Shaw Cottage

22 Customer Reviews

• "Shaw cottage is absolutely perfect in every way."

  We've stayed in alot of sykes cottages but this place is by far our favourite, the photos do NOT do this cottage justice as the garden is huge and really stunning to sit in and watch all the wildlife, newts and frogs in the pond which was cool to see, the house itself was lovely and really cosy and we met the owner jo who was really awesome. I can't praise this cottage enough, there is loads to see and do within a short drive of the cottage and we loved every minute of our stay 10/10 holiday.

  Reviewed by Joanne5.0★Mar 2025

• "Quiet and secluded, Shaw Cottage is the perfect spot for a peaceful break."

  Lots of garden for your four-legged friend, and plenty of good walking within a short drive. Highly recommended.

  Reviewed by Neil4.1★Nov 2024

• "Lovely location but tired interior."

  Lacking basic things like a frying pan (only a griddle pan supplied), vegetable peeler was blunt and couldn't be used, beds were old and creaky with springs that woke you up when you turned over. A huge shame really as with improved decor and attention to a few smaller details could be a 5 star property. We still enjoyed the stay though. Fantastic woodburner, lovely views and 4 days of peace and quiet.

  Reviewed by David2.8★Nov 2024

• "This is an outstanding cottage in a beautifully peaceful setting."

  All amenities catered for with lots of space to store our kit and foodstuff. Great position to explore all Dumfriesshire, we particularly loved the Steamboat Inn at Carsethorn and all the local walks - we had great weather so very lucky. Only downsides were a repeated visit from a cow which had somehow got out of the field, and the messy outhouse which was uncharacteristic. Recommend this one.

  Reviewed by Dominic4.7★Sep 2024

• "Another great stay at Shaw Cottage."

  We'll be back again soon!

  Reviewed by Pagan4.7★Jun 2024

• "Fantastically peaceful location, lovely wild garden with beautiful views, cottage is well equipped."

  Very friendly and helpful owner.

  Reviewed by Matthew4.7★May 2024

• "What a beautiful cottage we loved it , so peaceful and 5 mins away from New Abby ..."

  What a beautiful cottage we loved it , so peaceful and 5 mins away from New Abby , our bed was comfy and the log fire was nice to have , even though we never used it as weather really hot, we will definitely be staying again

  Reviewed by Mrs Linda5.0★May 2024

• "Had a wonderful stay at Shaw Cottage."

  We used it as a base whilst we were viewing properties in the area. Shame this place isn't for sale, we loved it! It has everything you need for a comfortable stay. We booked for two people but only one bed was made up when we arrived, so worth messaging beforehand if you need both rooms. Plenty of parking. The track to the house is a uneven but no issues if you go slow and steady (a very low car may have issues, as the description says, but I have a DS3 and it managed fine). Wonderful views from the garden. There are some area to the front that are blocked off as over grown but the lawn and parking grass areas were mowed nicely and the areas around the paths and patios were trimmed back. Lovely and peaceful place to sit out. The property does neighbour fields with livestock and there is plenty of wildlife around, we spotted many rabbits in the garden. I would recommend a long lead for dogs, so other animals are not worried and the don't enter the blocked off areas. Overal, we had a lovely time and hope to return.

  Reviewed by Pagan4.7★Apr 2024

• "Ample sized two bed cottage in a charming rural setting undisturbed by neighbouring properties or light pollution."

  Access moderately ok off an unmade farm track type lane off a single track 'main road'. This matches the online description. Improvements needed to the online listing to include detail to clarify:- Cows in field directly beside one side of the cottage, separated by 3ft high chicken wire fence. Sheep in field directly beside garden at rear of cottage, also only separated by 4ft chicken wire fence behind some shrubs. Cottage garden higher than field, so the fence line appears shorter than it is. Cow field not secure, cows can get into the access lane to the cottage (we arrived home in the dark on the first night after going out for food to a cow in the headlights and trying to find its way back into its field). Previous guests have recorded in the visitor book about letting their dog run on the lane - DON'T! This isn't acceptable in this location and can worry the cattle and risks injury to them, your dog and you. Just don't do it! There's ample space at the cottage for them to run free. The top gate is best closed to keep cows out if you're travelling with children, pets or guests that are scared by large farm animals as the surrounding fields aren't properly fenced. Sykes, when providing check in details, make it clearer who the telephone number you've given actually belongs to and any 'best times to contact' so guests know they're contacting an owner and can do so at certain times without imposing on them. Well appointed cottage and more importantly overall it was very clean bar a few dog hairs under beds and on the kitchen floor that had settled from previous guests and the finishing on the wooden floors. The online listing could clarify that there's a washer / dryer and not just washing machine because having that is a bonus! A clothes airer in the property and a washing line outside in the ample garden would also be an appropriate addition. The garden furniture needs waterproof covers or direction (and access) to guests to store in the attached locked shed after use or in chances of rain. The garden is in a poor state and in places was very dangerous for some of the guests that are accepted at this property - kids and pets especially! Access to the external boiler was via overgrown grounds with established brambles which I did get various cuts and scratches from. Many broken fences, gates, plastic pots, roofs etc causing loose, partially buried or fully exposed debris around. Wire and rusty metal fixings protruding from arches, old flower / veggie beds and on steps and access paths. I had to move many due to having the dog with us. Broken glass panes and old double glazing units were also left in easy to access areas which I needed to move prior to allowing my dog access into the garden off lead. An external risk assessment should be carried out between guests during change over. All areas need seasonal maintenance tasks also undertaking to bring the plants and flowers back to life and really return this to what must once have been such a charming and beautiful 'cottage garden'. I'd love to have seen photos of what it once looked like as it was clearly someone's pride and joy. The dilapidated and dangerous wooden sheds at the entrance to the cottage need to be emptied and demolished asap. This really lets this property down and worried us immensely on our approach to our home for the week. It isn't actually an accurate reflection of the cottage itself either, which has been refurbished to an acceptable level for holiday letting. Where the big green shed with the bed and old contents from the cottage currently is would be a perfect place to install an ample sized wood store. This would be a fabulous addition to the property at minimal cost. There is plenty of wood locally that could be added to the store for future guests to make use of once dried. Badgers are active in the garden, with parts used as their latrines. This needs to be taken on board if travelling with adventurous children or dogs and should also be noted in the online listings. We had to make two makeshift gates at the garden borders during our stay, to enable the dog to enjoy parts of the superb sized garden without fear of escape into the neighbouring fields or the top derelict greenhouse and side areas as they were just too dangerous to risk access to. I travel with a fence 'kit bag', and did have to use this at the bottom of the garden to put a 6ft screen up, to ensure my dog didn't jump into the sheep field (for the birds or a run around, not for the sheep). Luckily we arrived with a few hours of daylight remaining and was able to spend the couple of hours securing the garden using the various broken gates, fences and wires found around the garden. The shower, being electric and new was totally fine for us during our stay. The bath is very American hotel in its sizing so the listing needs to be updated as it's not really suited to a 'relaxing soak'. Unfortunate heating issues with pressure and air in the system did intrude on the first few days of our stay but in no way was this issue not attended to buy Sykes and Jo, the owner. Some form of welcome pack and fire wood and kindling would have been a nice touch with the cottage being a drive away from the nearest shops. Improved outside lighting would make access safer from the parking area. Blinds in the conservatory entrance and the glazed kitchen door would also make nighttime indoors feel safer in the isolated area when you can't hear anyone approaching in the dark. I'd replace the blinds in the bedrooms and living room with lined curtains as the current blinds don't fit. The two sofas are very small and very uncomfortable and not in keeping with the lovely room. I'd replace those and the glass TV stand. Only one bedroom was made up for our stay and we needed both so had to try and find bedding to make one of the beds. All beds need new mattresses as you can feel the springs and new frames as they're all very creaky. To help save energy and therefore money, I'd reduce the number of lights in the property and also give guests details of what the heating timer and heating and water temperature is set to. Instructions on how to use the heating, check the external boiler properly and other things in the cottage would also be a good addition, as well as details of local places to visit, eat and so on. For the price range, other than the safety aspects of the garden, this is spot on. For the time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and a week of solitude and star gazing, this spot is absolutely perfect! For anyone needing a base in this area I'd highly recommend staying.

  Reviewed by Kerry3.8★Mar 2024

• "Great place to get away from everything and chill out lovely views and lovely cottage."

  All the home comforts on hand and idyllic - thank you x

  Reviewed by Catherine5.0★Dec 2023

• "We had a lovely stay at Shaw Cottage & it is in the most beautiful, peaceful setting."

  The cottage itself was comfortable enough, very rustic but it was clean & had everything we needed. Being a very late booking we had not realised it was such an early departure so for us it would put us off next time having to be out for 9am, an extra hour or two would have made all the difference. However for anyone looking for peace & quiet with nice walking it was ideal.

  Thank you for your comments but departure time is 10am not 9. I will check with Sykes Cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Linda4.4★Aug 2023

• "Beautiful place in a great setting, really enjoyed the holiday I will be booking this cottage again as we will be looking to travelling to other locations we didn't get the chance to do."

  Reviewed by Penelope4.7★Jun 2023

• "Heating system broke down at the weekend."

  Repair provided on the Monday but the opinion of the engineer was that the sysytem needed regular service, which had not taken place.

  The engineer was wrong, the heating system is regularly serviced Property Owner

  Reviewed by John3.8★May 2023

• "Lovely country cottage which was a very relaxing hideaway."

  Plenty of parking space. Nice sunny front gardens to sit out in with views over fields. Handy for the coast and forest walks nearby. New Abbey has a friendly local shop and tea room. The pub however keeps erratic hours. It was friendly enough but very small. The Steamboat at Carsthorn (about 7 miles) is lovely for both food, and a garden with estuary views. We really enjoyed exploring this lovely part of Dumfries and Galloway, thank you.

  Reviewed by Veronica4.7★May 2023

• "Location, location, location this cottage is off the beaten track but within 15-20 minutes of everything you would need."

  If you want a getaway relaxing break then this is the place for you.

  Reviewed by Anthony4.4★Apr 2023

• "Excellent location, fields, lovely garden, just one track leading to the property, sheep, deer and rabbits around."

  Incredibly quiet olace, loved it. Cottage well featured for the two of us, shower pressure couldve been better but not a big issue. Owner very nice, she has quite a few stories, very pleased to meet her. Probably our favorite cottage so far

  Reviewed by Alex5.0★Apr 2023

• "We really enjoyed our stay in Shaw Cottage, quiet and in a beautiful spot with wildlife all around( including frogs in the pond)."

  The only thing we thought needed improvement was the shower. It is not very powerful and needed extra adjustments to make it work. A non-slip mat and a handle to get in and out the shower would also be safer.

  Reviewed by Michael4.4★Mar 2023

• "A clean, comfortable cottage in a beautiful location."

  This is one of the best cottages we have ever stayed in. The views are outstanding, and the area is so peaceful and quiet, which is exactly what we were looking for. It is only a short drive away from Dumfries though, where you can find all the amenities necessary. This cottage is an older building full of character, the lounge and bedrooms have obviously been recently decorated and are fresh and bright. The owner, Jo, is lovely, and provides a welcome pack of goodies for guests. We think it is exceptional value, and we hope to stay again in the future.

  Reviewed by Rachel5.0★Oct 2022

• "Kitchen and bathroom could be cleaner cobwebs on windows and cobwebs inside the radiators quite disgusting."

  We also had an issue with the shower which she did try to solve unsuccessfully .the rest of the cottage was OK but could have been a bit cleaner. Access to cottage was a dirt track and poorly signposted. We think the cost of the cottage was too much for the condition of it

  Reviewed by Anita2.2★Sep 2022

• "Fantastic cottage."

  Ideal location for peace, tranquility and relaxation. Lovely welcome and intro from owner and lovely welcome pack with local map and yummy goods. Everything we needed was provided. Excellent wifi. Beautiful gardens and location. Our Westie loved it too. Amazing views from cottage. We will definitely return. Many Thanks.

  Reviewed by Aileen5.0★Sep 2022

• "Very peaceful and quite an excellent location for a relaxing holiday just a ..."

  Very peaceful and quite an excellent location for a relaxing holiday just a couple of small points where the table and chairs were for sitting outside needs to be tidied up and weeded and remove excess moss and dirt from the patio area as we were constantly dragging in dirt on our feet and on our dogs coat so we were constantly sweeping up a mop and bucket would have been helpful it should be pointed out on the site that you have to access the cottage via a dirt track road other than that, I would say that the property in general is very neat and tidy and would visit the cottage again

  Reviewed by D3.4★Aug 2022

• "A well appointed cottage in a secluded position offering a relaxing away from it all holiday."

  Reviewed by Michael5.0★Jul 2022

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