The Coach House

CHIRNSIDE, Scottish Borders

2 guests
1 bed
1 bathroom
Pet Friendly

4.2Good

3.0Sykes Holiday Cottages rating

A semi-detached, stone-built cottage, converted from a stable block, on the main street of the village of Chirnside, Berwickshire, close to Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Set in the grounds of the owner's home, this welcoming Scottish cottage in the Borders offers a charming interior, ideal for a romantic break or for exploring the beaches, cliffs, coastline and history of this peaceful location.

After parking up on the roadside, head into the cottage where you can unwind on the plush sofa in the living room while your partner pampers you with a delicious meal prepared in the well-equipped kitchen/diner.

Savour the meal together at the intimate dining table where you can pop open a bottle of fizz to toast your romantic getaway or step outside to the private patio where you can indulge in an alfresco affair with the help of the barbecue.

When the sky darkens over Chirnside head back inside to enjoy a soothing soak in the bathroom before sloping off for a restful sleep in the sumptuous king-size bed.

Enjoy a romantic retreat at The Coach House.

Note: This property can be booked with Ref. 1171641, together sleeping up to 9 guests.

Your dates

Everything you'll need

Wifi
Pet Friendly
Near Pub / Shop
Smoke Free

Wifi
Pet Friendly
Near Pub / Shop
Smoke Free

What guests are saying

4.2

Based on 44 reviews

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities and Maintenance

It was nice to be contacted beforehand by the property owner who also popped round to say goodbye.

Very nice personal touch. I was worried about having to park on the street but I needn't have as it was no problem and was right on the doorstep.

JanAug 2026

On arrival, we met the host, who lives next door.

Rather than introducing herself or welcoming us, she immediately began listing rules about our dog. We were told not to let him urinate anywhere on the property, to take him off the grounds for toileting, and to keep him off the furniture. Given that the property is advertised as dog-friendly, this felt like an unwelcoming start to our stay. The host also asked what time we would be leaving the following week. Although the listing stated the checkout time, I said we would probably leave around 10 a.m. Her response was, "I'll pop over at 9 then." We've stayed in many holiday rentals over the years, and this is the first time a host has suggested arriving before checkout, which felt quite intrusive. Parking is on the street, so we had to unload the car there and carry our luggage a short distance to the property. Once we had settled in, we began noticing a number of issues. In our opinion, the property is quite run-down and doesn't appear to have had a thorough deep clean for a long time. The floor mats were very dirty, the kitchen and bathroom extractor vents were thick with dirt, and the bathroom light fitting contained dead insects that were clearly visible. The living room walls and ceiling were marked and dirty, the furniture looked very worn, and the bathroom vanity unit was grubby, chipped, and in need of replacement. The front door had three large cracks that let daylight through, and the door handle was loose. The kitchen cutlery and mugs were all mismatched, which gave the impression of a poorly maintained property rather than a well-equipped holiday let. We also found that the bedding was not clean. To the host's credit, she did come over, replaced the bedding, and cleaned the extractor vents after we raised the issue. Overall, we felt the property needs a thorough deep clean, repainting throughout, and better general maintenance. The exterior was also neglected, with dirty window frames, door frames, and steps. Based on the overall condition, we don't believe the property had been cleaned properly before our arrival. If it had, then the standard of cleaning was simply not acceptable. At over £600 for a week's stay, we expected a much higher standard of cleanliness and maintenance. Unfortunately, the property did not represent good value for money, and we left feeling disappointed.

DavidAug 2026

Had a lovely stay at The Coach House.

Agnes and Bob were very helpful. Chirnside is a great place for touring the Scottish Borders and Northern England.

NoelJun 2026

I agree with previous reviews that the kitchen is too dark with the existing lighting, regardless of dimmer switches, which were turned up full.

Maybe a battery operated stick on cabinet light would be a good idea by the cooker etc. the microwave is worn and shows sign of damage resulting in condensation forming in the door, the cleaner must be aware of this. The mattress, although comfortable didn’t fit the bed base and the bed base around the bed near the pillows, that you can see was filthy and dusty. The air vent in the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned, I hoovered that myself. The towel rail was dusty, the towels were old and hard, and laid over the dusty rail. The kitchen cupboard door where the bin is has dropped, again obvious to the cleaner so should have been fixed. Lack of glasses - only 2 hi-ball glasses which means if you change your drink you have to keep washing up. No bleach or washing up liquid, old wash cloths and scourer (which I didn’t use) as they didn’t look hygienic, so I brought my own. The front door condenses on the inside resulting in all the coats getting wet that were hanging there. No dog pack left, which the owner apologised for and said that the cleaner had forgotten to leave it, however, I would have expected her to drop one in the next day. All in all, this cottage needs a bit of attention as looking a bit tired.

AlistairFeb 2025

Owner response:

Thank you for renting our cottage and for providing thoughts on potential improvements, all gratefully received. Reading your comments I visited the property with my housekeeper and handyman to establish what needed to be done. Your suggestion of a battery -operated strip light is an excellent idea and I ordered several. In this way, the nice ambient lighting in the kitchen can be preserved, whilst providing additional lighting to the spotlights already in place. I do not agree with your assessment of the microwave-it is in very good condition and does not require any attention. There is an assortment of glasses in the cupboard, namely 2 water glasses, 2 beer glasses, 2 wine glasses and 2 champagne flutes. However, just in case, I have provided a few more water glasses. As for the ‘unhygienic, dirty and old scourer and dish cloth’, I regret to say that this is an incorrect assumption of yours. I buy good quality, long lasting scourers and dish cloths from Lakeland, that can withstand washes of 95 degrees , so that the next guest can enjoy fresh, clean and hygienic dish washing accessories. It is against my principles to buy throw-away items which will inevitably cause further damage to the environment. The front door was inspected by my handyman and your assertion that it made your coats wet is physically impossible. The door is wind and watertight (it would indeed be a sorry state of affairs if it wasn’t!). I can only surmise that your coats got wet whilst walking the dog or otherwise being outside – a fact which is entirely possible this time of the year. In the bedroom, my housekeeper and myself lifted the mattress seeking to identify the ’filth and dust’ by the pillow. To no avail, we could not spot it. As for the doggie treat basket, you are entirely correct- I did tell you that the housekeeper had forgotten to put it in and that I would bring one over shortly. However, you must have missed your wife telling me not to bother since you brought everything you needed for your pet. We had agreed that I would see you out at the usual check-out time of 10am on the day of your departure and was therefore surprised that you had left early without handing over the key. I was even more taken aback when I saw that you had moved the fridge in the kitchen without putting it back in its original position. I regret that you were obviously unhappy with our cottage, and I wonder why you never mentioned any dissatisfaction during our frequent and friendly chats in the courtyard. Most of these things could have been addressed easily right away. Therefore I am wondering whether your unhappiness with our cottage might have been more to do with the fact that unfortunately, due to prior commitments , I was unable accommodate your request to check in an hour early on arrival and check out an hour late on departure, and that you couldn’t park your car in the courtyard- which you clearly would have preferred.

Too expensive for what it was.

Apparently pet friendly, but the dog was not allowed in the garden or court yard. Parking was on the street on a first come, first serve basis, battling with local residents. Welcome pack was a pint of milk and 1 dog chew. Facilities were limited and in poor condition. Will not recommend or return. Would not even give a 1star rating.

ColinJun 2021

Owner response:

Dear Mr Paterson, Thank you for your recent review, we always welcome feedback. Guests are welcome to bring a pet dog entirely free of charge to the Coach House, enabling them to enjoy the companionship of their pet whilst on holiday, and making substantial savings on kennel fees. The Coach House is not offered with a garden and it is clearly stated in the property particulars, which no doubt you saw prior to booking, that pets are required to be kept on a lead and to be exercised and toileted off site at the adjacent park. Your Welcome Pack included milk, tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits, and your Pet Welcome Pack included a water bowl, pet waste bags, a treat, and a towel. The Guest Information Book included information about pubs and other amenities which will accept pets, and local walks. The Coach House is offered with 'on-street' parking only, which is both amply available and free of charge throughout the village. Chirnside is a small, peaceful and friendly place, and I have never seen anyone 'battling' with anyone, let alone over parking. I recall that most days I saw your car parked directly outside our cottage.. The Coach House facilities were exactly as advertised both in text and photos and you did not request any assistance during your stay. If you had, we would have done our best to quickly repair or replace any non-working items. Your frustrations appear to be a general dissatisfaction with what you had booked. Given both your level of frustration with the property, and taking into account it was offered as advertised, I am left intrigued as to what you were expecting to find? Kind Regards Bob and Agnes

Good to know

House Rules

Good housekeeping bond
This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £250
Smoking
Not permitted
Property notes
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping Bond of £100
Please note: Check-ins and check-outs are not available on Sundays.

Stay Information

Check-in / Check-out
15:00 / 10:00
Property ref
2994

Guest & Pet Policy

Pets
Allowed
Children
Not accepted