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Craig Alvah Lodge
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About
4.5
#2 of 2 lodges in BanffLocation
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Be a Laird for the week in our Salmon fishing estates main home. 6-bedrooms, 5 ensuites. Large heated indoor swimming pool. The ultimate in luxury self catering accommodation. Craig Alvah Lodge offers 520m2 of 5-star accommodation with its own 10x4m heated swimming pool.Nestled into 3-acres of gardens, the Lodge sleeps 14 people with 6-bedrooms and 5-ensuites. Craig Alvah Lodge sets the standard, appointed with stunning Poggen Pohl kitchen, villeroy and boch and Lauren allessi bathroom fittings.Floor to ceiling windows in the kitchen bring the outside in. We left no stone unturned in our quest to create luxurious self catering holiday accommodation. It sits in a unique location above the Bridge of Alvah and the famous gorge of the River Deveron. The property is secluded and remote yet only 2 miles from Banff on Scotlands stunning Moray Firth coastline.. It’s surrounded by beautiful woodland and countryside as far as the eye can see. Full sky package,pool table,table tennis
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Pool
Indoor pool
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Room features
Kitchenette
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Trendy
Location
Bridge of Alvah, Banff AB45 3TD Scotland
Getting there
Dyce Airport
32.6 mi•
See all flights
Car Hire
43 Restaurants
within 5 miles
51Reviews12Q+A4Room tips
ReviewsWe perform checks on reviews.Tripadvisor’s approach to reviewsBefore posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
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Detailed Reviews
We stayed for 3 nights in Craig Alvah Lodge.
We enjoyed our holiday in this cottage. It's really spacious, clean and fully equipped.
The cottage is great and has numerous positive points. The rooms are big and clan. beds are good and comfy. The kitchen is great and equipped etc...There are only a few things that could be better:
- Light in the swimming pool is not enough in the evenings, particularly for kids. Also, the swimming pool does not have a shower but you can use the room's shower if you should not stay in the downstairs room (6th room).
- WIFI is not great but considering its location it's OK
We enjoyed our holiday in this cottage. It's really spacious, clean and fully equipped.
The cottage is great and has numerous positive points. The rooms are big and clan. beds are good and comfy. The kitchen is great and equipped etc...There are only a few things that could be better:
- Light in the swimming pool is not enough in the evenings, particularly for kids. Also, the swimming pool does not have a shower but you can use the room's shower if you should not stay in the downstairs room (6th room).
- WIFI is not great but considering its location it's OK
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Date of stay: October 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just back from an amazing stay at Craig Alvah Lodge. Lovely modern lodge with excellent facilities, including a very good pool, large enough for 8 adults to play water polo! Great games room with pool table and table tennis, and comfy big couches to sit back and enjoy the log fire burner. No need to bring anything for the kitchen as it has everything, if not more, you would have in your own kitchen. Lovely grounds with plenty of comfortable outdoor furniture. Great family holiday, highly recommend. Will defenitely go back again.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had the good fortune of staying in Craig Cottage with Elaine last week in April 2021. I genuinely could not praise this accommodation highly enough. It was immaculate on arrival, superbly equipped, spacious, warm, quality beds and beautifully furnished. The grounds are extensive and magical with an incredible variety of wild life. The river is a short walk through the gates at the bottom of the garden and offers the best trout fishing I have experienced anywhere in Scotland. The owners are helpful with advice and information but totally discreet. Jim the Ghillie also helped with advice when approached and is a font of knowledge and a lovely man. We would jump at the opportunity to return to this magical and tranquil haven. Many thanks! John and Elaine
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Date of stay: April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had a Friday - Monday break with 14 friends in lodge and 6 in cottage, what an ideal spot for a weekend break lovely woodland walks, and not far from Banff couldn’t have faulted the weather either….
Craig Alvah Lodge is huge but unfortunately getting a bit worn and tired looking causing a few let downs that spoiled our weekend…
Before I start this review, I wld like u all to know I contacted the owners to advise them of the issues we had unfortunately they failed to reply so tht it only fair I let u know what ur going to.
On arrival was really disappointed that the garden was in such a mess , chairs randomly scattered around and very dirty, had to place the guard on the trampoline for safety incase the little one we had with us got her foot caught…the bbq was another matter when we lifted the lid the grill was Absolutly disgusting, god knows when it was last cleaned, and no outside lights that worked….
The Kitchen…..
umpteen dirty cups in cupboard and glasses had to be washed before we started, the kitchen utensils for cooking also had to be washed, the frying pans were sticking together, the small one that we tht might be good for frying eggs in was long past it’s sell by date the black enamel was peeling from the bottom the toastie machine had to be cleaned before using, made sure it was cleaned before we left….the blinds we didn’t touch in the kitchen and not very nice to look at, they were quite dirty….
The bathrooms in bedrooms were very nice but so disappointing also, no shelf for placing things on had to use everything from my bag as needed….nothing to put your soap in when in shower, nowhere for toilet roll to go just had to sit on cistern….the shower n the room with 3 single beds was useless it leaked through the hose the overhead shower seemed blocked in parts, and the detachable shower head only worked the first day the shower walls in every room were dirty….the toilet for all to use had a urinal that was blocked, reported it and was told just not to use it (the kids before may have stuck something in it)
Some of the lights throughout the house didn’t work…..and confusing how to work…
Oh and of course the resident bat in the swimming pool area, we eventually caught it and put it out…
This not a cheep weekend break and expected more than what we got….
Just not being looked after properly and such a shame….
Craig Alvah Lodge is huge but unfortunately getting a bit worn and tired looking causing a few let downs that spoiled our weekend…
Before I start this review, I wld like u all to know I contacted the owners to advise them of the issues we had unfortunately they failed to reply so tht it only fair I let u know what ur going to.
On arrival was really disappointed that the garden was in such a mess , chairs randomly scattered around and very dirty, had to place the guard on the trampoline for safety incase the little one we had with us got her foot caught…the bbq was another matter when we lifted the lid the grill was Absolutly disgusting, god knows when it was last cleaned, and no outside lights that worked….
The Kitchen…..
umpteen dirty cups in cupboard and glasses had to be washed before we started, the kitchen utensils for cooking also had to be washed, the frying pans were sticking together, the small one that we tht might be good for frying eggs in was long past it’s sell by date the black enamel was peeling from the bottom the toastie machine had to be cleaned before using, made sure it was cleaned before we left….the blinds we didn’t touch in the kitchen and not very nice to look at, they were quite dirty….
The bathrooms in bedrooms were very nice but so disappointing also, no shelf for placing things on had to use everything from my bag as needed….nothing to put your soap in when in shower, nowhere for toilet roll to go just had to sit on cistern….the shower n the room with 3 single beds was useless it leaked through the hose the overhead shower seemed blocked in parts, and the detachable shower head only worked the first day the shower walls in every room were dirty….the toilet for all to use had a urinal that was blocked, reported it and was told just not to use it (the kids before may have stuck something in it)
Some of the lights throughout the house didn’t work…..and confusing how to work…
Oh and of course the resident bat in the swimming pool area, we eventually caught it and put it out…
This not a cheep weekend break and expected more than what we got….
Just not being looked after properly and such a shame….
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is our second time at this fabulous lodge, this time with 3 other sets of relatives. They were all blown away with how spacious and beautiful the lodge is, and we were still so impressed even the second time around. Craig Alvah has everything you could possibly need for a fabulous break, large living spaces, games and TV room, fully equipped kitchen, large laundry (very handy!), huge garden with large play set and in-ground trampoline … and of course the pool! The pool is so warm and a great size for proper lengths or proper fun! We would all highly recommend Craig Alvah - infact, we’ve just booked another long weekend there for next year too! Whoop!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Alan Bruce, Owner at Craig Alvah Lodge
Responded 7 Sept 2023
Hi Debbie.Thank you for staying with us and taking the time to write a honest review. Delighted you enjoyed your second stay and will see you next October when you return
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I was very disappointed from my recent stay. The place is beautiful and in a lovely area, however I was disappointed in the finish of things eg. A few bedroom tvs did not have any channels, cables sticking out walls in some rooms, spiderwebs on Windows, damp patches in some bathrooms and we even found half a pancake and jam in the garden (we didn't have any pancakes or jam!!) I really did love my weekend there but it is advertised as 5 star and personally I feel it does not meet this standard.
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Date of stay: September 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited the Lodge in October 2011 - a family celebration.
I have just been reading the review of Karen, Aberdeen - January 2012 and was Interested to notice that a number of points that she noted in her cons, were the same problems we had, and had not been rectified, although they were pointed out to the owner at the time of our visit . namely kitchen tap broken, fridge freezer broken, no small knife for cutting, lights far too complicated, electric gars did not work, and swimming pool too cold.
On leaving we were asked to strip the beds -which we normally do not have to do - master bedroom downie was stained, and the pillow in one of the twin rooms was stained with blood - decided not to look at any others!!- also no chairs in any of the bedrooms.
I have just been reading the review of Karen, Aberdeen - January 2012 and was Interested to notice that a number of points that she noted in her cons, were the same problems we had, and had not been rectified, although they were pointed out to the owner at the time of our visit . namely kitchen tap broken, fridge freezer broken, no small knife for cutting, lights far too complicated, electric gars did not work, and swimming pool too cold.
On leaving we were asked to strip the beds -which we normally do not have to do - master bedroom downie was stained, and the pillow in one of the twin rooms was stained with blood - decided not to look at any others!!- also no chairs in any of the bedrooms.
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Date of stay: October 2011Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a lovely property with lots of space and facilities. I am just back from a girls weekend and I was very disappointed with some of maintenance issues such as a dirty bar be que, cigarette ends out in the garden and other minor issues. My chief concern was that from the day we went in we had a blocked sink which meant that the dishwasher was not working. There was an attempt to fix it which was unsuccessful by the proprietors. We were told they could not get a plumber at the weekend and left us to it. This was meant to be 5 star break which we had all looked forward to for some time. Very disappointing and we were not offered any financial recompence for our inconvienience in having to wash all dishes and deal with the blocked sink
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Date of stay: October 2015Trip type: Travelled with friends
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Responded 13 Oct 2015
Thank you for staying with us and for taking the time to write a review. I am bitterly disappointed that the dishwasher issue marred your enjoyement our wonderful property. As explained in the email between us , a new dishwasher was installed on Friday afternoon within 3 hours of finding out that the one in the Lodge was broken.When I went to the Lodge Saturday afternoon I was told that the new dishwasher was not draining.iI tried to get a plumber numerous times but unfortunately on Saturday afternoons and Sunday they weren't taking calls as they sometimes do.it turned out that the pump in the new one was broken and the supplier replace it immediately once the fault was diagnosed. The sink was not blocked but draining very slightly slower than it normally would and had nothing to do with the dishwasher not working. Unfortunately as in all households appliance break from time to time and it's not always possible to get work men or a replacement on the same day which is frustrating for myself as a self caterer and even more frustrating for the guests who have the faulty appliance.its simply not possible to keep doubles of everything as backup as I'm sure is understandable. The bbq issue was unacceptable but cleaned by myself immediately upon being notified. We take great pride in keeping the Lodge in great condition for our guests as all the good feedback and repeat custom suggest on the whole we get it spot on. I can only but apologise if a few minor thing dampened your weekend and hope that in future we can maintain our very high standards.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We booked this beautiful property for 15 of us for a stag weekend. We searched luxury accomadation and picked Craig alvah purely for the hottub and swimming pool. Everything in the property is of the highest quality and the setting is tranquil and beautiful. As there were 15 of us we also had the cottage that is also on the same grounds. I can't rate the place highly enough. The games available in house such as table tennis, pool table and Xbox were perfect for relaxing after a few heavy nights and we also enjoyed watching football on large screens on sky. We were amazed by how well the kitchen was stocked with utensils etc as there were 6 of the group that are chefs. We also went to the activity centre at lochte which was about 45mins away and that was also excellent and very geared up for large groups. I wouldn't hesitate to book here again.
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Date of stay: January 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A group of 18 adults and 7 kids stayed at the Craig Alvah Lodge/Cottage for New Year 2011. We all had a great time and kids loved staying especially with the swimming pool and the outdoor play-area to keep them entertained!!!
The house is absolutely stunning and comfortably housed all of us. The fixtures and fitting are to an extremely high standard and no expense was spared when built however, the overall finish is now looking very tired in areas and some of the equipment was unusable. This could be easily resolved with some remedial work / maintenance and attention to detail by the owners.
Con's THE LODGE
• Hot Water did not last long enough to allow everyone in the House to have a hot shower even though we never used the Jacuzzi bath
• Lack of suitable pots/pans/blender/sharp knifes & suitable wine glasses etc
• American fridge freezer with water and ice machine in the Utility Room broken - limiting us to only the fridge's and the tiny freezer in the Kitchen
• Outdoor electric toys not working although these were mentioned in the website
• Kitchen tap was temperamental - lever kept falling off
• One of the beds had some parts missing, which meant some of the mattress slats did not work properly which resulted in the mattress dropping through the frame. The fault was highlighted to the owner but the situation was not improved.
• Some room’s bedside lights was broken and bathroom mirror light damaged although still working.
• The sofas in the kitchen living areas were heavily stained and had several rips exposing the filling.
• The roller for the swimming pool cover was broken which meant the covers had to be manually retracted and stored.
• The light switches were difficult to operate, even with the hand-written instructions.
• The heated swimming pool was not very warm, too cold for our 9 month old baby.
• There was only 1 table tennis racket that had rubber on both sides.
• There was on l cue for the pool table but it did not have a tip and there were 2 balls missing.
• Room downstairs - It would have been safer if this could have been locked to ensure no kids opened this but the key had gone missing.
• I don’t think the stipulation to vacuum the carpets and wash the kitchen floor prior to leaving is in line with unadulterated luxury 5 star accommodation, we have certainly never ever had this before at any rating or type of accommodation before!!!
Pros The Cottage
• High quality decor and furniture
• Great sized/quality kitchen
• Quality bathrooms
• fully working fire with plenty of wood available
• Great sized rooms and storage
• Great sky package/wifi
• Very comfortable beds and bedding
• Good quality towels
• Fully stocked Kitchen
Cons The Cottage
• Took about a day to warm up but thereafter it stayed very cosy
• Lamp in one of the upstairs bedrooms didn't work.
• The blind in our bedroom had to be rolled up by hand
To ensure the lodge/cottage continue to be classed as unadulterated 5 star all that was needed was a little more attention to detail prior to each visitors arrival, having said all this we did however all still have a fabulous time and would recommend this to anyone wanting to stay here as we would certainly stay again.
The house is absolutely stunning and comfortably housed all of us. The fixtures and fitting are to an extremely high standard and no expense was spared when built however, the overall finish is now looking very tired in areas and some of the equipment was unusable. This could be easily resolved with some remedial work / maintenance and attention to detail by the owners.
Con's THE LODGE
• Hot Water did not last long enough to allow everyone in the House to have a hot shower even though we never used the Jacuzzi bath
• Lack of suitable pots/pans/blender/sharp knifes & suitable wine glasses etc
• American fridge freezer with water and ice machine in the Utility Room broken - limiting us to only the fridge's and the tiny freezer in the Kitchen
• Outdoor electric toys not working although these were mentioned in the website
• Kitchen tap was temperamental - lever kept falling off
• One of the beds had some parts missing, which meant some of the mattress slats did not work properly which resulted in the mattress dropping through the frame. The fault was highlighted to the owner but the situation was not improved.
• Some room’s bedside lights was broken and bathroom mirror light damaged although still working.
• The sofas in the kitchen living areas were heavily stained and had several rips exposing the filling.
• The roller for the swimming pool cover was broken which meant the covers had to be manually retracted and stored.
• The light switches were difficult to operate, even with the hand-written instructions.
• The heated swimming pool was not very warm, too cold for our 9 month old baby.
• There was only 1 table tennis racket that had rubber on both sides.
• There was on l cue for the pool table but it did not have a tip and there were 2 balls missing.
• Room downstairs - It would have been safer if this could have been locked to ensure no kids opened this but the key had gone missing.
• I don’t think the stipulation to vacuum the carpets and wash the kitchen floor prior to leaving is in line with unadulterated luxury 5 star accommodation, we have certainly never ever had this before at any rating or type of accommodation before!!!
Pros The Cottage
• High quality decor and furniture
• Great sized/quality kitchen
• Quality bathrooms
• fully working fire with plenty of wood available
• Great sized rooms and storage
• Great sky package/wifi
• Very comfortable beds and bedding
• Good quality towels
• Fully stocked Kitchen
Cons The Cottage
• Took about a day to warm up but thereafter it stayed very cosy
• Lamp in one of the upstairs bedrooms didn't work.
• The blind in our bedroom had to be rolled up by hand
To ensure the lodge/cottage continue to be classed as unadulterated 5 star all that was needed was a little more attention to detail prior to each visitors arrival, having said all this we did however all still have a fabulous time and would recommend this to anyone wanting to stay here as we would certainly stay again.
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Date of stay: December 2011Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes.but we ask you bring your own bedding for the cot.
We also have 2 high chairs
There are 2 high chairs, no need for a stair gate.The only stair has a lockable door going to it.
Alan
It has Sonos playing through ceiling speakers in the kitchen area and a hifi that you can connect your phone to.
I always recommend bringing your own speaker
Bring your own.there is a built in Miele coffee machine so bring some ground coffee with you.makes a excellent cup of coffee
"Back of the lodge, overlooking the garden and the countryside in the distance (looking approx. south)."Read full review
"The master bedroom has the hot tub but no door to the bathroom, the downstairs basement room has no bathroom and the patio doors do not open."Read full review
PRICE RANGE
£553 - £638 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
craig alvah hotel banff
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandAberdeenshireBanff
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Craig Alvah Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Craig Alvah Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Macduff Marine Aquarium (2.9 miles), Duff House (1.5 miles), and Market Arms (1.9 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Craig Alvah Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an indoor pool, free wifi, and free parking.
What are some restaurants close to Craig Alvah Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include Seafield Arms, Indian Garden, and Annies cakery.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Craig Alvah Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to an indoor pool during their stay.
Are there any historical sites close to Craig Alvah Lodge?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Duff House (1.5 miles).