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"We were disappointed that we couldn't get the tv to work spoke to owner who was based in London as a result she contacted the cleaner, they came but couldn't resolve problem."
We found several things at property that we were not happy about as they were not up to standard. I.e. baking trays disgusting,duvet stained,oven very dirty so did not use .catch on bedroom window broken , shaving light not working,shelf missing in fridge door and freezer frosted up so couldn't use top draw no information regarding nearest doctor,dentist,hospital or shop, this is only property we have stayed in that didnt provide a welcome pack which after a 9 hour drive would have been very welcome,I would appreciate someone contacting me regarding these issues, we have stayed with sykes many times and this is the first time I have had to complain. Do not think this property was value for money we paid due to all these issues
Regards Chris Lewis
Reviewed by Chris3.0★Feb 2026
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"Amazing house in an amazing location if you like the outdoors or would like quiet place to relax."
The house's amenities where also great! We did have to purchase some oven trays, which we left in the house for the next guest, over than that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We where unable to get the radiators on upstairs, also couldn't figure out how to open the kitchen bin to put in a new bag, however, I think that might of been user error?
Thank you for letting stay in such a lovely house!
Reviewed by Luke5.0★Oct 2025
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"The property itself is very nice, with three bathrooms, a big kitchen/dining area and a laundry room."
It is very quiet, yet close to the centre of Tomintoul, which is a charming village with a good restaurant. Everything was clean and the beds are comfortable. The kitchen lacks some useful items, such as a teapot, egg cups, vegetable knife, ovenproof dish. Maintenance could be improved by replacing lamp bulbs and wobbly fixtures. It would have been nice to have received a welcome pack and visitor information on arrival. Our zero-star rating is for Sykes Cottages rather than Tombeck. It is impossible to contact a human being at Sykes, or get any response. Zero customer service.
Reviewed by Sally4.0★Jul 2025
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"This was our second time visiting this year."
7 ladies. Whilst the house is very clean and warm, the same defects we reported last time have still not been attended to. The prices have increased so surely it would be easy to have the place maintained.
Walk in shower still not repaired or replaced. Sign on door.
Very small fridge/freezer with no shelves in door.
The creaking stairs are very very loud.
thank you for your comments
unfortunately i am not responsible for the increasing prices and this is done directly by sykes in relation to the market i imagine
I am aware of the broken shower door upstairs. Unfortunately because it is quite a remote area i have had problems sourcing the replacement door parts and then it was the summer season which meant the property was booked out back to back which did not give the maintenance man enough time to get in and do the repair in between guests coming and going. We have now booked a date for the door to be replaced
Property Owner
Reviewed by Fay4.0★Sep 2024
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"Tombeck House is a lovely cottage perfectly situated in the Cairngorms."
The three bathrooms and large bedrooms made our stay very comfortable, and the beautiful kitchen and living room were perfect for family gatherings. The cottage is very well furnished and has all the appliances you need. It even had a baby cot and a high chair, which was very helpful for us. Our only issue was the rather small fridge given the number of people the house can accommodate.
The owner was very helpful and quick in answering.
We highly recommend it!
thank you for your comments
i will look into getting a smaller second fridge which can be kept in the shed for anything which doesnt fit into the main fridge
Property Owner
Reviewed by Alexandra5.0★Aug 2024
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"Stairs extremely squeeky and noisy which was annoying when children trying to sleep
Upstairs flooring also very badly needly maintained
Outside looks very unkept with weeds everywhere
Shower upstairs was out of order
Very strong smell of kerosine from the boiler
Fridge - not big enough for 6 people and milk shelf missing so milk leaked everywhere."
thank you for your comments
i will have the maintenance man see if there is anything he can do about the creaking stairs and upstairs floor.
the boiler has been serviced so there should not be any smell coming from that so i will have the boiler man come out to look at that as a matter of urgency
unfortunately one of the guests broke the shelf that went in the door of the fridge and it took a while to get the right one ordered but that has been replaced
Property Owner
Reviewed by Melanie3.0★Jul 2024
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"Great location and property we throughly enjoyed our stay and was accessible to all the activities we wanted to do."
Couple of things would like to provide feedback on is the sweaky sound on the stairs and while walking upstairs and would be great to have some mats in the kitchen and the carpet in the Lounge needs a proper wash.
thank you for your comments. I am so pleased you enjoyed your stay. It is a beautiful part of the world! :) and I will book to have all the carpets professionally cleaned.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Bharath5.0★Aug 2023
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"We had a very lovely stay at Tombeck."
Very comfortable, cosy and clean with good beds.
The surroundings are amazing and good for several hikes nearby. The only suggestion/tip we have is regarding the limited crockery. A bit more cans and plates would be helpfull. As we were with only 3 guests it was sufficient.
We highly recommend Tombeck.
Reviewed by Corine5.0★May 2023
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"Large property, good location, smart decorations on the surface which look nice in the listing."
However, doors and letterbox didn't close properly and would bang during a stormy night, spaghetti hoops and crumbs in crevices on dining room table, someone else's provisions left in fridge and cupboards, potent unpleasant smell of creosote by boiler, doors and windows stiff and old and needed an upgrade, outside area quite grotty. Not particularly comfortable. Superficially looked good but felt it was overpriced (they've doubled their prices since last year) and we have stayed in much better accommodation. Wouldn't stay again or recommend.
Reviewed by Nicole1.0★Feb 2023
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"On reading a review left after I had booked I was a little apprehensive, however it was nice to see the owner had taken on board the comments."
When we arrived there were coffee pods, dishwasher tablets and bin bags. The house itself is lovely and was spacious enough that as 2 families of 4 we didn't feel on top of each other at any point. It was clean and comfortable and everything was working as it should.
The village itself is lovely, there is a little village shop and a pub. On visiting both I found the people to be very friendly and welcoming.
Reviewed by Amy4.0★Dec 2022
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"The property was comfortable, lots of room, in a great location for travelling about, but could do with a bit of upkeep, eg."
wobbly dining chairs, wobbly shower fittings, windows not closing properly, oven not working properly. Other places I've stayed have also left a few bin bags, dishwasher tabs, coffee machine pods, etc. for guests. I would expect more for the price paid.
I also think I should have been informed that there was a housing estate being built next door. We were out early and for most of the days, so the noise didn't bother us that much.
Generally, a great stay. Tomintoul is a lovely, friendly village. Great little shop, nice friendly pub with good food and whiskeys, also lots of local walks and wildlife.
Reviewed by Alex4.0★Sep 2022
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"Clean, fresh, comfortable, well-equipped property in a fantastic Scottish landscaping."
Absolutely amazing!
Reviewed by Alexandre5.0★Dec 2021
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"The booking system at Sykes is always straight forward."
The property was excellent and more than met our needs. Great holiday rental experience.
Reviewed by Pete5.0★Oct 2021
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"Brilliant centre for wonderful walks on the Glenlivet Estate."
Currently has an active building site next door, but was not a problem.
Small town with some shops, pub and good restaurant.x(the Clock house).
Spacious, and well furnished and comfortable.
Reviewed by Bernard4.0★Sep 2021
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"We enjoyed the location."
Good walking and adventure play area for kids. The cottage was comfortable but was next to an active building site. However this did not impact us other than it being a bit of an eye sore. In addition the garden and outside area could do with a little TLC.
Nevertheless we had a lovely holiday in Tomintoul and would recommend it to others.
Reviewed by Aileen5.0★Aug 2021
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"We were very disappointed to find that the house is situated next door to an active building site."
The single external photo on the website was angled so that the site can't be seen; we feel that Sykes mispresented the house setting. The view from the rear decking area was awful - who would want to sit looking at a building site! We were fortunate that the builders only worked on 2 of the days that we were staying in the cottage as they started at 7am.It was a real shame as the house was very clean, spacious and comfortable. One issue we had was that there were no instructions for any of the appliances which made using an unfamiliar oven and washing machine more tricky than it needed to be.
Reviewed by Penny4.0★Aug 2021
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"Its a great location, ok the view from the house itself not that brilliant but in terms of comfort, great local restaurants - one of which is Clockhouse, shops, lovely roads around (for those Top Gear fans especially), walking, easy driving access to the beaches, Grantown on Spey, Inverness, etc."
Absolutely cannot fault it. The property is newly refurbished and ticked all boxes. A minor thing really - please install a shaving/toothbursh point in the bathroom(s). We are a family of 4 and if we do visit Scotland again we will definitely try and book this place again.
Reviewed by John5.0★Jun 2021
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