Guests say
Bankswood Cottage is praised for its peaceful rural location, beautiful views, spacious and well-equipped kitchen, and secure garden ideal for dogs and families. Guests enjoyed the comfortable beds, cosy lounges, and proximity to local attractions such as castles and nature reserves. While the cottage offers a relaxing retreat with abundant wildlife, some guests noted areas needing attention, including minor maintenance, deeper cleaning, and updates to garden furniture. Overall, the property provides a tranquil and comfortable base for exploring the Dumfries area.
Most guests found the cottage generally clean and tidy, but several mentioned issues such as dust under beds, mould in the bathroom, and some kitchen items needing washing before use. A few reviews suggested the property would benefit from a more thorough deep clean.
The location is highly praised for its tranquillity, scenic views, and proximity to nature reserves, castles, and Dumfries. Guests appreciated the peaceful setting and secure garden, though a few noted it is a little remote for those seeking amenities nearby.
Guests consistently highlighted the comfortable beds, warm lounges, and spacious living areas. The cottage layout suits families and groups, with two living rooms and a secure garden. Some found the lounge furniture a bit low, but overall comfort was rated highly.
The cottage is well-equipped with modern appliances, a log burner, and ample kitchenware, but several guests noted maintenance issues such as loose toilet seats, broken garden furniture, and minor repairs needed. Some suggested improvements like a larger fridge and better outdoor seating.
Guests appreciated the provision of essentials like dishwasher tablets, soap, and laundry liquid. However, there were no mentions of welcome gifts or hampers, and some guests suggested a welcome pack would be a nice touch. Please note that gifts are not guaranteed.
About this property
Perfectly situated to explore this wonderful area by car, bike or on foot, and the Mabie Forest mountain bike tracks are close by.. All on the
Ground Floor:
Open plan living space.
Living area: Smart TV, Bluray Player, Woodburner
Dining area: Patio Doors Leading To Garden
Kitchen area: Electric Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Dishwasher, Washing Machine, Tumble Dryer
Bedroom 1: Double (4ft 6in) Bed
Bedroom 2: Double (4ft 6in) Bed
Bedroom 3: 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Bathroom: Bath, Toilet
Shower Room: Cubicle Shower, Toilet.
Eco central heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi included. Fuel for wood burner included. Travel cot and highchair available on request. . Enclosed lawned garden with patio, garden furniture and summerhouse. Private parking for 3 cars. No smoking. Please note: There are slopes and drops in the garden.. This delightfully situated, detached, holiday cottage has been renovated to a very good standard and is located within the national scenic area. It stands within a secluded garden and enjoy a delightful patio area within the walled area of the garden. The cottage, which is near Caerlaverock Castle, adjoins the famous Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve and is only ¼ mile from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and, just down the road is the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve made famous by BBC’s ‘Autumnwatch’. The county town of Dumfries is a short drive away providing a wide range of shops and places of interest. It makes an ideal base for exploring this wonderful area either by car, cycle or on foot and the Mabie Forest mountain bike tracks are close by, whilst the scenic Caerlaverock Estate has a network of paths to enjoy on the doorstep. Close to excellent salmon fishing on the River Nith and wildfowling on the National Nature Reserve. There are several excellent golf courses in the area including the championship course at Southerness. There are wonderful views over the Solway Coast towards the Lake District. The garden is well stocked having roses, shrubs and mature trees. Visit one of the three tearooms within 5 miles.
We also own Gullsway House, 2 miles from Bankswood that sleeps 9 people should you require a further property for additional guests.
Free WiFi
For all properties at Caerlaverock Cottages - All 5 properties can be booked together some of them are not all in same location. Blossom 27754, Hollins 29591 & Keepers 31312 are all on same road close to each other, Bankswood 31292 & Rowan UK5342 are 1 mile away. An additional cottage UK5343, Fishermans is 3 miles away.
There are steps or steep slopes in the garden.
Suitable for up to 2 pets
Reviews (18)
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Confirmed Guest
What a location and layout of the garden. The kids loved it. Highlight for For some was the kitchen dining area with the expansive doors/windows. 2 adverse comments relate to previous occupants not picking dog poo up 5 found. 2 gardeners appeared on 2nd last day and hacked the vegetation leaving gorse, briar, rose stems and berberis cuttings lying .a quick rake would have cleared them. The kids had been running about in bare feet or socks.
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Confirmed Guest
This was our second stay in this lovely property. Safe and secure for our two dogs. The property is not very near to any other properties and it is ideal for people who like perfect peace and quiet
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Confirmed Guest
We had a lovely week in a stunning part of the country. The views are amazing, the property is a great size, and all of the beds were really comfortable. The directions provided were clear, the secure garden and driveway were ideal for our dogs, and we were lucky enough to see lots of wonderful wildlife during our stay.Unfortunately, the cottage itself would really benefit from some attention and a more thorough clean. A number of the issues we experienced had also been mentioned in previous reviews, so it seems they have been outstanding for some time.On arrival, the handle on the twin bedroom door came away as soon as we opened it, meaning the door couldn’t be closed properly for the whole week. We had to use the door wedge from the lounge to stop it closing completely and prevent anyone from accidentally becoming trapped inside. The toilet seats were loose, there was mould around the shower screen and on the wooden bath shelf, and some kitchen items, including the cheese grater and a few bowls, needed washing before we could use them. Also one of the bath towels had a dark brown stain on it but had clearly been washed 😬The kitchen inventory also seemed a little inconsistent. There were over ten dinner plates but only four side plates, two bread knives and a few steak knives, but no general cooking knife suitable for preparing meat or vegetables.The hallway light flickered constantly unless the bathroom light was left switched on. When we contacted the owner, we were told the bulb probably needed changing but there were no spare bulbs available in the cottage.Flies were also a real issue in the kitchen. We used an entire can of fly spray during the week, but because of the warm weather we needed to keep the back door open. A fly screen on the back door would make a huge difference, as flies were constantly landing on the worktops and dining table. At the same time, the lack of blinds or curtains on the doors, windows and Velux windows meant the property became extremely hot in temperatures over 20°C.A few smaller touches would also improve the experience, such as a doormat by the back door to reduce dried grass being walked into the house and providing more than one dishcloth for a week’s stay.We genuinely wanted to love this cottage because the location and surroundings are absolutely beautiful, and it has so much potential. None of the issues ruined our holiday, but together they did detract from what could have been an exceptional stay. It simply feels like this lovely cottage needs someone to spend a weekend giving it some much-needed TLC and addressing the maintenance issues that previous guests have also highlighted.