Planning a trip to the Braemar Highland Games in September 2025 and already there doesn't seem to be any hotel/vrbo availability. My husband and I went a few years ago and stayed at the Fife Arms but their prices have skyrocketed out of my reach. Any suggestions?

Planning a trip to the Braemar Highland Games in September 2025 and already there doesn't seem to be any hotel/vrbo availability. My husband and I went a few years ago and stayed at the Fife Arms but their prices have skyrocketed out of my reach. Any suggestions?

CarolynAnn is offline Report Post

The Fife Arms has become one of the most popular / well known hotels in all of Scotland. No wonder their rates have risen a lot.

Many people book hotels for the Braemar Games year on year so I would assume anything near the village will be booked up or eye wateringly expensive. You will need to preferably search eastwards along Deeside (Ballater, Aboyne, Banchory, etc - or perhaps south to around Blairgowrie. if you can't find anything then north/northeast (Granrown-on-Spey, Tomintoul, Boat-of-Garten, Aviemore, etc) which will be longer drives.

Your two threads have been merged

Thank you! I wasn't sure which direction to look from Braemar. I'm sure the traffic will be a nightmare on Saturday morning so being on the best road would really help.
When my husband and I went to the games in 2009, it was just wonderufl and one of my best travel memories ever.

Have you looked at Dalmunzie Castle Hotel in Glenshee?

We don't know the OP's budget - for the Fri night (5 Sept) cheapest room is £367 and the Sat of the Gathering (6 Sept) its £320+ / night (actually I'm surprised they aren't higher). If that is workable -- highly recommended. If the Fife Arms had availability - which they don't - it would run more than twice as much

There will be cheaper properties 20 miles farther south in Blairgowrie. For instance the Angus Hotel will be less than half the Dalmunzie Castle's rates.

But yes - if approx £700 for the two nights works, then jump on Dalmunzie - as of this morning they had availability.

Horrendous! Though so many nice hotels that used to be affordable or at least not too bad as a treat, have gone astronomical.We've stayed at Dalmunzie often, a gem.
The Games of course must add a huge extra layer to prices.

The Fife Arms is astronomical all year round now.Quite a place.

Thanks guys for the great suggestions. I found a room at the Hilton Craigendarroch Suites Scotland, Braemar Rd, Ballater. From Google maps, it looks close enough to Braemar to drive over Saturday morning. The price wasn't bad (or at least better than the Fife Arms) - £330.00 for a flexible reservation that can be cancelled up to 15 days prior. I made the reservation - but will look at the suggestions you made to be sure that's the best place.

I looked at the Dalmunzie Castle Hotel. It looks wonderful! Unfortunately, they require payment at time of booking and do not allow cancellations.

Good you've got somewhere! Never stayed there but it looks really nice and Ballater is a lovely village.About a 30 min drive normally, 17 miles or so, though that route will be very busy on Gathering day and will take much longer.I'm sure they can advise locally.

I'm surprised they had availability. You will LOVE Craigendarroch! The location is good being 15 miles due east of Braemar and less than a mile outside of Ballater -- I've stayed there twice (for a week each time in the lodges - not in the main hotel bldg) The lodges are quite posh with in-unit saunas, crystal stemware, huge bathrooms, etc etc. I would imagine the hotel suites are as nice or nicer.