About this property

Comfortable Accommodation: The Barrel in Ballater offers family rooms with private bathrooms, walk-in showers, and free WiFi. Each room includes a TV, electric kettle, and carpeted floors. Dining Experience: Guests can enjoy British cuisine at the traditional family-friendly restaurant, serving lunch and dinner with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The bar provides a relaxed atmosphere for evening drinks. Leisure Facilities: The hotel features a sun terrace, outdoor seating area, and live music. Additional amenities include free parking, bicycle parking, and free WiFi throughout the property. Location and Attractions: Located 65 km from Aberdeen Airport, The Barrel is near Balmoral Castle (18 km), CairnGorm National Park (47 km), and other attractions.

Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 9.9 for a two-person trip.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

Property highlights

Perfect for a 3-night stay!

Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.6)

Breakfast info

Full English/Irish

  • FREE parking!


 ! 

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Availability

Prices converted to USD
We have no availability on our site for this property between Wed 1 Oct 2025 and Sat 4 Oct 2025

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1 double bed
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Limited supply in Ballater for your dates: 3 hotels like this are already unavailable on our site

Guest reviews

Categories:

Staff
Facilities
Cleanliness
Comfort
Value for money
Location
Free WiFi

Select topics to read reviews:

Guests who stayed here loved

  • Jo
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Ideally placed in the centre of the village. A nice buzz to the hotel with live music on in the evening. Reasonable food. Comfortable bed
  • David
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Recently refurbished to a very high standard. Although our booking didn’t include any food, we decided to have dinner in the bar. We were served with the best steak pie that either of us has eaten. Furthermore it was served with delicious chips...
  • Karen
    New Zealand New Zealand
    It was comfortable, clean and a wonderful location with free parking. The staff were very friendly.
  • Joanne
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Location was right in centre of Ballater, staff were brilliant, check in was great. Room was really clean, comfy and had everything we needed. We had evening meal here and food was excellent, service was great, staff were really busy but all three...
  • Peter
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Super room, exceeded my expectations. The room was newly decorated and had everything I required.
  • Damian
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Great location in the centre of Ballater. Parking right behind. Lovely friendly and welcoming staff. Good selection of beers at the bar and a great restaurant.
  • Hawkey
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Clean room great staff .Excellent location. Lots of parking space.
  • Christine
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Staff at The Barrel are very helpful and it’s definitely service with a smile. Rooms very clean and comfortable. Good hearty breakfast, lovely lunch and evening meals served. Location is right in the centre of Ballater facing the village green...
  • Debbie
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Very clean and Tidy Room in a beautiful location. The breakfast was exceptional.
  • Brian
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Good clean rooms and comfortable beds Cracking food in the pud and breakfast was good

Hotel surroundings

Restaurants

1 restaurant on site
  • Restaurant #1
    • Cuisine
      British
    • Open for
      Lunch • Dinner
    • Ambiance
      Family friendly • Traditional
    • Dietary options
      Vegetarian • Vegan • Gluten-free

House rules

The Barrel takes special requests - add in the next step!
Check-in
From 15:00 to 22:00
Check-out
From 07:00 to 10:00
Cancellation/ prepayment
Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Please check what conditions may apply to each option when making your selection.
Children and beds

Child policies

Children of any age are welcome.

To see correct prices and occupancy information, please add the number of children in your group and their ages to your search.

Cot and extra bed policies

0 - 2 years
Cot upon request
Free

The number of cots allowed is dependent on the option you choose. Please check your selected option for more information.

There are no extra beds available at this property.

All cots are subject to availability.

No age restriction
There is no age requirement for check-in
Pets
Free!Pets are allowed on request. No extra charges.
Parties
Parties/events are not allowed

The fine print

Need-to-know information for guests at this property

This property will not accommodate hen, stag or similar parties.