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A large stone building with red roofs and multiple chimneys at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar The logo of National Trust for Scotland with a stylized castle and text A large stone building with multiple chimneys and windows beside a paved driveway and a grass lawn at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A staircase with red carpet and wooden railing in a hallway with framed pictures on the wall and a wooden door Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate Braemar A room with wooden paneling mounted animal heads a chandelier a fireplace a table with a clock and a large patterned carpet at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A living room with green sofa chairs fireplace and paintings on the walls at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A living room with a green sofa white pillows a small stool with a white cover paintings on the wall and dark curtains at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A door and windows opening to a balcony with a railing overlooking a building and distant hills at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar An exterior view of a large stone building with multiple peaked roofs and chimneys at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A balcony railing overlooking a lawn with a driveway and forested hills at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A view of a stone building with a paved driveway and striped lawn with trees and hills in the background at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A dining room with a table covered with a checkered tablecloth surrounded by wooden chairs and a fireplace at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate Braemar A kitchen with green walls wooden cabinets a silver refrigerator a dining table with a yellow checkered tablecloth and chairs at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A kitchen with wooden cabinets a stove microwave and fire extinguisher at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A kitchen with a countertop kettle sink toaster washing machine and dishwasher at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate Braemar A bedroom with a double bed with floral headboard green curtains a dressing table with a lamp and stool and a wooden wardrobe at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bedroom with a double bed green and yellow cushions bedside tables lamps wall paintings and folded towels at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bedroom with a large wooden wardrobe a bed with towels on it a fireplace an armchair a wooden desk with a lamp and a stool at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A room with green curtains a green armchair a wooden dressing table with a stool and a lamp at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A narrow hallway with blue walls red carpet wood trim and mounted deer heads at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bedroom with two single beds with patterned headboards and white bedding and green walls at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bedroom with two beds, green walls, wooden wardrobe and dresser, a green chair by the window at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub with shower curtain a pedestal sink a toilet and a wooden cabinet top windows with shades Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate Braemar A bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub with shower curtain a wooden table a bidet and a towel rack at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bathroom with a toilet that has a wooden seat a small sink a radiator under a window and framed pictures on the wall at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A bathroom sink with taps and soap dispenser under a mirror next to a window and a radiator at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A paved courtyard in front of a stone building with a covered walkway and multiple windows at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A valley with a winding river surrounded by trees and hills under a cloudy sky at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A rocky gorge with flowing water surrounded by trees and greenery at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A river flowing through a forest with trees and rocks at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A stone arch bridge over a rocky river surrounded by trees and grass at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar A large grassy field with two small soccer goals near trees and a stone wall at Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate in Braemar

Macdui - Mar Lodge Estate

(Ref. 1060500)

Braemar, Cairngorms National Park Show on map

4.7

Sykes rating

  • 4 Guests

  • 2 Bedrooms

  • 1 Bathroom

  • Pets: Yes

Features

  • Off road parking
  • Cot available
  • Highchair available
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • no (11)
  • apartment (10)
  • eco (10)
  • our (9)
  • macdui (9)
  • stay (8)

26 Customer Reviews

  • "Great location to access all that the area has to offer and immaculate accommodation."

    Would recommend and stay again.

    Reviewed by Anne5.0★Mar 2025

  • "Stayed at Macdui many times - everything perfect and good to see grab rail is now installed in bath."

    Reviewed by Sheila4.7★Mar 2025

  • "It looks like Macdui is my new favourite apartment in Mar Lodge."

    I understand that it was redecorated and modernised a couple of years ago and, in my opinion, the improvements have been done very well and are in keeping with the traditional style of the Lodge. The house keeping team keep the communal areas and the apartments in excellent order.

    Reviewed by Allan5.0★Feb 2025

  • "Generally, very nice and warm, excellent staff."

    a lot of money has been spent doing up the apartment but one or two little things have been missed for example the kitchen taps. Prices have increased a lot and are prohibitive in the summer.

    Reviewed by Peter4.7★Feb 2025

  • "It would be really be helpful to have separate self standing shower cubicles - there is certainly plenty room in Braeriach h and Macdui bathrooms to do so."

    Many thanks for your feedback. Macdui was refurbished 2 years ago so at the moment we do not have any plans to change the bathroom. We have had plumbers looking at putting a shower in but we cannot create enough runaway for a shower on the first floor. However we do have a walk in shower in the recently refurbished Derry Apartment at Mar Lodge. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Sheila5.0★May 2024

  • "Amazing place and stunning location, the on site staff very friendly and made us and our dogs very welcome"

    Reviewed by Gary5.0★Feb 2024

  • "A fabulous property in an amazing setting."

    Warm, comfortable and well equipped. Louise and her team couldn’t do enough for us and our stay couldn’t have been better.

    Reviewed by Carol5.0★Feb 2024

  • "Accommodation was very warm and comfortable."

    The setting was beautiful. During our stay snow was lying thickly but main tracks were cleared daily. A small complaint is that the toilet seats, one in particular, were a bit loose. Otherwise it was a glorious week.

    Many thanks for your feedback, the team at Mar will have a look at the toilet seat to tighten it up. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Morag4.7★Jan 2024

  • "Fabulous apartment, the only concern I would point out is the shower over the roll top bath, very tricky climbing in & out."

    Reviewed by Maureen4.7★Jan 2024

  • "Lovely setting with nice views, remote, and good access to walks."

    The apartment was very nice and very spacious. WiFi is limited due to remote location but that was expected.

    Reviewed by John5.0★Dec 2023

  • "We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Macdui apartment."

    It was very quiet, spacious and comfortable - and I don't think I've ever used a bathroom with such a good view! The WiFi wasn't working when we arrived, but apparently there was an issue affecting the entire NTS network. It was fine the rest of the time. The fact that we've already booked the apartment for another week next year says it all.

    Thank you for your lovely comments and we look forward to welcoming you back. We have a project running at the moment to install wifi or improve the wifi at all our sites but sometimes the hills get in the way!! Property Owner

    Reviewed by Ruth5.0★May 2023

  • "Staff were great accommodation has a beautiful vibe nothing not to like"

    Reviewed by Alex5.0★Apr 2023

  • "We were in Macdui ; Wifi was weak and slow, was not able to do office meetings."

    Overall experience was good, very happy with property. Would recommend it to friends. For first floor apartment, it was tough to bring bags from parking to first floor.

    Thank you for your feedback. We do have Wifi at Mar Lodge but we cannot guarantee it will be strong enough for guests to work from the apartment. The broadband has been upgraded in Braemar but this was not continue out to Mar Lodge. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Saakshi4.4★Feb 2023

  • "Excellent and comfortable accommodation."

    Very warm. Decor was sumptuous. Good value for money.

    Reviewed by G T5.0★Feb 2023

  • "We absolutely love it at Mar Lodge, the property is stunning and each apartment tastfully decorated, lovely and warm, snug & spotlessly clean with everything you need, our only one let down was the WiFi was very poor."

    This is needed when in a remote area for contact as most mobile phone networks are very poor & also for TV in the evenings after a long days hiking. I would still highly recommend this wonderful lodge.

    Thank you very much for the kind comments about Macdui at Mar Lodge, it was refurbished last year and does look great. We are exploring what we can do to improve the wifi at Mar Lodge. Braemar's internet was upgraded but unfortunately this did not continue out to the estate. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Dawn5.0★Dec 2022

  • "Our second visit to Mar Lodge and Macdui did not disappoint."

    The renovated interior was lovely and the whole lodge is lovely and clean. We found the apartment well equipped but the wifi was poor. A wonderful place to stay and we will certainly be back.

    Reviewed by Sarah4.4★Dec 2022

  • "We had a super week staying at Macdui in Mar Lodge."

    The apartment is very very comfortable and warm. It was very clean and well equipped. The bath is fantastic! Many thanks to the team there for their warm welcome and for showing us round some of the main rooms in the Lodge.

    Thank you very much for the kind comments about Macdui, it was refurbished over 21/22 winter and we have plans to refurbish another apartment this winter. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Lesley5.0★Dec 2022

  • "We have been at Ben Macdui many times."

    The refurbishment has improved our holiday experience. Will be back.

    Thank you very much for the lovely feedback and we look forward to welcoming you back to Mar Lodge. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Robert5.0★Nov 2022

  • "We enjoyed our stay at Macdui very much."

    It was a beautiful property with amazing furniture and features. The ladies looking after the property were lovely too and very helpful. The only quibble we have is that the shower in the bathroom was very difficult to use; very attractive and right in period but not good to shower in. There is room to add a modern shower in either the bathroom or the cloakroom or the cupboard in the entrance to the cloakroom, but for more mature visitors (we are in our 70s) the shower over the bath is not practical. Fortunately, the rest of the family were staying in Bynack, so we were able to use one of the modern showers in their apartment. My nephew who was there too said he couldn't manage his old fashioned shower over the bath either. However this problem did not detract from the lovely holiday in such gorgeous surroundings. A perfect place for our family celebration.

    Reviewed by Jane4.7★Aug 2022

  • "A really lovely place to stay"

    Glad to read you enjoyed your stay and you are very welcome to come back at any time. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Robert5.0★Jun 2022

  • "We had a lovely stay."

    The flat was extremely comfortable, beautifully decorated and spotlessly clean. We were lucky enough to have good weather so were able to enjoy the gorgeous scenery, walking round the estate and spotting wildlife (including a Golden Eagle sighting).

    many thanks for your positive feedback, MacDui is the latest apartment at Mar Lodge to be refurbished and we are very proud of it. The housekeeping team set excellent standards and we will pass on your comments. Great location and we are so lucky to have it as part of the NTS. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Patricia5.0★May 2022

  • "For Mar Lodge: A beautiful place but not equipped in the slightest for self catering - if catering for 4 adults and only one medium saucepan, one small one and a large casserole dish it is seriously under equipped."

    No plastic containers for temporary food storage, no foil, no clingfilm, etc., etc., indeed a lack of all things commensurate with modern day self catering facilities as provided by much more modest establishments. For Sykes: A booking fee of £59 for one week is a rip off of the first order, and then there's the £40 insurance for cancellation also - will definitely never be using this company again!

    Many thanks for you feedback about MacDui at Mar Lodge. We have passed on your comments to the team at Mar in regard to the kitchen utensils and extra pans are on order for the apartment. The National Trust for Scotland can't comment on your comments re the booking fee which is part of your contract with Sykes. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Robert2.8★Apr 2022

  • "The accommodation was lovely and bigger than expected and was spotlessly clean."

    The beds are super comfortable and the staff were very friendly. Beautiful area to explore. Would definitely recommend.

    Thank you for your comments, you are very welcome to return to Mar Lodge. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Moira5.0★Apr 2022

  • "The heated towel rails weren’t working, the lower second oven didn’t function."

    Sockets in bedroom 2 not working

    Thank you for your feedback which we will pass onto the team at Mar Lodge. We would encourage any guests who have a problem during their stay to contact the team so that we can endeavour to resolve the problem quickly. Update - we have checked the towel rails and the oven and they are working. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Stephen4.7★Feb 2022

  • "This is our second visit to Mar Lodge and it will be our intention to return again in the future."

    The peace and tranquility coupled with the lovely apartments make it an ideal get away.

    Thank you very much for your kind comments and we look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Susan5.0★Oct 2021

  • "Great location."

    Sitting room chairs quite uncomfortable, took to lying in bed to read! otherwise a great holiday.

    Reviewed by Martin3.8★Sep 2021

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Summary

  • Sykes Gem Awards 2024 Bronze winner for Best In Scotland
  • First floor apartment
  • Two bedrooms: 1 x king size double, 1 x twin
  • Bathroom with roll-top bath, shower over, basin and WC
  • Cloakroom with basin and WC
  • Kitchen/diner
  • Living/dining room.
  • Biomass central heating
  • Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher
  • TV, DVD player, CD player, WiFi
  • Fuel and power inc. in rent
  • Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
  • Travel cot and highchair available on request
  • Private water supply
  • Off-road parking in rear car park
  • Access to Mar Lodge Estate grounds
  • Two well-behaved dogs welcome
  • Sorry, no smoking or vaping
  • Shop and pub 4.1 miles
  • Holiday guests have access to the estate grounds outside of the regular opening hours
  • The stag ballroom, grand dining room, library and drawing room at Mar Lodge can be hired separately for private events – please contact the lodge for further details on +44 (0)13397 41276
  • Mar Lodge Ranger service runs a number of scheduled walks and events throughout the year- information on these can be found by visiting here
  • The opening times, visitor facilities and entry prices of all National Trust for Scotland properties and attractions can be viewed on their website here
  • Please be advised that external works are scheduled at Mar Lodge from 18th August to 12th September 2025, these works will focus on repairing the entryway at the front of the building.

The property

Encapsulating the essence of the impressive National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge is this first floor apartment, Macdui.

Sitting within the walls of the Trust-owned spectacle, the property offers four guests grandiose living quarters for the duration of their Scottish countryside break.

With views looking out over Mar Lodge Estate's ancient pine forest, Macdui makes a scenic base at any time of the year.

Discover a large kitchen/diner, with a neat fitted kitchen space at one end of the room offering all the essentials for a self-catered stay, plus a dining table and chairs, sitting atop the vintage rug, making this a perfect space to enjoy food and drinks with your loved ones.

Take the conversation over into the living/dining room, where another table and chairs makes an ideal space for a board game brought from home, along with a sofa and two armchairs to relax on after a busy day of rambling.

Settle down within one of the two lovely bedrooms here, choosing from a king size double or a twin room, each exuding elegance and served by the spacious bathroom, where a roll top bath offers the perfect spot for winding down with a hot soak, along with a cloakroom too.

Roam the vast Mar Lodge Estate and make wonderful memories with your loved ones at Macdui.

This property can be booked with Refs. 1060439, 1060441, 1060444, 1060494, together sleeping up to 31 guests.

Exempt from needing a Scottish Licence to Short Term Let

EPC Rating: Band D

Mar Lodge Estate

Resting within the heart of the Cairngorms National Park is Mar Lodge, a beautiful Victorian sporting lodge that has been carefully restored by the National Trust for Scotland to offer wonderful holiday accommodation amidst one of the country's most iconic landscapes. With five properties in total, Mar Lodge is ideal for large family gatherings or celebrations, providing couples and small groups with a perfect country retreat too. The picturesque lodge itself has been split into five luxuriously furnished apartments, including Dalvorar, Macdui, Braeriach, Derry, and Bynack. The main lodge is a true delight, with high ceilings, grand hallways, and a fabulous billiards room, open to all apartments within the lodge at a small extra cost, the perfect space for socialising with your loved ones. This prime Highland estate has been visited by nobility since the medieval period and is now recognised as one of Scotland's most important conservation sites, with ongoing preservation work to maintain the beauty of the ancient Caledonian pine forest and to protect the native wildlife. If you're seeking a holiday rich in breathtaking scenery and outdoor adventures, then Mar Lodge Estate is a superb choice. Take walks through wooded glens, stroll alongside crystal clear burns, and soak up the marvellous mountain scenery, with this estate being home to four of Britain's five highest mountains. Plenty of excitement can be had on a holiday here, with thrilling mountain-biking routes being perfect for adrenaline-seekers, the River Dee offering some of the best salmon fishing in the world, and classic sports like shooting and stalking being popular too. Head into the nearby village of Braemar for all your self-catering needs, home to a highly recommended local butcher, alongside some delightful cafés, shops, and pubs to enjoy throughout your stay. Attractions nearby include the Queen's Balmoral Castle and Estate, with royalty often visiting the area since the estate was purchased by Queen Victoria in 1848, you can now visit too and attend a fascinating guided tour. Less than fifteen miles away is the Glenshee Ski Centre offering 40km of pistes for skiing and snowboarding in the winter months, so you can find excitement here all year round! History lovers will delight at the ease in which an array of wondrous NTS castles can be reached, including the fairytale delight of Craigievar Castle, Crathes Castle, home to diverse wildlife and an impressive interior, and Drum Castle, one of Scotland’s oldest tower houses, all just a scenic drive away. Enjoy the wonders of this location from the luxury and comfort of Mar Lodge Estate.

Where you’ll be staying

View on map

BRAEMAR

Ballater 17 miles; Aberdeen 59 miles.

The village of Braemar in Royal Deeside sits amongst some of the most beautiful scenery Scotland has to offer. Nestling in the River Dee valley within the Cairngorms National Park, Braemar and the area around it are a treasure trove for the outdoor enthusiast, boasting 24 Munros, the highest 18-hole golf course in the country and close proximity to the Glenshee Ski Centre. The village offers plentiful opportunities for relaxation as well in the many cafes, shops and restaurants. The famous Highland Gathering in September, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth, is a spectacular feast of highland games, music and dancing. Inverness, Aberdeen and Perth are a great day out, are accessed through great scenery, and are well worth a visit. Royal Deeside boasts many rare wildlife and plant species such as capercaillie, roe deer, red squirrels and golden eagles. With Braemar and Balmoral Castles and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery in this area, there is indeed something for everyone in this delightful part of Scotland.

Please be advised that external works are scheduled at Mar Lodge from 18th August to 12th September 2025. These works will focus on repairing the entryway at the front of the building.

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Last minute
  • Christmas
Flexible cancellation terms

If you cancel before 12 noon , get all of your money back:

  • Rent
  • Extras
  • Fees

excluding the Flexible Cancellation fee and any insurance premium.

There are a small number of circumstances where you can’t use Flexible Cancellation. See the Flexible Cancellation Terms that apply.