Dog Friendly Dumfries Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Kerry - Verified booking

  Ample sized two bed cottage in a charming rural setting undisturbed by neighbouring properties or light pollution.

  Access moderately ok off an unmade farm track type lane off a single track 'main road'. This matches the online description. Improvements needed to the online listing to include detail to clarify:- Cows in field directly beside one side of the cottage, separated by 3ft high chicken wire fence. Sheep in field directly beside garden at rear of cottage, also only separated by 4ft chicken wire fence behind some shrubs. Cottage garden higher than field, so the fence line appears shorter than it is. Cow field not secure, cows can get into the access lane to the cottage (we arrived home in the dark on the first night after going out for food to a cow in the headlights and trying to find its way back into its field). Previous guests have recorded in the visitor book about letting their dog run on the lane - DON'T! This isn't acceptable in this location and can worry the cattle and risks injury to them, your dog and you. Just don't do it! There's ample space at the cottage for them to run free. The top gate is best closed to keep cows out if you're travelling with children, pets or guests that are scared by large farm animals as the surrounding fields aren't properly fenced. Sykes, when providing check in details, make it clearer who the telephone number you've given actually belongs to and any 'best times to contact' so guests know they're contacting an owner and can do so at certain times without imposing on them. Well appointed cottage and more importantly overall it was very clean bar a few dog hairs under beds and on the kitchen floor that had settled from previous guests and the finishing on the wooden floors. The online listing could clarify that there's a washer / dryer and not just washing machine because having that is a bonus! A clothes airer in the property and a washing line outside in the ample garden would also be an appropriate addition. The garden furniture needs waterproof covers or direction (and access) to guests to store in the attached locked shed after use or in chances of rain. The garden is in a poor state and in places was very dangerous for some of the guests that are accepted at this property - kids and pets especially! Access to the external boiler was via overgrown grounds with established brambles which I did get various cuts and scratches from. Many broken fences, gates, plastic pots, roofs etc causing loose, partially buried or fully exposed debris around. Wire and rusty metal fixings protruding from arches, old flower / veggie beds and on steps and access paths. I had to move many due to having the dog with us. Broken glass panes and old double glazing units were also left in easy to access areas which I needed to move prior to allowing my dog access into the garden off lead. An external risk assessment should be carried out between guests during change over. All areas need seasonal maintenance tasks also undertaking to bring the plants and flowers back to life and really return this to what must once have been such a charming and beautiful 'cottage garden'. I'd love to have seen photos of what it once looked like as it was clearly someone's pride and joy. The dilapidated and dangerous wooden sheds at the entrance to the cottage need to be emptied and demolished asap. This really lets this property down and worried us immensely on our approach to our home for the week. It isn't actually an accurate reflection of the cottage itself either, which has been refurbished to an acceptable level for holiday letting. Where the big green shed with the bed and old contents from the cottage currently is would be a perfect place to install an ample sized wood store. This would be a fabulous addition to the property at minimal cost. There is plenty of wood locally that could be added to the store for future guests to make use of once dried. Badgers are active in the garden, with parts used as their latrines. This needs to be taken on board if travelling with adventurous children or dogs and should also be noted in the online listings. We had to make two makeshift gates at the garden borders during our stay, to enable the dog to enjoy parts of the superb sized garden without fear of escape into the neighbouring fields or the top derelict greenhouse and side areas as they were just too dangerous to risk access to. I travel with a fence 'kit bag', and did have to use this at the bottom of the garden to put a 6ft screen up, to ensure my dog didn't jump into the sheep field (for the birds or a run around, not for the sheep). Luckily we arrived with a few hours of daylight remaining and was able to spend the couple of hours securing the garden using the various broken gates, fences and wires found around the garden. The shower, being electric and new was totally fine for us during our stay. The bath is very American hotel in its sizing so the listing needs to be updated as it's not really suited to a 'relaxing soak'. Unfortunate heating issues with pressure and air in the system did intrude on the first few days of our stay but in no way was this issue not attended to buy Sykes and Jo, the owner. Some form of welcome pack and fire wood and kindling would have been a nice touch with the cottage being a drive away from the nearest shops. Improved outside lighting would make access safer from the parking area. Blinds in the conservatory entrance and the glazed kitchen door would also make nighttime indoors feel safer in the isolated area when you can't hear anyone approaching in the dark. I'd replace the blinds in the bedrooms and living room with lined curtains as the current blinds don't fit. The two sofas are very small and very uncomfortable and not in keeping with the lovely room. I'd replace those and the glass TV stand. Only one bedroom was made up for our stay and we needed both so had to try and find bedding to make one of the beds. All beds need new mattresses as you can feel the springs and new frames as they're all very creaky. To help save energy and therefore money, I'd reduce the number of lights in the property and also give guests details of what the heating timer and heating and water temperature is set to. Instructions on how to use the heating, check the external boiler properly and other things in the cottage would also be a good addition, as well as details of local places to visit, eat and so on. For the price range, other than the safety aspects of the garden, this is spot on. For the time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and a week of solitude and star gazing, this spot is absolutely perfect! For anyone needing a base in this area I'd highly recommend staying.

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• Rhona McMichael - Verified booking

  Despite being very freshly painted outside, inside is a different matter. The cottage is damp, wallpaper coming off wall and ceiling in double bedroom, carpets threadbare, the 3-seater settee broken, the place was dirty and I had to start cleaning the kitchen before I could use it. The windows don’t look to have been cleaned for months inside or out & the amount of flies going about gives the game away. I left the cottage 2 days after I arrived with bites all up the back of my legs, the last straw. I advised Discover Scotland I was going to get stronger antihistamines and wouldn’t be returning but wanted to complain about the state of the place and was asked to send a detailed email & photos of my bitten legs to which I did weeks ago and they have been giving me one excuse after another since, the site managed was off last week & they needed to talk to them before they could progress my complaint, well we are now Wednesday the following week and again I’ve heard from no-one. I wouldn’t recommend shelduck cottage OR Discover Scotland, they were happy to take my money but have done nothing to help get me any of it back, £575 wasted on a filthy place that they say they check regularly? That furniture hasn’t been cleaned in years & there’s no padding left in the table seat cushions & they haven’t been painted in years either, absolutely disgusting, I left without taking photos of the property as by the time I’d been bitten I’d had enough & just wanted to get more antihistamines & go home. Entry was 4pm Sat and I left just after 9 on the Monday not having one walk as the Sunday rained heavily, the cottage was the only place I could have got the bites and Discover Scotland have avoided me since, terrible customer service, and now I also note all the recent reviews don’t have names, just ‘trusted customer’. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone

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• Roger Cruden - Verified booking

  The cottage is in ideal spot for Nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers. Lovely reserve to walk around plus bonus of beach. Garden is secure and our two wee dogs enjoyed running around. Watched a barn owl fly past most evenings so great bonus. House is comfortable but has a few issues that don't make much difference over a week but in reality do need sorting out. Hot water does come eventually if you leave tap running but takes eternity. Lack of tumble dryer is inconvenient as we had our share of rain and yes, it has a washer dryer but these invariably are useless. The shower had broken rail holder (top and bottom) and the headset is poor and the holder is also broken and the water flow is very poor which I suspect is because of the head as it is a Mira Sport shower that are normally a good shower. I noticed in a review that a previous guest had left (in the folder) that they said the windows need cleaning as visibility was poor but I tried that and the problem is within the double glazing so in reality the windows need replacing and finally the door latch is stiff and difficult to operate

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• Pagan - Verified booking

  Had a wonderful stay at Shaw Cottage.

  We used it as a base whilst we were viewing properties in the area. Shame this place isn't for sale, we loved it! It has everything you need for a comfortable stay. We booked for two people but only one bed was made up when we arrived, so worth messaging beforehand if you need both rooms. Plenty of parking. The track to the house is a uneven but no issues if you go slow and steady (a very low car may have issues, as the description says, but I have a DS3 and it managed fine). Wonderful views from the garden. There are some area to the front that are blocked off as over grown but the lawn and parking grass areas were mowed nicely and the areas around the paths and patios were trimmed back. Lovely and peaceful place to sit out. The property does neighbour fields with livestock and there is plenty of wildlife around, we spotted many rabbits in the garden. I would recommend a long lead for dogs, so other animals are not worried and the don't enter the blocked off areas. Overal, we had a lovely time and hope to return.

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• Confirmed Guest - Verified booking

  Visited 21st - 28th September 2024. We loved our stay in Shelduck Cottage, having previously stayed in the cottage next door we knew what to expect but it was lovely to see the refurbishments to the property ie new bathroom and decoration throughout. The weather was kind so we could enjoy lots of time outdoors and great walks along the beach from both the reserve and local areas. Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Gatehouse of Fleet all within an easy drive. We visited Threave Castle and Gardens, the Camera Obscura and Dumfries Museum, visited the Ruthwell Cross an 8th centruy Anglo-Saxon cross, sat in the sunshine at Carsethorn and ate our picnic, bought beautiful fresh fish from Fleet Fish the mobile fish van. The kitchen was very well equipped a problem with the light was quickly sorted. We were warm, there was space for boots and coats. All in all a very comfortable stay.

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