Challenger Bothy

9 Customer Reviews

• "The cottage was beyond our expectations ."

  All the little extra details such as the eggs, milk and bacon was a lovely surprise. Exceptional high standard, comfortable , beautiful surroundings couldn’t have asked for a better holiday .

  Thank you for taking time to write a lovely and positive review. The Challenger Eatate staff all work hard to make sure each and every guest has a tranquil and peaceful stay. We hope to see you again at the Estate. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Domini5.0★Oct 2024

• "We had a wonderful stay at this superb accommodation."

  There was a lovely welcome pack with freshly baked bread by Morven. As well as the welcome pack for us, there was a goody bag for our dog Louis. The accommodation was spotless and we would like to thank Alan and his team. I went fishing on Loch Dola and I would like to thank David. The beds were very comfortable with lovely fresh crisp bedding. The hot tub was a welcome relief after a long day touring the north of Scotland. The cottage was well equipped with everything we needed for our stay with quality appliances. The only suggestion I would make is that there is an iron and ironing board provided. I would highly recommend this Bothy for those who wish to tour the north of Scotland.

  Reviewed by Anthony5.0★Sep 2024

• "We all had a fantastic holiday at the Bothy and will be returning."

  It’s a beautiful place and special to my heart. Good directions and easy check in. The homely touches like fresh bread, milk, bacon and eggs were a great addition and Thistle loved her wee dog bag and the walks. The house was well equipped with everything you will need. Beds were fabulous and very comfy as were the towels and the bed linen. The hot tub was wonderful and easy to use. If having a long stay I would advise you bring wood to keep the house fire and hot tub going. Enjoyed our time at Loch Dola it’s a magical place. Advise you bring midgie hat nets. Lairg offers everything you need and The Pier was fantastic for food and hospitality top class. Looking forward to my next stay.

  Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review. We are so glad that you really enjoyed your time. There are so many people who put a lot of time and effort in making the Bothy and the Estate such a beautiful place for people and the wildlife. So to get such a review means a lot to us. We will take into account that more logs would be appreciated and we are looking at ways to provide that. Please do return as we would love to host again. Shanta Property Owner

  Reviewed by Mo5.0★Jul 2024

• "Our stay at the Challenger Bothy was just brilliant and exceeded our expectations."

  On arrival we thought the location picturesque and the house and outdoor area beautiful. We were impressed by it all and loved the mix of traditional and modern. The bothy was spacious and tastefully decorated in a minimal way, which made for a relaxing environment. In the awesome kitchen, we were delighted to receive the welcome of home baked bread, free range eggs, bacon, milk, and other breakfast items. Thank you, this was much appreciated! Everything you could have asked for was provided, even toiletries in the bathroom. The bedrooms were great and giant mattresses extremely comfortable. There was also plenty wood for firing up the hot tub, fire pit and wood burning stove, which were a pleasure to use. Fond memories of the hot tub by day and fire pit by night in the perfect outdoor space. Furthermore, it was interesting to read about the history of the estate in the information folder, which adds to its charm. On clear days the sunsets and sunrises were magic as were the views of the distant mountains. We spent much of our time enjoying the bothy but also managed walks around the estate and Lairg, with The Ord being a favourite with its ancient cairns and excellent views over Loch Shin. The visitor centre there is a fab wee hub. Further afield the Falls of Shin and a trip to Tain were great days out. Also popped into the Balblair distillery for a bottle of their fine dram and visited the nearby ancient and Pictish stones. Can’t wait to return to explore more as it was our first visit to the area and we would definitely hope to stay at the Challenger Bothy again when we do. Thanks for so much, we absolutely loved our stay!

  Thank you so much for your lovely review and taking the time and effort to let us know you enjoyed your stay. We try so hard to make the Challenger Bothy warm & welcoming, it’s so lovely to know we are on the right path. Please do come back again, the winter season is also such a beautiful time with all the snow and the deer making their way through the tress, very much a Christmas card setting! Property Owner

  Reviewed by Graeme5.0★Jul 2024

• "The bothy is a lot bigger than it looks on the photo, plenty of room in all the rooms."

  The heating is lovely and cosy. I espesuly loved the gift that was left for my dog

  thanks for your positive review. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jane5.0★Mar 2024

• "Just back from a wonderful week in the most beautiful, perfect place to get away to!"

  We absolutely love this place! From arriving to the Challenger estate, it is clear you're in a very special place. Set in the most picturesque environment, its impressive to say the least! Once on the estate lane, the drive to the Bothy is smooth, straightforward and you soon become absorbed in the stunning surroundings. The Bothy itself in its position is really welcoming. We arrived in the evening and it was lovely and warm inside and we very soon felt at home. It is really cosy yet also perfectly spacious. The decor and quality furniture really add to the character of the very charming Bothy. It is clean and fresh throughout. The log fire in the living area is perfect for the evenings and we were welcomed by a generous amount of breakfast items and plenty of wood for the fire. The Bothy has everything you could need or think of for your stay, from games and books to helpful kitchen items, more than can be mentioned, lots of extras. More photos or maps of the estate and area are the only thing that we could possibly find to say that could be added to celebrate this wonderful place! The garden to the Bothy is just beautiful! It is the perfect place for day and night activities, particularly wildlife spotting and star gazing. There is a bench to soak in the stunning views and the garden is lit by lights between the trees at night, which is so pretty, we enjoyed this every night! The views from the Bothy and the estate are superb, with lochs, mountains and ruins within easy walking, and numerous other places of interest a short drive away. Communication with the owner was great from start to finish, always prompt and really helpful. We would absolutely love to stay at the Challenger estate again, in fact we cannot wait to go back!

  Reviewed by Scott5.0★Feb 2024

• "Had a wonderful stay at the cottage."

  Wonderful open views from the front of the cottage, and the back garden was delightful, loved the fairy lights. Cottage nice and clean, very well equipped, wonderful kitchen with everything you need, welcome basket was a nice surprise along with the milk etc. in the fridge, and the dog treats/ball went down a storm with Sali, our border collie. Initial issue with hot water was resolved, thank you. Fabulous shower. Many thanks to the gentleman who came to dig us out with a snow plough on our last day, it was very much appreciated. It may be useful to have some maps of the local area/walks etc. but that is no slight on the wonderful week we spent there, just a suggestion. Really hope to visit again in the future..

  Reviewed by Robert3.8★Feb 2024

• "Absolutely stunning location & the Bothy could be equally as stunning if a little bit more TLC was carried out by the maintenance team."

  As the bothy is surrounded by trees (very close on 3 sides), it is naturally dark & cold inside, but there was no heating switched on to welcome us. After fathoming out how to work the heaters we had to buy new batteries for all 4 of the sensor controllers as theirs were all flat (& no replacement ones left where it said in cupboard). The gutters were totally choked up with pine needles etc. & shortly after we arrived when it was raining quite heavily, it was like a waterfall falling over the front door until my husband cleared that gutter. Also 1 of the downpipes on the outside corner of the living room was lying on the floor until husband slotted it back into place. There is a lovely picnic bench in the 'garden' but it would be a lot more useful if the grass was trimmed around where it sits. There is a gorgeous state of the art kitchen with just about everything you need (except maybe a can opener). Would have been nice if the vacuum cleaner had been emptied. It was totally choked up & wouldn't even pick up a feather until it had been cleaned out. Bathroom is equally as good with a great heated towel rail & plenty of hot water (switch is in the study) Bedrooms & sitting room were adequate but don't expect the logs for the burner to last long ( about 4 hours). As we were there for a fortnight, the owner rang to say she would send Allen to replace bedding & towels mid stay (which he duly did). Overall it's a great little cottage that could be as fantastic as the scenery with a little more care & attention to detail.

  Thank you for leaving such a detailed review. I appreciate the time and effort it took. We have only just recently embarked on this new journey of short lets. Firstly, I agree the Bothy is surrounded by large pine trees which some are over 60 years old. But we are in the process of having these trees trimmed and pulled back but as NatureScot does not allow cutting of trees during the nesting season we have had to wait till late December - early January to start tree cutting. I'm sure once that is done more light and warmth will naturally filter through. As for the gutters, it was cleared in July before we opened the doors of the Bothy to guests and as we have only just started the business had no idea how quickly the gutters filled. I'm pleased to say that starting in mid-October we are embarking on landscaping improvements behind the Bothy which will include new lawns, wildflower beds, tree fairy lights, and a wood burning hot tub. We hope that it will help us make the Bothy a more inviting place. As of May 2024, all of these improvements have now been made! Please see the latest pictures to see the difference between September 2023 and May 2024. We have also spoken to our estate manager on the point regarding the vacuum cleaner, batteries and heating on arrival of new guests. These will be rectified going forward. I thank you again for your review and constructive criticisms, I hope that we see you again in the future and maybe you will be able to write a more positive review. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Doreen2.8★Sep 2023

• "Excellent place to relax if you want to escape from the city life"

  Dear Sir Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. I'm so glad you had a restful and enjoyable stay at the Bothy. Please do come back and stay again as it would be great to host you and your family. Shanta Property Owner

  Reviewed by Sandeep5.0★Jul 2023

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