7 Best Hotels in Aberdeen and the Northeast, Scotland

Contemporary style meets original 19th-century architectural detail within this gracious hotel. The color scheme in the rooms and suites emphasizes muted gray, beige, and cream shades, which marks a welcome change from the omnipresent tartanry in this part of the world. Look out for original artwork by Scottish artist John Byrne in bedrooms and public areas, which include a swank cocktail bar. The on-site IX Restaurant is highly regarded.

Part of a British minichain, this boutique hotel with fabulously comfy rooms and suites---some with terraces from which you can watch the sunset---sets the standard by which all rivals in Aberdeen are judged. Think deep-burgundy-and-purple-velvet throws, softly colored plaids, high-thread-count linens, fluffy robes, stand-alone tubs, rain showers, and luxury toiletries.

This contemporary bed-and-breakfast couldn't be in a more convenient location or have better views. There are standard rooms on the lower level and, upstairs, two larger rooms, one with its own kitchen and balconies overlooking the sea. Each room is individually designed with original artwork and modern furnishings. Huge, healthful breakfasts are served in the Big Moon Coffee House downstairs, which also serves excellent cakes.

This once-abandoned manse (minister's house) looks as if it has always been loved and lived in: huge bedrooms with wooden floors, antique fireplaces, and large beds dressed in Harris tweed throws are married to contemporary bathrooms. Downstairs the peat fire fills the spacious living room with the smell of rural yesterday. Ample breakfasts are served in the old-fashioned dining room, which looks out onto the front garden. Dinner is available with prior notice.

This very-Scottish hotel prides itself on its whisky bar and its friendly welcome. The good-size guest rooms are nothing fancy, but there is a fine standard of upkeep, especially in the bathrooms. The restaurant serves stomach-lining Scottish meals like haggis and steak-and-ale pie. You are sure to gravitate toward the bar, a belt-and-braces affair that stocks 180 malts: the barman will happily talk you through each and every one of them. Between November and February, connoisseurs who spend £50 a night each on whisky (very doable if you stick to high-end, high-priced malts) earn two free nights' accommodation.

Offering a perfect combination of town and country outside the city center, this elegant hotel stands on 11 acres of wooded grounds and combines old and new to impressive effect. Service is equally impressive. The bedrooms are large and softly furnished with huge beds. The restaurant serves expertly prepared local lobster and crab and top-quality Aberdeen Angus beef, and you can choose from more than 400 wines.

Curvy yet sturdy, this former station hotel, now a smart B&B with a popular restaurant, is the social hub of the village. The bedrooms, named after local distilleries, are vivid and fresh, decorated with deep hues and an abundance of snow-white pillows and duvets.