The Knowes Hotel & Restaurant0

Fantastic hotel ! Overall, the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in ! Staff are very friendly, polite and professional and really make your stay one to remember. The location is perfect ! In the middle of picturesque Macduff with amazing views to relax to. Food is excellent and very reasonably priced. Rooms are spotless, as was the hotel, and very comfortable. Will definitely be visiting here again and would highly recommend staying here to anyone.

Breakfast: excellent and friendly service (as it was for all our meals). There could have been a wider variety of breakfast cereals (muesli, nuts, seeds) for those who don’t want a cooked breakfast. Enjoyed the evening meals (wide choice of starters and mains) but as we were staying during the peak berry season fresh fruit would be a healthy alternative to the delicious looking creamy sweets. Nice bedroom with very comfy bed and superb view.

Shower/wc area very small but smart and clean. Everything else was excellent.

Excellent staff, a lot of effort has gone into upgrades, so bathrooms communal areas really nice.

Sadly when we were there they are having major building works done, which started at 7.00am one morning. After a conversation with the receptionist, they are now starting at 8.30am. Was told these works will continue for a couple of months, we were there in late May 2023. Didn't majorly ruin the stay but was a bit of a shock having road type drills going off at that time!!!

The hotel is very welcoming,comfortable and clean. Plenty free parking spaces. A good powerful shower, (very important to me).

The breakfast spoiled an otherwise great experience. I always enjoy copious amounts of tea at breakfast but tea is served in a cup with the teabag still in, we have never experienced this before. Also, toast is served as one slice of toast per person on a cold plate. I ordered sausage bacon, black pudding and egg, the produce was very tasty and good but just one of each item. If tea was served in a pot along with a pot of hot, top up water and several slices of toast on a toast rack it would make so much of a difference. We did ask the waitress for extra tea,coffee and toast which she duly served but she had other guests to serve so there were long waits. These frustrating points could be very easily remedied at no great cost and would make a stay at the Knowes perfect.

Great staff! Extraordinary friendly and welcoming. Fantastic menu and outstandingly good food. Great view from my room. Very clean room and very comfortable bed.

Radiator regulation was a little difficult to adjust. Sometimes it was too warm, sometimes too cold. A little fridge in the room would have been nice. But besides that everything was great.

Breakfast very good . Nobody on desk when trying to check out so just left key on desk. Had to go out when we arrived as there was a lady’s day on . We drove to villages close by as we could hear the party from our room

Staff on desk in the morning and being forewarned of the party . When we came back from our drive we stopped for a couple of drinks but it felt like we were intruding on the people eating.

Quiet location, stunning sea views, best scampi and haddock EVER (and we’ve tried many) friendly staff (especially the one that has never seen a dolphin in 14 years, but all were good). Would definitely return.

McDuff itself is pretty quiet, but if you enjoy wee walks on steep hills, stunning views and interesting harbours, it is good.

View from the front rooms across the bay is good. The decor was relatively new and the bed comfortable. If the weather is good there is a seating area outside where you can have a drink or even a meal with a very good view. The restaurant has a wide menu and was not expensive.

Rooms 7 and 8 are at the very top of the hotel which can only be access via a narrow staircase. This is not suitable for the elderly. Those rooms also have sloping ceilings so not good for tall people. The shower rooms have been modernised but are very small.

Ambience, views and food in the restaurant were exceptional. Very good staff so great job Wayne and the Team!

Everything was very comfortable with great views over the bay. The bedrooms were very clean and comfortable but the furniture was just a little bit tired looking. Plans are in hand for new bedrooms.

The staff were friendly and helpful. The room was clean and comfortable. The bathroom was also clean and the shower was very good. The food in the restaurant was excellent if slightly pricey.

There was no hotel reception area - this function was dealt with at the bar in the restaurant which was disconcerting if you arrived at a mealtime. Sometimes difficult to get a parking space, especially in the evening.