Boat Country Inn and Restaurant

Hotels
8 (2004 reviews)
Deshar Road , Boat of Garten , gb

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Free
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Offsite parking discounted rates available
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Terrace
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Luggage storage
Express check-in/check-out
Fax/photocopying
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great food
Cons:
Inconsistent room quality
Wi-Fi issues

Categories

Cleanliness
7.25
Some negative aspects noted about room quality and amenities.
Service
8.75
Friendly and helpful staff mentioned consistently throughout the reviews.
Location
8.75
Superb location highlighted in several reviews.
Room Quality
6.75
Discrepancies in room sizes and comfort issues raised by guests.
Amenities
7.75
Some amenities noted as lacking, but generally acceptable.
Value for Money
8.25
Good value noted despite some minor issues.
Food and Beverage
8.75
Breakfast and meals received excellent feedback from multiple guests.
Overall Experience
7.75
Overall, a positive experience with a few notable issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-11 05:42

Property Description

Elegant Rooms and Fine Dining
The Boat Country Inn and Restaurant offers elegant rooms with luxurious amenities such as a monsoon shower, roll-top bath, and plasma-screen TV. Indulge in fine Scottish produce at the bistro and explore an extensive wine and whisky list at the bar.

Scenic Location and Outdoor Activities
Located in Cairngorm National Park, guests can enjoy stunning views of the Cairngorms Mountains. The nearby Boat of Garten Golf Course, ranked as one of the top 100 courses globally, provides a memorable golfing experience. Some rooms even feature an outdoor terrace to soak in the picturesque surroundings.

Convenient Amenities and Nearby Attractions
Stay connected with Wi-Fi access and enjoy the convenience of a full cooked breakfast in the morning. With Aviemore just a 10-minute drive away and Inverness within reach, guests can easily explore the area. Don't miss out on experiencing the charm of Strathspey Steam Railway located just meters from the hotel.

Book now for a memorable stay at The Boat Country Inn and Restaurant!

Important information:

If staying at the hotel with children, please note how many in the Special Request box when booking.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Parking

    Free public parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed).

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed. Charges may be applicable.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in the hotel rooms and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 1 year old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 11 years old stay for £15 per person per night when using an existing bed.
    Children up to and including 11 years old stay for £15 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8
Based on 2004 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.25
Service: 8.75
Location: 8.75
Room Quality: 6.75
Amenities: 7.75
Value for Money: 8.25
Food and Beverage: 8.75
Overall Experience: 7.75
A
Aiden • extended_group • gb
8
2026-06-06 • via Nuitee
D
david • couple • gb
6
Lovely hotel - housekeeping needs further training
Pros:

The hotel itself is lovely, with lots of character and its location is great. There is free parking close by too.
There is a trainline literally on the doorstep. There is a shop just across the road that sells a wide range of goods - food, drinks, magazine, books and touristy paraphernalia. There is also a gallery near the shop selling beautiful crafts, paintings and cards. We also found some lovely walks nearby.
The staff were pleasant and helpful. They upgraded our room for £20 so that we could have a room with a bath. The room itself was super with a lounge area that had a great view and separate bedroom. The bathroom had a roll top bath with a separate shower.....room 101 is lovely
The food in the bar/restaurant was plentiful, really tasty as was breakfast.

Cons:

On the whole we enjoyed our stay.
There was a breakdown in communication regarding where we had our evening meal. We were seated in a bar area and after eating our meal discovered that there was another room that had a more intimate ambience which is where we would have preferred to eat. We hadn't been given a choice. Despite that, up until then we would have booked to return when in the area again.
We usually strip our bed on departure to assist housekeeping. On stripping our bed, we were absolutely appalled at the state of the mattress protector!!! It was covered in multiple stains and had obviously not been changed for some time. The pillows did not have protectors on which in the day and age I feel should be compulsory. I usually check the bed (I am a bit OCD) on arrival but given that the whole room looked on point I didn't feel that I needed to....I'm wishing that I did now!!! I have decided not to share pictures here but I do have them time and location stamped in my phone if the management need evidence to support my review.

2026-06-04 • via Nuitee
F
Fabienne • couple • fr
8
Excellente destination pour visiter les alentours Cairngorms, Aberdeen, Inverness , dans un village très tranquille .
Pros:

Beaucoup de charme scottish dans cet établissement , ambiance conviviale, personnel très disponible et agréable.
Nous avons apprécié le restaurant avec ses deux salles qui propose des plats simples.

Cons:

Un peu vieillot mais confortable.
Défaut d’aération dans la salle de bains qui provoque des moisissures sur la fenêtre.

2026-06-04 • via Nuitee
D
Derek • couple • gb
7
Ok
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Refreshment prices £7 a pint is. Centre of Edinburgh prices.

2026-06-03 • via Nuitee
R
Roger • family_with_children • gb
10
Pros:

Calm relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff

2026-06-02 • via Nuitee
M
Marion • couple • de
10
Sehr schöner Aufenthalt mit fabelhaftem Essen
Pros:

Sehr freundliches Personal, das sich super gekümmert hat. Wir haben 3 mal zu Abend gegessen und es war jedes Mal hervorragend. Sehr ruhig gelegen. Wir hatten ein Gartenzimmer mit viel Licht. Auch unser Hund wurde sehr freundlich aufgenommen.

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
P
Paul • extended_group • gb
10
2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
H
Heidi • couple • gb
8
Pleasant stay for a stopover
Pros:

A nice old pub/ hotel - the staff were very friendly , the room we had (the deluxe double) was nice and spacious as well as a nice big shower. The food was good & had some outside seating looking over the steam railway station. you could walk down 5 mins to overlook the river over a bridge which was very pretty & only a 5 mins walk to a nice long trail at the RSPB site

Cons:

The room was very hot (may) even with the window open , the restaurant food was quite expensive

2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
K
kano • couple • jp
8
2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
K
Kirsten • family_with_children • gb
10
2026-05-24 • via Nuitee
J
Jacqueline • solo_traveller • gb
9
Pros:

Nice room but it was close to the kitchen area and I could hear the ventilation fan although it was switched off overnight.
Comfy bed and great pillows! Very clean and spacious bathroom.

Cons:

The location of my room near the noisy fan disturbed me a little. Other that that I liked the property.

2026-05-21 • via Nuitee
S
Sarah • couple • gb
8
Charming stay with a warm Scottish welcome and excellent dinner.
Pros:

Perfect location, railway delightful, views superb. Staff were excellent. Food at dinner was very good.

Cons:

It needed a lick of paint in places, in line with many Scottish hotels fighting to make money and attract customers in an Airbnb world.

2026-05-20 • via Nuitee
J
Julie • solo_traveller • gb
8
A great port in the storm as I crossed Scotland on foot.
Pros:

Loved the toiletries in the room, mattress wonderful but too heavy of a duvet for me. Humongous TV!

Cons:

Bedding choice was just too heavy for late spring.

2026-05-17 • via Nuitee
A
Alistair • couple • gb
8
Yes it was a good choice in a great location
Pros:

The manager was absolutely brilliant he did everything and more to make our stay enjoyable

Cons:

They could have provided bottled water in the bedroom

2026-05-16 • via Nuitee
S
Steve • solo_traveller • gb
8
2026-05-16 • via Nuitee
H
heather • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Excellent all round

2026-05-15 • via Nuitee
D
David • couple • gb
9
2026-05-14 • via Nuitee
S
Sabine • solo_traveller • be
9
Pros:

Een mooi oud pand met hedendaags comfort. Er is geen lift maar je kan geholpen worden om he bagage naar je kamer te brengen. Voor ons was dat niet nodig maar het is wel een pluspunt. Het personeel is heel vriendelijk en het ontbijt is super. Fijn dat honden ook welkom zijn.

Cons:

Helaas hadden wij bij het nemen van warm water in de douche weinig druk. Niet zo praktisch bij het wassen van lange haren.

2026-05-14 • via Nuitee
G
Gill • couple • gb
9
Pros:

Great location and very helpful staff

2026-05-14 • via Nuitee
M
Mike • couple • gb
1
Rubbish
Pros:

Not a lot no central heating working no hot water for showers only just warm, odd bed mattress worn dirt in shower bathroom sink cracked and a small hole in it. Having no heating meant if you had a shower at night you could not dry your towels on the heated towel rail so had to dry yourself on damp towels the following morning.
Restaurant very poor, small tables that need putting things under the legs to stop it rocking, hot food served on cold plates, the bar had ran out of some beers. At breakfast again hot food on cold plates, condiments like brown sauce in nearly empty bottles with congealed sauce around the kneck where germs can collect.
The one good thing was all the overworked staff were great.
I intend to complain about this and will require a refund of at least 50% of what I paid.
Parts of this place need very closely looking at.
Ihave taken photos of what I intend to complain about

Cons:

See previous replies

2026-05-12 • via Nuitee