“I've just returned from spending a great week with friends at Drumrunie and would have no hesitation at all in recommending it as somewhere to stay in the area.”
We were a party of seven and were easily accommodated in the house, which is bigger than the photos might suggest, and which is very well laid-out - we didn't fully appreciate that until we'd been there for a short while, but it soon became apparent. Our trips to Scotland are an annual event, and we've stayed in some beautiful houses, but in many of them the kitchen has been separated from the lounge areas, sometimes by several other rooms; in Drumrunie the galley kitchen joins the main lounge (which comfortably seated all seven of us) to the conservatory, meaning that those involved in preparing and cooking meals were still part of the group, a big plus and there was a second, equally-comfortable, lounge where those looking for peace and quiet could read undisturbed. The kitchen was extremely well-stocked with utensils, crockery and cutlery, we could easily have eaten a number of meals without using the same items twice - although the two dishwashers meant that wasn't necessary and made it easy to keep up with the chores! The house was not only well-stocked but well-prepared, a good deal of effort had clearly gone into making sure we'd be happy as soon as we walked in the door and the owner, Patrick, even phoned us on our first morning to make sure we'd settled in OK and had everything we needed! Outside, the house is set in beautiful, well-maintained gardens and there are fantastic views in just about every direction. The house is a couple of minutes walk from the centre of Braemar, which boasts a variety of shops, a number of lunch venues and a bistro and a couple of hotels for evening meals (conveniently, a side road halfway down to the village led to an hotel which offered several excellent real ales, the only ones to be had in Braemar, we were told). There was a variety of good walks in the area, ranging from short, relatively flat, strolls to longer, more-demanding hikes. I particularly enjoyed the 'Cairns' walk, on the nearby Balmoral estate (see www.walkhighlands.co.uk) while my Monro-bagging friends had plenty to keep them happy. All in all, a great week in a great place, thanks to all concerned, I'd be very happy to return one day!
- Keith Hammersley, Nov 2018
