Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Scone Spy: An unforgettable experience at Pittodrie House Hotel

Pittodrie House Hotel's scone (Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)
Pittodrie House Hotel's scone (Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)

MY chums and I are on a mission – to find a Scone Spy experience so special we’ll never forget it.

There are many great little cafes and coffee shops in the Aberdeen area and we are spoiled for choice. But we’re in a wild mood and have decided to don our best togs and go for something a little more highfalutin.

Cue Macdonald Pittodrie House Hotel at Chapel of Garioch, about 20 miles north of Aberdeen. It lays claim to being one of the finest four star hotels in the area.

We know we’re in for a treat the moment we hit the drive. It’s long and tree-lined – a dead giveaway.

Sure enough, at the top of the drive we’re greeted by a spectacular scene. It’s as lovely as a freshly-baked scone just out of the oven.

(Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)
(Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)

The house is set in a 2,400-acre estate and boasts green, rolling lawns punctuated by monkey-puzzle trees, with majestic Bennachie – the region’s landmark hill – a striking backdrop.

We’re busy oohing and aahing when the staff swiftly show us to the super-luxurious drawing room.

Oh, how we are spoiled! Russet-coloured walls and drapes, period furniture and a roaring log fire add to the list of things impressing us.

Our little group – pinkies at the ready – are thrilled to be taking tea in grand old Downton style and an old hippy chick in our bunch is chuffed to have a choice of green, camomile, or raspberry.

But it’s the food that really has us excited.

Pittodrie House Hotel's scone (Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)
Pittodrie House Hotel’s scone (Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)

Everything is beautifully presented with a neat little sandwich selection that includes a smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber combo, as well as ham and mustard, egg and mayo and cheese and pickle. All very posh. They come in both wholemeal and white slices, so please everyone.

And the cakes are to die for. Cupcakes, coconut sponge cake, and cheesecake – delicious with a capital D.

We save the best till last.

The scones may be plain but, like the cakes, they are baked fresh in-house daily and do not disappoint.

Light and moist and unbelievably moreish, served with cream and jam, they are, without question, sticky-finger-licking-good!

(Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)
(Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)

Afternoon tea “Downton-style” costs an affordable £18 per head. For a £6 supplement “one” can add a glass of Prosecco or better still, upgrade to a champagne afternoon tea with a lovely bottle of bubbly for £28 per head.

With tea voted a total success, we are already planning to return – with chauffeur – for our next outing.

And once again we’re anticipating something special. A little bird tells us the chef in the restaurant has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and serves only the finest dishes. “One” would expect nothing less – we’ll be back.

Warm Welcome 8/10

Location, Location 10/10

Scone Score 8/10


Looking for a scone near you? View our interactive map of Scone Spy reviews: