Group Accommodation Cottages 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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• Caroline - Verified booking

  Whilst the bungalow was situated in a lovely position overlooking the water and mountains the road up to the property was in a word terrible.

  We were lucky a neighbour kindly took the blue bin down this terrible drive for emptying however the green bin was full to capacity when we arrived, One bedroom had a very low bed which is totally unsuitable for elder visitors and by the end of the week we were really struggling. Whilst the place looked clean it was obvious to us areas were missed the bathroom skirting board was black by the bath and pictures and door frames had dust. When we opened the French doors in the kitchen diner the inner frames were full of dust and dead insects. We very much enjoyed the scenery however the village is isolated and the pub closed however there is a shop close by and a chemist shop. Would l stay again no l don't think so we left the property clean and tidy the beds stripped and taken to the laundry room. Whilst I would love to give a better review l have to be honest in my findings.

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• Anon. - Verified booking

  Stunning

  The house is stunning, very impressive and well maintained as is the grounds around the house. Beautiful location with spectacular views and walks. The house has 7 bedrooms all en-suite and tastefully decorated. The beds were so comfortable and additional camp beds added for kids if required and plenty space to do so. Everything was really nice and well looked after. The towels are lovely with nice products in the bathrooms. Graham cooked dinner on the Saturday night and it was exceptionally good. The service and attention to detail was perfect. The girls that worked with him were lovely and so efficient. He is an excellent chef, well worth spoiling yourself and have dinner made for you. I honestly cannot rate this experience highly enough. We didn't want to go home! The owners, Graham and Elizabeth are fantastic hosts who should be so proud of what they have achieved.

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• Muriel - Verified booking

  We had a lovely few days at Craigievar, despite arriving during Storm Babet!

  The cottage is warm, clean, modern, spacious and comfortable. The kitchen is very well equipped, with everything you would need for your stay, and it was nice to receive the welcome pack, including wine. We had a small issue with the heating which was sorted out very quickly by the owner who lives next door. The weather was awful because of the storm, so we didn't venture far, so it was good to have Netflix as an alternative to the normal TV. The views from the cottage were still great, even in the bad weather, over the golf course towards the sea, where the waves were battering the shore in spectacular fashion, and also the imposing Slains Castle in the distance. We had a great meal in the St Olaf Hotel next door one night, very handy if you don't want to cook. We would happily return to Craigievar if we were going to stay up that way again. Thank you

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