Upper West Wing Flat - Tarvit

The location was very convenient for exploring the area - Cupar, St.

Andrews, Kellie Castle, Anstruther, Crail and even Dundee via rail from Cupar. The grounds were relaxing to wander around but there were a lot of people using the estate purely for dog walking - we even saw dog walking on the putting green and the Hickory golf course. The house is well worth a visit. We went on an excellent guided tour which brought out the history, the main features and the interesting characters who lived there in a relatable way. The staff and volunteers were very friendly and seemed pleased to see us. It is a real shame that the house is currently open less than half the week - the property and estate has so much potential for further development. The flat itself could have been better equipped - there was not enough crockery so we had to wash by hand as required otherwise we would have to run the dishwasher less than half full. This was a particular problem especially if we had breakfast, lunch and dinner on the one day. The dishwasher was temperamental - the cover to the detergent dispenser kept reopening and presumably ejecting the dishwasher tablet during the wash, so it was hit or miss whether the dishes got washed properly, leaving the tablet still intact. Although the flat was clean, the cooker and oven could do with a deep clean. The towels in general were rather thin and could do with replacing. We did not like the foam mattress but the bed linen was good quality. We found the worst things about the flat was the intolerable heat inside. Seemingly the radiator at the top end of the hall is part of the house plumbing and cannot be turned off as the high humidity requires the heating to be turned on in the house for conservation purposes. So in summer the heat tends to build up in the flat. Factor in the roof space, heat retaining stone walls, cooking and the dishwasher …. However the towels dried easily! The closure of the road up to the flat was an inconvenience and tiring when it came to unloading and loading the car, coupled with the amount of stairs to be navigated up to the flat. The stairs appear to be a fire escape construction so we don’t think it’s suitable accommodation for old people, the lesser abled or young children. We have stayed at other NTS properties and note that the contents of the welcome tray or basket vary quite a bit. It would be better if there was some consistency. Similarly with kitchen supplies eg provision of bin bags, washing up pads or brushes etc.

We loved our stay here.

It was in a beautiful location and was so peaceful. Everything you need for a self catering holiday is supplied and it's clean and very comfortable. Unfortunately we couldn't get the TV to work and there was a radiator in the hall that we could not get to switch off but these were minor inconveniences and we would still return for another break. Sadly we couldn't get our tour of the mansion house as it was only open at the weekends

This was our second stay here.

We love this flat for so many reasons - it's comfortable and well- equipped; it's in a beautiful historic house set in magnificent grounds; the overall countryside and area is quiet and very rural, with plenty of excellent walks and places to visit.

We found the flat very warm and cosy.

The location is excellent and a lovely place to stay. It makes you feel privileged to be here. As usual the staff at NTS are lovely, friendly and the most helpful of people. Don’t forget to do the tour of the house. Dan’s commentary on the history of the house is brilliant. He is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and has a passion for the subject. This has been another very enjoyable visit. Thank you NTS. Keep up the good work - it is very much appreciated!

Lovely property - very comfortable and quiet.

Good facilities and very comfortable beds! Plenty warm too. Good walks around the grounds and over to the old Tower House. Easy striking distance to everywhere in Fife and goods links to places beyond. House is quiet and feels remote but really only 5 mins drive to Cupar and with other wings of the house occupied you don’t feel out of the way. All in all an excellent base although you do need to be able to get up the metal stairs to access it.

There was a very warm welcome and kind assistance in every aspect of our stay at HoT with NTS.

Many thanks vor everything. Rosie, Klaus & Bernd

Hello!

A fabulous stay in a marvellous environment and all of the Trust staff were great: warm, helpful and very well informed. The thing that makes it an eight rather than a ten and would make me hesitate to return or recommend the property are the astoundingly mean check in and check out times: 5pm and 9:30am are very at from industry standard and nothing short of miserable. For two days you are close to hiring a bed for the night, rather than a holiday experience. It is very discouraging and leaves rather a bad taste. If it is really taking that much time to clear the properties, I would suggest hiring more help. Otherwise, it could be an A1 experience!

The residents on the flat opposite did not park their car close to the wall.

That left a narrow space in which I had to drive the car to the parking at the rear and it was overgrown with vegetation, so my car alarm was sounding due to the branches proximity to the car. Otherwise the flat was clean, well furnished and the location was beautiful, peaceful and tranquil. It was a relaxing holiday away from the busyness of city life. There was entertainment in the flat and information about places to visit nearby. A map of the grounds and paths across the estate would be a useful addition to your information pack.

Hill of Tarvit is perfect for a short break.

I go every year,to meet up with old friends and have a peaceful few days. The flat as usual was perfect, and the property manager couldn't have been more helpful. I had a bit of an issue one night with the central heating (it was very cold in April!) But within hours of me letting them know about it it was fixed. The only small improvement would be if one of the parking spaces in the courtyard could be earmarked and labelled for the Upper West wing flat. I came back one afternoon to find the courtyard parking spaces all being used. There was the van which was permanently there and a couple of cars. If I had parked I would have had to have moved my car to let other people out. Apparently the spaces were being used by visitors to the flat downstairs. I think people not actually staying should be encouraged to park in the large car park, I have rheumatoid arthritis and can't walk far so I choose to stay somewhere with parking at the door. One of the visitors did very politely move his car to let me in, but then parked behind me so if I had wanted to go out again I would have had to have found him and asked him to move. I'm sure a sign indicating that one of the spaces is for the holiday flat would avoid confusion.

Lovely flat, clean and well kept, super estate to walk around, we used the golf which was great fun.

The apartment was in a lovely location in the house and grounds.

Parking was close to the property and easy to access. The apartment was missing some of the small things that makes the apartment more cosy. As we stayed over the christmas week I was expecting there to be some christmas decorations up, to make the apartment more welcoming. Also the welcome pack included a pint of milk in the freezer, which had to be defrosted before we could make a drink. As described it did not have wifi, but at the time of our stay it was possible to hot spot off a nearby EE hub. There was also limited phone coverage. As there was a sharp frost during our stay the metal steps and walkway became very slippy. Given the time of year I would have expected this but It would have been helpful if salt had been provided so we could grit the walkway section.

Generally very satisfied - as I was during my initial visit in June.

I was a little disappointed to see that the minor crack in the bathtub - which I highlighted in June - had not been addressed. The only other points I would make are with regards to the external stairway to the apartment: Whilst the metal open grid stairway is clearly shown in the online photos it is perhaps worth mentioning, or even stressing, in the description just how ‘open’ the stairs are and the ‘exposed’ feeling which anyone with a fear of heights or vertigo may experience. At the time of my visit in early December the weather conditions were snowy and icy and, although sand / grit / salt had been spread on the stairway, it still remained a potential slip hazard. Fortunately I had no incidents. However it may be worth considering giving guests access to the apartment through the main mansion particularly during snowy or icy weather.

Very good, comfortable accommodation with plenty of space for our family of 4.

We enjoyed our stay and found it a good base from which to explore Fife. The property folder and visitors books were really useful for recommending days out. For those reading who are concerned about access to the internet, we found that we could usually get mobile data in the rooms, but most reliably in the master bedroom (we're on Giffgaff which piggybacks on the O2 network)

We absolutely LOVED staying there and look forward to returning again.

There are a couple of things we'd suggest (in fact, left a note on the kitchen table): the toilet fills and flushes unpredictably; we count on having Internet provided; the back steps are very dark and dangerous...you really need a light on them; the dryer doesn't work (we just repaired one for our daughter and it was the heating sensor that had to be reset). Mostly we really, really enjoyed being there, one of the loveliest sites we've ever stayed in. Thank you so much. (it's fine to publish my comments and to edit out the specific suggestions! :) )

Excellent welcome from NTS staff who were eager to make sure that everything was satisfactory.

Welcome tray provided - very much appreciated, with not just 1 but 2 teapots to enjoy a relaxing cuppa, not available in previous property. Well provisioned kitchen. No dogs allowed (some people are allergic to dogs). Lovely walks, and central for sight seeing in Fife.

I had a lovely peaceful stay at Hill of Tarvit.

I have stayed several times and love the gardens and grounds around the house and the proximity to the sea. This time I was so lucky to arrive when the weather was beautiful, sunny but cold. The only slight problem I had was that I couldn't work the dishwasher, there were no instructions and it didn't work like any that I have ever had. That said, I was on my own so there wasn't much washing up! Thank you for another wonderful break.

Great base to explore, clean comfy and warm x

Excellent- just what we wanted, thank you.

Lovely surroundings, great local walks, the flat is comfortable and with a few tweaks highly desirable.

A lick of fresh oaint, tv in bedrooms and heating sorted would be a help.

Excellent facilities, still needs wifi and a couple more black bags for rubbish (on holiday so refused to do any cooking using supermarket ready meals).

Mid-September 2022 with Covid still around so some National Trust and other tourist properties not fully open yet, also Queen died just before arrival and local facilities affected during my holiday week as well as major road problems on journey home. Transport strikes called off, etc in same week. So essential for wifi to update on places to visit, road and transport problems, etc, during this unexpected emergency situation affecting my whole visit to this property and the area as well as longer journey time on way home due to road closures and diversions throughout London (my home town) on Saturday 17 September for 19 September public funeral.

We were very impressed with the modern kitchen and bath, as well as the homey, comfortable bedrooms and sitting room.

The bedding was delightful. We mentioned 3 very small items (a bath light bulb, heating timer and refrigerator temperature,) for attention to the manager, and we felt assured they would be addressed for future guests. The facility manager was a delightful hostess: a wonderful representative for NTS! Thank you for providing such an excellent service for your traveling visitors.

Lovely property and really nice location - would help if you put a sensor light up so you can see going up and down the outside stairs rather than providing a torch.

It’s also difficult to close the outside door as you need both hands to do the combination lock and handle so you have to put everything down that’s in your hands first when going out and then again when you shut it behind you.

NTS Cottage, well appointed and in good location.

Unfortunately using Sykes Cottages it feels like I am being spammed by them the amount of emails received since booking!

Comfortable cosy flat, light and spacious, lovely grounds and walks.

Very central for Fife attractions. We will be back.

When I booked it appeared that the flat had a key safe, actually what it had was a combination lock.

There was no bolt or key on the inside to secure the flat overnight, so anyone who had ever been told the combination could have come in. The first night (staying by myself) I slept with all the lights on. The next day I had a long conversation with the property manager, Wendy, who tried to tell me that their insurers insisted on it which seems extremely unlikely and that it was completely safe which is patently ridiculous since she could have no idea of who had been given the number. She did eventually do what she should have done straight away, which was to bring a key, so it was resolved in the end but irritating.