Beach Cottages in Scotland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Fraser - Verified booking

  Well equipped rural cottage within a well run farm setting that has everything you’ll need to be at home away from home.

  The nearest building is a field away if you don’t count the cute old outbuildings in the garden. Booking and dealing with the owners was a cinch and the welcome of some milk and biscuits with fresh flowers on arrival was a nice touch. Kitchen is well equipped and although I brought tea and coffee there was already some there along with a range of condiments. Central heating plus log burners meant it never had to get cold and the large garden is a nice spot to sit when the sun’s out. A comprehensive welcome book sits in the kitchen for details of nearby attractions and services. WiFi covers the main living areas of kitchen and lounge with 5MBits down and 1.5 up (for those that care because the main thing about this house is the retreat away from the noise and distractions of home). I had work to do during the day and my video calls were uninterrupted. No mobile signal due to the location but calls and messages over wifi worked a treat. There’s a landline for emergencies. Some great walks to nearby Stenton and Garvald. The cottage is in a spot from where you can walk for a few miles in different directions and loop back round without returning the way you came. Bedding and towels were provided and the place was very clean. Loads of books and board games etc if you need them along with a TV if the weather turns bad. It’s an old cottage and not a city centre new build apartment … expect the old. It’s been two cottages turned into one and extended to create a large social space in the kitchen … you can see the quirk of where the old second front door must have been. Large dishwasher and a good working washing machine made the stay easier and there are clothes horses plus a washing line you can tie up if you want to. Haddington and Dunbar are short drives away for anything you’ve forgotten or need; and are well worth a visit anyway. I’d buy it if I could!

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• Stephen - Verified booking

  We had a good week at Coastal Cottage.

  The beds were fine and we slept well. Kitchen was well equipped. Shower ok but it was a bit awkward to use the flexible hose. The house was spotless but we had wash up some of the cups and cutlery as they were a bit sticky. The fridge was quite temperamental and actually froze two cucumbers and the tomatoes! We think the door was a bit on the wonk. We have a larger type car/ people carrier and it was difficult to park in the drive if people were parked opposite- which they always were. We were blocked in the first day so subsequently we parked on the road. But a smaller car would be fine. Internet access was good. However the TV was very old school and was not smart so you couldn't link or screen cast to it and the channels on offer were very basic Personally we found the sofa a bit uncomfortable as it was quite low and lacked support. It would have been nice to have a couple of TV tables as we prefer a table and chairs as opposed to being perched on a high stool at the breakfast bar. Another small issue was the complete lack of privacy in the garden. Also the garden wasn't small dog friendly as there were gaps under the gate. However the neighbours were really nice and friendly and loved our little dog! There is a small shop in St combs selling a limited range of basics at a high price so you need to drive to fraserburgh to find a supermarket. Apart a very indifferent fish an chip shop there are no other eateries in the village. These are very minor issues and I have no problem recommending the cottage. One last note- the stairs are steep and twisty. Anyone with any mobility issues would struggle to get upstairs.

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• Julie - Verified booking

  We loved the cottage feel and it had so much character.

  It was a great cottage to come home to after a day exploring. The area was outstanding and we will definitely return in the future. The location couldn't have been better for a walking holiday along the North Berwick coastline. The milk and packet of biscuits were a nice touch, but we could've done with some washing up liquid/dishcloth and hand soap for our first evening. Some firelighters for the fire would've helped as well. Access after 5pm meant, after 200 miles travelling, we weren't in the mood go to the nearest shop over 5 miles away. Wifi was very good. There was so much positive about the cottage we are reluctant to say anything negative but would like to make a couple of points so the owners can address them if the feel they would like to. The bathroom could do with some attention - the toilet makes a very loud 'singing' noise when flushed, which kept waking people up in the night. The shower screen is broken to such an extent that the floor floods each time you have a shower. The garden is a fantastic size and was very secure for the dogs. Unfortunately it is very overgrown - to such an extent that the sun is blocked by trees and shrubs late afternoon. The views from the house could be wonderful if a little garden maintenance was carried out. The garden furniture could do with updating - the existing furniture is rusty/mouldy/broken. It is such a shame because the setting is so peaceful and would've added to a wonderful holiday if we could've sat out when we returned in the afternoon/evening. Overall the cottage is very well equipped but some pint glasses would've been handy.

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• Melanie - Verified booking

  Stayed here at old smiddy cottage for a week during Easter.

  Such a beautiful cottage in the middle of nowhere which was perfect and the views stunning.Our only neighbours were the cows. Would love to know about the history of the cottage so maybe a little piece in the welcome book. Arrived to some shortbread biscuits which were delicious, some milk and daffodils which were lovely . The cottage is very comfortable and well equipped with all you need including dishwasher and washing machine . Wi-Fi was excellent in the cottage. Beds comfy but we found the pillows too soft for us but still slept well. Our 6 yr old son slept all night and said his room was lovely he didn’t want to get out of bed in the mornings. The garden is lovely and secluded, we didn’t really get a chance to sit out as was a bit chilly still but I bet in the summer it’s amazing. The cottage is about 25 mins to north Berwick which was lovely and Edinburgh was 40 mins. We did lots of day trips including Stirling castle, Edinburgh and the zoo, museum of flight, Preston mill and Dunbar. We had an amazing week and was lovely coming back to the peaceful cottage after busy days. We hardly saw any cars pass the cottage. We would definetly recommend and would come back here. Our son cried because we had to leave and said he didn’t want to go because he had the best time. Thank you, we will be back. Mel, Dave and Finley x

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• Laura - Verified booking

  When planning a holiday with Sykes I always put time and effort into this to ensure to the best of our ability we get nice accommodation.

  Plus very positive reviews for this cottage and at nearly £700 for the week felt it must be a good cottage. Upon arrival all looked very good with the exception of the sofa and the stairs to the bedrooms. In the first instance the stair was very precipitous and as older people found this really scary going up and down! Given the nature of the stair this had not been highlighted in the blurb for cottage. The sofa in the lounge (I feel) had seen better days and as tall people we found it extremely uncomfortable with no support. My husband had to use a garden chair for support as the sofa had exacerbated pain in his back to the point he could hardly walk and the bed did not help either!! This leads me onto the main bed where the mattress was awfully soft - absolutely no support and you could feel the divan beneath and I'll point out that neither of us are overweight! Also the sheets on the bed should have been thrown out as they were bobbly and not fit for purpose. On a positive note the cottage was lovely and clean but would definitely never stay here again.

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