Aberdeenshire boutique hotel Kildrummy Inn has been crowned Best Hotel Experience at the 2025 Aberdeen City and Shire Thistle Awards – the second consecutive year the family-run venue has taken its region’s top hospitality prize.
Owned and run by husband-and-wife team David and Sophie Littlewood, aided by their children George and Evie in their time away from school and college, the four-bedroom inn is said to blend ‘Aberdeenshire tradition with modern luxury’.
As well as those four individually styled bedrooms, there’s a whisky snug, cosy bar, and private dining room, and an award-winning restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide.
The Inn was a triple Thistle Award finalist this year, on the shortlist for Climate Action, Best Eating Experience and Best Hotel Experience.
David Littlewood said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win Best Hotel Experience for the second year running.
“To receive this recognition once was incredible, but to achieve it again back-to-back is really special. It shows that our commitment to high standards and warm, personal service is consistent — and it’s a huge honour for our whole team, many of whom live within just a few miles of Kildrummy.
“This award recognises the passion, dedication and care that goes into every detail – from the food on the plate to the welcome at the door.”
Kildrummy Inn styles itself as a ‘showcase of Donside’s food, culture and hospitality’.
Venison is sourced directly from Kildrummy Estate, vegetables and herbs from a Huntly allotment and the inn’s own gardens, while local butchers, cheesemakers and dairies supply much of the menu.
Even the bar was hand-crafted from upcycled church pews by a local carpenter, with wood panelling and fittings created by Aberdeenshire artisans.
The inn is also committed to responsible tourism, with a 35% reduction in food waste in the past year, a switch to fully electric cooking, and a move away from single-use plastics. Heating is powered largely by wood-burning stoves fuelled with windblown logs from the estate.
The inn is also known for investing in the next generation of local hospitality talent, with both kitchen and front-of-house apprenticeships in place for young people from rural Donside.
Looking ahead, the Littlewood’s have secured planning permission to convert a traditional steading into five new suites, including fully accessible accommodation with adjoining carers’ facilities.
A new farm shop and artisan courtyard market are also planned.
David added: “Kildrummy Inn is very much part of the community. From sponsoring the Lonach Gathering to supporting local charities and working with neighbours on conservation of the River Don, we’re proud to play our part in Donside life.
