£200k plans to bring back bar at Aboyne’s closed Huntly Arms Hotel

The pub in the heart of the Deeside community has been shut for years.

By Ben Hendry

March 22 2025, 6:00 am

The Huntly Arms Hotel in Aboyne could soon come back to life, with plans to reopen the pub. Image: Darrell Benns / DC Thomson

The owners of Aboyne’s closed Huntly Arms Hotel are planning to spend £200,000 bringing the venue’s pub back to life.

It has been more than five years since the bar at the historic hotel last served punters, leaving the community with just one boozer.

But as work to bring the derelict building back into operation gathers pace, fresh plans indicate that it could soon be abuzz with life once again.

The bar has been closed for a while. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

How will pub at Aboyne’s Huntly Arms Hotel be brought back to life?

The Huntly Arms dates back to 1432 and has been at the heart of the Aboyne community for generations.

Standing on the edge of Charlestown Road, it’s the most obvious landmark passersby see as they travel through Aboyne on the busy A93 Aberdeen to Braemar route.

But it spent years tumbling into decline before a rescue package was recently put together following local concerns.

The Huntly Arms Hotel can be found in the heart of Aboyne. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

The Donald Dinnie window at Huntly Arms Hotel’s bar will be back on view when it reopens. Image: Supplied

Various plans are now in place as the mammoth scheme takes shape.

And the building warrant to do up the bar indicates that it will be refurbished before opening.

A new kitchen will be created too.

These new forms, submitted by London-based owner Jutinder Singh, also reveal the beer cellar will be extended ahead of reopening.

It comes after plans for a beer garden at the Huntly Arms were put forward in 2023.

What’s the latest with revamp project?

Despite the various plans being put in place, some locals have wondered about the pace of progress at the venue in recent months.

Towards the end of January, the locals who form the Huntly Arms Regeneration Project held talks with owner Mr Singh.

In a Facebook post, they confirmed that “a lot of work” has been done on the roof.

An artist impression of the Huntly Arms Hotel beer garden. Image: Robert Lamb Architect

Are you looking forward to the bar coming back to life? Let us know in our comments section below

The post added: “The delay seems to have been waiting for council approvals but we believe that they are pretty well up to date now.

“The good news is that things are creeping forward. At least it’s all heading in the right direction. Hats off to Jutinder and his team for taking on the old girl at all!

“One day we will meet in the bar for a celebratory nip… or two!”

The building warrant is on the Aberdeenshire Council website.

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