A rare find - enjoy a variety of games available on-site.
Explore on two wheels
Guests love the bike-friendly location.
3 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 7
Popular amenities
Onsite parking available
Kitchen
Washing machine
Barbecue
Garden
Internet access
Explore the area
Aboyne, Scotland
Aboyne Golf Club
Place, Aboyne Golf Club
3 min drive
Reflect Spa
Place, Reflect Spa
4 min drive
Cairngorms National Park
Place, Cairngorms National Park
8 min drive
Aberdeen (ABZ)
Airport, Aberdeen (ABZ)
50 min drive
Rooms & beds
3 bedrooms (sleeps 7)
Downstairs en-suite
2 Single Beds
Master bedroom
1 Queen Bed and 1 Child Bed
upstairs twin
2 Single Beds
1 bathroom
Downstairs bathroom
Toilet · Shower only
Upstairs bathroom
Bathtub · Toilet
Spaces
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area
About this property
Birch Cottage, Aboyne
Birch Cottage is a late Victorian cottage which still retains many of its original features. It has been in the family for 4 generations, and we still have strong links with this beautiful area. There are two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, accessed by a very steep staircase; downstairs there is an open-plan kitchen and living area, and a further double bedroom with en-suite toilet and shower room. The house faces South and has a secluded and sunny garden with seating area. It also has a small lawned garden on the other side of the little lane. The setting is tranquil, yet close to great amenities. At night you can hear the River Dee, and you may well see deer and (if you are lucky) red squirrels in the garden or on the lane. Across the River Dee is Aboyne, with pub, cafes, good shops, swimming pool, gliding club, & golf course; across the lane 15 miles of uninterrupted hill walking to the next glen. The cottage is an excellent base for exploring Royal Deeside with its opportunities for walking, biking, fishing, canoeing, bird watching etc. It also offers standing stones, Pictish crosses, historic castles, whisky distilleries. In the Summer there are Highland Games in the area, which people travel from all over the world to compete in; they are well worth attending! Thirty miles to the East of Aboyne is the city of Aberdeen, with modern shopping centres and other big city attractions, as well as sandy beaches, museums, and art galleries to explore.
*** NB Parking for one large and one small car only ***
******** NB ********* Aboyne bridge is closed to vehicular traffic just now, but open for pedestrians and cyclists. Traffic between Birch Cottage and the village is via Dinnet Bridge.
Please note that Birch Cottage is a NON-SMOKING property
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Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 7
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
About the area
Aboyne
Located in Aboyne, this cottage is in a rural area and on a river. Craigievar Castle and Knock Castle are local landmarks, and some of the area's attractions include Deeside Activity Park and Woodend Barn. Woodend Barn Arts Centre and Alford Valley Steam Railway are also worth visiting. Waterskiing and fishing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with horse riding and mountain climbing nearby.
How much does it cost to stay at Birch Cottage, Aboyne?
As of 7 July 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Birch Cottage, Aboyne on 26 January 2027 start from NZ$259, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Birch Cottage, Aboyne?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Birch Cottage, Aboyne?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Birch Cottage, Aboyne?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Birch Cottage, Aboyne located?
Situated on a river, this cottage is 1.5 mi (2.5 km) from Aboyne Golf Club and 2 mi (3.2 km) from Reflect Spa. Cairngorms National Park and The Butterworth Gallery are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Reviews
9.4
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Birch Cottage is in a lovely location, with lots of excellent walks with plenty of wildlife to spot! Shops, pub and takeaway all within walking distance. The cottage is in a nice quite lane and is spacious with everything you need for a fantastic, relaxing holiday!
Brian B.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 3 August 2022
Thank you for your review Brian! We’re so glad you enjoyed your stay, and appreciate all your positive comments 🙂
We enjoyed our week at Birch Cottage, it is a lovely quaint cottage just outside Aboyne.
Adrian & Vicky were very helpful and communications were good.
The cottage was well stocked and we used the log fire all the time to keep warm.
An ideal place to enjoy some peace and quiet and an escape from our busy lives.
Alexandra B.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 25 May 2022
Thank you for your review, we’re glad you enjoyed a peaceful Christmas in the cottage.
This Victorian stone cottage has been in the same family for four generations and has many minor features of design and equipment that show that the owners use it themselves frequently. It is located in a quiet private road about 10 minutes' walk across the bridge from the Boat Inn (excellent food and well-chosen beers and wine), and is very convenient for the Aboyne Water and Birse fishings on the Dee. There is an eclectic selection of books, maps, artworks and other objects of interest and an interesting mix of furniture, traditional and more modern. The kitchen area is well-equipped, with a washing machine and dryer in an adjacent utility area. The hot water supply might be a little limited for a party of six but was fine for two. The small front garden was very attractive, with a profusion of bee-friendly spring flowers and wooden outside furniture. Overall, comfortable and fairly-priced and we shall hope to return
Peter J.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 4 July 2022
Thank you very much for this review Peter… it’s such a great description of the cottage; we couldn’t have put it better ourselves!
Re the hot water - future plans include an updated (larger) boiler…
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Birch Cottage, what's not to like? It is spacious, well equipped and tastefully furnished.
The aura of the cottage is very warm and friendly and it still feels like the house is inhabited by a happy family.
We especially enjoyed the combination of the open kitchen, dining area and living room.
The stair to the first floor does not feel steep at all if you do it like a sailor during a storm: just lean forward or backwards.
Even if the cottage is not located directly in Aboyne, it is close to the local pub and all other facilities we needed.
Communication with the owners was perfect and they are are very friendly and generous. Recommended!
Christoph M.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 7 August 2023
Thank you so much for your review, Christoph, which we somehow managed to miss at the time! We're glad the cottage lay-out (& style) worked so well for you, and enjoyed the comments about its aura and your tips on tackling the stairs!
This property is in a perfect location for a quiet peaceful stay, but with facilities within walking distance. It needs a few things to make it better. Welcome pack, bin liners, up to date info in the information pack. The fire hadn’t been cleaned out, there were cobwebs in one of the bedrooms, and a shelf full of dead flies in the conservatory. The garden needed some attention too. It was a bit overgrown with weeds. All this said, we still thought it was a charming cottage in a perfect location, and we would book again.
Anne L.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 3 October 2021
Thank you for your feedback, Anne. We're very glad that you enjoyed your stay overall.
On your specific points: We do leave out tea and coffee etc, and the housekeeper has confirmed that they were there (plus some extras she'd supplied), but perhaps they weren't in an obvious place; bin bags and other spares are in the cupboard under the kitchen sink so I'm afraid you must have missed those.
We generally work hard to keep all the info up to date, but I hope you'll appreciate this has been an unusual year and our hard-working housekeeper has only a limited number of hours to clean up between each set of guests and has rightly concentrated on making the cottage Covid-safe. But we're very sorry if you noticed a few areas that had been overlooked this year.
We do have gardeners who come in regularly to tidy up and keep weeds at bay. The garden immediately in front of the house is the more planted one, but the area on the other side of the lane, leading to scrub/woods, we've always kept as semi-wild. Perhaps we should make that clearer on the website!
With best wishes,
Vicky & Adrian
Period property full of old world charm. Plenty of useful information from the host.
Karl P.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 11 August 2021
Thank you so much for this lovely review; it captures what we hope is a bit special about the place. And we’re glad you appreciated the local info we provide; we like sharing with guests the things that we enjoy doing in the area! Best wishes, Vicky and Adrian
A beautiful house, so very comfy,clean and welcoming. Excellent base for travelling around, breathtaking views.So peaceful and calm. Thank you both so very much for making our holiday so very special.
Linda K.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 11 August 2021
Thank you so much for this, and we’re glad you had such a good stay! Best wishes, Vicky and Adrian
Lovely cottage, everything you require for great stay. So much to visit fabulous part of Scotland. Nice cottage to relax in, so peaceful especially after long walks.
Denise H.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 11 August 2021
Thanks for this lovely review; we really do appreciate people taking the time to write one, and we’re always glad people have enjoyed their stay. Best wishes, Vicky and Adrian
Verified
10/10 Excellent
hugh B.
11 October 2018
Peaceful, cosy, charming
Peaceful, cosy, charming
hugh B.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 6 March 2020
Thank you! We are so glad you enjoyed staying in the cottage. Best wishes, Vicky and Adrian.
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Aiden H.
2 August 2018
Lovely cottage in peaceful location on edge of Aboyne
We had a lovely week in this traditional cottage while the UK was still basking in hot sun. Birch Cottage has an enclosed garden at the front that catches all the sun with peaceful views into the woods with deer and red squirrels hopping around. The cottage was spotlessly clean and well equipped - with everything you would need in the kitchen - cafetière, weighing scales, soup whizzy, plenty of crockery and lots of pots and pans. That said we also ate out at the new Fish & Chips shop, Dinnies, which was fantastic! There are very steep stairs (which didn’t bother us) to the 2 upstairs bedrooms and lovely bathroom with a deep old fashioned bath. Aboyne has everything you need for a weeks holiday so we had a very relaxing peaceful week, definitely to be repeated. Thank you very much.
Aiden H.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 11 August 2021
I hope we replied in person to this lovely review, because we really did appreciate it! Thank you for writing such a great description, and we hope to welcome you back some time. Best wishes, Vicky and Adrian
Verified
8/10 Good
Verified traveller
3 July 2018
Nice place to stay
Lovely cottage quite and well located
Comfortable and clean
Verified traveller
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 24 May 2022
Thank you Christophe! We look forward to your return visit…
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Marcel B.
11 April 2018
amazing beautiful
The long way from cologne was just worth it.
The house is very nice and cozy and has everything you need. Especially the beds are very good. You can hear the river rushing. Even a deer visited us for breakfast.
Great trips in the area. Next restaurant / pub at 600 meters distance.
Shops, supermarket and ATM can be reached on foot in 20 minutes.
Wi-Fi in the house is very good.
Many thanks to the owners for the good time.
Marcel B.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2018
About the host
Your host
Why they chose this property
It’s been in our family for about 100 years, and for four generations, so is full of good memories. It’s in a great setting - close to the friendly village of Aboyne, but also on the edge of proper hills. You can walk directly from the house onto the old drove road to Glen Esk (13 miles to the South), passing pretty Birse Loch on your way.
What makes this property unique
The cottage still has many of its original Victorian features and family memorabilia; a good selection of books about the local area, Scottish literature, and other holiday reading. It also has a shelf of children’s books, and a selection of games and DVDs for young and old. The garden is sheltered and South facing, with 2 picnic tables and other seating. There is very little traffic noise, and we are visited by woodland birds, deer and (if you are lucky) red squirrels.
Languages:
English, French
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests