Durn House

We got a special voucher for afternoon tea with cocktails from Itison. It looks very run down from outside, but very nicely decorated inside. We did arrive a little early and staff apologised for not being ready for us. They had five bookings. The waiter brought our cutlery and napkins which he handled every single part of every item !! He brought our tea and my daughter who doesn’t take tea wasn’t offered any other drink. We had to ask for water and juice. Our afternoon tea was brought out and he couldn’t tell us what anything was apart from a crayfish roll. Even upon tasting we couldn’t tell what they were. Everything looked like it had been bought from a local supermarket. They had stuck raspberries on top of the jelly on the iced biscuits. !! It’s nothing like the photographs on the website or Itison. We really expected something special. We weren’t offered our cocktails !! Again we asked and he said it was pre-made we decided not to bother, so our juice was the replacement for them. We’ve been to many establishments for an afternoon tea and I can honestly say this was the worst, for food and service. I did feel for the waiter as he was the only person we saw throughout our time there, so was busy. They really need to up their game on cleaning too thick cobwebs especially on the inside of the windows.

Afternoon Tea was a delight, plenty of choice I'm sure to meet everyone's tastes & pipping hot fresh brewed coffee in abundance, served in a beautiful lounge. Owners/Hosts were very attentive and friendly. Would certainly go back and try out the restaurant for Dinner

The black pudding and muscles starters were delicious! Both had steaks for mains, rib eye & t bone! Both cooked to perfection, lovely staff! Beautiful hotel, lovely food, and great drinks! There was a wedding event the next morning, so we got to see the gorgeous dress set up Eden room

My wife bought an Itison voucher for my birthday. It was for an overnight stay at Durn house. It had to be booked by the end of August 24. My wife tried several times to get a date booked. She tried email and phone without any success. She then contacted Itison to report the problem. They said they would contact the property. We were in the area of Durn house at the end of August so we decided to pop in to see if we could resolve the issue. We were met by a employee of the business and we explained the situation. He then got his fellow employee(he didn't introduce himself or tell us his position)and straight away we got the feeling he didn't want to resolve the situation. We explained ourselves again and we hoped to get a date booked. They said that they had a policy of not answering the phone and they hadn't received our several emails. They then asked us to leave in a very irate manner and take up the problem with Itison! Consequently we received a refund from Itison and we told them our experience and they would investigate. We had heard that Durn house was an excellent place to stay in the past but under new management I don't think that's the case now. Very disappointing.

We had a large, comfortable bedroom . The bed was lovely, and if i could have taken the mattress home, I would have. Double doors led to a large, well equipped on suite bathroom. It's an old building but well modernised though shower pressure reflected age. Rooms all full of character and furnishings reflect the history. Breakfast was good. We ate dinner in the hotel ,my fish was excellent, and partners steak ok.. Location is excellent for touring, and it's only a 10 minute walk into Portsoy. The hotel is under new ownership, and the young team will make it's mark. Recommend a visit.

The phrase ‘hidden gem’ is often over used, but in the case of Durn House it’s entirely appropriate. Hidden at the bend of a leafy lane on the outskirts of Portsoy lies this gem of a house built in 1770. From the moment we stepped over the threshold and received Ellie’s warm welcome, we really felt at home. The bar was well stocked and Ellie’s cocktails were great! The food was fantastic for both dinner and breakfast. And the room was exceptionally quiet and comfortable. The hotel is small, only 8 rooms, so you really do get the ‘country house for the weekend’ feel. This venture deserves to be a huge success. If you are even considering staying here, consider no more, just book, you will not be disappointed. We’ve already booked a return visit.

We stayed here for two nights bed and breakfast as part of our touring holiday of Scotland. Taking into account what I have read on TA,FB etc , I believe that this business has been taken over fairly recently by new owners. It seems that there are several areas of development underway – guest house, restaurant, afternoon teas, whole property rentals via Air B&B for family events and also as a wedding venue. The building and surrounding grounds are ideal for all of those business enterprises and I wish the new owners well and hope that everything comes together for them. As b&b customers we received a warm welcome on a very wet afternoon and were impressed by the grandeur of the building – especially the lounge, restaurant and bar areas. We had booked the Tartan Room – which in hindsight was probably a mistake as it comes with a private bathroom and not an en- suite. This was clearly marked on our booking so no complaints on that score but it is worth noting that the private bathroom is not adjacent to the bedroom but down a longish corridor and off a landing area. The bathroom wasn’t in the best condition and needs a refurb when funds allow. I believe that the majority of the other rooms are en-suite but it is worth checking when booking. Breakfast was a bit disappointing and not on a par with other places offering a similar service. There was a selection of cooked breakfast options but unusually no offer of cereals or fruit/yogurts etc which is standard fare at other places offering B&B. The second day of our stay, the table was not laid up ready for us, even though we had given our time and choices the previous evening. Also, no biscuits on the in room hospitality tray which is unusual for the price point/star rating. I have rated very good on the basis that I believe this a venue and business that is under development so improvements will follow, and whilst not everything was perfect for our stay, it is a lovely building in a quiet and pretty location with many positives.

Beware people ! seemingly my Voucher for dinner bed and breakfast was not fully redeemable! After hours of negotiation and terrible customer care through messenger! I was only allowed to have bed and breakfast. The young lady who checked us in and served us breakfast was lovely though. So heads up if you have a voucher. Otherwise the Hotel is beautiful and breakfast was really good

I booked an event that they advertised just before Christmas 2023, The event was cancelled by Durn house and was told it was due to the lack of numbers, I had booked 8 tickets , I was offered vouchers or a full refund. This is now the 25/02/2024 and i am still waiting for the refund, I have been told many lies that it was being sorted and would expect the refund and nothing has appeared. Absolutely disgraceful , dont know what else to do. The place is now under new management which has nothing to do with what's happened prior .