Guests say
North Cottage offers a peaceful and idyllic retreat, perfect for those seeking relaxation and tranquillity in beautiful countryside surroundings. Guests consistently praise the spotless cleanliness, cosy atmosphere, and well-equipped facilities. The host is frequently described as welcoming and attentive, ensuring a comfortable stay. While the remote location provides a true escape, it does mean a longer drive to shops and amenities, so planning ahead is recommended. The cottage is ideal for nature lovers, with excellent walks and wildlife on the doorstep. Overall, guests highly recommend North Cottage for a restful and memorable holiday.
Multiple reviews highlight the cottage as spotless, immaculate, and maintained to a very high standard, with no negative comments regarding cleanliness.
The remote and peaceful setting is widely appreciated for its tranquillity and natural beauty. Some guests note the distance to shops and towns as a minor drawback, but most view the seclusion as a positive feature.
Guests frequently mention the cottage's comfort, including cosy atmosphere, very comfortable beds, and thoughtful touches such as bedding for different temperatures. No significant negatives are mentioned.
The cottage is repeatedly described as well-equipped, with a well-stocked kitchen, log burner, smart TV, board games, and reliable Wi-Fi. Maintenance is praised, and no issues are reported.
The host is described as exceptionally welcoming and attentive, offering to help with shopping and providing logs for the fire on arrival. While some guests mention complimentary logs and thoughtful extras, these are not guaranteed for all stays.
About this property
For the perfect, peaceful and relaxing retreat right in the heart of the Scottish Borders, this property can be booked with South Cottage (UK35715) to sleep eight people altogether..
Ground Floor:
Living room: Smart TV, DVD Player, DVDs, Woodburner
Kitchen/dining room: Electric Oven, Electric Hob, Microwave, Fridge/Freezer, Washing Machine
Bathroom: Bath With Shower Over, Toilet
First Floor:
Bedroom 1: Kingsize (5ft) Bed
Bedroom 2: 2 x Single (3ft) Beds.
Oil central heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi included. Initial logs for wood burner included.. Garden with sitting-out area and garden furniture. Bike store. Private parking for 2 cars. No smoking. Please note: There is a fenced river in the grounds, 50 metres from the property.. Situated at the head of the Borthwick Water valley, North Cottage at Howpasley Farm Cottages offers a rural retreat for those wishing to step back from the bustle of modern life. Here, the pace of life is slow, and the predominant sounds are those of birdsong, the wind in the trees and water tumbling over rocks in Howpasley Burn.
North Cottage is most likely to appeal to naturalists, birdwatchers, walkers and cyclists and those wishing to explore the wild, open and unpopulated landscapes of the western regions of the Scottish Borders. There is direct access from Howpasley Farm to marked walking trails in Craik Forest, and for cyclists, to many miles of forest roads through the surrounding plantations.
The nearest shops and facilities are in the town of Hawick, some 12 miles from Howpasley; the nearest cities are Carlisle, 1 hour drive south, and Edinburgh is under 2 hours’ drive north.
North Cottage has the traditional layout of farmworkers’ cottages in this region: two decent-sized bedrooms on the first floor and bathroom, kitchen/dining room and living room on the ground floor. The cottage has recently been upgraded and redecorated in 2021 and offers simple but comfortable accommodation for up to four people. For those wanting to relax, it has a TV and DVD player and a small selection of books, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles and board games. An oil-fired boiler provides heating and hot water, and the living room has a wood burner. North Cottage offers a more spacious kitchen/dining room and slightly larger second bedroom than South Cottage.
North Cottage has its own garden with a picnic table and there is ample, dedicated car parking; storage space for bikes is available in an adjoining shed. High-speed internet access via fibre broadband is provided and there is a reasonable 4G mobile phone signal.
Once a sizeable sheep farm, Howpasley Farm steadily reduced in size during the 20th century as more and more of its hill grazing was sold off for commercial forestry; farming activities are now focused on grazing the fields at lower levels and on the creation and management of conservation woodland. Visitors are welcome to walk the farm tracks alongside Howpasley Burn and explore those fields where sheep are not currently grazing.
North Cottage can be booked together with South Cottage (ref UK35715) to accommodate up to 8 guests.
Free WiFi
The property is located on a working farm.
Children must be supervised on site due to possible safety hazards.
EPC Rating = E
Scottish Letting Licence No: SB00059F
Scotting Letting Licence No: SB00060F
Reviews (18)
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Jeanette White
This is our third time of staying at Howpasley farm. It’s so peaceful and quiet, exactly what the doctor ordered! We loved relaxing in the garden watching the birds and the wildlife surrounding the farm. Tim is the best host, very welcoming.We would definitely recommend both the north and south cottages to family and friends.
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Confirmed Guest
This was our second time here and it is a lovely place to stay for a holiday; quiet and with lovely surroundings - the only slight drawback is that it’s a little bit of a distance from most places/shops (about 20/25 min drive). That said, it’s worth it to be able to stay somewhere peaceful like this. Would definitely recommend.
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Hermien Turner Cain
My daughter and I had a wonderful 3 nights at North Cottage. We were warmly welcomed by the owner and also lots of gorgeous lambs with their mothers. The cottage is set in beautiful countryside, about 30 min. drive from Hawick, a long road, keep following the satnav, even which you think you passed the cottage without noticing.The cottage itself is beautifully renovated,, everything in the kitchen you could possibly need. Very comfortable beds, thoughtful bedding for different temperatures. One thing to remark for those who are slightly infirm: the bathroom is downstairs.The sittingroom is cosy, with woodburner for cold weather, the central heating comes on when the temperature even slightly dips and a wonderful array of pamphlets for suggestions as to where to go.We found a wonderful eatery in Jedburgh, near to Mary Queen of Scots' museum. It is called Capon Tree Townhouse. We found the food delicious, beautifully cooked, smallish portions but 3 course for £25 is brilliant. Also lovely service. We forgot to mention this in the Guest book.In all, we had a really wonderful time and can highly recommend.