Dog friendly hotel, Balmoral Arms is in a fantastic Aberdeenshire location to explore with your family dog.

Situated on the River Dee in the Cairngorms National Park, the area is great for outdoor activities and exploring with your dog. Whether you take your dog along the Deeside Railway Line or through the woodlands stretching from Aboyne to Banchory, Deeside is packed with forest and riverside dog walks. If you'd like to adventure further, the high Cairn O'Mount viewpoint offers breath-taking views before descending into the lowland Mearns. There are plenty of outdoor spaces, walking routes and castles to explore on your next dog friendly break in Aberdeenshire.

Explore Our Tail Wagger's Guide To Royal Deeside

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Your Dog's Stay

Many of our guestrooms are dog friendly. We can accommodate a maximum of two dogs per room; if you wish to bring more we recommend you call us in order to discuss further options.

In order to clean up the extra dog hairs left behind by your furry friend, we charge an additional £20 per dog, per evening.

Guide and assistance dogs are welcome free of charge and can go anywhere they like.

Enjoy a snack on us with our Wow Dog Beer Bones, made from the spent grain from BrewDog’s Aberdeenshire brewery and other ingredients from the North East. Young pups need not worry, there is no alcohol in the treats and they are also lactose, soy, meat and salt-free.

Doggy Rules – The Bare Bones

We ask that you keep your humans on a lead while in public areas
We have a dedicated dining area for you in The Ghillies Bar when you and your humans get hungry.
Not eating but want to relax? Join us in the Lounge.
If you need a lie-down, we ask that you keep your humans on the furniture and you take prime position by the fires, the comfy rugs or our dog beds.
Keep the barks down.

Exploring Royal Deeside with your dog

Sitting inside the Cairngorms National Park, the area offers a diverse range of dog walking options.

Hiking Couple & Dog near The Deeside Inn

There are many walks by the river and into the local hills as well as longer walks for those that wish to spend a whole day exploring further afield into the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park.

Top Tips:

- Seven Bridges of Ballater Walk, 10.5km
- Craigendarroch Hill, 4km
- Ballater Golf Course Walk, 3.7km

Frequently Asked Questions

What dog friendly activities are there nearby?

Our Ballater accommodation has lots of dog friendly activities nearby. Explore the Queen’s Balmoral Castle & Grounds and find the Balmoral Pyramid, visit the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve and the incredible Burn O’Vat gorge, or just stroll along River Dee and admire all the iconic wildlife the Cairngorms National Park has to offer.

Does your dog-friendly Ballater inn have a supplement charge for bringing a dog? 

Yes, well-behaved pooches are allowed to enjoy a luxury stay in our hotel, but to clean up extra hairs left by your pet, we charge an additional £20 per evening.

Is our dog allowed in every room of the Balmoral Arms? 

Almost, our dog friendly Aberdeenshire inn welcomes your well-behaved dogs in our guest bedrooms, reception area, lounge and grounds of our hotel. All we ask is that you clean up after your dog for the care of all our other hotel guests.

Can I leave our dog on their own in our room?

We would not recommend this, since your dog in an unfamiliar environment, they may behave unpredictably. However, as our hotel’s public spaces are dog friendly you can instead take them with you throughout your stay.

Is your hotel and grounds fully dog proof?

We can not guarantee this. Whilst in our public spaces, including our grounds, we ask you to keep your dog on a leash so that all our hotel guests can enjoy the peace and serenity that our luxury hotel offers.

To find out more about bringing your dog to the Balmoral Arms, please get in touch.

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