Nebulous Chicken (5 December 2007)

My husband and I were there again in mid November, but this time we booked a room for the night too. The food there is simply wonderful, a touch old-fashioned and completely joyous for it. Local produce features highly and the puddings are homemade, unlike some other chain hotels in the area. We had duck and fish but hey, I've never been less than delighted with the combinations of flavour and texture coming from the kitchen. So I can't recommend one thing over another. The dining room is large yet cosy with ambient lighting and an open fire. The night we dined, we were entertained by a highly commendable jazz band. After dinner we retired to the elegant bar for port and peppermint tea. It is at that point we normally rue the fact we have to leave, but not this time.

A super-king bed with the smoothest linen awaited and we slept to the gentle hooting of the owls. Breakfast was another wonderful occasion, one full Scottish and a smoked haddock with poached egg later and we really did have to return home, just about six miles to our children. The staff there clearly enjoyed working in such gorgeous surroundings, and are polite, efficient and completely on the ball; again that’s something I cannot say for the chain hotels and most restaurants in Aberdeen city. On second thoughts, perhaps I should give a bad review to Raemoir House Hotel as it would be awful to over-popularise that gem of a place. And I really want to keep it all for me.