School Holidays 2017 Cottages In Castle Douglas

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jane - Verified booking

  On arrival at 16.

  50 (only told to arrive no earlier than 17.00) we couldn't access the property as instructed, I rang Sykes, no answer, I proceeded to ring the emergency number given and a lady said she was only the out of hours no. I told her the problem and she said the last guests in the property were supposed to leave the snip off the door and that it's happened a few times before but she would be there within half hour, I did think to myself should that not be the cleaners job to make sure this doesn't happen, and it's a bit annoying when you've had a journey and because of 'covid' now they're pushing access times to properties later in the day because of extra cleaning. Saying that the man arrived after 20 mins and it took him around 10 mins to get in. The property is in a beautiful location and it was plenty big enough for 5 adults, however a couple of issues was the walk in shower didn't have a slip mat In and this was the one my parents in their 80's was using and mum only told me at the end of the week it was very slippy, which if I'd have known I would have bought one myself, also I feel the general cleanliness around the property could be improved, the bed linen and towels where clean and beds very comfy and kitchen implements where clean and everything we needed but nothing to clean the oven or hob apart from a couple of scourers and no bin liner in the big kitchen bin, we like everything lined so it makes the bin easier to keep clean, I realized it says bring your own liners but we forgot till we could go out and buy some. Also only 4 mats and coasters for the table, no cloth or table protector and it was too nice to put hot stuff on it, 1 night we had a mixture of food, buffet style, and we used a towel with a newspaper spread out over the top so as not to damage table or stain the towel, but I fear some people wouldn't bother, one of the dining room chairs had a spring hanging down and it was uncomfortable to sit on, as there are only 5 chairs there was no alternative. The sitting room was ok for 3 of us but sofas too low for mum and dad, we did bring the easy chair out the dining room in for the week but 1 had to sit on the sofa. In the downstairs bedroom when we arrived quite a few bits on the floor and webs and a couple of spiders which I moved them also I noticed quite a lot around the house and upstairs in the bedrooms the windows needed a good clean and brushing down from all the webs, inside and out, saying all that it's a beautiful property and the small issues won't bother everyone, I must admit I'm very keen on cleanliness and a bit fussy, so that's the reason I have not given 5* and I think the property was quite a reasonable price we paid for the week compared to some we've stayed in before. All of us said we would definitely come back it's lovely and quiet and the Threave Estate it's on is stunning.

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• Bruce - Verified booking

  Feedback on lodge cottage - lovely little period property in a super setting with a good range of materials for self catering.

  There is a wood burning stove which we didn’t use as it was so mild during our visit and the cottage was plenty warm. Nicely decorated and styled, it needs just a little care over minor things (please see below). We visited in low season so the adjacent gardens had limited visitors and location was pretty quiet with birds and red squirrels popping by. The rooms are nicely decorated to a good standard and in good repair, feeling comfortable and spacious. The cottage would however benefit from the following; 1) needs a much larger teapot (could only find one that held one cup!). 2) advertised as accommodation for 5 but only had 4 place mats and 3 drinks mats - could do with a full set for dining and extra for the sitting room so guests don’t mark tables etc and larger mats to keep hot dishes on (we used magazine and books to keep hot/wet stuff off tables). 3) very limited pantry space. There was only 1 drawer not full of pans etc but not clean enough for food (dead spiders and debris from other visitors) we used window ledges, worktops in kitchen and shopping bags on the floor instead. 4) generally well equipped for self catering but needs a veg/potato peeler (and a teapot - already mentioned). 5) Lodge was super hot on arrival (turned radiators down to 2 from max). 6) the Blind over the single window in one of the upstairs bedrooms needs a proper replacement as what’s there doesn’t work properly or close completely. 7) Pretty clean on arrival although could do with cleaning upholstery on the two sofas (grease-staining on arms) - we always bring spare blankets anyway to sit on anyway. Past guests have obviously swatted large mosquitos or similar in a couple of places on walls which hadn’t been cleaned up. 8) An up-to-date bin schedule in the cottage would be is useful for guests (all the bins were almost full from previous occupants and particularly one with lots of beer cans) especially as bin collections are infrequent. 9) the main bathroom was clean but it was really hard to get out of the bath! Really needs a vertical grab rail to get put out of the bath safely. 7) electrical junction box outside the bathroom frequently made loud sustained buzzing noises. Needs to be looked at or even replaced. 8) we found we used the front door because we could hang coats in the hall over the radiator to dry. A coat hook rail in the kitchen area (or next to the bathroom) would be handy for leaving wet coats on when coming in the back way.

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• Fay - Verified booking

  Beautiful, comfortable cottage with lovely mattresses and everything you need apart from hot water and cleanliness.

  After reading other people’s feedback I went prepared to do a bit of cleaning when we arrived and I’m glad I did. The dust was very thick on the stairs and around the base of the furniture. The fridge was dirty and the kettle etc hadn’t been wiped down nor had the cupboard doors or the general doors. The inside of the main wardrobe shocked me. The bathrooms were clean though!! If I thought volunteers were cleaning I wouldn’t say anything but on leaving Threave we saw it was a private company. Seriously, they are doing you NO justice. It’s such a beautiful cottage but the cleaners are letting you down. There were a couple of pairs of dirty socks behind one of the cushions in the lounge; they weren’t ours. I didn’t touch them and guess they are probably still there. Honestly though, after a wipe down and a bit of a winge all was well. The shower was amazingly powerful but was hot for the first five mins then cold. The cottage sleeps five, there should be enough water for five. Please sort the water out. The heating on the other hand was fab though it would be nice to include a pack of logs and some kindling in the price. There’s usually a little bit provided for guests. The kitchen was beautifully stocked with everything you could need. Loads of glasses, cups, crockery and pots and pans; all Denby. The furnishings are lovely (why did you buy such short beds? My 6’ husbands feet were hanging out of the end) and the location is stunning. We had rain for most of the week but it didn’t matter because the cottage was relaxing and warm. Threave Estate is blissful. The cafe and the staff are fabulous. There are lots of bats and the dark skies go on forever. Go for a walk up the road after dark or lie on the head and look at the sky - wow. Go with a cloth in hand prepared to spend a small amount of time wiping down the surfaces, be selfish and always have the first shower and you will love it. Beautiful. Oh, on arrival there’s are tea bags, coffee and biscuits waiting for you. That was a nice touch!

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• Confirmed Guest - Verified booking

  Lovely large house, great location, close to shops, park etc. The house was very well equipped and stocked all our essentials ie toilet rolls, washing up liquid, even tin foil, cling film and sandwich bags. There were 10 of us split over a 2 week stay at Braidwood, 5 children & 5 adults. The house had plenty of large rooms to accommodate us all. The children really enjoyed the garden and the park out the back gate. We all walked round the park by the loch, the kids enjoyed playing on the playground. Made our way back with a walk up Queens Street. I enjoyed sitting in the garden at night & early morning, while everyone was in bed, having a cup of tea and a cigarette, it was so peaceful and the different birds certainly kept me entertained, the robin especially came to greet me every morning. 2022 was my 25th year of staying in Scotland for my annual summer holiday, my late mother's people were all Dalbeattie folk born & bred. I lost my mum 8 years ago, also losing my eldest brother 4 weeks after mum's passing. They are laid to rest in and around their favourite places, Sandyhills, Rockcliffe etc. They are all together at Sweetheart Abbey alongside my aunt (mum's sister) and her son (my cousin) My Summer holiday are sort of like a pilgrimage to visit my loved ones resting place and a promise I made too my mum on her last visit to Sweetheart Abbey, that every year I would visit with flowers. I also visit the Haugh of Urr were some of mum's family are laid to rest. I hope that one day I will get to stay at Braidwood again, I'm opting for a much quieter holiday next year without all the grand kids. As always booking through Discover Scotland my holiday is always 100% satisfactory. Great Property in a Great Location...Thank You for an amazing holiday on behalf of myself and family members who stayed with us. See You All Next Year

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• Louise - Verified booking

  This was our second stay at the Gate Lodge - we had stopped there last year.

  Some improvements had been made - the log burner is much better than the previous open fire, additional kitchen items had been added and some nice touches to the furnishings like new cushions and lamps. The kitchen and both bathrooms are definitely in need of updating and it would be nice if these could be done to fit in with the traditional feel of the property, as at the moment they feel incongruous with the rest of it. One of the chairs in the dining room is quite uncomfortable and since we’re a family of 5 someone always had to sit on it. The standard of cleaning was OK, and better than last year but there were still some kitchen cupboards that were a bit dirty inside and cobwebs in the corners of some rooms. Overall we had a nice week, the overall feel of the cottage is cosy and it was nice and warm. We kept the bird feeder in the back garden filled and it was lovely to see so many birds. It’s a shame that the one at the front of the cottage has gone now. The location is fantastic and this is what made us come back. The lovely walks from the cottage and the beautiful area made for a relaxing week.

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