Gairnlea Cottage

Excellent value for money , small but everything you need.

Great location and great property.

Bed extremely comfortable and everything easy to find and use. Only thing it could have benefited from was a frying pan.

A beautiful place to stay, just perfect for me.

Close to the centre of Ballater but so quiet and serene. Would definitely recommend a stay here, so much so, that I have already booked to go back next year!

Very handy for town and local walks.

We would have liked a frying pan and cushions for the garden furniture otherwise very well equipped for it size and space. No spare light bulb so we had to buy one for a bedside light.

We have just returned from a lovely week at Gairnlea Cottage - the cottage was tastefully furnished in a Scottish Highland Theme which was a lovely touch, and so fitting to the surrounding area - we found it very clean and comfortable which made it a good base for our walking holiday - hopefully we will return again and have no hesitation in recommending it to friends and family.

A great little cottage , perfect for a couple.

. Comfortable bed and furniture The kitchen is so well kitted out , its got a microwave ,washing machine, iron all there for your convenience.. The cottage is in a prime location, set back from the road and has a lovely garden to look out on ,..oh and as a bonus its also got a log burner as well as full central heating . I will be going back in the summer...

First impressions was the cottage was a bit dated.

My biggest issue is that nowhere in the description of the cottage does it mention that the cottage is over 100 yards from the street. I arrived just after a snow storm the day before, there was about 1 foot of snow along the driveway, and across the garden. I could not bring my suitcase into the cottage for 2 days. The night I arrived I had to make 3 trips across the snow and in the dark with groceries etc. It took over 1 hour as I have a slight mobility issue. So not a great stay!

Lovely wee cottage, very handy as it is a short walk into the town centre.

Comfy bed , good pillows and the cottage was always nice and warm. We especially loved the log fire, and being able to help ourselves from the log supply we thought was extremely generous of the owners. (Thank you.) The only thing we found annoying was the bathroom and bedroom door scenario which could have been avoided if the bedroom door opened inwards. Otherwise, perfect.

Just back from a lovely week’s stay at Gairnlea Cottage in Ballater!

Cosy wee cottage with everything you need including a supply of logs for the wood burning stove. Ideal location for walks, independent shops, pubs and restaurants! Couldn’t fault it….we definitely intend coming back next year with friends and may well consider Gairnlea House (next door) ! An idea would be a fan on top of the wood burning stove to spread the heat! Brilliant holiday home!

Our stay at the cottage was perfect .

.its in a great location and has a beautiful little garden which is a bonus outside the window Its a very clean cottage that has been thoughtfully furnished and we also found it to be very cosy ..We will definitely be back in the near future and hopefully if its available we would like stay there again

Gairnlea Cottage is a delightful cottage in the town of Ballater.

The cottage has everything needed for a relaxing break, so quiet and peaceful. The bed was vey comfortable, the lounge catered for every need and the kitchen was ideal. The garden was very private and it was a joy to sit quietly with a cup of tea in the afternoon sunshine. The cottage is an ideal base for exploring the area, there are some very picturesque drives to be had. We really enjoyed our stay and would certainly consider returning one day.

We loved the location and the garden Only complaint would be the low water pressure in the bathroom

Lovely stay at Gairnlea Cottage.

Home from home. Nice town with walks directly from the door and driving distance to big walks on the tops.

Another great week at Gairnlea Cottage.

It’s our 3rd visit back here. It’s very central, lots of lovely walks nearby and the cottage is always very clean and lovely furnished. Was lovely to sit in the garden after our day out and still enjoy the sunshine we were lucky to have all week Yvonne and George

Just had an excellent week at Gairnlea Cottage!

A delightful house, well equipped, lovely decor, comfortable bed, easy access to local shops and walks and also to mountains for Munro baggers! We have just booked to come back in June. That’s how much we enjoyed it! Christine

Very nice little house.

Shed was very useful for our bikes. Just one tiny thing most places do have salt & pepper. We got fish & chips one night the shop forgot to add salt n vinegar got back to find none . Small fry really : )

The cottage was lovely and so comfy for the 2 of us.

We would definitely stay here again. There was so many walks and places to go in the area.

Lovely accommodation with everything we needed for our stay.

Spotlessly clean. Just a short walk to the centre with lots of lovely places to eat. Highly recommend.

Lovely cottage in a quiet place.

High standard of furnishings and cottage is in a great standard. We had a small problem with the heating but the owners remedied that very promptly. We would certainly consider returning for another visit.

A little gem of a cottage in a delightful setting.

Great little cottage in the centre of Ballater and close to all amenities with many walks right from the door.

Cottage was exceptionally clean throughout and had everything you need for a weekend or weekly trip. We would not hesitate to go back and would highly recommend to family and friends. George and Sandra, Fife.

Lovely little cottage in a superb location with lots of facilities in this quaint village which is surrounded by the best area of Scotland.

The cottage is a lovely relaxing place for two people to stay with very clean and modern kitchen and bathroom (no bath great shower) lounge dinner with wood burning stove and central heating for the chilly time of year

Just what we needed, peaceful and welcoming.

Only a short walk away from the shops. Well equipped and being able to hang washing out on the whirly was great. Only a few heavy showers but did not stop us getting about. Although a shared garden we had it to ourselves as the residents in the main house were out most of the time.

Cosy and stylishly decorated Victorian cottage perfectly located in the pretty village of Ballater.

There is a shared garden to sit out in and it's only a short stroll to the shops and local eateries. Great spot for couples exploring beautiful Deeside on foot, by bike and by car.

Lovely well equipped cottage done to a high spec with comfortable bed and sofa.

Lots of lovely walks on the doorstep with amenities all close by. Would definitely recommend Yvonne

The cottage was lovely,well presented and within walking distance of shops and restaurants in Ballater.

The large supply of wood for the stove was very much appreciated. The cottage had everything required for two people. Though this was a shared garden with a lot of other houses close by it was quiet and felt private. We normally pick more isolated cottages this was our first in a more urban area but it didn’t disappoint and we hope to be back sometime. There are lots of lovely walks around the town and within the Balmoral estate.

Gairnlea Cottage is in a very quiet residential area, set back from the road.

It was ideal for us as we were attending a wedding in Braemar. It was clean, cosy and well appointed.

Comfortable, quiet and clean house in a nice location.

Equipped with all what was needed. Perfect for two people.

We had a wonderful stay in Gairnlea Cottage in mid May.

As other reviewers have commented, the cottage was beautifully furnished, spotlessly clean, with everything you'd need for a weeks stay provided, except for running out of toilet paper! We've stayed in lots of self catering cottages and this is definitely in the top 2. The only thing I'd suggest would be the addition of some cleaning materials eg Ciff as coffee left stains on the mugs and the selection of books and games( presume they were removed during Covid?) Thank you to owners, Peter and Vicky for creating such a special holiday home.

We had a lovely stay at Gairnlea.

The cottage was very well equipped, warm and comfortable and ideally located for exploring the Cairngorms. The owners had given a lot of thought to providing everything to ensure a pleasant stay including somewhere to store our bikes. It's only a short walk into Ballater where all the usual facilities can be found. An excellent week overall. Thank-you.

We loved our stay here.

The property was warm and welcoming and beautifully furnished. 2 sets of towels were provided which is unusual and a thoughtful touch. The kitchen was well equipped for self catering, however plenty of places nearby if you choose to eat out. A really lovely quiet spot only a couple of minutes walk from the centre of Ballater. The very best of both worlds.The old station cafe which can be accessed via the information center is an absolute must visit venue. We will definitely be visiting again.

This was our second stay at Gairnlea Cottage and thoroughly enjoyed it again.

The property is spotlessly clean, comfortable, well maintained and tastefully decorated. The location to the lovely village of Ballater and its amenities is ideal, being only a five minute walk. Ballater itself is ideal for visiting Balmoral, Braemar and Glenshee as well as all the local walks. We hope to return again!

Lovely cottage with lots of nice walks round about.

Ballater has plenty of eating places and lots of nice independent shops. The cottage is small but perfect for 2 people. Had a problem with heating but it was fixed within 2 hours. Excellent service

Gairnlea is a great little cottage.

it's ideal for a couple or a single person.

While small, this little cottage is perfect for a couple.

We normally stay in fairly remote places but liked Ballater on previous day visits and thought it would be good to try a town based holiday. Town and shops were a 5 minute walk away with all the local amenities you would expect from a small town. The cottage was beautifully presented and was exceptionally clean and I really do mean spotless. The welcome pack was informative and included how to use a wood burner correctly - something other hosts should implement if only to avoid a lot of mess for them to clean up. We had enough towels, tea towels, washing up liquid, washing tabs etc to last us the week and this is unusual. Also a supply of wood for the burner was available which again is a great touch as no need to hunt down kindling and wood elsewhere. There was a welcome tray with teabags etc for your arrival and even shower gel etc. The only thing missing was a cafetiere - but this will not impact my rating or view - its a very small constructive suggestion :-) We were there for peak tourist season and you could hear a pin drop at night - expect for the bagpipes at 7am and early evening if the Queen is in residence at Balmoral. The army barracks for the Royal Regiment of Scotland are based around the corner. There are not disturbing by any means and if anything should be welcomed. Locally there is everything you could wish for shopping or food/drink wise and it's a great base to explore the wider area and even in peak season its a short queue in most shops. The local people are very welcoming. Owners checked in to make sure we had everything by text. We have already decided that we will stay here again but will probably book the house next time. Cant recommend this place enough

Lovely stay at gairnlea cottage we stayed at the cottage last Oct and honestly when arriving felt like we were coming back after a day out it felt so familiar once again everything was perfect noticed the addition of blind in kitchen and lamp in living room great wee cottage only thing I missed was log fire have to come back in colder months I would definitely recommend a stay here in ballater in gairnlea

It's hard to improve on perfection but the addition of a hook on the back of the bathroom door would be helpful.

Also clearer instructions on the disposal of glass bottles/jars. Excellent stay in a perfect location would certainly consider staying again. Is there any feedback for us as guest?

Absolutely lovely.

An intimate, cosy cottage - perfect for a couple.

This was our first visit to Ballater and Gairnlea Cottage.

We loved both! Although the cottage is small, it was perfect for us and had everything we needed. It was so cosy with the wood burning stove, whilst outside it was snowing. The cleanliness and attention to detail were excellent. The property is a credit to the owners. We hope to return later in the year.

A compact clean place perfectly located and tastefully kitted out.

An excellent property.

Cosy and homely. Log fire an added bonus. Situation perfect. Correspondence with owners first class.

Had lovely stay at gairnlee cottage perfect for 2 people or even a single traveller as it felt very safe and secure nice to come back each evening to cosy log fire cottage had everything you would need and so so clean bonus was the near proximity to local shops cafes and also ideal for walking routes love ballater have been many times allbeit staying in hotels but will definately consider gairnlee for future trips all in all had a great stay so would recommend it give it a try

Lovely cottage done to a high standard and close to the town

A lovely place to stay, Ballater 5mins walk, a very lovely place.

..also met the owners of the property also very nice and helpful! Would definitely go back to that accommodation

Cottage was nice and cosy for 2 people with everything you needed.

Great find in a quite spot with a lovely garden for relaxing in. Only 5 mins walk to the main street in Ballater.

Lovely cottage, great location, would consider another visit later this year if available.