This is not your usual bed and breakfast! If you are lucky enough to stay at the Isla Bank House…read morewith Nick and Vena you are in for a truly wonderful experience. The House: It is a wonderful old (ancient by American standards) manor. My wife and I felt a little like we were staying at Downton Abbey. The home is mostly original and is being preserved and cared for respecting all of its beauty and history. You can tell that the home itself is a labor of passion and that Nick and Vena care deeply about it. I can not wait to see it again after hearing some of their plans for the future. You will enjoy a wonderful Scottish breakfast and can hear the faint and cheerful sounds of the classic rock music of my youth coming out of Nick's kitchen. His food is WONDERFUL and every detail is perfect. The dining room is comfortable and spacious and has everything you could ever need to accompany the view of the garden. The breakfast is a not to miss as they have sourced it locally and was the best "Scottish breakfast" we had during our 2 weeks of touring. Care for the small details is what sets the Isla Bank House apart from all the rest. We had remarked at the fact that the bed, after being in many institutional ones on our trip, was absolutely wonderful and Nick and Vena told us the story of the time they spent trying to find the perfect ones. They were not wrong! The small details in the room, the breakfast, the appointments in the bathroom.... All top shelf and impeccable. The kind of details you would expect to find at only a high-end London hotel and not in a country B&B. A note for American's that are used to going to wine country and just showing up for tours and tastings. On the Whiskey Trail you need reservations in advance. Nick will be happy to help you find the ones that suit your tastes and can make recommendations on many things in the local area. Take him up on his offer to do so as it is an earnest offer and between he and Vena they know the area. The hospitality and care were an absolute highlight of our trip and we hope to be able to stay at the Isle House with Nick and Vena again. If they are free and you are lucky enough to enjoy a dram with them do take them up on it. As others have said you will drive away with two new friends having stayed at a magnificent property.

From the owner: Exceptional bed and breakfast accommodation and hospitality in an historic building.read more

As mentioned by the first reviewer, don´t trust your Navi, take the Portsoy Road than it´s a quick…read moreone to get to the Hotel. There are enough parking lots available, the Castle Hotel is a nice location, especially our Deluxe Room (more a suite) is awesome. The food in the Restaurant and Breakfast were very good, the personnel is not very experienced, this should be improved quickly.

I am the first, figures Yelp seems to just be starting in the UK…read more we were referred here by Ian at the Castle View B&B. we got lost and missed our reservation ( your navigation system will take you to a bridge that only someone walking can use. Take the portsoy road ) it was not an issue, the food was wonderful, the owner charming and the whisky worked to. I added some photos. Sunday supper rocks.

We were seated right away and drink orders taken. Quick service. All of our food came out in a…read moretimely manner. Fresh and hot with a very good flavor. My husband's fried chicken sandwich was moist and not greasy. The soup of the day was very good and hot. My brother had the steak pie with a nice puff pastry topping that was hearty and tasty. Mushroom bruschetta was perfect luncheon size and my sister in law thought it delicious. The accompaniments were fresh and well prepared. Would definitely go again.

We popped in for lunch after visiting a few whiskey distilleries in the area. They have you wait in…read morea lounge area, order from there, and only take you to your table right before the food is ready. It's really strange and I didn't like this system. They did have gluten free batter for fish and chicken, so I ordered the chicken strips. My companions each ordered quorn burgers. My chicken was nice, if a little bland, but their burgers were sad - plain and dry. It was alright - I probably would try something else if I'm in the area again.

I stayed at the Gordon Arms Hotel overnight from 9 to 10 July 2019 in honour of my grandma Rosemary…read moreGordon, we are of the Gordon Clan of Aberdeenshire. As part of my first trip to Scotland, I wanted to visit one of the Gordon Clan's castles, Huntly Castle - one site in a network of Scotland historic sites. Huntly Castle is not too far of a drive from Fochabers, and the stars aligned and there was an opening for me to stay here, so I did. Check in was straight forward and hassle-free. After checking in, I moved my car to the parking lot adjacent (and across the street) from the hotel. Then I took my stuff to my room, and headed off to Huntly Castle for some exploring. After my afternoon adventuring, I returned to the hotel for dinner. For food I ordered an 8 ounce sirloin steak with Stilton sauce (cream, onions, and blue stilton cheese), onion rings, tomato, mushrooms, side salad and rice. My beverage of choice was water with lemon. During dinner an American pop song started playing, "Sweet but Psycho" by Ava Max. A couple was seated a few tables over. The man started grooving along to the song. The woman expressed disfavour at his movements. She is a Forbes Clan lass, a woman of one of the Gordon Clan's rival clans in Scotland of Old. I continued on with my meal, pleased with the quality of service, food, and overall dining experience. After dinner I ventured on foot to the nearby Gordon Castle, whose grounds were open to foot exploration. My room, room #7, was cozy and warm. My window looked out towards the parking lot, which gave me peace of mind at night in regards to my rental car. The bathroom was set up in a style like a walk-in closet, which was a different showering experience. I made sure to open the bathroom door right after showering so the steam could leave the room. Sleeping was pleasant, though I could hear people and cars coming and going from the parking lot and I kept the curtains closed to block out the light from vehicles's headlights. Breakfast consisted of a number of options. I made sure to load up, getting toast, coffee, a full bowl of Scottish porridge, ham, and a fried egg. A ate everything, checked out, and continued on my way to Keiss.

There's not many places to eat in fochabars after 5pm. Me and my friend from Aberdeen try to do a…read moremidway meet every few months. Normally we do it earlier in the day but this time we had to wait for her kids to finish school. So we picked here. The place was your typical old fashioned pub, which served pub grub. The staff were lovely and the food was OK with huge portions, but I wouldn't rush back