Beach Villas In Scotland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Nicolene - Verified booking

  This is a dog friendly property a few minutes drive from the local shops, Morrisons, Lidl and a terrible Tesco.

  There is even a dog friendly cafe The Royal Cafe…..which we found on the last day. Waters Edge is a redecorated four bedroom (two of which are downstairs……) 70’s house with splendid views over Loch Ryan as far as the Irish Sea. I didn’t venture upstairs but my husband had a tour so I’m aware there are two bedrooms and a bathroom. On arrival, we were delighted by the appearance of the house and it’s proximity to the Loch. There’s a great lobby for coats and outdoor paraphernalia which is certainly a plus for keeping the interior clean and tidy. However, on opening the connecting door the overwhelming smell of cooking/dogs was most unwelcoming; perhaps an open window or two might have made this more bearable? The front bedroom has a very small double bed but, as we wanted the view, this was the room we settled on; our stay would have benefited vastly if the Master bed had been in this room. The kitchen diner is large and extremely well equipped, but there was food in the freezer and an (open) bag of some sort of savoury biscuits in the cupboard and many of the plates/pizza tray were filthy. A broom would have been good, I am disabled to the point where I can’t use a vacuum cleaner, There was an abundance of loo rolls, towels, bedding, which was brilliant but no bleach for the showers or the loos. Also, the electric shower power is desultory at best and you have to wait a long time for the water to heat up, but the absolute negative was the size if the showers - they are tiny. Agreed, there are baths, but I haven’t been able to access one of those in 17 years so it’s a shower or nothing. My tummy is black and blue from the shower door knobs. For that reason alone we could not recommend this property despite it’s excellent nature and dog friendliness. Also, there is no garden which people with dogs need to be advised about; it’s a dark, dangerous step to the park late at night for last walkies. And, please note, there is no milk at the property (other companies ensure a “welcome” pack of one degree or another). There was some fudge, but we left that behind as we wanted to leave everything exactly as we had found it, as instructed time and time again by Sykes Cottages who really do know how to write the rudest email messages I’ve ever read, implying all paying guests are somehow filthy, entitled and disrespectful. Overall we had a great time and the area is very relaxing especially with the five days of lovely weather when we could enjoy the patio table, but as much as we’d love to, I guess we won’t be back because the facilities do not meet my personal needs.

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• Daniel - Verified booking

  We booked Waters Edge for Christmas and had a most enjoyable stay.

  We would like to thank the owners for decorating the house and putting up a Christmas tree for our arrival. The house was very spacious and clean. The views from the lounge and the bedrooms looking over Loch Ryan were wonderful. It was like being on a cruise ship looking out onto the sea. There were a few issues with leaking windows which didn’t impact on our stay as we contacted the owner who responded promptly. The kitchen was large and had plenty of cupboard space and was well equipped. We enjoyed eating our Christmas dinner at the large dining table. Location is good as it is a short walk into town although you have to drive to the nearest beach. Despite it being dog friendly lack of a garden was an issue. If you are going in the winter months bring a torch with you to navigate the uneven concrete steps down to the road. There is a light on the porch but it doesn’t help going down the stairs. A security light on the garage door would help solve this situation. The owners were good enough to let us use their garage as we had two cars with us but it was tricky to navigate into as you have to reverse in at an angle. The parking for the other car was also difficult as it wasn’t easy negotiating the uneven concrete parking space. Some of the furnishings didn’t reflect on the price that we paid for six nights (£1200). Beside cabinets in the main bedroom were more suited for a bathroom and small plastic lamps were not a good look. There were two side tables in the lounge but both had lamps on them. A couple of extra tables or a nest of tables is necessary as there was nowhere to place our drinks or snacks. None of the bathroom windows had blinds but windows were covered with a plastic film which made them look unfinished. The upstairs bathroom in particular needed a blind as the top part of the window had no plastic film on it and you felt as if the neighbours could see in. Some of the issues may seem as minor but again reflecting on the price would need to be addressed. Unfortunately we would not return due to the lack of garden and the parking issue. If we had had a third car, as the house accommodates eight people, I would not like to park my car 100 yards from the house. We would still recommend this holiday house for families if you don’t mind the issues we have highlighted.

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• Elaine - Verified booking

  My family used to have caravans in Southerness for 20+ years in the Lighthouse Leisure site so spent my childhood there every weekend and holidays, lots of happy memories, but when my dad became terminal gave van up so hadn't been back for 20 years.

  I was shocked at how close the vans are in all the sites now, far too close. After being housebound for 3 years after breaking my back and covid lockdown living alone I really needed to get back out into the world but my confidence took a humdinger of a battering so I thought go back to Southerness but I wanted a peace and quiet too so not in a caravan in a busy noisy site so thought a private cottage and came across Sykes where I chose Wigwam because I knew the family had good taste because they've got 2 of the same pictures I have lol The Sykes internet booking experience I admit I had trouble with trying to pay for it because the part that sends you to your bank site to acknowledge you're paying they send you a code to type in then continue on to finalise but instead kept taking me back to start of booking process and after 6 times I gave up but unfortunately staff aren't allowed to take over the phone payments so had to wait until I was on another device for it to go through. The Wigwam itself is an amazing place with beautiful decor throughout every bit reminding you that you are on holiday by the sea. The views overlooking the beach from the 'a little sand between your toes takes away your woes' bedroom (sure as heck does btw) and the single bedroom and the whole of the living room windows look out onto the beach and the 2nd double bedroom even although overlooking the back of the site complex it was still quiet. Wigwam has all mod cons kitchen, dining area and living area, bedrooms and bathroom which admittedly I was a bit worried about with my mobility issues walk with crutches, have a wetroom and seat at home, but I still managed in and out of bath holding on to sink and towel rails. Overall an exceptional home, holiday which brought back plenty of happy memories and aye a wee bit teary bits too from start on the bus going turning into the Southerness road knowing all the times we went down 'the tickly hill' (kind of big dipper tickly tummy feeling like you get on the big dipper when dad put foot down on that bit for 20 years lol) but first time dad not there. I'll definitely be back.

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• Richard - Verified booking

  We had a very helpful email from the owners the day before we arrived which was very informative and welcome.

  Although we had an enjoyable week at the Doocot and its proximity to to the beach is fantastic - there are some things that need to be addressed for the comfort of future visitors. With a weekly rental of £1k we would have expected a little more and doesn’t stand comparison with the more expensive property we stayed in the week before in the Cairngorms. More wine glasses required - there were 2 - one huge, 1 small. No tea pot. More small tables required in lounge - nowhere to put a mug/glass if using sofa in front of tv apart from on the floor. The TV needs to be properly connected so you can if you wish, watch mainstream tv easily - eg the Scotland v England game last week was inaccessible No visitor book. Presumably it is intended to plaster the wall around the fireplace? The fridge is too small, it will be difficult/impossible for many to access without getting on their hands and knees. It didn’t seem to us to keep things v cold - eg a bottle of wine had to go into the freezer. The property description needs to make it clear that there is no parking immediately by the property- this would be a significant problem for some; as would the very steep stairs. Both would be beyond some people

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• Catherine Louise King - Verified booking

  The property's well situated with great views.

  Decoration and finish of the property inside leaves alot to be desired, with flaking paint on walls as well as evidence of what looks like mould in the dining room, caused by dampness in wall. Bathroom upstairs decorated in a hurry. Shower screen leaks onto what looks like MDF boarding which has swollen. Heating perfectly adequate with lots of hot water. Blinds in dining room don't shut properly so lack of privacy in this part of the house otherwise pretty good. Good selection of books and game's etc. Sorry to see at least 7 dead millipedes around the accommodation including 2 in the game's drawer !! I would like to note that the interior staircase was difficult for myself as I have mobility problems, I'm pleased to say I managed alright taking extra care. The carpet in the bunk room was stained and has seen better days. Outside area was pretty good. I didn't intend to go in with a crical eye but it could be so much better if issues were addressed and it was given the finish it deserves.

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