent place to escape the rat race, plus staff are great and very welcoming. Beautiful building and grounds. I've stayed here a few times and always had a great stay.. Highly recommend. The only complaint I have is, the self catering kitchen is far too small and has no cooking facilities such as hob and oven....

Top notch food(Big Bobbies Meatballs & Teryaky Salmon.) Absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful friendly staff, and great value for money. 👍 Had the Haggis Lasagne this time...very tasty!!.👍

went for evening meal x it was outstanding delicious food

Great beautiful building, fantastic location, and the biggest bed I have ever seen! staff were Warm and inviting and Fiona our waitress for dinner was an absolute treasure. The bonus of bagpipes and acoustic music In the bar rounded it all off. Dinner and breakfast were fantastic.

Again the Thunder weekend at the Cairngorm Hotel was well organised and welcoming for all us bikers

Great time at Thunder in the Glen

Would be a nice pub if it wasn't spoiled by arrogance of staff.

We popped in here once again for our lunch, great service and atmosphere as usual, we will be back the next time we are in the area.

All things considered, for the price of ~20 quid per meal, the quality doesn't justify the cost whatsoever. Battered haddock and chips for 16£? You get the blandest battered fish possible with some barren chips. Grilled Salmon for 19£? You get a really small slice of unseasoned salmon, three completely bare (only boiled) potatoes, and a few sprigs of green. I know they probably have high overhead cost, but man, the food quality is below that of a Wetherspoons and the cost over twice as much.

Ate here. Atmosphere, staff, price and quality all spot on.

Cracking hotel and restaurant, but unfortunately missing a huge market here. No dogs are allowed in to the hotel, which we were aware of so planned to stop for lunch and sit outside, however they don't allow food outside, so we ordered coffees which they brought out to us and went elsewhere to eat.

Eaten at the Cairngorm hotel multiple times over the years and it's been reasonable. However, this year with a dog has been a different experience. We were aware that dogs were not allowed inside, so sat down outside to have lunch. However, on attempting to order we were informed food couldn't be ordered for outside, yet they could bring our coffees outside?? Needless, to say, we went elsewhere and had a very enjoyable lunch with everyone present

Had a roast, lamb, which was tough, 2 roast potatoes,a tablespoon of veg which was cut so small, it wasn't worth putting on plate, and a bit gravy, not worth £16,wont be back

Great bar, all day good and great staff!

Restaurant only. We arrived on a Saturday evening during the holidays without a reservation. We were given a piper and were allowed to wait in the hotel bar until a seat became available for us. The bar staff were very friendly and accommodating. After a short wait we were led into the restaurant. The service was very friendly and good. The food is simply first class. We can only recommend it and would be happy to come back.

We arrived in Aviemore and hadn’t even checked into our accommodation yet but were so hungry and liked the look of the Cairngorm Hotel. We arrived around 4.30pm and had a 20 minute wait for a table which we didn’t mind. We went to bar for a drink and took in the decor and the heritage on offer, really lovely. The service we had while here was very good and the decor is so homely and cosy. Unfortunately the food did let it down a bit. I agree with the reviewer slightly down the page a bit, because I also had the salmon and it was really underwhelming, just like an oven baked salmon fillet, no tasty crispy skin. My husband had the Cajun chicken and my wee boy had the scampi. All just very average.

If there were 6 stars I would have given! Staff- bar staff were attentive and remembered our order next round! This is priceless in this day and age! Restaurant staff were spot on, chatty, recommending places to visit and food on the menu as well as being relatable in their backgrounds, countries/areas of origin making us feel very welcome. Service- this is a well run establishment in one of the busiest area in Aviemore yet everyone is welcome, no booking system in place but run on a first come first served with the provision of a beeper system once onsite, which was great. Food- having checked menu online we were expecting average bar food, but it exceeded all our expectations, the addition of a “teen” menu was very much welcome and the first we have came across this!? Was perfect for our fussy 12 year old! (Nothing worse than ordering from main menu with the removal of half the meal and paying full adult prices) our mains were delicious chicken with black pudding with peppercorn sauce and a steak pie! Cooked to perfection and once seated delivered very timely. Thanks to all the team we will definitely be back! Value- great value for the quality of food and service!

Quite surprised at great ratings for this place as we had a disappointing visit. Staff lovely but food not so great. Sunday roast was a bit like school dinners and meat very tough. I had to send my burger back as luke warm and did get a replacement which was hot but very average food.

Only the restaurant; good food and pleasant service.

Sign at the front desk says please wait to be seated. Waited to be seated while the man at the desk typed away. No apology no explanation, no acknowledgment of my existence. Decided I was fed up waiting and took my hard earned money to another establishment in Aviemore. They obviously don’t need the business or know what customer service is!

We love this place for food and went back multiple times on our week holiday

Had a delicious meal for 4 , great selection of meals. Something to suit everyone, reasonably priced. Great service and nice atmosphere. We went early around 5pm and got a table right away but you may have to wait if you go later.

Didn’t stay here, but have used the restaurant a couple of times. It’s hearty meals and great service. Would definitely return.

We popped in for a drink on the Saturday night around 9ish as the hotel seemed to be the busiest place in town, then decided to come back on Sunday after a bit shopping to watch the olympic xc mountain biking and F1. Easily got a seat facing the TV and had a few pints while watching the race. Unfortunately the bar man decided to switch to cricket 🤷‍♂️ on the last lap of the MTB so moved seats to the F1 TV and watched the final minutes of the biking on mobile. I feel this is probably the place to come on a night in town as all other places seemed deserted especially on the Saturday night. Drink price was between £6 and £7 for a pint. There's plenty seating inside and also benches outside if the weather is nice.

Very friendly and helpful check-in staff. Nice room with a double-hung window to help keep the room cool. GREAT location. Tasty breakfast...along with generous portions for lunch and dinner. The Cairngorm burger with Bleu cheese was GREAT.

Popped in for a pint! A popular place as it was busy!

Old building that's as cozy as you could ever hope for. I'm so glad my family was able to experience a place this charming. I love that they still use keys for their rooms and the location is ideally located near everything you'll need. Great restaurant, great bar, great staff.

Great food,reasonable price.8 days in Aviemore and has dinner 3 times

This restaurant is probably the most efficiently run place I have ever visited. Great staff and teamwork, friendly and genuine. Brilliant...give them all a payrise!!!👏👏👏

Upon my 2nd return we were disappointed.. Kids meal was reheated breakfast sausages, all the chips were re-fried, our sandwiches were semi stale.. Good service as always, pity the chefs let it down !

We went to the Restaurant within the hotel for some dinner! Got the Cairn Roast, which was turkey! It felt like a home cooked Mel! Just what we needed on our first night in Aviemore! Plenty of parking round the back too, and went to the bar to get some drinks while we waited for our table!

Before you walk in the Cairngorn Hotel looks impressive so it's disappointing that everything you experience once inside just feels like it should be so much better. The decor has character but feels tired, the staff are good but let down by an old and uninspiring menu and the mats the food are served on are so old they are actually curling at the edges. I had the salmon and to say it was basic and uninspired is an understatement. A small sliver of salmon was served literally with boiled and somewhat dry potatoes and some boiled broccoli, that's it. It felt like something your Nan would cook, a long way from a good restaurant standard. That said the restaurant was busy but I figured out this was largely due to limited choices of places to eat in Aviemore now. An opportunity for entrepreneurs to open some decent eating places in Aviemore for sure. Can't recommend this one...

Great location right in the town centre. Went for lunch and the food was incredible, just what you need in a place like Aviemore!

Great food, and friendly staff.

Superb hotel. Very friendly a perfect bed. Bend over a bit and the shower doesn't come out much water, but who cares

Semi modern hotel in central position providing rooms, good food and drink. Our room overlooked the front of the hotel & carpark with mountain views in the distance. Although quite quite a small double room in comparison to other hotels we've stayed in, the room was clean & tidy with a fairly modern small bath & shower. I could hear the person snoring next door from my bed 🤣. The hotel staff were very nice, the restaurant food was good quality with lots of choice (we had dinner and breakfast) and we also enjoyed the live entertainment in the evening.

Nice place friendly staff. Only niggle not sufficient space in bathroom for your toiletries. Another slight downside is not being able to book for evening meal even as a resident. One evening we had to wait nearly an hour and a half for a table making it very late for digesting a meal before bedtime. Tables were only allocated on a first come first served basis meaning it could soon be full with non residents. Not an ideal situation as part of staying in a hotel is to enjoy a meal in the restaurant.

We had a lovely meal here last night. Mussels were fresh and very tasty and for the first time this week the portion was good size and actually filled me up after a 10mile walk. Partner had the haggis, neeps and tatties and said of the many he has had in his time, this was one of the best. Staff were friendly and accommodating as well as attentive. We loved it here and are going back for our last meal tomorrow night, the menu is great, loads of choice and good portions. Would have given 5 stars but you can't book in advance so we got a beeper and were told there was an hour wait! In the end it was about 40mins and the bar was nice to have a pre meal drink so we didn't suffer too much! Dogs are only allowed in the foyer, ours stayed in the car and was happy there but worth bearing in mind. The dining room is lovely and very traditional. When we arrived in Aviemore on Saturday there was a piper playing outside which was an absolutely lovely welcome to Scotland and made us want to try the restaurant. Favourite restaurant in Aviemore so far.

Love it. Beautiful place playing live music. ❣️

Our favourite hotel that we stayed at while walking the Speyside Way recently. The rooms were spacious, spotlessly clean and well appointed. Staff were helpful and very friendly. The breakfast was a notch up on any others we tasted on the walk. Decent live music in the bar, which had a good vibe. Highly recommended all round.

Currently doing a live review, with LG and Jay. Will keep you posted Edit: nothing to note except 5 stars, lovely food, good waiting system, came from Granton for a meal, otherwise we will stay there normally

Nice hotel . Good rooms and good food. Only missed the croissants for breakfast. Nice bagpipe player.

Get place to stay and very nice food

We had the best dinner in the restaraunt...Lamb roast with all the trimmings. 10 star...price was excellent. service great..Piper played outside while enjoying dinner..good beer and cider

A friendly pub to pop in for a drink or two.

Right next to train station. Ideal waiting room. Good bar. People were enjoying football on TV, but there were other places to sit.

Sweet little country hotel. Nice and clean rooms. Very rich breakfast and dinner. Very nice staff. Location great.

Booked king guest room. It was neither king size or nice. Decor needs updating, there was hair on bed and the view from window was of a roof and bins. For £179 was disappointed.

Room was fine, but was really let down by our dinner. Our male server was so rude and snapped at us several times when ordering and we were on edge the whole time. I know it was busy, but patrons paying for dinner don't deserve to be treated so poorly and made to feel like an inconvenience. Really ruined the mood of the evening for us. We won't be returning or suggesting this place to anyone.

We had dinner. Bagpipe player at the front as we entered was really nice, great Scottish atmosphere. Food was good. Service could have been better, they were busy, but it does not take that much effort to be somewhat friendly and make eye contact does it.

Great atmosphere & excellent customer service. Our waiter was very helpful!

Had few drinks lots to choose from always a band or singer on at night so atmosphere great

Didn't stay here but ate and had some drinks in the bar food was good and the lounge bar was nice place for a few drinks. Will visit here again

Great food, friendly staff and good parking in town centre location. No bookings allowed but a good system in place to control the queue.

Surprised to find a senior menu, 3 courses , very nice at this price £14.95.

We stayed here 2 nights. It’s in the middle of town surrounded by everything. It’s the best location. The rooms are dated but in a good way, it’s what you would expect for an older hotel with history. The beds were comfortable and shower had water pressure! The food was amazing, we had multiple breakfasts and dinners. The Guinness was good and if I can give anyone a tip goto The Snug for whisky tasting. It’s a 5 min walk and the whisky is direct from the local Speyside distillery. If all that isn’t enough for you to visit the Cairngorm Hotel I’ll leave you with this, the staff are incredible, we had the absolute best service, everyone has a smile on their face, they give proper service, everyone was so great to chat with and for that reason alone we will be back to see them again.

Absolutely typical of the country, large rooms with good beds and good facilities. Dinner and breakfast were very plentiful and very good! Everything is freshly prepared. The staff is courteous and friendly. The hotel's location is perfect for many activities in the Cairngorms National Park. We really liked it.

Came here originally for drinks and then decided to have some food. Our server Alan was a delight. I fancied the lamb and the turkey and he sorted this out for me! It's my girlfriends first time in Aviemore and she has had a lovely time, definitely due to the Cairngorn Hotel and Alan! 10/10.

Nice and clean, nice atmosphere in the pub and good restaurant

Nice hotel. Old-fashioned decor but fine to stay. Kitchen inside pub.

Nice hotel, but a bit worn. Friendly staff, excellent breakfast.

Had a great a room over looking the mountains. Room was good not enormous. Food was great as was the service. Definitely recommend hotel.

The waiter brought the bill without asking us and came over and thanked us twice, even though we hadn't finished our coffee yet. It was the first time I saw such behavior from waiters asking guests to leave. It's a pity because the food was really good. It spoiled our stay at the restaurant overall.

Had dinner in the restaurant which was very busy, no bookings allowed so only first come first served. Waited around 1hr 20 mins for a table on a busy extremely wet Sunday evening around 5pm. Food was excellent and extremely large portions!! Service was also excellent

What a great place to eat. Sunday lunch for 4 people. I have been in Scotland for 12 days and not tried haggis yet. The waitress, Claire, brought me a sample pot to try and loved it and had my first dish of Haggis, neeps n tatties.

Wonderful meal, in great surroundings, lovely service. Well worth a visit!

Fantastic grand hotel. Well stocked bar and a lovely restaurant. Steak sandwiches were fantastic

A lovely hotel, my sister and I stayed here with our dogs ,we got a big room which was perfect, we didn't get to the bar which sounded like it was good fun ( maybe next time) breakfast was excellent..the staff were very friendly

Went here for food with my partner. We have been coming here for 10 years and the food and service is always great.

Have been here a few times over the years whilst in Aviemore and the food has been consistently good. Plenty choice and great that they have a seniors portion which is adequate for those eligible. The only recommendation I would make is for the seniors portion to be made available for those of us with a smaller appetite under 60. Good selection of drinks and reasonably priced. Staff very friendly. Will definitely return.

Made extremely welcome. Great friendly staff. Superb well priced menu. Open for meals all day. The best restaurant food in Aviemore. Free car park.

Tried to have dinner here on two occasions. We were told we had to be there before 21:00 on the first night, so we were turned away at 21:00 The second night we arrived just after 20:45 and were turned away again saying that’s when they shut. THIS WAS A SATURDAY NIGHT. I know aviemore is a sleepy town but don’t lie to clients as we were left hungry

Excellent food and great service. We’ve been eating here over the years and it’s consistently good. The menu doesn’t change but that maybe tells its own story. Are here a few times over a week in Aviemore. Sometimes there’s a wait (chance to enjoy a drink in the bar) but it’s worth it. Definitely one of the best places to eat in Aviemore. Cheesecake is awesome!

Fantastic meal at The Cairngorm Hotel today, my parents had the senior citizens 3 course meal which is unbelievable value and I had the Cairn burger. Superb food, and the staff are absolutely on it!!! Polite, super efficient and quick. Couldn't fault it and the staff were absolutely bossing it.

Currently having the best steak pie ever...Food and staff excellent..Cracking place to have dinner..Very busy..Paul

Home from home, lovely comfortable place to stay with great breakfast and helpful staff.

This was a great place to stay in the heart of Aviemore which allowed easy access to all the shops and attractions by walking. Its beautifully decorated in Scottish style with a nice Pub and Restaurant on site. The room we had was small but functioned perfectly for our needs. We ate at the restaurant twice including the free breakfast which was very good with lots of choices and great service! Would not hesitate to stay here again as it felt like traditional Scotland!

A lovely and charming hotel. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, and the restaurant staff were efficient and helpful. This hotel has the old world touches that make the Highlands special, yet meets all the needs of a modern traveler.

Popped in for a drink whilst rugby was on.

Called in past on our way up from Glasgow for a meal , really friendly welcome , had to wait a short time for a table, but was handed a buzzer and sat by the fire until it became available . Great food , fresh, hot and tasty , served by a really lovely, cheerful waitress called Olivia .

Very nice lunch staff very attentive and reasonably priced Would recommend the cairngorm just so relaxed and laid back but everything was lovely

Had a good meal in the restaurant

Stopped for a spot of lunch on our way to Fort William. This is always our go to. Service was good. Staff are friendly. However, the sandwich is now served on a very thick white bread. The filling was lovely but the bread takes over. I think a thinner slice and a choice of white or brown would be better.

Was in for drink and asked about food. Unfortunately found the woman I spoke to a bit rude

Afternoon meal.Just managed to finish main meal then dessert 🍨.Thank-you

Such a shame but I really have to say nothing about our experience here was good. We aren’t overly fussy folk and I work in hospitality so I know every place can have an off day but this was just really really poor. We knew we would be arriving in Avimore late, I phoned earlier on in the evening to check what time last orders were (9pm was confirmed). We arrived at 8:45pm, I know it’s rubbish when people arrive so close to last orders so I went in by myself to double check they wanted to take our table (3 of us). No problem, in we go. The younger servers were polite and friendly, gave our menus and reminded us that we would need to get our orders in asap - totally fair. It’s a decent sized menu and I was trying to negotiate with our tired, hungry, grumpy 5 year old what she wanted as fast as I could. Younger came to take our order and I apologised and said we needed 2mins. Next an abrupt male server stormed over, I can’t remember his exact words but very close to ‘what are you having’, no ‘hello’, no small polite usual ‘evening, thank you, no worries’ chat of waiting staff, he writes it down the order, whipped our menus away and stormed off. It was really awkward. There were 2 other tables still in drinking happily. Our food arrived so fast, like impossibly fast. Staff started setting up for the next day (presumably breakfast). The other 2 tables got the hint and left. I had mince and tatties, it was tasty enough. Fair salty but whatever I enjoyed it. Husbands was cold, hot in patches - a dodgy microwave job. His gravy was hot so that helped things but inside his veggies, potatoes etc was cold to touch kinda cold. We were hungry and already felt uncomfortable we just wanted to eat and get out. No one came near to check on us, maybe they knew it was poor? Staff were busy setting tables. When we were done we started gathering our coats to make it obvious we were on the move. The rude waiter guy asked if we wanted our bill, he didn’t move from the spot across the room. I said ‘oh yeah please - wasn’t sure where is best to pay, here or reception?’. He just turned his back to me, got the bill and set it beside himself, he then started typing into the card machine our total. I hadn’t seen the bill or been asked how our food was. I had wanted to say about husbands gold food and our weird neon soggy ‘garlic’ bread but a card machine was fired in front of me as I walked over to him so I just paid and asked for our receipt. I was handed a card receipt, so I asked again could I have our receipt with the brake down on it - it was handed to me and only then did grumpy waiter guy turn nice. And wish us a good evening. We were in a total of 45mins. It wasn’t expensive but still £50odd I regretted spending. So in conclusion grumpy waiter guy needs an attitude check and ‘chef’ needs to have some care as to what’s getting served. P.s. the kids macaroni was strange, it tasted of pure double cream - pasta with thick cream. Wee one ate it but I was very glad I hadn’t ordered the macaroni!

This was the best meal we had in Aviemore. Not cheap,but nothing is in this tourist town. This was our second and likely last visit to Aviemore, we were just left with the feeling that every place had their hand in your pocket. Think cafeteria food at 4 star prices. This place though had nice food and the staff serving were really amazing. We almost didn't eat there due a to a very surly maitre'd on our first attempt, but, I'm glad we did go back the following day and give it a try. We both enjoyed our meals and found the same guy to be very friendly... Guess we all have bad days.. The building is nicely appointed with a great atmosphere and a roaring fire in the pub side. I would say this is the spot to hang out when in town.