Dog Friendly Cottages In Angus

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Terry - Verified booking

  I should point out that we had to leave a day early due to an emergency back at home and therefore didn't have time to clean the property, we left it as tidy as possible in the circumstances.

  This review was written before we had to leave. Blue Skies Cottage Pros Views Quiet Recliners Washing machine Dining/living room, spacious and comfortable Thermostat - godsend on cold mornings Welcome basket Cons Kitchen Under equipped Not enough small sharp knives and utensils, whisk, potato masher, more cooking spoons etc Not enough baking trays, that said, I can bake a cake but not a casserole Saucepans much too small, shallow and too lightweight for projected sleeps 5 Bin too small for self catering kitchen Don't look down the side or too closely at the cooker, its not pleasant. Bathroom Shower very very narrow for bigger bums and for those with mobility issues, no safe way of exiting the shower, hurt my legs so much I ended up having strip washes instead. Family Bedroom Needs blinds or nets otherwise with a teenager the curtains stay closed 24/7 Needs a wardrobe rather than a sofa and coffee tables, as there is not a large amount of storage space and no hanging space Master bedroom Walk in to 3 wardrobes but two are full of high chairs, cots, etc so nowhere really to store cases etc Hanging space in largest wardrobe but anything longer than tops i.e. dresses end up in a heap at the bottom due to boxes stored in it. Drawers are small The bedside lamps are dangerous, the switches are behind the head of the bed and if you pull one out to get to the switch, it pulls the other one over. People have tried which is why one is broken, they appear to be plugged into an extension cable but the leads to the lamps are much too short. Overall The electrics are a real cause for concern. The badly plugged lamps in the bedroom, the light bulb resting on the hallway shade, the flickering non dimmer dimmer connections in the family bedroom and kitchen Master bedroom is visibly damp, pointed out by another guest in June. The step from living room to kitchen not mentioned anywhere, description says all ground floor, technically it IS but someone with reduced mobility has to take it into account when booking, it makes a huge difference particularly as the bathroom is at the rear of the property, its a high step and for wobbly legs is hard work, a handle would help. Also pointed out by previous guests. Lack of waste bins! Sounds petty but bags hanging on handles isn't a good look. There are only 2 bins, bathroom and kitchen, both are small. Teacakes a nice touch by the kettle, but someone ate one prior to our arrival and left the wrapper behind a cushion in the main bedroom! The garden steps are lethal. They are deep, narrow and have no secure way of keeping your balance, one set goes to the greenhouse, the middle set are narrow and the third set starts in the middle of a flowerbed! Anyone one not totally steady on their legs (of any age) are risking injury. The owners of this property need to do some much needed bits and bobs for this to be worth the £1100 off season amount we paid. The propery is suited far better to a double and twin bedroom rather than squeeze 5 people in, not including cots! They are very clued up on fire safety but it seems at the cost of making sure its a true home from home. We have been hiring cottages for 25yrs and this is the first we have had such issues with.

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• Susan - Verified booking

  We loved the peaceful location of White Hillocks Farm House.

  It was the perfect antidote to a busy life in a noisy town. (We have friends who live near Memus so we were already familiar with the glen.) I took early morning walks along the road and rarely encountered anyone except the shepherds in their vehicles who were very busy with lambing. If you love birds then you'll delight in the variety to be found in Glen Clova. Many can be observed from the living room but the best experience, of course, is outside where you can hear their calls. If you are a good walker there is much to explore within a few miles. If you are an experienced walker then the sky's the limit, almost literally as there are hills to climb which often become covered in cloud. Don't feel you need to be a mountaineer though. We took my elderly mother of 85 years up one hillside! Her mobility is good for her age although she rarely goes on a long walk. She was thrilled with the achievement and the stunning view. Transport is necessary to get further afield and the nearest shop is 7 miles away. Eating out we found the Drovers Arms at Memus to be very good. Glen Clova Hotel was overpriced and not particularly good with quite a restricted menu. Plus we had to wait ages for our lunches. (And we are very patient people.) If you want a cheaper eat then go to Tiffins in Forfar. It's located near the museum. Great for coffee and lunches. A couple of criticisms of the house: one which others have pointed out is that there are no wardrobes. We used the hooks on the back of every door and the bannister at the top of the stairs. Also the lighting in the living room is poor unless one uses the overhead light which, in our opinion, spoils the ambience of the room. Another sidelamp would be helpful. Not an issue if everyone uses devices to read but sometimes it's good to have a break from technology and read a physical book. All that being said there is so much to recommend this accommodation. We hope we can go again and experience it and the beautiful surroundings in another season.

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• Neil - Verified booking

  We had a fabulous Christmas week at White Hillocks.

  The house is warm, spacious, extremely comfortable and very attractive. All rooms are very generously sized and the house lends itself to relaxed leisure time at home. The dining room is so comfortable it could serve as a second sitting room, especially as it too has a woodturning stove. There are 2 porches. One is useful as a boot/coat room. The other, if staying in winter, can be used as we did as an overflow pantry. We took the whole of Christmas with us and cooked Christmas dinner. There was plenty of cold storage in the back porch. There is plenty of furniture adding to the comfort level. There is ample wood for both fires. There are 2 good sized secure gardens which in good summer weather would be fabulous to sit out in as the views are stunning.The house has a welcoming feel in its own right but this was emphasised by the generous welcome gifts and gestures of the owners. Extremely helpful people who instantly respond to all queries and communication generally is excellent. River South Esk is immediately nearby and in winter the white water from Glenn Doll is impressive. Wildlife and bird life sightings are a treat. We went to see the reindeer herd near Cairngorm which, although over a 2 hour journey, was worth it. The house is in a remote situation surrounded by beautiful scenery. It sits at the beginning of Glenn Clova and immediately on a single track road which in itself is a 6 mile scenic drive to a hotel further on, and an even more wilderness further 3 mile drive (with passing places, despite the sign to the contrary) to the Glenn Doll ranger station. There is a car park here, and helpful staff to advise on walk routes and climbs from this point. The road goes no further from this point which contributes to the peaceful, wild atmosphere. Be aware, mobile signal disappears as you approach the house. You will need to drive 6 to 8 miles for supplies. Internet is satisfactory. Teenagers didn't complain.

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• John - Verified booking

  Please refer to my stay, which you stated 'is important to us'.

  We arrived on Saturday 16th March 2024, tired and hungry. One of the first things we planned to do was to let family members we had arrived safely. There was no phone signal. The next morning we had to travel about one mile from the cottage to obtain a signal. Fortunately we were able to contact Chloe at Sykes at 10.49 who appreciated our situation particularly if there was an emergency and we were unable to leave the cottage. We are both in our 80s and my wife is partially disabled. Later I returned to the same location and phoned Sykes at 12.06. Chloe was on her lunch break, so Sue took my call. I returned to the cottage and left them to try to contact the owners who apparently lived locally. We tried to follow our plans for our holiday but felt very vulnerable all the time we were in the cottage. On Tuesday I picked up a phone message while away from the cottage. Chloe had tried to contact the owners by phone without success so had left an email. She said she would contact us if she had news. That's the last we heard apart from the usual automatic marketing messages which were totally inappropriate at the time. We left the cottage by mid afternoon on Tuesday 19th. We have heard nothing further from Sykes Cottages. We have heard nothing whatsoever from the owners, even although they allegedly live locally to Auchmithie. We have stayed in dozens of self catering cottages, caravans, lodges etc over the past 50 years. We lived in rural Angus for 30 years. We know what to expect. If we had no phone signal while living in Angus, we had a landline. Only once before have we been let down by a caravan owner and even then we were provided with a superb alternative because the site owner was only too happy to remove the caravan from his site.

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• Fiona - Verified booking

  I would highly recommend anyone who is considering a beautiful and peaceful retreat to stay at this farmhouse.

  It was absolutely perfect, so perfect we even got engaged whilst staying here! The farmhouse is situated within Glenclova. The views were incredible to wake up to everyday which added to how special this place was. You are right in the middle of the glen surrounded by hills and wildlife. There are so many stunning walks around you and if you like hiking like us Mayar and Driesh are only a 15 minute drive from the house! The farmhouse was immaculate inside and it was so much bigger than we expected. The wood burning stoves made it more cosier than it already was and there was plenty fire wood left for us to use. Even although this was a big house the central heating was great, you will never be cold in this house. The shower downstairs was great too. The farmhouse was modern and very fresh inside. Hazel had even put fresh flowers in all the vases for us which was a lovely touch. The garden is huge and is fully enclosed which was ideal for our dog. There is also a pic nic table in the garden, we had breakfast outside a few times whilst looking out over the Glen! There are even a few really nice places close by if you want to eat out sometimes. Hazel was a fantastic host. Very friendly and always more than happy to answer any questions we had. She even made a little welcome pack up for us with treats which was lovely. We are already planning our next trip back! A very special holiday we will never forget.

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