Holiday Cottages In Kingussie

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Sam - Verified booking

  The Larches is undoubtedly a property with a unique charm and bags of character in a stunning location.

  However its a real shame that we can’t publish the photos as part of this review, as this property was extremely unclean and unhygenic. Blood stained bedding, torn mattresses and pillowcases, rusting kitchen utensils, dirt on floors and the bedding hadn’t been changed from the previous guests who departed the morning of our arrival. We spent the first 2 days washing and drying the bedding and had to buy new baking trays and a frying pan from the Tesco supermarket. One of the bedrooms we didn’t even use because there was dried blood stained into the mattress itself. The property is nothing like the photos on the Sykes website, all of the upholstery is tired, grubby, worn and run down. We’ve complained to Sykes who say they can’t help us despite confirming that the photos we have submitted show the property is clearly unclean and has obvious issues (the owner apparently doesn’t think that blood stains and bodily fluid stains on mattresses are a hygiene/cleanliness issue). The property has a small guest book, I note that cleanliness was mentioned several times and that several pages have been ripped out so clearly feedback isn’t taken particularly well with regards to this property. A real shame as the location is stunning and the property has bags of character, quite simply it just hasn’t been looked after and needs a thorough deep clean and restoration work throughout. I paid £914 for 4 nights and I can honestly say I feel genuinely wronged about the experience, this was a special trip for us and the state/hygiene of the property impacted our ability to enjoy our time there. After seeing the photos, Sykes informed us we should receive a refund and that the owner had agreed to this - but then Sykes messaged us again a few days later saying there has been an error and no refund has been agreed ? Very strange and confusing, our experience with Sykes has been staggeringly poor. I reluctantly write this review as I had hoped our feedback and complaint submitted to the owner via Sykes would be dealt with seriously and the owner recognise that our photographs and account constitute a breach of section 8.1 of the hire agreement, sadly the owner has failed to recognise this. I can only suggest that anyone considering coming here gets an assurance prior to booking this accommodation that it has had all bedding updated and replaced and a deep clean given throughout. We are in the process of escalating further - if the owner would like to reach out to us directly to amicably discuss the condition of the property and our stay, we would be happy to have this discussion.

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• David - Verified booking

  Garden was excellent my dog loved it.

  The kids 3 kids all had a great time they loved the garden the space and the toys left for them to play with especially the little kitchen. There are a few maintenance issues that require attention the plugs in sinks are all faulty and don't come out the chain is missing of the bath plug which is equally hard to come out. The broken spindle on the stairs is a hazard for the young children going up and down stairs. The sofas and bed downstairs are all too low and not suitable for older members of group who couldn't get up and down from them the sofas are due to age and wear but the downstairs bed is a very low type which doesn't make it ideal as it is perfect for people stating in groups to locate those who can't use the stairs. The kitchen was very well equipped had everything we could possibly need and more. However again first impressions was the loose door falling off on the most used cupboard for the plates and bowls etc. We were very unlucky with the weather however it did not ruin our stay and the house property was very good overall the lack of a TV expect the small one in living room was good for encouraging the family to sit around the large dining table and in the conservatory which is where we spent most of our time in the house with the double sided fire keeping everyone warm and relaxing to watch. The location is quiet and away from main roads to really relax but yet only a five minute drive from a kingussie coop if odds and ends needed and ideally placed to explore Aviemore and the surrounding area. We would definetly consider staying again and looking at other sykes cottages properties

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• Alexis - Verified booking

  We arrived at 5pm and could not unlock the key storage due to a change in code we were not updated on.

  The rental property did not have the new code and notified me they’d contact the owner. Thankfully, the owner’s number was in a book at the cottage and I was able to reach out myself after not hearing back from the rental company. The owner called back a few hours later with the new code and was very nice and apologetic. We never heard from the rental company. The clean was okay - there were quite a few crumbs left on the floors and trash in some of the baskets. The downstairs toilet was a bit wobbly, but no major maintenance concerns to note. The owner asked us to leave the heat on due to a bad valve that’s in the process of being repaired - we did not have heat issues during our stay. The written directions provided to access the property were a little confusing, but Apple Maps got us there perfectly. The location was beautiful and the cottage itself was very nice.

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• Leah - Verified booking

  We had a fabulous week at The Larches.

  The house was beautiful and set in an amazing location. The conservatory was bathed in sunlight in the morning with amazing views over the mountains. The log shed was well stocked and we made use of this on chilly evenings. The bedrooms were all lovely and the kitchen had everything we could need. The activities and walks on offer in the area were fantastic and we only touched the surface. We climbed Cairngorm Mountain, paddleboarded on the stunning Loch Morlaich, went mountain biking at Laggan Wolftrax and had an amazing day at the Highland Wildlife Park. A few small points to make The Larches even better for next time: One bedroom door wouldn't close fully and a clothes horse for wet things would have been useful. We would highly recommend The Larches and would love to come back. Thankyou so much.

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• Ashleigh - Verified booking

  This property was amazing, and perfect for the purposes of our stay.

  It was set in a beautiful location and there was lots a or room for all 10 of us. It was also fully stocked with plates and cups etc, which you don’t always get when you go away. We brought extra amenities but didn’t need them all all! The only thing I would say is it probably isn’t great for 10 adults as the bunk bed room is tiny and the beds creaky and didn’t feel too safe for the weight or an adult. Two of us had to sleep on sofas which wasn’t great. I’d say it’s absolutely perfect for 8 adults and two kids though because the toys and books in the bunk bed room were great!

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