Beach Cottages in Scotland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Saskia - Verified booking

  Dookers Hoose is a characterful and charming seaside retreat and was the perfect location for our family holiday.

  The house feels very welcoming and has a creative ambiance with artwork by the owner and family decorating the walls, a mix of vintage and modern furniture, books, games and window ledges decorated with seashore finds. This feels more of a home than just a holiday let, situated in Cullen Sea Town with its soft colourful walls, pantiles and tiny gardens at every turn. We loved being able to hear the sea from the house. We enjoyed cooking in the stylish and well-appointed kitchen and were very pleased to find so much space for storing supplies as well as an efficient washing machine. The layout of the ground floor makes it a very sociable space and on cooler evenings, we enjoyed the electric ‘wood burning’ stove which created a cosy atmosphere. We brought some solar powered fairy lights with us for added twinkle. The internet was consistently reliable and we did not for one moment miss having a TV. The little table in the front room was a perfect spot for drawing, painting and writing. We brought bikes, body boards and wetsuits and were delighted to have access to the garage for storage as well as clothes lines which made drying wet kit easy. In front of the garage and opposite the front of the house across a narrow, quiet side road is the small outdoor garden space with a picnic table. This was a lovely sunny spot to sit with morning coffee and a book watching the world go by. Just across the shore road lies the sea wall with steps down to a lovely stretch of sandy beach which is perfect for safe swimming and provides access to long walks along the shore. The steps on the sea side of the wall are a great place to sit with a drink and enjoy the huge skies and stunning sunsets. On your return from a swim, you can enter the little back yard through a gate and access the conveniently placed bathroom with shower. There are lovely coastal walks (or runs) from the house and we saw dolphins on several occasions from paths scented with bracken and wild thyme. The surrounding countryside is beautiful by bike and car, and there are many interesting places to visit. Supplies can be found in Cullen itself where there is a reasonably stocked Co-op and we noticed a deli opening soon. There is an amazing fresh fish shop in nearby Buckie and you may catch your own sea trout from the pier if the seals don’t get there first! If you prefer not to cook your own, the fish and chips in Cullen are consistently good. Any queries during our stay were answered quickly and the visitor’s book is brimming with information on local eateries and places of interest logged by the owners and visitors over the years. A lovely stay and we were sad to leave.

  Read more less >

• Louise - Verified booking

  Dirty and tired.

  Stayed at NO. 16. Absolutely disgusting. We tried to stick it out but after a few days we couldn't carry on with it. We contacted Skyee Cottage to be helped but received little support. We had to find another property. We were then told after we left that the carpets and sofa are going to be replaced on the 20th June 2024. Overall... Cons. 1. Decore is tired. 2. Carpets are soiled with heavy stains. 3. Sofa and chairs are rancid. Absolutely disgusting. Made us feel itchy and uncomfortable with the state of the place. 4. Found dirt and food benind sofa. Kitchen draws had crumbs and dirt. 5. Windows were filthy and full of cobwebs. Thick Dirt and dust behind and under beds. 6. Never complained about a holiday before but this was a joke. Had to wash our cloths when we got out. Pros. 1. Mattress was dirty but not stained. Very hard but not a problem. 2. Room sizes were ok as well. 3. The Site was us ok for us . Staff were very friendly. Pool was ok. And we liked the table tennis and ping pong. 4. Parking for 1 car.. 5.Decking area was nice. 6. Kitchen has what you need. (Tiles are gruby tho). Please check the standard of no. 16 Savita Cottage before going. Ensure the upgrades have happened. It's no joke. It's terrible. I don't consider myself to be fussy. But it was awful especially for the price. As it stands we are awaiting some sort of resolution. But to be honest I'm not holding out much hope. As we just keep getting told the owner will be spoken to and then we'll get an update. As of close of business today we have had nothing

  Read more less >

• Fiona - Verified booking

  Unfortunately the standard of accommodation is not as described.

  It had not been cleaned on arrival, However, the resort staff were marvellous and cleaned it immediately. As this accommodation is privately owned, it seems there was a lack of communication about whose responsibility it was to clean. The sofa is threadbare with holes in and awful improvised cushions stuffed in making the seats uncomfortable. It is advertised as a standing shower in the main bathroom but there is no hook at height, so in effect only one shower workable. This shower leaked all over the floor. There were not enough of the same sized glasses in the kitchen for 5 of us (4 of each) and glasses were cracked. There was not enough cutlery either (only 4 knives!). It would have been nice to have more plates than just the six as not enough then for any extra when prepping food etc. The prepping knives (paring etc) were all very blunt and unusable, meaning the only sharp knife available to use in prepping was the serrated bread knife! The fridge door was broken. The carpets were filthy and desperately need replacing. It could be made very nice but clearly the owners have not spent any money on it, so for the price we paid, it was inadequate. This is a shame as the resort itself was lovely. If I were to go back, I would rent one of the resort owned cottages as they appeared much nicer.

  Read more less >

• Ian - Verified booking

  It was a lovely little cottage to stay in, quite deceiving from the outside, as quite large inside.

  It was warm and cosy and convenient for visiting my daughter who lives in Alvah. We would definitely visit the cottage again. We visited the seafield Arms 3 nights for drinks and once for food. The food was excellent and great choice of beers. Very helpful and friendly pub. We bought from the deli at the premier shop which was very nice, all within a few minutes walk from the cottage. The tin opener didn’t work so I had to ask a neighbour to open 2 tins of tuna for me. She was very obliging. We could only find 1 mirror in the bathroom, I would suggest maybe some mirrors in the bedrooms. Another benefit would be a mirror over the sink in bathroom as my husband struggled to bend down to use the small shaving mirror. Another benefit would be bath sheets in the bathroom as we are all tall people. The kitchen was stocked with useful condiments if needed.

  Read more less >

• Maureen - Verified booking

  Had a week at same cottage in July , so was return visit November 3 days.

  Beautiful cottage inside & outside. Looks exactly same as photos. Spotless clean. Broken kettle was replaced quickly. Owner Caroline very helpful & obliging. Secure garden for our young Cavapoo dog. Handy local shop across road. Lovely local walks lots grass across road and entrance to the right to beach. Nice Walk to harbour area with lots of seats. 10 min coastal drive to Girvan. This time round due to health issues we drove car to furthest away car park towards caravans then it’s approx 25 min walk along caravan pathway & into back of Culzean Castle grounds & Swan pool with castle another 30 min walk . In summer we walked along beach & first entrance at a small waterway (which we missed ) or can climb the wooden steps further along (steep climb) Dog settled well in cottage & loved beach & our walks. Great family cottage & great for dogs too.

  Read more less >