Creag Bhalg - Mar Lodge Estate

16 Customer Reviews

• "Lovely spacious traditional property in an amazing setting."

  We loved the big living room and the very spacious bedrooms. Furniture and fittings a bit dated but that doesn't take from a really great property. Only complaint was no directions to find the actual house once the key had been collected at Mar Lodge. Others have made this complaint so can't understand why it has not been remedied.

  Wed have asked the team to look again at the directions to the 2 houses on the estate. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Marion4.4★Nov 2023

• "This is a beautiful property in a stunning location."

  As others have said, it’s not easy to find from the directions, nor to be sure you’re in the right place, as there is no signage or name anywhere, so we went with a Prince Charming approach of finding out whether the key fitted the door. However, once you are there the views are fantastic and it’s a great place for access to the outdoors. The bedrooms are lovely, the en suite facilities brilliant, the warm drying room was much used this week and in general this is a really nice place to stay. On the minor downside, the lounge seating is rather tired and a bit uncomfortable to sit on and it would have been good to have had outdoor furniture for the few hours to enjoy the views from the covered outdoor area. The blocked drain mentioned by other reviewers is really quite noisy when it rains. There are a few more serious niggles though; the cooker lighting button didn’t work and no alternative lighting option was provided, the dishwasher made dishes dirtier rather than cleaner and when two of the automated fire doors started beeping and we removed their batteries as instructed, no one came to replace them after we called and left a message. I’ve stayed at properties on this estate before so I knew it might be difficult to find or contact staff and so it proved. Despite these issues (and the suboptimal weather!), we really enjoyed our stay revisiting the surrounding area and I’m sure we’ll be back. Next time we’ll make sure to pack matches.

  Thank you for your feedback and we have responded directly to you as well. We have had problems getting an engineer to come and look at the ignition on the hob and he doesn't have a part that will fit, as you probably know the hob is an unusual size so we will supply a long clicker lighter. We should have done this sooner. The dishwasher was relatively new but we have replaced it today. Our estates team will deal with the guttering and down pipe. We are sorry that you had these inconveniences and look forward to welcoming you back to Mar Lodge. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Kim4.1★Oct 2023

• "We loved the location of Creag Bhalg and had a wonderful few days exploring and watching wildlife."

  Our main concern was the complete lack of signage. We found it, and were stood at the property not sure that it was right even then. I had to go and ask the neighbour (one of your staff) before I was sure. As you would imagine, we spent many hours out on the covered veranda with binoculars. The lack of any outside furniture made this less comfortable. Bedrooms one and three have creaky floors. This did affect the guests in bedroom two. There is also no bread knife or fish slice in evidence. All of these are minor tweaks. It is a wonderful lodge and we will attempt to return as the area is just amazing. Thank you for a lovely stay.

  Thank you for your feedback and we are going to look at the directions we supplied to Sykes to see if we can improve them. We have asked the Housekeepers to check the kitchen inventory. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Fraser4.4★Oct 2023

• "Lovely cottage luxury bit hard yo find and modern water system could not use so ..."

  Lovely cottage luxury bit hard yo find and modern water system could not use so three days without water in bedrooms would be good if water has on for guests arriving not everyone can work modern technology but the scenery was superb and the the cottage was stunning would definitely go back if water left on for us

  Thank you for your feedback. We had a large flood at Creag Bhalg in 2022 which affected some bedrooms and bathrooms. A new system to stop any leaks or bursts was fitted since then. Unfortunately this system still needs some adjustment and the company that installed it are coming up to fine tune it the system. we are sorry for the inconvenience. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Michael4.4★Sep 2023

• "The listing states that the heating is electric."

  It is actually gas. The house is very well appointed. Pre-covid a group of us used to visit every year. We had not been for three years and the house is still in good condition and has not changed. We had a very enjoyable stay, thank you.

  Reviewed by Walter4.7★Nov 2022

• "Beautiful property let down only by the lack of garden maintenance but that did not detract from our enjoyment of our holiday."

  Cleaner than anyone has any right to expect, comfortable with pretty much everything you might need. Internet brilliant, much improved from last year. Perfect location if you like outdoor activities such as cycling or hiking. And the views are magnificent. Love it.

  Reviewed by Allison5.0★Oct 2022

• "A great base and a fab time."

  Had stayed in Mar Lodge itself twice before,first time in a cottage there. Would def return. Wonderful walks on the doorstep, Braemar and Ballater easy to access for provisions, entertainments and swimming at Hilton in Ballater. Better directions would help- Mar Lodge reception is at the back of the lodge and not obvious and no signs to cottages at all but very friendly helpful staff if they are around.Couple of small issues with the house- 2 end bedrooms never seemed to get warm. Gutters drip a lot. Needs a bread knife in kitchen!

  Reviewed by Bernie4.7★Oct 2022

• "Pleasant property in beautiful situation ."

  Grounds very untidy and unkept. Gutters needing cleaned, rain water flooding out. No instructions given for actual site of property . A couple of chairs for sitting outside would have been appreciated. Excellent kitchen and bedrooms very comfortable.. Instruction booklet very helpful . We enjoyed our stay very much. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Sheila3.8★Jun 2022

• "Very comfortable property made it a home from home very relaxing, fantastic ..."

  Very comfortable property made it a home from home very relaxing, fantastic views,fabulous walks straight from the house just a special place

  Reviewed by Cheryl5.0★Apr 2022

• "Perfect for a peaceful and tranquil vacation, no light pollution, pedestrian footfall or vehicle disturbance."

  Thank you for your comments, we are very lucky at NTS to have such unique properties and estates in our portfolio. Plenty of scope for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Robert4.7★Apr 2022

• "The property was beautiful but in need of few general repairs."

  1 the gutter outside the bedrooms dripped very badly that some slabs on the veranda wobbled and need set in again. 2 the settee was very old and flat in the living room and needs replaced. 3 the very end bedroom was the coldest room in the house and we thought the heating didn’t reach this room. Perhaps an air lock? 4 the fridge freezer had a leak an old towel was underneath it to catch drips. The bedrooms were super cosy and comfortable, the fact that repairs are required did not hinder our holiday we all loved it, so thank you.

  Reviewed by Angela4.7★Oct 2021

• "This property is so welcoming and comfortable that we never felt like strangers inhabiting someone else’s house."

  So much so that we have booked it for next year. One of the most impressive things was the availability and quantity of piping hot water. There was always more than enough to provide baths and showers for 8 people. All of the minor problems we had were dealt with quickly and efficiently. Remember that Creag Bhalg is in the middle of the highlands and internet and phone reception isn’t always the best. All of the outdoor activities we love are right on the doorstep, literally. We only took the car out to go to the shops.

  Reviewed by Allison4.7★Sep 2021

• "Absolutely superb location for all age groups the only niggle which didn't bother myself was the variability of the broadband connection, however the peace and tranquility more than compensated for the need to use the Internet a fantastic location."

  Reviewed by Robert4.7★Sep 2021

• "Absolutely wonderful, this is our second visit and hopefully not the last."

  many thx

  Reviewed by Jamal5.0★Sep 2021

• "The electrics played up a bit."

  The accommodation was great.

  Reviewed by Richard3.8★Aug 2021

• "It's the fifth time we have stayed in Creag Bhalg and hope to be back next year."

  Views, log fires, general comfort all wonderful as ever. It would be good if the wifi could be improved... ps: I left three bird feeders on the trees beside the lodge. They attracted lots of birds - I hope they are maintained.

  We look forward to welcoming you back again. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Donald4.7★Jul 2021

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