News - Leslie Castle Guesthouse

Carol L

Leslie Castle-A must see! Our stay at Leslie Castle was magical! Nicola and John are wonderful hosts! Someone was always available if we needed something and the tour and history of the castle was quite interesting. The food was AMAZING! We hope to be back someday.

LKeane

Wonderful place to stay We found the place to be very charming on arrival we received a warm welcome then off to settle into our room which was large with a very comfortable bed. We roamed the grounds and enjoyed a cider The meals served were very enjoyable concluding with a history of the castle and a tour. Can’t wait to return

MERLION04

Lovely place to stay We absolutely loved our stay here. We stayed for 4 nights, using the castle as our base to visit other castles in the area. The castle is wonderful, it is in a very peaceful location and we loved our spacious room with its twin turrets. We were on the third floor and found the stairs very manageable. We chose to have dinner in the Baronial Hall on our first night and thoroughly enjoyed our meal, tasting haggis for the very first time, we loved it! After dinner, Nicola gave us a talk on the history of the castle & its previous owners followed by a tour. It was very interesting & obvious that both Nicola & John love the castle very much. They are lovely hosts & make you feel very much at home. A lovely place to stay, we wholeheartedly recommend Leslie Castle.

SJTravele_SanJose

The Real Castle Experience - Best Time Ever We spent two nights at Leslie Castle with our family of four, and a friend’s family of four, and loved every ancient stone of the place. We had four rooms in all between adults and kids. There are only six rooms in total. Unlike many castle B&B’s that are a hotel setup inside a castle-exterior, this place delivered the living in a castle feel with huge fireplaces, small narrow doorways, huge stones, and each of the 53 windows was handmade leaded glass. Our son’s room was bordered by two turrets and the turrets have the arrows slits and holes for muskets, which if you have two young boys definitely delivers the goods. The story of the place is that the castle ruins were purchased by an architect who made rebuilding the place to the period his passion project, and it shows. You have to admire this guy’s dedication, because he started with a crumbling exterior with trees growing inside of it, and over the years turned it into something that is true to the period, but with our modern amenities. One of the nice features is a sitting room with fireplace where we drank red wine and played chess, like 15th century dudes. Breakfast was served daily in a breakfast hall, and included some cold items along with scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, and mushrooms with tomatoes. Our dinner was served in an ancient seeming dining hall with a wood burning stove warming the room, and aged paintings surrounding a long wooden table. The food was delicious and a great value. I’m a a vegetarian and they made a veggie moussaka for me. The others had haggis stuffed chicken, and fingerling potatoes. The hosts were knowledgeable and friendly. They helped us round out parts of our itinerary, and suggested a quick hike to a local roman arch. All in all a great place to stay.

Richard P

Amazing Stay Such an amazing visit, rooms are amazing as is the knowledge about the history. Nicola is such a great host, we really our food and guided tour. To have the honour of staying at such an historic site will definitely stay in our memories. Highly recommended as a place to stay, we will definitely be returning.

RogandToni

Family stay at Leslie Castle Very exciting and a privilege to be able to experience living in such an historic building. The atmosphere is certainly there and John and Nicola have managed to maintain the right amount of historical fact to whet the appetite of all age groups. Accommodating hosts and all necessary comforts provided. The bed was great! Food was great, with a taste of Scottish fare added. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and the distance from Aberdeen manageable.

bseldon

A hidden gem! A amazing staycation at the foot of Bennachie we had a brilliant few days being looked after by Nicola and John. The castle is amazing and the introduction to the history, characters and structure a real highlight to kick things off. We felt very at home in the amazing dining hall, withdrawing room and Barons retreat relaxing after meals and playing family games. The kids LOVED the castle experience with little imaginations running wild in the secret nooks and out in the grounds. Rooms are a cozy treat feeling both luxurious but authentic. Best sleep in a long time surrounded by hundred of years old granite and getting to peak out of our own turret! Our family from 5 to 75 highly recommends Leslie Castle!

momomaha

Such a memorable stay! Driving through the Aberdeenshire countryside wondering where we were headed - we shouldn't have worried! Warm hospitality, unique and comfortable rooms, delicious food, and fascinating history awaited us. We absolutely loved our stay and would highly recommend this special place. From the four poster bed, to the regal dining room, to the windows, stairs, garden, and historic touches - not to mention the lovely dinner and breakfast - all made for a highlight of our trip to Scotland. Thank you Nicola and John for your attention to detail and warm welcome!

MASCANALE

Un château en Écosse ! Charmant BB au milieu la campagne Écossaise, pas très loin de Aberdeen. Parfais pour rayonner dans cette région. Excellent accueil de John et Nicole. Évidemment le côté magique de ce séjour c'est le château. Très bien restauré et aménagé, avec de grande chambre. Celle tout en haut comporte des tourelles dans lesquelles vous pouvez voir les oiseaux nicher. Le plus c'est l'option dîner servie sur place dans la salle à manger du château ! Ainsi vous voilà châtelain pour quelques soir. Nous ne sommes restés que 2 nuits, nous aurions bien prolongé notre séjour... Petit plus, il y a un piano à queue dans la salle du petit-déjeuner (qui est copieux et avec d'excellentes produits).

Susanna727

Truly Special On our recent one-month trip to the UK, we stayed in 17 different lodgings--yikes! Leslie Castle was far and away the best of the bunch and a true highlight. You're staying in a true castle--our bathroom even had a turret! John, Nicola and family are truly gracious and the entire experience was awesome. Do yourself and favor and have dinner there, but know that you must bring your own wine/alcohol (they will happily bring you glasses and ice for your cocktails). Wish we had stayed more than one night.

A Tree of Remembrance: A Canadian Family Returns to Leslie Castle After 37 Years

by lesliecastleUncategorized August 30, 2026August 30, 2026One Comment

A Canadian Family Returns to Leslie Castle After 37 Years

“Our Place, Our Purpose”

by lesliecastleHistory of Leslie Castle December 4, 2025December 4, 2025No Comments

A Reflection on Leslie Castle and the Gift of Stewardship. This talk was delivered at the Leslie Chapel of Garioch, Sunday July 6, 2025 as a part of the Leslie Clan Gathering 2025. By Nicola, Baroness of Leslie Good morning, everyone. Today, I want to share a story—not just of stone and timber, but of …

Read more ““Our Place, Our Purpose””

New book tells fascinating story of Leslie Castle restoration and regeneration

by lesliecastleUncategorized May 30, 2025May 30, 2025One Comment

A chance remark from a work colleague led a devoted young Aberdeen couple, architect David Leslie and his wife, Leslie, to buy the ancient ruin of Leslie Castle in north-east Scotland with a view to restoring it to its former glory. It was the beginning of a love story with the castle that took them …

The Buzz About Honeybees

by lesliecastleNorth East Scotland May 1, 2024May 1, 2024No Comments

Leslie Castle has its own bees and honey to sample at breakfast. Honeybees in Scotland Did you know? Honey Making Process Environmental Impact About Stings Role of Beekeepers

Hosting the Leslies

by lesliecastleHistory of Leslie Castle May 26, 2023May 26, 2023One Comment

At Leslie Castle you’ll never feel like you’ve entered a sterile or anonymous place to stay – instead you’ll receive a warm personal welcome by Nicola and John, Baron of Leslie. Every Scottish B&B and Guesthouse is special, and each host has their own unique story to tell, this is ours. We provide accommodation within …

Visitor Attractions near Leslie Castle

by lesliecastleNorth East Scotland March 16, 2023March 16, 2023No Comments

Castles and Gardens Museums Whisky Local attractions Leslie Clan specific places of interest

Alcohol Licence Approval for Leslie Castle

by lesliecastleEating at Leslie Castle December 22, 2022December 22, 2022No Comments

Aberdeenshire-based Leslie Castle is a traditional baronial castle fully restored from a ruinous state in the 1980s. It operated as a licenced hotel from 1989 to 1997 and was re-opened as a guesthouse with tourist accommodation in 2018 by John Andrea, Baron of Leslie, and Nicola Teal. Leslie Castle near Auchleven, provides guests with a …

COVID-19

by lesliecastleUncategorized March 15, 2020March 23, 2020No Comments

UPDATE 22nd March 2020: We are cancelling the few remaining bookings in March and April (ie the next 6 weeks). We will review the situation day by day and let customers know if that changes. Our cancellation policy is very flexible if you are concerned about travelling please contact us directly. To all our valued …

Digital training boosted bookings at Leslie Castle

by lesliecastleUncategorized September 4, 2019September 4, 2019No Comments

Here is the text of the media release issued by BIG Partnership on behalf of Business Gateway. August 2019. We are very happy with the support Digital Boost via Business Gateway has provided us in starting up this venture. Digital training boosts web bookings for Aberdeenshire B&B Aberdeenshire-based bed and breakfast Leslie Castle has seen …

The Man Who Saved Leslie Castle

by lesliecastleHistory of Leslie Castle, North East Scotland May 29, 2019May 29, 20196 Comments

The man who saved Leslie Castle did not wield a sword, or strike with a battle axe. He did not command an army to defend the Leslie lands with. He was an architect, a practical hard working man who thought the castle was worth saving for future generations. Having visited Leslie with his father years …