Waters Edge

I’ll preface this by saying me & my partner were born and bred in the area but now live far away, we were visiting family for the week over new years and hoped this would be a relaxing space of our own - we were wrong.

I am also an ex professional cleaner so have a realistic understanding and knowledge of the standards expected. This by no stretch means I am a clean freak or expect it to be absolutely sparkling - just basic clean & hygiene would’ve been good! Upon arriving at the property, we found the “off road parking” to be a generous term for a tiny & awkward spot right at the bottom of the steps leading to the house, squashed between awkward walls and wheelie bins. On first look, the house is easily the scruffiest on the street and stands out like a sore thumb which is a shame as that particular road is one of, if not the nicest in Stranraer. Weeds litter the path on your way to the door and the “wraparound patio” is another extremely generous term for some slabs with old rickety wooden furniture on it. The first thing I did upon entering the home was open the fridge to unload some shopping, I noticed it was a bit crumby inside so grabbed paper towels & a cleaning spray found below the sink and gave it a wipe out, no big issue, these things sometimes are overlooked accidentally. Next I went to put some items in the bread bin and again found it was crumby inside, so I wiped it clean myself. I then went to put some rubbish in the kitchen bin to find there was already rubbish in the bottom of it. This got me curious, so I just decided to check under the appliances on the countertops - there were crumbs there too & under the basin in the sink also. Not a great start to the holiday but I was not going to let it spoil things, I cleaned all the messes myself. Although it did make me question the cleanliness of the crockery etc in the kitchen, so I decided to use the dishwasher to clean a small amount of plates, cups, cutlery etc to use that night as it was now almost 5pm - only to find smelly, stagnant water in the bottom of the machine and mildew on the inside because of said water. I ran the dishwasher on the hottest cycle with a tab to clean it, not letting all of the above ruin the start to our holiday. That was until I went into the downstairs bathroom. I don’t have many words for this room apart from disgusting. It had NOT been cleaned. There was dirt and hair in the shower tray, soap scum on the plastic, mould and mildew on the tiles, unmentionable hairs around the base of the toilet, hair in the bath, hair in the sink, toilet paper stuck into the pedestal mat (which is unhygienic to have anyway, never mind in a holiday let and never mind unwashed!). Again, being optimistic, I got some bleach and a scrubbing sponge from the cupboard and got to work. My young son had to bathe in there that night and me and my partner needed to wash after a 5 hour travel. I removed the dirty pedestal mat and bath mat. Unfortunately, things only got even worse (if that’s possible) in the upstairs bathroom. Again, hair was the biggest issue in this house. Then the most vile plug hole I’ve ever encountered in the shower, urine on the floor by the toilet, dirty streaks in the bath. I quickly decided I was NOT cleaning this, as I was sick of it this point. I decided we wouldn’t need to use this bathroom for the week and just shut the door on it. Not convinced any of this place had been cleaned between guests now, I checked the beds downstairs we were supposed to sleep in that night. You guessed it, hairs. Dog or human, who knows what! One of the beds looked like someone had slept in it, there were obvious dips and wrinkles in the bottom sheet on top of the mattress. Still being the person that I am (and an ex holiday let cleaner in my teenage years) I decided to look in the cupboards for some clean linen to change the beds myself. Like I said, I’ve a young son with a bedtime and we’d been travelling all day. I did find linens in the cupboard, however, they were not clean and covered in hair, not shocked or surprised at this point I put them back where I found them and decided it was time to call Sykes. Sykes dealt with my call quickly and put me on hold whilst they contacted the owner, the owner said they’d come and resolve the issue. We waited around 2-3 hours before the owner arrived along with the “cleaner”. This encounter was nothing short of bizarre. I took both of them around the house to point out all the issues and showed them ‘before’ photographs of the dirt I’d already had to clean myself. Neither seemed shocked or even apologetic, barely saying a word in fact. Note - the cleaner did attempt to whisper something to me along the lines of “I can tell you what happened here” and then that she’s “new to this place” - bizarre. They both claimed it had been cleaned of course and that the linen on the beds were fresh, however, they offered to change the bedsheets for us - to which I asked with what sheets, the spare ones in the cupboard that I’ve just told and showed you are also hairy? Yes those sheets was the reply. I was literally in shock and shaking at this point. I left and went into the lounge whilst they “cleaned”, they gave ZERO explanation for the filth. After about 20 minutes, the owner took me back around the house to show me that they’d “cleaned” and hoped I was happy with it. I was gobsmacked to say the least. I don’t think neither of these people have cleaned anything professionally a day in their entire lives. I had stupidly allowed them to change the bedsheets of the 2 downstairs bedrooms as they’d offered, because at this point I had just given up and accepted I was getting no where with these people. I almost burst into laughter when he showed me one of the beds they had remade with “clean” linen, my young son could’ve done a better job! Unprofessional and scruffy to say the least. The owner then told me that he himself had vacuumed the pedestal mat and bath mat (the ones with questionable hairs and toilet paper trapped in them), I again told him that that is so beyond unhygienic, these needed to be hot washed, not hoovered! I immediately removed them from the bathroom in front of him and he offered to take them away. The owner then told me it wasn’t urine by the toilet but in fact glue from when the linoleum flooring was fitted in the upstairs bathroom. There was some glue on the floor, agreed, but the yellow by the toilet WAS in fact urine, I took a photo of it before cleaning it myself. Funny that it didn’t take much for me myself to wipe it away, showing he nor his cleaner even attempted to clean it or they’d of found this to be true themselves. Before they left, me and my partner spoke to the owner privately, I explained we’d paid a lot of money to stay there for the week and were absolutely appalled at the standard of cleanliness and that we were really disappointed, I had not come on holiday to clean before being able to relax and I told him I would not be sleeping on those beds with those dirty sheets. He didn’t say ANYTHING in defence, just that he hoped we enjoyed our holiday, then left in awkward silence. Me and my partner were left shocked and confused at the most bizarre interaction with 2 people that we have ever had in our lives, both genuinely astonished that they’re in the holiday letting business. True to what I said, I stripped the beds we were to be sleeping in that week and put the dirty linens into an unused cupboard. Luckily we have family in the area who rallied together to get us some spare bed sheets so we could at least sleep in a clean bed, something the owner of this holiday let couldn’t have cared any less about. To further prove my point that these people were incompetent, I took a wad of toilet paper and wiped around the base of both toilets in bathrooms they had just “cleaned” and wasn’t surprised to find they were still utterly filthy. It was an incredibly cold and icy week in Stranraer, the steps/slope to the front door had no grit on them and were absolutely treacherous, we even had a guest who slipped on her way out at night, both due to the ice and the lack of lighting on the path. A serious danger to anyone. The “enclosed” rear garden is a narrow little courtyard with zero outlook and a dirty old mop bucket, suitable for a dog to use for the toilet only, as long as you can get them out of the back door and then through the gate safely without them running off down the path and straight into the road, as it’s not enclosed directly from the door of the house! This house was an absolute horror. I’ve never stayed in anything so dirty and have never met anyone as uncaring and nonchalant as the owner of this place, he is happy to take your money but not happy to give you a genuine apology and explanation for their clear mistakes. I’m beyond baffled by the other reviews saying that this holiday let is clean, unless they’ve recently gone extremely downhill, then I struggle to believe anyone would’ve described this place as clean. We’ve of course complained to Sykes about our stay again and attached all relevant photographs of proof, but it’s up to the owners discretion to give compensation, which he has refused. An extremely disappointing holiday soured further by the owners refusal to admit wrongdoing and give FAIR compensation. This is a big house that can comfortably sleep a lot of people, in a prime location with unbeaten views of the loch - entirely let down by its owner. Beware folks, we are big advocates for our hometown and its stunning surroundings and believe it’s a beautiful place to visit, but check out the other properties in the area and do not stay here unless you are prepared to pay £1600 and have to clean the place yourself and take your own bed linen!

We had a great holiday here - the views were stunning as expected from the brochure.

The place was generally clean when we arrived. There was a great range of kitchen utensils and we didn't want for anything more. The beds were comfortable. Plenty of towels available. We would definitely use this property again. There were a couple of minor issues that I meant to report after the holiday so sorry for taking so long to feed these back. The tap in the kitchen was super wobbly and we were unable to tighten it. One of the rings on the gas hob did not work The top section of windows when opened often blew and locked open in the wind and was fiddly to close. Unfortunately all the bins outside were full to the top. One bin in particular (Black waste) smelt so bad I had to rinse it with disinfectant after bin collection day.The recycling bins I had to compact down in order to fit anymore waste in.

Not normally one to leave reviews but had to for waters edge We were there start of June this year The property is beautiful and the views are incredible The house when we turned up was very clean and well presented We paid just over 1000 pound for a week and was an absolute bargain in my opinion anyone reading this and debating booking do as you won’t regret it absolutely incredible place We will 100 percent be booking to come up again Massive respect to the owners you have a beautiful property in a beautiful area of Scotland

We have had a great week in this lovely house.

It is spacious, warm, clean and well equipped. No evidence of previous dog stays, smelt lovely and fresh when we arrived. We would highly recommend. Very small issue - the kitchen knives and scissors need sharpening. We usually take a sharpener, as it’s a common issue at holiday lets, but forgot this time.

Great house, perfect location.

We all loved it. Thank you........

The lounge smelled like a dog kennel.

We left the following note "we were most upset on arrival at the property due to an overwhelming smell of dogs especially in the lounge. (we left a small sample of the dog hair we scraped from the carpet. the settees were dirty and worn and the whole place appeared shoddy). We were shocked to find on arrival that there was chalk graffiti covering the paths, patio and patio furniture (if you can call it that). We did photograph everything if you wish to see it.

This was our second visit to Watersedge.

Lovely house very clean and comfortable. Close to town centre. Our only issue is the access to the house. Path is very uneven and broken in areas. Difficult to move the pram . A gate at the top of the path would be great to keep children and dogs safe.

Had such a relaxing week at Waters Edge.

Plenty of space with stunning views. Bring binoculars and cafetiere! Easy flat walk into town through lovely park with daily activities. Friendly locals and great shops and cafes - 3 supermarkets! Really hope to return and would recommend . Points to note for info only - parking, one small, awkward space and narrow road to turn. Alternative parking is out of sight from house. House windows tired and needed cleaning inside and out - condensation inside glass panels spoilt the view. Poor maintenance of steep path and plants proved challenging for pram. Old bird dropping s on glass balustrade - all easy to rectify for next guests. Don't be put off ! We would still recommend and hope to return next year

Good position in a quiet area with ideal dog walks.

No real garden and not enclosed. Although comfortable, with good beds etc.some aspects are needing a little attention. Shower silicone needs replacing or cleaned. Hook hanging off wall. All window sealed units have failed.

This was a last minute booking and we were pleasantly surprised at the outlook as well as convenience to Stranraer.

The property was spacious, comfortable, clean and well equipped. It was ideal for our requirements. I am slightly disabled so had to be careful approaching and care had to be taken when parking. Otherwise, full marks, thank you

We were a party of 6 adults.

Subjectively, Waters Edge was everything I expected it to be, well equiped and comfortable with a vista that was stunning. Objectively, (this wasn' a problem for us) as the front door is some 10 to 15 feet above road level anyone with a distinct mobility problem might find the steps a bit of a challenge, although there is a very sturdy handrail.

Very well equipped one of the best properties we have stayed at.

Our only reservation is the path access is poor , very uneven surfaces from the pavement onwards although the stairway was fine. Thankyou for providing ramps however which made it a bit easier for wheelchair access. Otherwise have no problems recommending this property.

Really enjoyed our stay at Water's Edge, the house was very comfortable, spacious and relaxing and I don't think we could've found fault with anything if we tried.

We did have one small issue with a fault on the refrigerator door and we informed the owner Theo who came down and fixed it no problem at all. The views from the front windows over to the ferry ports across Loch Ryan were stunning. We would definitely recommend Water's Edge as a place to stay if holidaying in this area.

Great week in a well maintained and high standard property.

Spacious and well equipped ideal for family break Fantastic views

The property was beautifully clean on arrival, which was most appreciated, thanks to the high standards of the housekeeper!

! The house is situated perfectly, the views from the front room/bedroom were stunning and the walks around Loch Ryan were just perfect for the photographer, like myself. I shall miss the Oyster Catcher and Curlew noises from the bedroom in the evening and morning!! We done a visit to Belfast on the Stenaline, we managed to pick a day where it was just £15 each, apparently there are 3 days out of the 7 that are priced cheaper to get you over to Belfast shopping??!! We were happy with that! Portpatrick was a beautiful place to visit and walk around also. Overall we were extremely happy with our stay, the property was perfect and Stranraer had lots to offer us, we'll be back, regards Amanda Baldwin

We booked Waters Edge for Christmas and had a most enjoyable stay.

We would like to thank the owners for decorating the house and putting up a Christmas tree for our arrival. The house was very spacious and clean. The views from the lounge and the bedrooms looking over Loch Ryan were wonderful. It was like being on a cruise ship looking out onto the sea. There were a few issues with leaking windows which didn’t impact on our stay as we contacted the owner who responded promptly. The kitchen was large and had plenty of cupboard space and was well equipped. We enjoyed eating our Christmas dinner at the large dining table. Location is good as it is a short walk into town although you have to drive to the nearest beach. Despite it being dog friendly lack of a garden was an issue. If you are going in the winter months bring a torch with you to navigate the uneven concrete steps down to the road. There is a light on the porch but it doesn’t help going down the stairs. A security light on the garage door would help solve this situation. The owners were good enough to let us use their garage as we had two cars with us but it was tricky to navigate into as you have to reverse in at an angle. The parking for the other car was also difficult as it wasn’t easy negotiating the uneven concrete parking space. Some of the furnishings didn’t reflect on the price that we paid for six nights (£1200). Beside cabinets in the main bedroom were more suited for a bathroom and small plastic lamps were not a good look. There were two side tables in the lounge but both had lamps on them. A couple of extra tables or a nest of tables is necessary as there was nowhere to place our drinks or snacks. None of the bathroom windows had blinds but windows were covered with a plastic film which made them look unfinished. The upstairs bathroom in particular needed a blind as the top part of the window had no plastic film on it and you felt as if the neighbours could see in. Some of the issues may seem as minor but again reflecting on the price would need to be addressed. Unfortunately we would not return due to the lack of garden and the parking issue. If we had had a third car, as the house accommodates eight people, I would not like to park my car 100 yards from the house. We would still recommend this holiday house for families if you don’t mind the issues we have highlighted.

This is a dog friendly property a few minutes drive from the local shops, Morrisons, Lidl and a terrible Tesco.

There is even a dog friendly cafe The Royal Cafe…..which we found on the last day. Waters Edge is a redecorated four bedroom (two of which are downstairs……) 70’s house with splendid views over Loch Ryan as far as the Irish Sea. I didn’t venture upstairs but my husband had a tour so I’m aware there are two bedrooms and a bathroom. On arrival, we were delighted by the appearance of the house and it’s proximity to the Loch. There’s a great lobby for coats and outdoor paraphernalia which is certainly a plus for keeping the interior clean and tidy. However, on opening the connecting door the overwhelming smell of cooking/dogs was most unwelcoming; perhaps an open window or two might have made this more bearable? The front bedroom has a very small double bed but, as we wanted the view, this was the room we settled on; our stay would have benefited vastly if the Master bed had been in this room. The kitchen diner is large and extremely well equipped, but there was food in the freezer and an (open) bag of some sort of savoury biscuits in the cupboard and many of the plates/pizza tray were filthy. A broom would have been good, I am disabled to the point where I can’t use a vacuum cleaner, There was an abundance of loo rolls, towels, bedding, which was brilliant but no bleach for the showers or the loos. Also, the electric shower power is desultory at best and you have to wait a long time for the water to heat up, but the absolute negative was the size if the showers - they are tiny. Agreed, there are baths, but I haven’t been able to access one of those in 17 years so it’s a shower or nothing. My tummy is black and blue from the shower door knobs. For that reason alone we could not recommend this property despite it’s excellent nature and dog friendliness. Also, there is no garden which people with dogs need to be advised about; it’s a dark, dangerous step to the park late at night for last walkies. And, please note, there is no milk at the property (other companies ensure a “welcome” pack of one degree or another). There was some fudge, but we left that behind as we wanted to leave everything exactly as we had found it, as instructed time and time again by Sykes Cottages who really do know how to write the rudest email messages I’ve ever read, implying all paying guests are somehow filthy, entitled and disrespectful. Overall we had a great time and the area is very relaxing especially with the five days of lovely weather when we could enjoy the patio table, but as much as we’d love to, I guess we won’t be back because the facilities do not meet my personal needs.

Lovely and clean with a very homely feel to the property.

Kitchen well equipped, fantastic range cooker. Perfect to be able to step outside the property and be right by the water - the sound of the waves just incredible. It was difficult with the dogs without an enclosed garden but there is a green area a few metres away, just had to be on leads. Overall a hidden gem of a place, within walking distance to lots of shops in the town centre and right by the water - perfect for us!

The property is well presented and the views are incredible.

Local amenities and plenty to do and see in the surrounding area. Wouldn't hesitate to book again only change would be to stay for longer.

Absolutely fantastic holiday home - the photos don't do it justice.

Loads of room, plenty of seating - and the views are amazing. The games room was great for the kids - they loved the beds by the windows looking out over the sea. Can't wait to return.