New Year Breaks In Scotland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Sarah - Verified booking

  The site is really nice do thought this place would be good.

  But disappointment hit us on going through the door. Firstly it smelled really musty then we came to realise how basic / stingy it was equipment wise and also how old much of it was going back to original features like the spa bath. Plastics were yellow to orange with age, some fittings were rusty and grubby. Headboards looked unhygienic and one wobbled backwards and forwards by 2 feet or more. Quilts / pillows were inappropriate - very thin or extremely old ( sheets good). Mare minimum of cutlery and crockery in kitchen. No point having dishwasher if only have 6 knives etc. It just shows lake of awareness of what is needed - more like what was the bare minimum needed. No instructions or welcome pack. There is no en-suite as described. There are just 2 toilets. Pull chords were filthy and bathroom / kitchen blinds dusty and rusty. No bath mat to stop from slipping, shower an ancient electric shower that was extremely weak. Shower screen creaked like mad, so did the bath. Found what I thought was a loose cable only to find out that worked the spa bath. But who would enjoy the experience in an environment in such a horrible bathroom. Door battered about and in need of a paint, lock dodgy - got stuck in it. Need I go on. Oh also main light in main bedroom didn’t work and another in sitting room. One bed light between 2 beds only. On a positive note the sofas were good. We were supposed to stay 4 nights and had paid good money but we only stayed one night as it was such a depressing experience. We had just come from a wonderful other holiday let so couldn’t believe this one. Site facilities were good if we had stayed and used them but this was no way up to the standards expected these days, was soulless, dirty, old and pretty depressing.

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• Ken - Verified booking

  First Impressions of the cottage where quite positive, it is an old stone Building which remains cool even on a warm day.

  The heating to the property is controlled by a timer which in turn is controlled by the owner, hence at night on our stay in mid September it got fairly cold. There was also a fume smell emitting from the oil boiler in the en-suite double bedroom, especially if the door to the en-suite bathroom left closed. Hence due to there only being two of us we opted to sleep in another of the 3 bedrooms, the lack of heating control at night was a slight downside to our stay though. Privacy was another problem at the cottage as it is part of a multi unit letting set up, with a number of permanent residents also. This meant the need to the keep curtains drawn, or residents can see straight into the holiday let, access to property was via two Drives each very pot holed even for a 4x4 to use. There was also a distinct lack of where to go leaflets for things to see and do in the area, on leaving we left our leaflets there for new guests to use when they arrive. Seating in kitchen looked period but was very uncomfortable and all the chairs rickety, with very loose wooden Joints with some previous attempted screw repairs quite dangerous really. These need repairing properly to safe guard future occupants safety when using the focal point kitchen, as this is a premium property it really needs all the little details re- addressing especially the boiler when the rental season finally quietens down. The property could be brought right back up to scratch, over the course of a couple of days re-investment and time. Overall we enjoyed our time there but it could have been so much better.

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• Janet - Verified booking

  We have just returned from a wonderful week staying at Serenity Lodge in Wemyss Bay.

  The lodge was beautifully appointed, extremely well equipped and spotlessly clean. The owners, Angela and Gordon have literally thought of everything that may be useful to holiday makers including a telescope and binoculars! They not only provided a welcome hamper, but also included luxuries such as toiletries, bath robes and slippers. The communication with the owners regarding our stay was excellent, and, as a family we were so delighted and appreciative that they agreed to, and accommodated an oxygen delivery which enabled my elderly mother to have her first holiday for years which she thoroughly enjoyed. The views from the lodge are stunning, and we were glad that there were at least a couple of days during our stay when the weather allowed us to sit out on the furnished deck to eat breakfast, and also to unwind on the deck and appreciate the scenery in the evenings. The lodge is ideally situated to use as a base from which to visit the local area and beyond, and has good transport links. Largs, Millport, Glasgow, Troon, Loch Lomond and Loch Ness are just a few of the places we managed to visit during our stay. After a long day exploring, it was always good to return ‘home’ to the cosy lodge, and we definitely hope to return again next year.

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• Jane - Verified booking

  Dear Staff of Sykes Cottages, Unfortunately, we only spent one night at this cottage (paid for three nights).

  There were several items that were not up to standard that I will highlight later, however the main issue was no hot water, this is quite unacceptable. I called reception twice to ascertain the location of the hot water immersion switch and was informed that it was either located behind the living room door, or in the kitchen. After switching every switch on in both locations, to no avail, there was still no hot water. I understand that it's a basic requirement to have this when renting a cottage. The kitchen: Only five dinner knives supplied. (we were a party of six) No operating instruction left for the appliances i.e., cooker oven /dishwasher. Bedrooms: Single bed under the window, (right hand side facing front of cottage) the bed sheets were damp. On putting on heater in the bedroom to try and dry it out, I was text alarmed by Brunston Castle to remind me of the rising electricity costs. Main Bathroom: black mould around the bath is not acceptable. Very poor performance from the shower. All in all, it was not a pleasant experience, I would have expected at bare minimum a guest information book containing all information relating to the cottage, this is standard practice in all cottages that I have rented from in the past. Regards.

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• Robert - Verified booking

  Dear whom it may concern, I’m writing in connection with our recent stay at Silverwood Lodges, Errol.

  ( 12-15th October ‘23) Unfortunately , there were many issues with our stay. Firstly, on our first night in the lodge there was a wedding. We were made aware of this at check in but not prior to booking. The noise continued on until after 12AM and with having three children this kept them up and us along with the constant noise of the boiler/hot tub. This noise seemed to be worse in the twin room. On arrival the lodge was not clean. The cutlery, pans, oven and utensils were filthy. The floor wasn’t clean and there were sweet and crisp packets/crumbs all over the sofa. The bathroom ceiling was covered in flies, and the tiles were covered in dirt. Aside from the kitchen equipment being filthy there wasn’t anything simple like a chopping board/grater - so even making the simplest of meals were a challenge. The beds were very uncomfortable, and far too small. Due to this we have returned home with very little sleep. We have been away to countless lodges and haven’t stayed anywhere so badly equipped or dirty, so it’s very disappointing. I have attached photographs for your attention. I’d appreciate it if refund could please be issued. Many thanks,

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