East Lodge - Crathes Castle

First time at East Lodge and we were not disappointed.

Very clean, well appointed and a fantastic location for seeing the area - Drum Castle close by, Castle Fraser, Craigevar Castle, Grassic Gibbon Centre etc. And of course, Crathes itself, which is a great place to visit and stay. In a perfect world there'd be a bath not just a shower, the toilet cistern filler needs attention and the fridge is too small to accommodate milk in the door. These are minor niggles though as the lodge is a very comfortable place to spend a week and we'd be happy to do it all again.

A lovely place to stay.

Great surroundings and ideally placed for day trips.

Fantastic place.

Equipment is very good. Cleanliness was very good. The garden is very secure for the dogs and we loved walking around the castle grounds when everyone one had gone home. The only thing that I could complain about is the size of the fridge. It’s a tad small, but with the shops being 5min away it wasn’t too much of a problem. Definitely would stop again. One of the best we have stopped in.

Pretty little cottage.

Very well equipped and clean. Handy being at the entrance to the estate. Beautiful walks on your door step. The gardens were stunning, best I have seen in along while

Lovely house & location.

Decor & furniture great. Beds really comfy - quality of bedding & towels is lovely. Slight downsides: a few niggles and only a landline to ring to report these, should really be able to email or better still WhatsApp. These included the toilet flush needs replacing, shower head doesn't always stay in place, promised recycling list not in kitchen, instructions unclear as where to put bins - hence they were all too full as hadn't been emptied, and the property needs more plates & mugs. (Also - no dishcloth or dishwasher tablets were provided). All quite minor things but should be sorted.

We loved the location of East Lodge with access to beautiful Crathes Castle estate and also so many attractions and countryside in surrounding area.

The cottage has benefitted from recent upgrading so very clean and well equipped. We were particularly impressed with kitchen utensils, supplies of pots and pans etc, although we didn’t do much cooking on this occasion as had found some prepared food at farm shops nearby. It is a historic building, however, so some spaces are compact; bathroom basin is very small; main bedroom is a small double bed so if used to more space it can feel cramped. Would have liked a manual for the washer/drier as didn’t find the drying function very easy to understand. Fridge is another compact one, a large milk will not fit in the door, had to remove a shelf to allow milk to stand upright in main fridge area as when laid on side they leak!

Best quality equipment - I have never seen so much Denby in one place outside the John Lewis kitchen shop!

Wonderful location, Crathes grounds and gardens are beautiful and it's in easy reach of several other NT(Scotland) properties as well as the city of Aberdeen. We had a lovely holiday, but left a day early because the property is just too cold to be comfortable. The central heating is very effective when it is on, but when the heating is off it becomes very cold indeed. I cannot suggest an answer to this problem other than having a minimum setting for the heating to come on. The cold is in the floors and walls. Is it damp?

East Lodge is beautiful and wonderfully equipped.

The furniture and furnishings are comfy and high quality. It is a very old building and this should be taken into account as, even with the radiators blasting heat out, there are many draughts which make the cottage cold, especially at floor and window level. Slippers are a must! The location is superb - the Crathes Castle Estate has great walks and you’re within the hour to Aberdeen, Braemar and Cairngorm mountains. We will come back but in the summer!

Delightful cottage.

Comfortable and great location. One suggestion I would make is to invest in full spectrum light bulbs and/or more lamps as we found it rather dark even on sunny days.

Lovely accommodation with everything you need.

Great for dogs as enclosed garden space and many walks on the doorstep. Cafe on site is dog-friendly with excellent food and dog ice cream. Crathes Castle and garden are well worth a visit or two. Great centre for visiting local attractions with a large Tesco a short drive away should you need any shopping. Only issues were toilet constantly filling (on site staff were aware of this) and Internet booster in bedroom not functioning so no Wi-Fi in that pat of cottage.

The facility is really lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

We've been talking about it to lots of fellow travelers we met - what a wonderful experience! Beautifully appointed with lots of aesthetic and practical touches. So many things to do in the area. Love Aberdeenshire! Thank you again. We'd definitely come again if we have the chance. Put out a guest book so visitors can effuse!

Even though we have stayed in the cottage before it was lovely to renew its acquaintance and see the improved secure garden.

We have booked 2026 so that says it all!

Lovely property, loved the fenced yard for the dogs.

However, when we arrived we found that the windows had been painted shut. Not only does this make the cottage hot and stuffy, but it is a fire hazard, especially for the rear bedroom. Wouldn’t recommend a stay until this issue is addressed.

One of the best places we have stayed,There’s been no expense spared on the furnishings and it is really well equipped,The location is perfect for touring the area and if you’re a Nts member there are a multitude of places to visit.

This is definitely a 10 out 10 place to come and stay.jim & Nancy.

What can we say!

This is the 5th year in a row that we have been to East Lodge and last year I’m afraid we did not give very good feedback - but this year, what a massive improvement! The cottage was wonderful! New furniture in the lounge made a huge difference because it fitted the size of the room, also the lamps are now working, but the biggest improvement is in the bathroom, not only in the new shower but at last there is shelving! Also a surprise when we opened the kitchen cupboard door and found a small freezer there - a very helpful addition. We love Crathes Estate but the icing on the cake is that the cottage has now been brought up to a much better standard and feels far more homely and comfortable - thank you! We will be booking again for next year.

This was our third time staying at the East Lodge.

On each occasion we've seen wonderful improvements (including Wifi - at last!), making this our 'go to' place when visiting Royal Deeside. Very comfy, indeed. The added extras include the scenic walks in the forest and gardens of Crathes Castle and the easy jump across the road to the Dee River and shops at Milton of Crathes. Banchory is a short drive away - lovely restaurants - and for provisions hit the Tesco just up the road. Find your way into Crathes Castle as well and, hopefully, you'll take short drives to Drum and Craigievar Castles. A bit further on are Ballater, Balmoral Castle (don't miss Royal Lochnagar distillery right by it), then to Braemar and the Cairngorms. It's all about the place and where it's placed.

Cottage was a proper home from home.

Well equipped kitchen with high quality appliances /crockery ect. Comfortable bed and cozy living room. Stunning location. The grounds within the castle had plenty walks tho if you are keen on a lie in then be prepared for dog walkers and lots of barking dogs as soon as it’s daylight. Plenty places to visit in the area and lots of choice of eateries in Banchory…

We had a wonderfully comfortable stay at East Lodge over Christmas.

It had everything we needed for a family of 4 and 2 dogs. The enclosed garden is great, if only it extended to the back door. It's a busy spot as it's very popular with locals for walking, cycling and especially dog walkers. The fresh decoration, soft furnishings and kitchen accessories are of a very high standard. We'd definitely recommend a stay here.

East Lodge is a delightful cottage in a wonderful setting and National Trust Scotland have furnished it beautifully and with great taste.

They have recently fenced in an area of the garden which is completely dog proof, even in the dark we were quite happy for our Lab to spend time alone out there. With the beautiful grounds to walk, it was a wonderful place to spend a winter break.

First in after refurbishment so in perfect condition.

Lovely choice of subtle tartan theme to the soft furnishings making the most of this pretty cottage. Lovely welcoming touches - milk in fridge and fresh flowers. Kitchen pans very nice to use! Plenty of hot water and heating worked well. Fabulous location - I'll be back.

Been in many cottages across UK and this one hit all the right notes for us.

Location is everything and with a 5 year old Wowzer who loves woodland walks we were in heaven. Beds comfy and firm, Wi-Fi excellent heating great. Kitchen will be upgraded soon .. not sure why as it was lovely. A Smart TV would have tipped 5 * instead of 4*

We had a lovely stay.

Only 2 nights. The entry instructions could usefully state that the key in the key safe is for the BACK door. The flush mechanism on the toilet needs attention. It keeps filling for ever and needs a sharp press after filling to make it stop.

It is a stunning lodge filled with history and set in a gorgeous part of Scotland.

I cannot recommend the lodge highly enough! The instructions got use and clean up are clear, the lodge is accessible, and it is very family friendly. There are also lovely walks you can take right outside the door. Loved this place and can't wait to return!

I stayed with my family at East lodge for four nights in July 2024 in order to be near my dad who had recently moved into a nearby care home.

It was a great place for a short summer stay. The estate grounds were great for exercising, the kitchen is well-appointed and there is plenty of space inside. It would benefit from some comfy outdoor chairs to enjoy the garden space on a nice day. The only issue we had was that the wi-fi was not working for the whole time we were there. It was reported and we did get a small refund for the inconvenience, but my husband was having to drive to the local Morrisons at 6am to sit in the carpark in order to work - not ideal. It was still not working when we left.

Firstly we have to say that this is the fourth time that we have stayed at the East Lodge because we absolutely love Crathes Estate - However we do find that compared to other properties the Lodge very much lacks the ‘personal’ touch.

The oven was filthy, it would do good to get the oven man in twice a year to give it a thorough clean, the bed linen does not fit the bed in the main bedroom, the bottom sheet is like a single sheet trying to fit over a double bed, there is still nowhere to keep toiletries in the bathroom even though the photographs show a unit and we have mentioned this the last three times - we actually take our own small table with us, the bin situation is beyond understanding with the bins now being down at the road. On the upside the table lamp in the lounge that we have mentioned is broken for the last three years has now been fixed and best of all WiFi has now been connected to the property. The property really is way overpriced to other similar properties in the area and NTS really does have to get their act together as walking into this property it is so obvious that it is an organisation that own it and it is not being checked on a personal level. Crathes Estate is outstanding but the quality of the property for the price charged does not reflect this.

Cottage was very comfortable and was very well equipped.

Not far from Banchory and there was a lot of great walks round castle. Only negatives were rubbish bins outside were overflowing don't think they had been emptied for a while. Also a gate to enclose garden would have been good to keep dogs secure. All in all we enjoyed our stay.

The accommodation was lovely.

Comfortable and clean. I would say that it’s not really suitable for people with young children. The single bedroom is a long way from the main bedroom. You have to go past the front door are, through the lounge up a long hall, before you get there. That side of the house is also draughty and cold. The road up to the Castle that the house is on is busy day and night. Very busy and the cars fly up and down there. We even had lads racing up and down there one night at 11.30 for a good hour. If you had dogs or children, you wouldn’t want to let them go. It is pitch black outside at night. There was a torch provided but could have done with an outside light. Saying that, we had a lovely stay and the area was beautiful, fabulous places to visit and the locals were very friendly. The bins also weren’t collected, so they were all completely full when we got there. We had to take our rubbish to the local tip on several occasions.

The cottage is not really up to the standard that we would have expected for the cost.

We've stayed at other National Trust cottages in Aberdeenshire and Angus which have been much better. We are familiar with living in rural Scotland in the winter having lived in Highland for years. The cottage was cold. There were instructions not to touch the heating dials offering us electric fires as an alternative , which we could not find. The shower had a very slow run off and had clearly not been attended to for a while. The dishwasher filter needed cleaning. The bedside light was faulty. We changed it round for the bedroom we weren't using. The lighting was terrible - in the kitchen with only a central ceiling light, we were always in our own shadows. The sitting room side lights were dim. There was no working outside light at the back door which, given the season, meant that we were juggling torches and keys after about 5 pm and before 7 am. The garden was not private and certainly not secure. The estate road beside which the cottage sits was very busy, so no secure garden meant additional hazards for the dog. The condensation in the cottage was noticeable with very wet windows. This gave the feel of damp which was thoroughly unpleasant. On the plus side, the grounds of Crathes Castle were, of course, quite beautiful and we enjoyed some delightful walks in the grounds. We came up to visit a variety of family and friends and would have left early had it not been for prior arrangements. We think you should readjust your descriptions of this cottage and its surroundings to reflect the reality of the situation. We wonder if anybody from Sykes has actually visited it. Although the national trust cottages are bound to be slightly quirky, charging as much as you do requires the quirks to be charming rather than annoying and likely to spoil the visit. In good faith. Harriet and Donald Mowat.

1.

Trouble gaining access initially as there was no mention that the front door was bolted on the inside! 2. A lingering smell of dogs all week - especially in our front bedroom - ventilation didn't help much 3. As instructed on Sunday we placed the black bin at the perimeter of the property to be collected by your staff and taken to the roadside for collection. Nor collected by your staff - despite two telephoned reminders to them - on Wednesday we moved the bin back as it was being used by opportunistic dog walkers to dispose of dog poo 4. An unnecessary visit by Open Reach to check the FTTP line as the problem is an incorrectly programmed - faulty - or incompatible router In spite of the above matters, we enjoyed our visit

We loved this property and its location is great.

Our daughter loved the castle, grounds and the events that were on. The dog loved the walks around the estate. It is an old, historic property so we understand everything might not be perfect or immaculate but to us it was great. It felt more spacious inside than it looked on the outside.

This was a comfortable lodge in a good situation for touring the area and lovely to be able to walk in the grounds of the Castle at any time.

It would have been good to be told that a free visit to the Castle was included in the cost of the stay at the Lodge. The instructions for the key did not make it clear that the easiest lock to undo was the back door and not the front door after retrieving the key from the box by the front door! The air in the Lodge also felt stale as if windows had not been opened for a while and it took us a time to get a fresher feel to the place. It is a shame that we were not allowed to charge up our hybrid car from the mains. The electricity cost for this would have been minimal. The nearest charging place for us was in Banchory, too far for us to walk back to the Lodge, so consequently we had to use petrol .

The humans and dogs loved this cottage and the walks from the back door and huge garden to play in.

A perfect base to tour Deeside from

The two persons bed is very small.

Is this mentioned on the website?

Excellent stay at Crathes - the location was great for exploring the area - plenty to see.

Lots of walks from the door. Good stay for our dogs too. Weather was chilly and so could have done with a bit more heating.

The cottage was lovely, and well presented.

I think it could benefit with a log fire in the winter as the house has wo many draughts the radiators do struggle during a wet day if decided to stay in and saves money on the booster being put on as heating is on timer. I think the biggest problem is the hot water, again on timer but I never seemed to have any and the shower was next to useless I had a bit of hot to wash hair then it was barely warm, then getting out in a draughty cold bathroom even with heating on was not a great experience and I don't have heating at home so I should be used to this. It is very busy with dog walking but it nice to walk out the door on to many paths on the estate. I wouldn't stay in the winter again buy depending on the price may in summer.

The following are observations, not complaint’s.

1) The front door is very draughty, making the small hallway very cold. The draught proofing is old and unfit for purpose. I would have thought a radiator ought to be fitted after draught proofing carried out, but well understand the upheaval that that would entail.Nevertheless coming in to warmth ought to make for better letting. 2) Heating stopping at 10pm on the coldest time of year, and at Hogmanay where our party stays up to see in the New Year is less than ideal.The sitting room door requires trimming to accommodate it’s new carpeting. 3) The bathroom would benefit from a glass with provision for toothbrushes. The shower doors do not close properly, and the shower itself is tepid - at best. Well appreciate scalding needs to be avoided, but I suggest NT of Scotland looks into this - there is no exaggeration for effect. 3) The bedroom with double bed does not latch, and it would make much more sense were the door swung the other way, opening against the wall ( right hand hung ) thus freeing up the whole room more efficiently. Would involve repositioning the light switch so your client may not want to, but I develop property and negotiating around the chest of drawers in a small room , in the dark, after a toilet visit would be altogether easier, in my opinion. The provision of wooden coat hangers c/w bar would be helpful, not the single type, the better to hang up male/ female trousers. There was one only wire hanger, and we are honest enough not to purloin !!

The cottage was nice and dating back to the mid 1800’s in a typical design.

The main problem with our stay came was on arrival it was very cold; following the instructions for the heating, it appeared to be set for the summer months, which at the beginning of Nov was too frugal. The instructions for arrival showed the lodge to be on the right side of the drive, which is incorrect t, it is situated on the left immediately after the gate; this appears to be a common problem, of which we were informed on asking for directions from the n NTS staff. Overall the position is suitable for access to Aberdeen and travelling east into the Cairngorms National park.

We have had a really lovely holiday at East Lodge for the second year running and I can only say that the improvements made to the property since last year are very apparent.

Everything was very clean and all appliances and the heating were very easy to use. Only two very small things:- the table lamp in the lounge STILL doesn’t work and that is 13 months on from our previous stay - it’s the switch that doesn’t work not the bulb. There is a distinct lack of shelf space in the bathroom and although it shows shelving on the website there isn’t any. We brought a small folding table with us this year as we found it so annoying to have no shelving. That said, these are very minor things and didn’t detract from our stay on this wonderful estate. Crathes has a very special place in our hearts and we are going home to book East Lodge again for next year.

East Lodge is a gorgeous quaint historic property on the Crathes Estate; it was marvellous staying on the estate surrounded by beautiful woods and the amazing castle with its lovely gardens.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week and visited 2 other castles in the area, enjoyed local walks and took the bus to Aberdeen City. On the negative side, when we arrived at the property with lots of food for the week, we were dismayed to find there was no freezer just a tiny icebox which only partially froze the meat & frozen veg we had brought- customers need to be informed about this. Also the shower was partially blocked and water built up quickly in the shower tray, this need to be sorted. There was no information in the cottage about Crathes Castle, we bought a guidebook and left it in the cottage. Also a visitors book in which guests leave their comments on aspects of their holiday would be useful, all NT England properties have them.

It was lovely and where we wanted to be and a bonus that it was in the Crathes Castle grounds.

It was comfortable and quiet and well-placed to get in and out of Aberdeen and to visit all that Deeside has to offer. A few minor negatives: We thought the decor was unnecessily dull, the kitchen especially. A bit of colour maybe? Less dark in the kitchen? We did also notice that the windows were in need of repair externally. The washing machine was too complicated. Internet would be good too. But we had a lovely stay and would heartily recommend it to others! Thank you.

The cottage looks lovely on the outside.

The inside is a disappointment especialLy the bathroom is a sad place. It is very expensive for what you get! And it has NO internet plus phone signal is very poor aswell. I cannot recommend it as there are much mich nicer places in that price range. The only plus is the location with the beautiful woodland walks.

Lovely and historic cottage which has been modernised sympathetically, with brand new carpets and furniture.

Very clean. Location was excellent for us with the kids and dog, we enjoyed the evening and early morning strolls around magnificent and historic grounds, close enough to the city and a lot of holiday attractions. Crathes Castle is well worth a visit, we also went up to the outdoor play park, and Castle visitor centre a few times for refreshments. Would love to come back.

This was a lovely little lodge.

Whilst very expensive for what we got it was a lovely property in a gorgeous location. The lodge is small with only one small shower room. That said my hubby (& our two tiny dogs) found the living room comfy for chilling with our books of an evening. We did notice a few times the toilet didn’t stop running after flushing but a jiggle of the button stopped it. The bed was smaller than we are used to but comfy and so we slept well. I was pleased to find a hairdryer as you don’t always get one in cottages (though it would be nice to know in advance that it’s included to save bringing one). It’s a shame the garden area was not enclosed so we couldn’t let our dogs off lead but it was a lovely spot to sit out and have breakfast - picnic table most welcome for that. The best bit though was the location and the walks through the estate - the dogs loved it and even though we never managed to find our way back to the same path we started on we always found our way back to the lodge

Directions to property where inaccurate and need correction asap.

No information eg drs, dentist, pubs, restaurants, no WiFi patchy 4G so unable to look up details. No recycling bins or instructions to nearby facilities. No welcome note from housekeepers, few tea bags and milk. This is Scotland surely you could manage a pack of shortbread. No dirty linen bags so sheets towels had to be left piled on the floor.

This is a lovely cottage in a beautiful setting at the entrance to Crathes Castle.

We came with our dog and respected the rule about not allowing her on the furniture. The cottage was well equipped with basic items, such as milk, tea and coffee. The garden is not enclosed enough for a dog who likes to explore but it wasn’t a problem. Delightful to see a rabbit family early and late in the day. Great walks into the Crathes grounds after visitors had gone home. We would definitely recommend it!

Had a perfect 3 night stay.

All fixtures and fittings in very good order throughout the property and the perfect place to stay to get away with the dog for a long weekend. Crathe estate walks all around and bus stop into town 50 meters away. We will come back.

Lovely place to stay on the grounds of Crathes Castle.

You can walk in the woods filled pines and towering trees, explore the manicured garden, stroll down to the Dee River, and enjoy marvelous meals at wonderful nearby eateries like The Falls of Feugh Restaurant. Just exquisite. But — no wifi. An unfortunate omission these days. Please update the place with internet access!

Outside of the property very slippy due to moss growing.

Gutters leaking at the door so when raining you got very wet just getting into the cottage. Very cold in the living area, could do with another form of heating. Smelt damp but to be expected as it is an old property. Not an enclosed garden as there is no gate into the back garden and not enclosed area, fenced etc. No scissors, only 4 knives. Carpets look old and tired, sofas uncomfortable, I imagine just aged and support gone. Grounds are lovely, beautiful walks, our comments are a bit negative but with a little work, this could be a beautiful cottage.

Good directions except the property is on the left as you drive through the gate.

Lovely and warm on arrival. Well equipped kitchen with everything we needed. Bit of a damp smell but it is an old property and needs a bit Of general maintenance such as clearing the gutters. The sofas really need replacement as they weren’t very comfy. Excellent base to experience the walks around the estate. The hide is a must for viewing red squirrels and the castle and gardens are lovely.

Whilst we enjoyed our stay in Crathes we have to say that the lodge doesn’t quite look like the photos on the web site which must have been taken some time ago.

It is looking a little tired and needs some TLC - paint flaking off above the window in the sitting room, carpet wrinkled, no cabinet in bathroom as in pics so just the windowsill to put things on. Outside needs a tidy up - window frames need painting, bushes outside lounge window need trimming as you can’t see out, outside light at back door not working etc. As other people have commented, there were no instructions for anything though everything was pretty straightforward. No welcoming touches - just a little welcome note would have been nice. As someone else commented, the directions are wrong - it is first on left, not first on right. Having said that the kitchen was very well-equipped and the lodge was clean and warm.

Lovely place but do need opening windows!

Apart from that excellent thank you

We love Crathes, it is a fabulous location.

We enjoyed staying at The Lodge which was basically comfortable but a few little improvements could be made, such as shelving or a unit in the bathroom (which actually shows in the photographs but isn’t there), there is nowhere but the floor to keep toiletries!! Many of the lights and lamps didn’t work and information on the appliances and heating would be useful although they were all easy enough to work. There was an ironing board but we couldn’t find an iron. Having said that we will definitely be booking to stay at The Lodge again, we had a great holiday there.

Uncomfortable furniture, particularly sofas which are very soft, springs probably gone.

Bathroom very small and nowhere to put anything. Carpets need replacing in lounge. Overpriced for standard.

Beautiful gatehouse cottage in the Crathes castle grounds.

As previous comments there are no instructions on heating and Garden not enclosed .

This was our first experience with a puppy on holiday and it went exceptionally well, just one or two minor niggles.

The garden was great for the dog but was not dog proof. consequently the dog could have run out onto the A93, The property was great and we had a really good break. highly recommend Sykes cottages very efficient at what they do.

This was an excellent holiday for us for several reasons.

The pictures and description of the cottage that Sykes provided proved to very accurately reflect the cottage and castle grounds. We found it cosy, full of atmosphere and looking pretty with all the surrounding spring flowers. Deeside is full of interest, we enjoyed exploring the valley, and took the opportunity to climb Lochnagar mountain, with it's covering of snow. The historic cottage proved to be well configured, and warm and cosy despite the early chilly spring weather. We would recommend that you make heating instructions available. We couldn't find any, but managed to figure the heating out on our first night. Would strongly recommend this cottage to walkers, golfers, families or couples, looking for a relaxing break in glorious surroundings.

Directions to the cottage, which were sent via email, were wrong.

They stated that “The cottage is the first property on your right”. It’s actually the first property on the left.