New Year Breaks In Scotland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Confirmed Guest - Verified booking

  the whole cottage needs a thorough clean and furnishings very old and worn .When we arrived Mr Sinclair was just coming out of the cottage saying the TV wasn't working and he would be back. He did return a few minutes later and sat in the room trying to fix the TV. What a start to our holiday trying to unpack with a stranger sat there. The bathroom door wouldn't open properly, old rusty bin, light over mirror not working, heater in bathroom full of dust, old rusty tin of air fresher, shower screen on bath had black mould along the bottom. The kitchen had dirty cutlery trays and all utensils in them were very old. cupboard handle broken, dead beetle between the melamine plates, spider and web in a cup. No icebox in fridge so Mr Sinclair said to use the freezer where the dogs were kept in a separate outhouse which was disgracefully dirty. We were told not to shut the curtain in the hallway as the rail was broken. This meant when we left the bedroom to use the bathroom, we were on view up the lane. The single beds were very hard with child size quilts. furniture old, random old xmas decorations etc in draws which needed cleaning out. The carpets and flooring all needs changing as it is so old. there were dozens of flies every day due to the cottage facing the horse stables. We bought fly killer and were constantly spraying them. My partner honestly thought I was going to say " take me home" but because he had booked it for my Birthday I tried to make the best of it. We left 2 leg rest from our reclining sunchairs in the cottage shed by mistake, and after a call to them the day after our return, the daughter said she would get Mrs Sinclair to ring me. I have a friend in Ayr and though I could collect them when visiting my friend later in the year but I haven't had a call back and that was a week ago. I would have contacted you before now regarding how upsetting and disappointing our holiday accommodation was but I am just recovering from Covid and haven't been up to writing. On a positive note, we loved the areas of Rockcliffe and Kippford and would like to see other areas of Scotland. Baring in mind our bad experience at Tumbling Banks would the company give us some form of compensation for not only how upset we were but also for such poor accommodation as we would use Discover Scotland again but would suggest you think twice about using this accommodation to future clients in its present state. Kind regards, Susan Harwood

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• Owen - Verified booking

  What a wonderful place to stay!

  A very well equipped, comfortable cottage, with a lovely view of hills and a large pond. Everything you could ever need for a holiday base. The hot tub is a fabulous bonus, we were star gazing in that most evenings. The pool table was fun too, we had not played pool for years. There are many good books to read, sky TV, all you want if the weather is bad and you wanted to cozy up indoors. The lodge is very stylish and warm, but you also have the benefit of a wood burning stove for those chillier evenings. It is a very short drive to the shops in Castle Douglas.Threave castle and gardens is nearby. You take a boat ride to the castle, which is unique. Another great castle to visit is Caerlaverock castle, it has an unusual design. There are lovely woodland walks in Dalbeattie forest to Kippford Bay, which is a nice place to visit. There's a great pub restaurant (The Anchor Hotel) which serves fantastic food. A must do is feeding the wild goats and red deer, we took several kilos of carrots and they were gone within minutes. Hahaa Logan's fish pond is a unique place to visit, and Logan's Botanical Gardens is amazing! The Wood of Cree is another beautiful place to visit, with lots of waterfalls. Walks around Glen Trool, Kirroughtree, Clatteringshaws Loch are wonderful. Of course you can walk up the Merrick, if you are fit enough. A drive down Raiders road is good if you want a nice forest drive. Stinchar falls is another nice walk to a waterfall. There are many waterfalls to discover in the Galloway, if that is your thing. Eskrigg nature reserve is a great place for bird watching and looking out for red squirrel. There's so much to do in the Galloway, a week simply isn't long enough. We will definitely stay at Hardhills Cottage when we next return to the Galloway, I doubt you could wish for a more lovely place to stay. Thank you.

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• Jane - Verified booking

  Location was lovely, walking distance to Loch Awe with access to large, beautiful gardens where the children could run around & play football.

  House has good amount of space with very useful porch to take off dirty shoes etc before entering main house. Unfortunately the house was not very clean. Both showers were completely blocked with hair so they filled with water after about 30 seconds. We did not feel inclined to remove excess hair left by other guests. Both bathrooms and the kitchen have white carpet. The carpets were badly stained, ESP round the toilets and near the fridge. This was very disconcerting and difficult to keep clean. One of the showers also leaked so the floor was permanently wet. The kitchen was not well equipped; no dishwasher, no basic coffee making facilities, no dryer (it was almost impossible to get clothes dry), no supplies at all, not even salt and pepper, no tea towels ( we have never come across this before although it was mentioned in the brochure.) Good TV but poor set top box so the picture was blurred. Just a small amount of attention would make this place really super. The living room was spacious and comfortable and the beds were satisfactory. There was room for all of us to eat at the table and the layout worked well. Updating the kitchen and bathrooms would make a huge difference.

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• Confirmed Guest - Verified booking

  Great house in a fantastic location. Very warm and comfortable and loved all the walks and wildlife. Unfortunately, the hottub was not working and whilst we were told about this a few days before arriving, from reading the visitor book, it's obvious the hottub hasn't worked much since the start of the year. We think it's disingenuous to keep marketing the hottub if its mostly not working! We also had no way to light the wood burner, as the gas lighter was empty and no matches provided. There were emergency matches but these were old and damp so of no use to us, or in an emergency. We tried the caretakers on all 3 of the numbers provided but received no callback despite leaving a voicemail. Given the isolated nature of the property perhaps a call from the caretaker when each guest has settled in would be helpful? The only form of contact from the house is a pay phone, which seems mean and impractical given many people don't carry cash these days. We very much enjoyed our stay but a few items above need attention. We had no difficulties but if we had, there is no real provision for emergencies.

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• Susan - Verified booking

  This property is cold, damp a dirty.

  The advertised 'open fire' is out of use with the chimney stuffed with newspapers. The kitchen is greasy with dirty glasses and utencils. Dampness and damp smell everywhere. Wi dows running with water/dampness all the time. Grubby bathroom with black grime in shower area. Broken blinds inside the wardrobe. Dead bugs and dust behind beds. Whole property would benefit from deep clean. Baby's milky bottle top inside sittingroom cupboard. Dead bugs and debris under sitting room furniture. We are all very unwell due to staying in this horrendous property. Dehumidifier units throughout the property so the owners are aware of the damp issue quite clearly. We arrived Friday evening and Sykes Cottages were notified of concerns at 9.30am Saturday. Morning. We called Sykes again on Saturday afternoon but still no help. We finally received a call from Sykes on Sunday afternoon by which time we are all in bed ill. This cottage has made my family very ill not to mention the loss of a week's holiday. This is a DISGRACE!!!

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