Leslie Castle

Highly recommend this place! The history in how it was restored is worth it alone, but Nicola and her partner offer a very welcoming stay to boot. The castle is amazing, the rooms are comfortable, and the breakfast substantial! Highly recommend adding in dinner! Well worth supporting and enjoying!

We had the best experience with the Baron and Baroness! Nicola and John were so friendly and welcoming before we even arrived. I had special arrangements made by phone and they were so accommodating. The castle and our individual room was very comfortable. John was a wonderful cook and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We would definitely recommend and will hopefully be back one day!

We found the place to be very charming on arrival we received a warm welcome then off to settle into our room which was large with a very comfortable bed. We roamed the grounds and enjoyed a cider The meals served were very enjoyable concluding with a history of the castle and a tour. Can’t wait to return

We spent two nights at Leslie Castle with our family of four, and a friend’s family of four, and loved every ancient stone of the place. We had four rooms in all between adults and kids. There are only six rooms in total. Unlike many castle B&B’s that are a hotel setup inside a castle-exterior, this place delivered the living in a castle feel with huge fireplaces, small narrow doorways, huge stones, and each of the 53 windows was handmade leaded glass. Our son’s room was bordered by two turrets and the turrets have the arrows slits and holes for muskets, which if you have two young boys definitely delivers the goods. The story of the place is that the castle ruins were purchased by an architect who made rebuilding the place to the period his passion project, and it shows. You have to admire this guy’s dedication, because he started with a crumbling exterior with trees growing inside of it, and over the years turned it into something that is true to the period, but with our modern amenities. One of the nice features is a sitting room with fireplace where we drank red wine and played chess, like 15th century dudes. Breakfast was served daily in a breakfast hall, and included some cold items along with scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, and mushrooms with tomatoes. Our dinner was served in an ancient seeming dining hall with a wood burning stove warming the room, and aged paintings surrounding a long wooden table. The food was delicious and a great value. I’m a a vegetarian and they made a veggie moussaka for me. The others had haggis stuffed chicken, and fingerling potatoes. The hosts were knowledgeable and friendly. They helped us round out parts of our itinerary, and suggested a quick hike to a local roman arch. All in all a great place to stay.

Such an amazing visit, rooms are amazing as is the knowledge about the history. Nicola is such a great host, we really our food and guided tour. To have the honour of staying at such an historic site will definitely stay in our memories. Highly recommended as a place to stay, we will definitely be returning.

This is a great experience to stay in castle with such history. The hosts were fabulous. The room was surprisingly spacious. Very nice stay, and worth the price. Only downside is there is nothing nearby, so plan ahead if choosing not to eat at the castle. We did not eat there but it smelled heavenly when we arrived so I imagine the food was good. Breakfast was great array of choices.

We stayed here on a recent trip from Dallas, TX to Aberdeen and wanted to explore the area. We were so lucky to find this gem on our stay. Historical, authentic places can be uncomfortable but not this one. It was charming, spacious, clean, comfortable and Nicola and John are incredible hosts. The dinner and breakfast we had here was the best we had during our five day trip at a fraction of the cost of "fancy" restaurants. Just fresh, good, healthy but traditional meals. Some nice wine before dinner and a fascinating conversation about the history of the place made it the perfect stop!

Absolutely perfect and lovely experience. The host, John and Nicola, are amazing and went out of their way to make this a special stay at the Leslie Castle for our family, including an delicious and hearty breakfast each morning and we opted for a dinner in the main dining hall with Nicola hosting historical story telling and John's amazing cooking. The rooms were very clean and beds super comfortable. The grounds and landscaping were lovely. We enjoyed a day of hiking right from the castle, but also had day trips to excursions all within 30-40 minutes, including the beautiful Balmedie Beach, Johnston Gardens, Ancient Recumbent Stone Circle and much more. Highly recommend this experience.

Wonderful boutique hotel in a peaceful setting. We were there last week (end of May) when the rapeseed fields were in bloom which gives off a scent like honeysuckle. Breakfasts and dinner were excellent, really fresh ingredients.