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"This is the absolute best place on Earth."
Loved it.
Reviewed by StuartMar 2022
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"Lovely time lucky with the weather, cabin really cosy and comfy, great as nothing is open at this time of year."
Fabulous walks straight from the cabin, beautiful views at the top of the hill, could walk to Dingwall along the hill if you so wished. Very dark in the evening took a bit of getting of getting used to, really quiet a definite getting away from it all break, we loved it!
Reviewed by JoyceNov 2021
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"Having stayed at this cottage last year we were disappointed that the cottage was not up to the same standard."
The toilet seat was loose at one side ,I would have thought the cleaner would have noticed this and reported it to the owners, the fridge had not been defrosted so the ice box would not close, consequently the fridge door did not close tightly and the fridge dripped water all over the top shelf ,we had to chip the ice off ourselves. The fitted sheet on the double bed did not fit properly so the corners came loose every night and there were no pillow protectors. There seemed to be less equipment than last year eg. not a single baking tray. Having said all that the cottage was well cleaned .We rebooked for next year before we went this year expecting the standard to be the same so hope these problems will be addressed .
Reviewed by BarryOct 2021
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"The lodge was very nice but the kitchen what's was not up to scratch example ..."
The lodge was very nice but the kitchen what's was not up to scratch example not enough plates utensil knives and forks cooking pans , other than that things were good
Reviewed by LucySep 2021
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"What a great setting for the lodge."
Mostly very peaceful and a great centre for exploring Easter Ross. It was a pity that the local hotels weren’t ready for too many passing trade customers. The coffee shops were great though.
Reviewed by CharlesAug 2021
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"Otter Lodge was located in a lovely setting and served as a fantastic holiday for myself and my children to enjoy our Scottish Holiday."
The children loved being in the woods and there was plenty for them to do and explore locally. The lodge was well equipped and were able to enjoy a number of home cooked meals using the little kitchen.
Reviewed by DavidAug 2021
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"We enjoyed a fabulous time in Otter Lodge, it was clean and comfortable and in a brilliant location for birdwatching and the woodland wildlife Strathpeffer is a pretty Victorian Spa Village with a lot to offer."
It has a local grocery store where you can buy most things however Dingwall, a short drive away has a large Tesco. There is a great Deli in the village which is open for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals (you need to book meals), it also sells lovely filled rolls ideal for picnics. There are some great walks in the local area but also this is a great base to go further afield. Places we went that I would recommend :-
The Touchstone Maze..accessed close to Lodge.
The Eagle Stone..directions from village.
Knockfarrel Neolithic Hillfort.
Museum of Highland Childhood & Victorian Railway Station which does coffee etc and a craft shop.
Rogie Falls...just 10mins away.
Castle Leod...in the village.
Further afield we visited, Loch Glass, Ben Wyvis Nature Reserve, Black Rock Gorge.
Finding the Lodge! Use Google Map to find Blackmuir Wood. The turning is between two white houses. Follow the track all the way down past the visitor car park. The last turning on the right has parking for Lodges.
We will definitely be back.
Reviewed by MarianneJul 2021
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"There were more things available within Otter lodge than we thought there would be."
Teatowels, a couple of dishwashing tablets, washing capsules for washing machine, washing up liquid, hand wash, bin bags. Tumble dryer was also there which is great as an extra if you can't dry outdoors. In addition to the fridge with the freezer compartment in the kitchen there is also a chest freezer in the utility room which was great as we could stock up for the week. We had more towels than we a needed. There were plenty of electric heaters should you use the cabin in wintertime.
At times the freesat tv seemed to struggle with signal and it cut out for a few seconds at a time. Sometimes repeatedly. Im not sure where the satellite dish is located but maybe the trees were affecting it. Its a really peaceful location but you can travel easy enough to other parts of Scotland. All in all i wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.
Reviewed by AndrewJun 2021
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"A beautiful cottage in beautiful surroundings"
Reviewed by AlanMay 2021
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"We had an absolutely fabulous holiday."
Just what we needed. We would love to head back to Otter Cottage for another holiday.
Reviewed by WendyMay 2021
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"The lodge was very clean with lots of anti virus cleaning products left for us to use if we wanted, The location was perfect for us to enjoy all the local wildlife including a pine marten!"
The only criticism is that the path to the lodge from the car park was not marked and was difficult to find, we had to ask someone from one of the other lodges where it was.
Reviewed by BarryOct 2020
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"Absolutely stunning location - beautiful views and woodland walks right on the doorstep."
The facilities in the cabin were absolutely excellent - we honestly couldn't have asked for more. The fact that we could bring our 4-legged family member too was an added bonus and she had the time of her life! We would certainly book again - both this cabin and with Sykes - the whole experience couldn't have been easier from start to finish.
Reviewed by FionaOct 2020
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"This is a beautiful cosy lodge situated in the middle of very old woodland."
It is a perfect base for exploring the Highlands but if you want to stay closer to home there are lots of lovely walks including the maze which is well worth a visit. The lodge is very comfortably furnished. We very much look forward to future visits!
Reviewed by ChristineOct 2020
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"Lovely quiet location away from the other cabins."
Great for wildlife. Good access to Strathpeffer and to local walks.
Alison the house keeper was very good at responding to queries / concerns and generally very helpful. We had to contact her about a cracked glass and difficulty closing the bathroom window on arrival and she responded to this, providing a box of glasses. We had a water cut on the first day and were kept informed about the repairs (the whole village was affected). We were also given bottled water by Scottish Water.
Some minor concerns:
- the shower sometimes only ran cold and we had to turn the shower on and off to restore functionality.
- the kitchen equipment (pans and utensils) were of poor quality and not best suited to self catering.
- cleaning products were not ecologically certified and this kind of accommodation could make an effort to provide eco-certified products as part of their effort to care for the environment.
Some suggestions for improvement:
- a better range of pots/pans/kitchen utensils could be provided.
- it was somewhat unclear how waste was to be sorted and where it should be left. Whilst glass can be taken to the Old Station in Strathpeffer for recycling, there was only one small blue bin there for all other recyclables. Could this be made clearer / improved somehow?
- several bird feeders were evident on site. Could information on who refills these and where to find supplies be provided?
Reviewed by GlenSep 2020
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"Lovely location for exploring the area."
Quiet and out of the way, clean and comfortable
Reviewed by RobertSep 2020
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"Very nice, clean and comfortable Lodge."
Will definitely be booking again. Had an excellent week.
Reviewed by AlanAug 2020
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"Ideal base for exploring North of Scotland."
Reviewed by JenniferJul 2020
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"Really enjoyed the holiday, however on advertising it said wi-fi available, this ..."
Really enjoyed the holiday, however on advertising it said wi-fi available, this was misleading
although it was tranquil,I had to venture into strathpeffer each day to get online,
In future, please advertise properly stated advice
Thank you for your feedback and i am glad you have enjoyed your holiday. In regards to the wi-fi, unfortunately our lodges have never had wi-fi so have never been advertised with this feature. If you wish to discuss this further then please contact Sykes Cottages on 01244 345 700. Property Owner
Reviewed by ColinSep 2019
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"We enjoyed the location of Otter lodge"
Reviewed by MAug 2019
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"Super location in the woods; especially if you enjoy walking there are a myriad of paths locally."
Clean, cosy lodge with every amenity.
Reviewed by RobertApr 2019
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"My wife has walking difficulties and I struggle carrying items any distance."
Otter lodge was a long way down a fairly steep gravel path from the parking area.It is not possible to get near to the lodge for loading and unloading luggage.Upon arrival we contacted the housekeeper who kindly asked the people who were renting Eagle lodge if they would swap with us because of our problems. They kindly agreed to do so,if they had not we would have had to find alternative accomodation or drive the 420 miles home which we had done to get there.The only mention in the information is that it is not suitable for wheelchair users ( the front steps we presumed).No where does it mention the extreme problems of using the lodge if you have any walking or carrying problems.Eagle lodge was somewhat more usable for us, but still it is a long way from the parking area to bring any luggage into the lodge.All in all if it was not for the kindness of other people our holiday would have been a disaster by not being given correct information about where we were to stay.Please ensure full information is given to potential renters in future.As you can tell we are not impressed by Sykes cottages.
Reviewed by DavidSep 2018
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"The lodge had some excellent finishing touches"
Reviewed by PaulAug 2018
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"This was really a very last minute booking after being letdown by another company,your representative helped me a great deal by searching for a lodge for me in Scotland I very much appreciated her help."
Reviewed by LindaJun 2018