Guests say
Sobrachan is a highly praised cottage, celebrated for its stunning views, elegant and modern facilities, and breathtaking gardens. Guests appreciate the tranquil, rural setting and the attentive, helpful host. The property's spaciousness and comfort, alongside the well-equipped kitchen and accessibility features, contribute to a memorable stay. While some minor issues are noted, the overwhelming sentiment is one of satisfaction and a desire to return.
Most guests find Sobrachan clean and well-maintained, contributing to a comfortable stay. However, a few guests noted areas where cleanliness could be improved, such as cobwebs and dust in certain spots. These instances seem to be exceptions rather than the norm.
The cottage's location is highly praised for its peace, tranquility, and stunning lochside views. The remote setting is appreciated for its natural beauty and wildlife, although the distance to shops and the single track road access are noted.
Guests consistently report that the beds are comfortable and the house is warm and inviting. Some guests felt that additional seating in the lounge would enhance comfort for larger groups.
The property's facilities, including the kitchen and hot tub, are generally well-received. However, some guests mention the need for maintenance and updates, such as the dishwasher and some kitchen equipment. The gardens and outdoor activities are a highlight.
While guests mention receiving a welcome hamper and the host's helpfulness, there is not enough information to determine if such gestures are consistent across all stays. Therefore, while the host's thoughtfulness is noted, it cannot be guaranteed for future guests.
About this property
Kilmartin 10 miles. This luxurious, modern house overlooks unspoilt Loch Awe and mountain Ben Cruachan. It's a unique opportunity to get away from it all, in the utmost comfort. Sobrachan also has a private, ten-acre semi-landscaped woodland garden, with streams, waterfalls, decorative bridges, and even a suspension bridge across its gorge, offering magnificent views down to the loch and Ben Cruchan beyond. Far from the traffic and bustle of daily life, there are glorious forest, river and hill walks from the doorstep, and the loch itself is under half a mile away. In this fairytale location, Sobrachan is finished to the highest of standards, making it an ideal stay for families, groups and couples who want a thoroughly relaxing break in one of the area's most well-appointed holiday homes.
There is a large, fully equipped utility room with washer and dryer, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, supplementing a separate kitchen prep area with induction hob, two ovens and large fridge, overlooking the vast open-plan space that forms the main area of the house. There are also three different dining areas: the informal breakfast bar, perfect for drinks and snacks, a comfortable, scrubbed pine kitchen table, and the formal dining area with its exquisite antique Hepplewhite table and chairs. There is also a large open-plan lounge area, with a two huge corner sofas, a cosy wood-burning stove, large flatscreen TV and a wide array of DVDs, games and books to enjoy.
Guests can even have a sing-along (or musicians can gather safe in the knowledge they won't be disturbing anyone) with a fabulous antique grand piano resting underneath the staircase. This eco-friendly house is beautifully illuminated by natural light as the walls boast floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing astounding views of the loch, mountains, and garden in every season. Sobrachan offers five zip/link bedrooms providing flexible sleeping for guests, while four of the bedrooms host immaculate en-suites and the fifth is right next to the bathroom. The Master suite has its own dressing room, floor length windows overlooking the loch, and a bath. All bathrooms have generously proportioned raindance showers.
Outside, there is decking with comfortable seating for a pre-dinner drink or lunch on the terrace. From Sobrachan, some of Scotland's most beautiful destinations are easily accessible. Historic Rannoch Moor and Glencoe is an hour away, the Tayvallich peninsula with sweeping views of Jura, and Kilmory beach, perfect for bracing walks and sealife-spotting boat tours are all ideal days out, while the charming harbour town of Oban, with regular ferries to the Western isles, is a 36 mile drive. The nearest pub can be found in Kilmartin, along with an ancient church, museum and coffee shop. On way are historic Carnassarie castle, standing stones and bronze age cup and ring marks.
Slightly further afield is the small but appealing town of Lochgilphead, with a variety of places to shop and eat. The Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is also nearby, providing even more incredible scenery and opportunities for walking, cycling and wildlife spotting. Sobrachan is a spectacular house in a peaceful, historic and stunningly beautiful area of Scotland. EPC Rating: Band A
Kilmartin sits at the heart of Kilmartin Glen in Argyll and Bute. It is home to a church, pub, castle and the Kilmartin House Museum with a café and craft shop. The town of Lochgilphead is 8 miles away, offering cafés and shops. Close by is Crinan Canal, surrounded by the scenery of Argyll and Bute. There are walks throughout the area from Kilmichael Forest, to Port Ann and Dunardry. A trip to the Scottish Beaver Trail in Knapdale Forest provides a family day out, plus the fishing village of Tarbert gives you superb access to all the ferry points across Kintyre that travel to Gigha, Arran, Islay and Portavadie.
EPC Rating: Band AAccommodation
Five bedrooms: 1 x ground floor super king-size zip/link (can be twin on request), 1 x first floor king-size zip/link (can be twin on request) with en-suite bathroom with separate shower, basin and WC, 1 x first floor king-size zip/link (can be twin on request) with en-suite bathroom with separate shower, basin, bath, and WC, 2 x first floor super king-size zip/link (can be twin on request) with shared Jack-and-Jill en-suite shower, basin and WC.
Ground floor shower room with a basin and WC (adjacent to ground floor bedroom).
Open plan living area with kitchen, island breakfast bar, large kitchen table, dining area and sitting area with a woodburning stove.
Large utility room.
Carport and separate garage.
Eco underfloor heating, woodburning stove.
Electric 5 zone induction hob, 2 x electric ovens, 2 x fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs.
Fuel, power and starter pack for stove included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Two highchairs and travel cots available on request.
Ample off road parking.
Decking with furniture.
Hot tub available from Saturday to Friday morning, it will be drained and cleaned on the Friday afternoon, ready for the next booking.
Sorry, no pets and no smoking.
Pub 10 miles, shops, supermarkets, garage, restaurants 16 miles.
Note: The property has an open-tread staircase.
Note: This property has a private water supply.
Reviews (72)
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Mandy
Super warm and cozy. Excellent facilities and utensils for creating a Christmas dinner for 8/10 people. Stunning grounds. Very helpful and accommodating owner. Thank you Andrew!
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Susan
We were extremely dissatisfied with the overall cleanliness and maintenance, which fell below our expectations. The photographs and ratings on the website were our primary source of information when choosing this property, and unfortunately, they do not reflect the actual state of the house. Specifically, we encountered several issues that were both unexpected and unacceptable given the 5-star rating. Cleanliness: Upon arrival, we found an unacceptable amount of cobwebs throughout the property, which appear to have been in place for a significant amount of time. Additionally, there was a thick layer of dust on door frames and light fixtures. The walls particularly in the bathrooms, were grimey in appearance. Although some of the property had been cleaned i.e. flooring, showers, hot tub and worksurfaces, it is evident that much of the property hasn't been thoroughly cleaned for a very long time. Maintenance Issues: There are broken tiles in the utility room floor. While we understand that replacing them might be challenging, we believe they could be filled with a composite material to make the area safe and sanitary. The property is in much need of decorating especially the bathrooms and kitchen island. Kitchen Equipment: The kettle, which we were informed is only 2 months old, is not fit for purpose and the toaster is broken. Moreover, both the cutting board and bread board were in a poor condition and pose a health hazard. We are extremely disappointed, as we booked a property advertised as 5-star rated with an overall rating of 4.8. For "accuracy of listing" it gets 9.8 and for "cleanliness" 9.6, which are hard to believe. Based on our experience, we would be hard-pressed to rate the property above a 4/10 for cleanliness alone. We feel that the cost does not reflect the state of the property or the experience we were sold and expected. To note, the owner did acknowledge that the cobwebs were unacceptable and agreed to return later to clean. He did return and spent nearly two hours cleaning the property. While some improvements were made, 2 hours wasn't long enough to clean the property to an acceptable standard. It is also worth mentioning that there are no cleaning products provided in the propertyâno bleach, cloths, or other necessary supplies. The nearest store is about an hour away, which further complicated our ability to address these issues ourselves. These issues not only disrupted our first evening but also impacted the majority of our first full day. The lack of cleanliness, maintenance concerns, and the overall inconvenience have significantly affected our experience. However, it has to be said that the property itself is to be commended. It's a beautifully designed house in an outstanding location and the gardens are amazing. We like isolation and this has it in spades. We stayed over Christmas/New Year and therefore paid a premium but our experience unfortunately didn't match what we expected.
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Benjamin
The house was beautiful and we loved exploring the amazing garden - weâve never seen one like it! Andrew was incredibly kind and helpful, especially in accommodating Annaâs health needs, and we couldnât recommend the experience highly enough.