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"The barn was a lovely cosy cottage in a stunning setting
John the host was amazing he made us feel very welcome and his knowledge of the island was extensive."
We would recommend the barn to anyone who wants to see the real unspoilt Scotland with scenery I've only seen in movies
Our only regret is we only stayed a week .when we could have booked the month
Thanks John for a wonderful holiday
Reviewed by MichaelJun 2022
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"Great cottage with real fire in a good location."
Good host and provided information on local walks etc. Loads to see and do in Skye. Had a fantastic time.
Reviewed by JannMar 2022
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"Enjoyed this property very much."
Very peaceful and set in the heart of the most amazing scenery. John was a welcoming and helpful host. it was my pleasure to meet him. Thanks
Reviewed by AndrewFeb 2022
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"When we got to the barn we were welcomed by our host Mr McKenzie he had already lite a coal fire and turned in the storage heating on so it was nice and warm for when we got in, he showed us where everything was including the electric meter, there was £14 already on the meter."
For us to have adequate heating during our stay we would of had to keep topping the electric meter up constantly to keep warm. We spoke to our host about having to top electric up ourselves as we thought this was a bit strange being on holiday and having to provide our own electric( in all other stays electric has always been provided in our package) we were told usually people are out every day and return during the evening so we won’t need heating on during the day. Because we visited in February from 19th to 26th it was very cold. During our stay we had to stay in one room where the coal fire was as all other rooms without heating were freezing. Apart from our stay the Isle of Skye is a beautiful place which we will definitely come back to visit next time it will be in warmer months.
Reviewed by MagdelenaFeb 2022
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"We had such a lovely time in the barn."
John was so friendly, full of knowledge and so welcoming. During our stay we actually got engaged. John actually gave us a model of the house to remember the experience, it was sooo thoughtful and I will treasure forever. Very cosy and the perfect place if you want to switch off from it all.
Reviewed by BethDec 2021
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"Lovely set up , very helpfully owner"
Reviewed by KatieSep 2021
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"John was a brilliant host
Barn was a perfect location
Highly recommend"
Reviewed by NickAug 2021
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"Really cosy cottage and great location."
Host was really friendly and helpful in finding good walks. Fire place was great.
Worth noting that the enclosed garden is not attached to the property, it’s an adjacent grazing field that opens up to a few other fields. Our dog wasn’t able to get to any livestock so did the trick.
Thanks for a lovely stay.
Reviewed by MariusAug 2021
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"Mr mckenzie was very welcoming and very knowledgeable,gave a good idea of where ..."
Mr mckenzie was very welcoming and very knowledgeable,gave a good idea of where to go and see the beautiful scenery overall a great holiday will be going back one day gorgeous sure
Reviewed by PeterJul 2021
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"Lovely cottage with amazing location and great views."
The property is adjoining another holiday cottage, so you share the outdoor space with others, but there is plenty of space. The owner is very helpful and we managed to share our bedroom with our daughter on an air mattress on the floor as there was plenty of space. The cottage is tastefully decorated with beautiful artwork on the walls. There are horses kept behind so our daughter had a lovely time making friends with them! The island is phenomenal and we had a fantastic time!
Reviewed by ZoeMay 2021
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"Fantastic wee cottage with a lovely wood burning stove."
John was a great host, full of useful local information and grand stories to tell.
Reviewed by KirstyOct 2020
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"Misleading description."
When we woke up on the second morning we found that there was no electricity. My husband contacted the owner who was surprised that the meter had run out and told us we weren't to leave the heating on ? He put £2 and that was the end of it. We was also asked not to leave the hot water on. Consequently, we ended up putting £12 in the meter for the remainder of our stay, and thats with only having the heating for a very limited time.
If i had been made aware that i would have limited heating/ hot water and I would have to pay extra i would never have booked to stay in this accommodation. To be honest we left a day early due to the disappointment .
Reviewed by CatherineSep 2020
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"We would like to thank John for his hospitality on the week of September."
He made us feel most welcome. I and my husband are both front line workers and have worked through these difficult times. The barn was very comfortable and John was a gentleman had let us now the interesting places to go in skye. Would recommend the barns to most of our friends and family.
Reviewed by MargaretSep 2020
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"Traditional simple cottage which had a surprising amount of space for 2 people ( 2 person places are often extremely small)."
We found the barn had all the facilities required for our 2 week walking trip. Although there is no WiFi there is 4G just up the road which was fine! Staffin is a lovely quiet spot and is particularly peaceful at night, a great place to escape. Lovely evening walks to Staffin slipway and the dinosaur beach or in the other direction to the larger beach to look for fossils. John is a welcoming host full of useful tip.
Reviewed by JanAug 2020
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"Great cottage in the North of Skye
Second visit to this beautiful cottage."
John the host was great as always.
So many places to explore on this beautiful Isle, if your stuck for directions or somewhere to go ask John he will happily help you.
The cottage itself had everything I needed, well equipped kitchen, comfy bed and great access to good walking.
Booking underway for next year.
Thank you John and Sykes a little gem
Reviewed by NeilNov 2019
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"John Mackenzie was really the nicest person and tried very hard to make us feel comfortable, but there were some things we did not like:
The beds could use some modernisation."
No slatted frames and very hard mattresses.
The pillows and blankets smelled musty and we had to put some of our clothes over the pillows to sleep on them.
Reviewed by ClaudiaAug 2019
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"Needs new beds."
Needs beds to cater for couple and the extra person. Needs decent bed linen and towels. The sheets we had to ask for were not matching and the towels were threadbare. There was a mouldy smell in the bedroom. The washing machine and dryer were in a tool shed. We stayed for one of the two nights booked as the experience was so poor. At best the property is two star. It represents extremely poor value for money at 400 pounds plus per night.
Reviewed by SaviourJul 2019
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"Mr mckenzie who owns the barn and adjoining cottage is a very nice man who will offer you advice on where to go on the island (including the spots the tourist don’t go)."
Nothing is a problem for him and he had lit a lovely fire for us after a long journey. The weather was very wet for a few days but the barn was very cosy. If you get the chance to go to Armadale you will have stunning views over to the island of Rhum (saw sea eagle flying here) and also the srpb have a hide at Kylerhea which is free. Here you will see seals and if you are very lucky otters and the sea eagles. The wardens here are wonderful and will spend time talking to you. Again the scenery is beautiful but be warned the road to kylerhea is a bit hair raising.
Reviewed by LinsayMay 2019
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"The most beautiful place in the world!"
!! Amazing view from the cottage..
Reviewed by KrzysztofApr 2019
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"Mr. McKenzie is an absolute gem of a person!"
We never would have expected to receive such a warm, enthusiastic welcome from the person we were renting a cottage from but we can never thank him for his kindness! Our stay on Skye would not have been the same without him. The cottage is wonderful and Mr. McKenzie himself is even better. God Bless you, Jaime and I will forever remember you fondly!
Reviewed by EmilyMar 2019
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"Owner was very helpful giving us information re the area etc"
Reviewed by IreneDec 2018
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"John is a fantastic host."
Warm welcome on arrival and he is a mine of information if your stuck on somewhere to visit.
Beautiful dark skies for stargazing and breathtaking views all round.
my only criticism is my fault i should have booked for two weeks
in the process of rebooking as i type this
Reviewed by NeilNov 2018
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"The Barn was a perfect shelter after long days of working outside in cold and wet weather."
The peat stove was a treat. Very kind welcome from the owner and helpful staff at Sykes Cottages.
Reviewed by KatNov 2018
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"John made sure we had everything we needed and was extremely kind and very helpful."
We were well looked after and we were made very comfortable. The cottage was very cosy and in a great location. This will be our go to place. Thanks John!!!x
Reviewed by JacquiOct 2018
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"Stodola is a great place to spend holidays."
John is a very nice man. I highly recommend this place
Reviewed by AndrzejAug 2018
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"- It was a very nice holiday on the beautiful Ilse of Skye."
Staffin is a very small village; the only eatery available was Columba 1400. Unfortunately, the tearoom and another restaurant that we had looked up before on the internet were closed. The stay in the barn was lovely; it is a little house but everything we needed was available. The owner was very friendly and showed great hospitality.
Reviewed by PatriciaJun 2018
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"The place was so magic, just look out of the window and see the sea!"
! Although during the storm Hector we felt good! The warm-hearted character of the owner John McKenzie was so wonderful and the sheep and lambs around were perfect for us and our dogs! We will come back!
Reviewed by MartinaJun 2018
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"On several of the evenings I found it quite cold."
The electric heater in the lounge was just not good enough. There was the wood burning stove, but I wasn't going to be bothered with that faff. Apart from that the cottage was pretty good. Mind you I thought the quality of the road IN STAFFIN (A855) as very bad with a lot of really quite large pot holes, the A855 in Portree was also very bad. However its the same all over after the winter we had.
Reviewed by JamesMay 2018
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"The barn was cosy with plenty of peat logs for the open fire."
The barn was well equipped with absolutely everything that was needed for a stress free holiday, john the owner of the barn was brilliant, always making sure the peat and logs and coal were topped up at all times to make sure the fire was hot, john had knowledge of the island always helping us of where to go for the day, he knew the history of the area and was a generally really helpful and nice man, The barn had lovely views over looking the sea and fields and mountains behind the barn, We went in February and had all kinds of different weather it was a amazing holiday and will be returning
Reviewed by PaulFeb 2018
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"Friendly helpful host; lovely location, pet friendly."
Reviewed by PeterNov 2017
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"The cottage was very cozy and inviting, everything you could ask for."
It is in a great location - near a lot of scenic spots with sea views, etc.
John was very helpful and informative and a genuine nice guy. Hope to come back again.
Reviewed by ThomasJul 2017
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"John, the owner was very helpful and gave us good advice etc on where to go."
Reviewed by ShirleyJun 2017
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"We'll be back."
Reviewed by GordonMay 2017
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"John was extremely welcoming and ready with tips on where to go."
Also very helpful with providing fuel and equipment to make our stay very enjoyable.
Reviewed by LynnMar 2017
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"Most wonderful place, location beautiful."
The owner, John, the nicest man, so welcoming and helpful. The island itself amazing!
Reviewed by GordanaFeb 2017
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"Mr mkenzie is a star he looked after us from start to finish ."
Reviewed by EdwardJan 2017
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"The owner, Mr MacKenzie, was very helpful"
Reviewed by AnnOct 2016