Dog Friendly Villas In Dumfries And Galloway

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Edward - Verified booking

  Stapleton Toll House is a very comfortable holiday accommodation and the owners have thought of everything to make your stay perfect.

  The house was spotlessly clean and is full of lovely furnishings which make it very homely, the kitchen has every utensil and dish you would ever need. An added bonus is having the open lounge to sit at watching TV, Netflix etc whilst someone else takes a turn cooking. The beds were extremely comfortable, both bathrooms and showers were also very modern and nice to use to. We liked having the other sitting room/lounge to use as this gave our teenager space to do his own thing using the Wi-Fi or watching the other large flat screen TV. The garden is just wonderful it is a lovely outdoor space to use as part of your holiday to relax and unwind either sat on the swing seat or under the dome taking in the surrounding country views. We loved sitting under the dome when the sun was too hot and then later roasting marshmallows over the fire pit watching all the garden lights twinkle. It is also great for any furry friends with plenty of space to run around and do their business, just be aware the whole garden is not 100% secure. The owners definitely take much pride in their holiday home and work very hard to make it perfect for their visitors by going that extra mile with all the small details. The Welcome hamper was also very much appreciated. Elaine was so helpful when i stupidly forgot something important, she sorted it all out and posted the items to my home address the same day...superb owners who really care! if in this area again we would definitely try to book Stapleton Toll again as the house is so central for lots of visits to places such as Dumfries, Carlisle, Gretna or even the lakes! Annan is only 2.5 miles away and has everything you need re small shops, pubs, chip shops, take away, and cafes there is also a Tesco and Aldi for groceries., We can recommend the friendly Bluebell Inn for a nice drink in their beer garden (taxi £5 each way) or Cafe 91 in Lockerbie for some tasty snacks. We also visited Hollywood Bowl in Carlisle for 10 pin bowling which we also enjoyed. Gretna is also worth a visit with its shopping gateway centre and also the Blacksmiths shop at the village just a few hundred yards away.. Ecclefechan has a lovely park to walk your dog s well as a dog friendly hotel if you want some refreshments afterwards. The park in Annan is also lovely, we used it every day to walk our dog. It is lovely and clean and has a path that runs alongside the River which our dog played in every day....he loved to have a swim and cool down in this warm weather! All in all if you book Stapleton Toll House you wont be disappointed in both the area or the accommodation,

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• 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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• Susan - Verified booking

  I cannot recommend this cottage enough!

  It really is beautiful. It is the best equipped holiday home we have stayed in and probably the cleanest. The whole house is comfortable and cosy, but spacious. This was given the seal of approval by our son who has autism and struggles to settle in new spaces - he was right at home here, which made for a lovely week. The garden is just WOW!! Loads of space and appealing to the senses (again approved by our son who loved sitting under the willow dome on a windy evening - as did we). Toasting marshmallows on the firepit under the dome, watching the sunset and then being treated to the garden light show is a perfect memory! The location is great and ideal for exploring Dumfries and Galloway. The cottage is situated on a local (tractors) busy junction but as the house is so well insulated the noise is absolutely minimal and the coming and going of tractors and cows provides some entertainment. We had one rainy afternoon (after a morning out) and it was a pleasure to just spend time in the cottage to enjoy the warmth and space. The welcome pack Elaine and Mal left was very generous and very much appreciated - it was lovely to meet the owners, by chance, who are warm, welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Stapleton Toll is an easy place to stay in and a very hard place to leave. We will definitely be returning. Thank you so much to Elaine and Mal for sharing your gorgeous home. x

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• Mark - Verified booking

  Site of lodge peaceful and quiet, surrounding area glorious.

  Lodge itself overall poorly maintained, tired looking, unhygienic, poor cleanliness. Decking area full of cobwebs, green mould and algae, bird poo, dead plants in pots, seating rusty, discoloured, stained. Entrance step broken temp mend with gaffa tape, as is shower enclosure with hazard tape, mould and dirt ingrained in shower enclosure. Smoke alarms held on by blue tac as one fell off during our stay. Kitchen utensils pots and pans, glasses and cutlery filthy and requiring cleaning before use. Previous occupants food, slippers, toothbrushes and toiletries left in cupboards. Wifi not working as was television, sound only no picture ( known problem). Battery powered bedroom side light not working. Overall very disappointed as have used Sykes before, spent most of our time away from lodge and left early, Did not complain to Sykes or owner at the time as in my view to many problems and issues requiring solved and many of them already aware of by owner according to welcome book and cleaning schedule etc in folder. All above documented in various pictures I am able and willing to share on request with owner and Sykes, although I strongly recommend both require to visit lodge as my pictures and summary above are a true reflection of what we experienced and nothing like what you describe on your website. This customers journey was not a happy one. Mark and Fiona

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