Trump MacLeod House & Lodge, Scotland

This place is the most amazing hotel we have ever stayed in . 100% from start to finish . Just a few names that are the most amazing helpful and friendly people we could have wished for 1 Martin concierge 2 suyog (deputy manager ) 3 kinga breakfast server . 4 dougy sommelier Our room in the lodge was beautiful and cleaned every day to the highest of standards . Nothing is too much for any of the staff and we will definitely be having many more trips here .

I attended Trump Macleod House for Festive Afternoon Tea on 17/12/23, the grounds and the exterior of the building are immaculate, inside is equally as beautiful and clean with a warm, traditional feel - our booking was for 2pm, we arrived at 1:50pm and we were led into in the lovely, comfortable lounge area whilst we waited to be seated for the afternoon tea, nearer to 2pm we were taken to our table and placed beside the charming fire place which was decorated nicely for Christmas, and the Christmas tree. The staff were very pleasant and approachable but unfortunately, we waited 1 hour for the afternoon tea to arrive at our table with no explanation or apology, we also had to ask for our pot of tea which had never arrived, as did other tables who were looking rather unimpressed at the length of time we all had to wait, when the food eventually arrive it could not be faulted. It was of excellent quality and plentiful, we were even given extra cakes and pieces to take home at the end of the event. I have attended many afternoon tea's including those at The Marcliffe at Pitfodels and Norwood House Hotel, both functions are also beautiful competing five star resorts in Aberdeen who charge half the price of Macleod House for an equally as excellent afternoon tea. In my experienced opinion not enough particularly stood out to match the price of the Macleod House afternoon tea which was £60pp. (The Marcliffe charge £28pp and Norwood Hall charge £22pp, far more reasonable and just as good) Overall, we had an enjoyable festive afternoon and Macleod House has a lot of potential, there were just some avoidable issues which left a slight dampener.

If you are a golfer, this is a must-visit spot. It’s not the first time I’ve stayed at a 5-star hotel, but it is the best hotel service I’ve ever experienced. This property is comprised of a small lodge with I think has less than 20 rooms, a manor house with about 10 rooms, the golf course, the golf course club house and restaurant. On-site, in addition to golf, clay pigeon shooting is offered. The rooms are similar in the lodge and the manor house - the decor is dated, but appropriate for a remote seaside inn outside of a small Scottish town. The service here is what really goes above and beyond. Our visit took place in July, which would seem to be high season, but the hotel was pretty empty. The golf course was always hopping but a lot of people checked out of the hotel the day we arrived. Whenever we needed a ride anywhere on the property, someone was quickly able to take us around in a nice Mercedes sprinter. Everyone from our butler to the restaurant servers to the instructor at the shooting school and the golf pro was down-to-earth, warm and friendly. They always seemed to be waiting for us to need something and often anticipated our requests before we had to make them. The food at the restaurant was great and we ate there for almost every meal. There is a whisky bar at the manor house which is open late (& staff will probably open it for you after hours if you ask). There are a few things you should be aware of: if you’re coming with family members who don’t play golf, there is a nice beach, but it’s raining a lot and very chilly here, so hanging out at the beach is unlikely to be a good option. There are no pools or rental bicycles on property, and no fitness center. So there aren’t a whole lot of options for non-golfers. There is a hot tub at the manor house that the staff seems to have fired up and ready at all times! There are a full range of spa services offered. But I want you to know that if you’re a wife of a golfer (like me) bringing kids, be sure to make plans to fill your day and entertain the kids. As a family, we did clay pigeon shooting and (offsite) falconry, plus the butler was nice enough to drive us to a famous beach close by where seals like to congregate. We did a lot of walking around the beautiful grounds and visited the town of Aberdeen, about 20 minutes away. I can’t say enough about this amazing resort and I encourage you to check it out if you love golfing or just want to make a stop in Aberdeen. My family is thinking about making Trump Aberdeen an annual summer stop because it’s been such a great experience.