Villas In Scottish Borders

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Charlotte - Verified booking

  My family and I have stayed in many holiday cottages and homes over the years but this has to be one of our favourites and for many reasons.

  The cottage is easy to find and is beautifully presented inside and out, it is immaculate and we had everything we needed for our one week stay, there were no shortage of kitchen utensils etc, everything was very well thought out. We arrived to an outstanding welcome pack which was lovely with a lovely personal touch. The cottage is very comfortable and so cosy, a real home from home and the views from every single window are picturesque, we really enjoyed the log burner on the cold October evenings and there were plenty of extra logs available via the honesty box which we were grateful for. Our children loved visiting the animals on the farm and in particular Spirit the horse who they became fond of. There are many trails and walks in and around Birds Nest to go and have an explore either by foot or by cycle, (of course respecting the countryside code and avoiding the cows with their young). There is a small garden adjoining the cottage which I would imagine is delightful in summer when it's a little warmer. However, due to the lack of light pollution we wrapped up and enjoyed the dark skies and the stars, once our eyes adjusted we could see the milky way and lots of shooting stars. The Kielder Observatory is also worth a visit if you like this sort of thing and it isn't too far away. On our visit we visited North Berwick which we really loved and was really worth the hour and a half in the car to get there as we drove through the lovely autumnal Scottish countryside. We also visited Ryze trampoline park in Dunkleith which was really good and the kids really loved that, I'd recommend going for longer than an hour it's a big place with lots to do. We visited Rosslyn Chapel on the way back from Ryze and that was worth the visit (try to time your visit to enjoy the information talk within the chapel itself). We visited Jedburgh and the Gaol, Castle and Museum and Mary Queen of Scots House. For younger children there's a play area in Jedburgh near the car park (which is free), we also visited Kelso and some of the other small towns nearby. We had a lovely meal at the Hare and Hounds near Hawick which was really good. We ate an Italian lunch at 'Bella Italia' (not the chain) in North Berwick which was nice as they do a lunch special for two courses which was good value for us as a family of four. Depending on where you're travelling from the Life Museum in Newcastle is worth a stop for the day on the way home also. To sum up a wonderful place and cottage in a lovely part of the world. But most of all the little personal touches, the helpfulness, warmth and friendliness of the hosts is what made this place so lovely. Top notch, what a delight!

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• Christopher - Verified booking

  Birds Nest is the best cottage that we have ever stayed in.

  The owners (Wendy and Willie) are helpful, friendly and there if you need them. The cottage was spotlessly clean (you could smell the cleanliness as soon as you walked through the door). It is comfortable (we slept so well), homely and beautifully furnished. Plenty of towels are provided plus tea towel, hand towel and cloth/sponge/brush for washing up. A tremendous amount of thought has gone into the design with plenty of room for 4 people and many little nooks, crannies, cupboards and wardrobes for storage space. The cottage is fully equipped (with every gadget, pan, dish, piece of crockery and cutlery that you could think of) if you wish to be completely self-catering (there were even bun tins if you wanted to bake)! There’s a very large fridge/freezer, washing machine and dishwasher - all very clean. An iron and board, vacuum cleaner, airer, washing basket and pegs, dustpan and brush are also provided. It really is a “home from home”. There’s an adjoining pretty, private garden (complete with a table, chairs and washing line) with stunning views. We would highly recommend Birds Nest. We have stayed in numerous cottages over the years and this is definitely the best - 11 out of 10!!

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• Gareth - Verified booking

  We had a truly wonderful week at Bird’s Nest Cottage.

  As soon as we arrived, we felt at home. The cottage was beautifully presented, comfortable, cosy and immaculately clean. Wendy, the owner, had thought of everything we could possibly need from a holiday cottage; there was also lots of storage space and parking. We discovered a welcome pack, which was a lovely touch, and even included wine and chocolates! Wendy popped down to check we had everything we needed and made us feel very welcome. The cottage is set on a working farm with stunning views from every window. We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed a couple of relaxing days in the beautiful, private garden with cows in the field to the left and sheep to the right, which our daughter loved. We also enjoyed days out in nearby Kelso, Melrose, Jedburgh and Berwick. We thoroughly enjoyed our relaxing week in this idyllic cottage and were very sad to be leaving. In fact our daughter wanted to live there! We’ve already started planning our next trip and hope to go when the weather’s a little colder so we can use the log-burner. Thank you Wendy and family for a perfect staycation!

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• Matthew - Verified booking

  Had an absolutely fantastic week staying at the Birds Nest cottage.

  The cottage is in a superb location in the Scottish borders, if you're looking to get away from it all then you can't do any better than here. Surrounded by countryside with beautiful views it's the perfect place to escape to and also a good base to explore the surrounding region. The cottage itself was ideal for our family of 4, it's finished to a really high standard and has everything you need for your stay. It has a modern interior but still maintains that cosy cottage feel with the log burner and beamed living room. The cottage is also in easy reach of lots of the little towns and villages in the borders, whilst there we were able to take in Kelso, Melrose, Hawick, Galashiels and of course Jedburgh. We also went a bit further afield to Edinburgh and the Holy Island which are only just over an hours drive away. Wendy and Willie were the perfect hosts, we received some lovely goodies on arrival which were much appreciated and were on hand should we have needed them during the week. We loved our stay and can't recommend this cottage highly enough.

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• Minna - Verified booking

  This is a lovely house, everything about it being perfect for me.

  The owner has considered everything one needs for self-catering, including a great storage cupboard for groceries, so many cottages fall behind in this respect. The quality of the fixtures and fittings is top-notch, outside there is plenty of space, giving good open views and potentially wonderful sunsets. The owner, who lives nearby, is very friendly which ensures a warm welcome. There is infinite peace here, with easy-to-reach footpaths from the door. There is plenty of good walking in the Cheviot hills not far away, where landscapes are far-reaching and deserted, ideal for the present-day thoughts on getting away-from-it-all and back to nature for mental well-being, something I have been brought up to know all my life. If castles and stately homes are desired then there are plenty not far away, with nearby Jedburgh being a very interesting place to visit. All in all an excellent memorable stay in lovely Scottish Border country.

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