The Clamshell

Brilliant week of weather, 23-28 degrees with no rain what so ever.

Very relaxing week with the star of the week being our drive down the Ayrshire coast road to Stranraer from Ayr...class. Creetown's jems worth a visit also. Anti-clockwise 500 next, wish us luck

Great location with sitting room overlooking the harbour.

Good safe parking. Accommodation very well equipped and thoughtfully laid out. Host was very welcoming and gave useful guidance to local walks and facilities such as pubs for eating and shops. My mobile (Giffgaff) did not have signal and there was no internet at the property (but available in pub next door). I have an electric car. Nearest charger is in Whithorn village about 4 miles away, but only a slow charger 10kw. There are 2 electric car chargers in the complex car park but both private and so not available to Clam bookings. Having internet in the flat and car charger access in the car park would have made a great stay absolutely perfect!

Clean, Comfortable, Convenient and Charming host.

Couldn't be better for our break. Many thanks.

The property is situated in a lovely place with a great view.

Everything in the apartment worked well and it was perfect for my stay. Property owner was friendly and helpful, but not intrusive. Many thanks

Excellent,well maintained and furnished property with great outlook over harbour and short walk to sea view towards Isle of Man.

Pub next door (but no late night noise) and excellent community cafe and shop. Friendly and informative owner,Jannine,on hand a couple of dots away. Highly recommended.

Such a lovely, warm welcome from Jannine to an immaculately maintained apartment with absolutely fantastic views over the quaint harbour and beyond, especially at sunset!

Coupled with the relaxing sounds of bird songs, what more can one ask for? Very reluctant to leave after a week's stay and will plan to return soon! Please convey our warmest thanks!

A lovely apartment, well appointed, clean and tidy.

We had a very relaxing week and will certainly be returning as there is a lot to see and do in the area. Highly recommended.

The Clamshell was perfect for our needs and exactly as described.

The views from the front windows were beautiful. Although next door to the pub, there was no noise or disturbance. The kitchen had everything we needed and the bed was comfortable. There was plenty of hot water for showers/baths etc. The pub staff were friendly and the food excellent. The cafe/shop was also ideal, with helpful, friendly staff

Very clean, comfortable apartment with glorious views.

The owners even bought us a anniversary card when they found out we were celebrating our golden wedding. Good selection of tourist information available. Amazing value! Excellent pub nearby which offers good real ales and delicious food with friendly staff. A good, community run cafe which sells delicious cakes also in the village.

Very clean and tidy and situated in a lovely spot by the harbour.

Downside no mobile phone signal,and no wifi in the property itself.We left a day early due to bad weather and being a bank holiday lots of places were closed or not serving food.

Perfect location within Isle of Whithorn - elevated view over the bay, private access direct to the headland, private semi-sheltered area, next to popular dining pub but no noise or hassle.

Flat appeared brand new, but nice character, easy to live in, spacious bathroom, comfortable bed, ample storage. Nice living room, lots of good books and DVDs. Only comment would be TV a bit small, as per photos, and frying pan a bit thin, else perfect.

Lovely holiday flat in a great location.

Very friendly area. Great restaurant/ pub next door and fabulous community shop and cafe nearby.

Great location right on the harbour.

Everything we needed was there in the apartment for a lovely weeks stay. The bed was comfy. There was nothing at all to fault. Right next door to a great pub - the Steam Packet, who have a microbrewery, so an enjoyable week tasting all their brews in a really friendly environment. Food there was excellent too, so we didn’t cook much ourselves! Local cafe also a short walk away. There is no WiFi in the apartment but that let us totally disconnect for a really relaxing break. (Pub had WiFi when needed). We had our last swims of the year just round the headland in a lovely secluded cove. Thanks Janinne, we will be back x

Attention to detail is fab Only thing to make it perfect would be a mirror near a socket Advice from the owner about walks and things in local area was spot on Fabulous stay Thank you

This property was exactly as advertised and fully met our expectations.

Its location made it perfect for touring the area and provided a great place to which to return each evening, particularly as the pub is next door and serves excellent food along with a very well stocked bar. The addition of allocated off street parking was another bonus. We would have no hesitation in recommending this property and will return to it ourselves at some point.

This holiday let is situated in a wonderful area,quiet very relaxing and welcoming.

The flat its self has a wonderful harbor view and a pub/restaurant next door and a village cafe within walking distance. There are many activities in the harbor canoeing,paddle boarding ,sailing walking and cycling are also popular. The flat is comfortable and clean. A super holiday thank you.

Property was very clean and comfortable no complaints, general area is very remote only pub is Steam packet inn which I would not recommend due to lack of competition.

The friendly, helpful owner is on site and the location is excellent.

Th apartment is well sited and has a lovely view over the harbour, with its ever changing scenes as the tide comes in and out and the local swans and cows move around.

However we didn't see a single boat enter or leave while we were there so we don't understand why it is described it as a working harbour. The headland close by was lovely. There is no Wifi, so it was impossible for us to book and pay for our onward accommodation. Poor phone signal inside the property.

Great stay .

Beutiful location and a view over the harbour is the icing on the cake.

Lovely property, brilliant location.

Booked to go again.

A personal welcome from the owner a lovely, and helpful touch, the Clamshell was better than the photos, and there was everything you needed, without extra clutter.

The games, books, and maps and local information available inside the lobby door were a bonus too, and helped us make the most of the area during a short visit. We definitely hope to return.

Ideal location, clean comfortable property with good parking.

Very good pub next door

Beautiful property with stunning views.

Accommodation was spotlessly clean. Coffee, tea, milk and biscuits on arrival are a lovely thought. DVD's, books, jigsaws and tourist information in the foyer made a lovely addition. Property owner was really helpful and very friendly. The whole experience was simply superb.

Excellent location by the sea

An excellent, clean, modern and well maintained apartment with wonderful harbour views.

Very well sited for local restaurants with the nearby inn and village hall facilities and for local walks. Lots to do and visit if you have a car. Travelling west via Port William, the coastal scenery is stunning and Loch Ryan (a birdwatcher's paradise), beautiful Portpatrick and the Mull of Galloway are easily reached. Heading north we found the mountains of the Galloway Forest Park. Lovely views of Loch Trool from Bruce's Stone and a starting point for heading up Merrick. Many small, interesting coastal villages (e.g. Garlieston, Wigtown & harbour) when heading east as far as Kirkcudbright. We generally visit Scotland for 2 or 3 weeks every year but head straight by this area on the M74 to the Cairngorms, the Highlands or the islands. For a change we decided to give the south west a go and had a truly wonderful stay and hope to visit the region again in the future. Many thanks Jannine for providing such a lovely base for us.

Sunshine on the Isle of Whithorn.

A glorious seven days of weather (last week in August) made even better by our harbourside apartment accommodation, The Clamshell, a compact but comfortable getaway where you could relax and watch the tide ebb and flow and the harbour itself spring into life as the water level raised. Across the water you could see the Lake District and the Isle of Mann without leaving the apartment. And there were wonderful coastal walks, a little challenging in places, in either direction - left towards Garlieston or right towards St Ninian's Cave (filmed in the 1973 British horror feature The Wicker Man). We loved watching seals, sketching the vistas and viewing fishermen clambering over rocks and perching precariously over the Solway Firth to catch pollack, wrasse, gurnard and mackerel. I knew I should have taken some gear. As well as a big thankyou to owner Janine, who gave us the local knowledge when we arrived, a mention also for the Steam Packet pub/hotel restaurant next door - yep, next door - for its cracking selection of locally brewed Five Kingdoms beer, its extremely good and well patronised restaurant and for those tables along the harbour side where you could relax and while away the afternoon and early evening over a pint.

really nice place to stay with fantastic walks around the headland and lovely views over the harbour would recomend to anyone ,the flat was very clean and jannine the owner very helpfull ,lovely comumity cafe and shop a few yards away and pub next door ,highly recomended.

Very nice apartment beautifully located on the harbour and next door to an excellent Inn.

Just one thing missing, no the weather was great for Scotland, my wife wears contact lenses and there was no were to put the toiletries needed. Will definitely be back.

We had a great holiday, such a lovely apartment and a place to explore.

Beautiful location, spotless accommodation, really friendly hosts, we loved it, if u want to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life & totally relax then this is the place, loads of local wildlife to see & lovely coastal walks,

Great location & views.

Accommodation welcoming.

Love the area views are breathtaking and accommodation was excellent.

There is no WiFi- Internet not great on Three but EE/Vodaphone works fine. Recommend take own portable router. Tv on the small side. One pub recommended, book first. One shop and coffee shop.

A bigger TV would be recommended other than that we were very happy and enjoyed our stay thoroughly

A very comfortable, equipped first floor apartment overlooking the harbour with views of amazing sunsets and a variety of birds.

The area is quiet with many walks, gardens and beaches to explore. A return visit is planned.

The location is absolutely fabulous.

Yes, it is 30 minutes North to get anywhere significant but there is enough locally to fill 4 or 5 lazy days. Host is friendly and available on site, but only if needed, otherwise we barely saw her. Lovely friendly and reasonable pub at Garlieston, and a nice cafe/tearoom and little shop in the community centre. A fantastic holiday and highly recommended.

Amazing location with beautiful views and sunsets.

Lovely well set-up apartment with wonderful pub and restaurant on the harbour.

We were pleasantly surprised by the accommodation and thought the photos did not do it full justice.

Lovely location and given brighter weather would have stayed our extra day. Happy to recommend

I would have no hesitation recommending this lovely flat situated in a lovely little village with amazing views plus the added bonus of having The Steam Packet Inn next door serving excellent food.

The St Ninian Tearoom and shop selling essentials and crafts is worth a visit. We were extremely lucky with weather thus able to take advantage of the many walks enjoying the scenery to advantage. Ideal for a break during these turbulent times. A special thanks for the welcome gift.

The location.

Great walks on the doorstep and within 1 hours drive; lots of local interest; and a micro brewery and real ale next door.

Although having received the generic email from Sykes just before our visit advising us about Covid precautions and what to expect - it was very good to speak to Janine on the phone.

She answered our concerns and reassured us with what she does - steam cleaning throughout. Although the flat is immediately adjacent to the pub this caused no disturbance - a pleasant surprise. The kitchen is well equipped - everything we needed for cooking from scratch - saucepans were brilliant. The bed and pillows surprisingly comfortable. Lovely outlook onto the harbour and an ideal location for walking and exploring the local area. Janine caught us as we arrived welcomed us andgave us some suggestions for local walks. Sorry we didn't see her to say goodbye.

Brilliant location.

Friendly people, Janine there if needed. Fantastic views over harbour when having breakfast

The owner had made sure the apartment was very clean so we felt safe in these Covid times.

Beautiful location with wonderful sunsets from the living room window.

We found the flat very suitable - nicely decorated, very clean (obviously Covid19 thought-through processes to keep everything very clean). Bed was very comfortable with good quality bed linen.

limited tv, no wifi at all.

...apart from those two things....brilliant.

It's a great location, lovely views.

Owner Janine very helpful. Clean an comfortable. Locals very friendly an welcoming. Good atmosphere in pub with staff. Good food in pub also.

Lovely clean, warm and cosy flat,even without any heating on.

We would endorse all the other positive reviews. A nice surprise was the wealth of activities and places to visit in the area. The Isle of Whithorn was charming and Jannine ,the owner of the Clamshell, made helpful suggestions for some coastal walks. Whithorn itself was also very interesting and a trip to the Story of Whithorn visitor centre was excellent. The town trail was enjoyable and the café at the visitor centre was a delight. We enjoyed the whole region, the views, the peace and quiet. A great week.

Janine the host was very formative explaining everything within the clamshell .

Also giving us pointers on where to visit during our stay . Would definitely recommend if your looking for a place to chill out and unwind , with the local pub next door serving excellent meals what more could you ask for .

A lovely apartment in a great location every thing you needed for a peaceful holiday.

The caretaker was friendly and very helpful and would certainly recommend these apartments for a restful break.

Lovely peaceful location.

Our apartment was immaculate. Great views of the harbour from the living room. Jannine Kelly the owner, is a lovely lady. Pub next door serves great food and real ale. Local shop has few supplies, so stock up prior to arrival. (Jannine did tell us about this, so it wasn't a problem)

Fantastic flat with everything you need.

Lovely views over harbour and some great walks nearby

Facilities excellent, exceptional and welcoming host exceeded all expectations!

Great holiday, was the first time we have used Sykes and will definitely use again The Owner Mrs Kelly.

was very friendly and helpful and everything was very clean in the flat Well stocked kitchen too

Very peaceful and better weather than the rest of the country was getting

Well presented and comfortable accommodation in a fantastic location with a very friendly and welcoming community

Clamshell is a cosy comfortable flat with marvellous views over the harbour.

The landlady is efficient and friendly and provided some useful bits and pieces, tea, milk etc to get us started. Thanks also for the information about the baby sealright on the harbour wall, the highlight of our stay.