Hilltop

Lovely house in Clachtoll.

All beautifully clean and almost everything you need for a quiet week away. Lacks any personal touch such as pictures etc but other than this, it’s great. The dishwasher was out of use

We found the cottage clean, comfortable and had everything we needed.

We were surrounded by an array of lovely animals and the scenery was fantastic with fabulous beaches nearby. It was all certainly worth the long journey it took to get there.

On arrival at 5:30pm (sunset at 3:50pm) so it was quite dark, there is no outside lighting and the porch light was missing a bulb.

Not only that, soon as I walk through the door looking for lights/switches I stumble across the bag with all the bedding for me to make my own bed, not impressed considering the single beds which wasn’t being used had been made up? I text the owner straight away and I’m still waiting for a response 4 days later, not impressed! 1 out of the 2 kitchen lights didn’t work either, luckily it was just a blown bulb. Just made me think, has anyone actually checked these prior to a guest arrival?? Also the dishwasher didn’t work, could get it to turn on and was filled with dirty water? I only found out the day before that the log burner wouldn’t be in use due to a damaged/faulty flue which was a shame as would have been nice to use. TV signal is poor, phone signal is poor but luckily plenty of DVDs to choose from. Shower is awesome, bed is comfy, property stays warm from the good heating which is a bonus

The property was secluded and spacious.

The house was comfortable, with recliners, had all mod cons (washer, dryer, dish washer etc…) and even had things like a first aid kit and wood for the log burner. We do this type of holiday quite often and have a box of essentials every trip (tea towels, washing liquids, dish clothes etc…) this is the first holiday where I did not need to use any of it. The area is very secluded and previous occupants had left plenty of information for things to do in the area - but planning is essential. The only let down was the road to the property - it appears to be some type of scrap yard (I would love to know how the car got there! It defies the laws of physics). But once in the house you can’t see the rubbish. However, highlights were the sheep and rabbits in the garden and the alpacas and donkeys in the property next door!

Great spacious cottage only missing WiFi.

Other than that no complaints

Overall this is a very good holiday cottage.

It is in a fabulous location in the beautiful coastal village of Clachtol. Kitchen very well equipt and everything you need for a good holiday. It might benefit from a few pictures on the wall as decor looks a little bare. Sometimes a slight drains smell in utility room and bathroom but apart from that all good.

If you like peace and isolation great location .

Place was clean and tidy and well equipped. We used it as a base for touring the north of Scotland however the steep gravel drive presents a challenge for motorcyclists no mishaps though. Would definitely go back if we were returning to the area . The alpacas next door were sweet. No WiFi or phone signal bliss

Location good, great hill view, house good but maintenance not great .

Lights not working in kitchen and utility room toilet which seem to be an on going issue for the kitchen going by the visitor book. Boiler makes kitchen smell of heating oil when running. Also be careful kettle does not switch off. Fantastic shower and friendly sheep.

WARNING: This property is regularly uncleaned when visitors arrive.

Unfortunately I didn't read customer reviews before booking the cottage or I would have discovered the many ongoing issues surrounding this property. Not only had the house not been cleaned, the owner did not answer my calls; the property is surrounded by rusting, abandoned cars and a quarry; the kitchen equipment equipment is old, dirty and basic; most bedding is threadbare; and unlike most cottages I've been to there was no welcome pack of any sort. There is also a very worrying smell from the drains at the front door so it's not somewhere you'd sit. If you still decide to book you'll need to take a cafetiere and all the basic supplies such as salt, washing powder and dishwasher tablets with you. I'll be sure to read reviews in future.

The cottage was ideal for us, clean, warm and had everything we needed.

Superb location right on fantastic coast and many walks without need to get into car.

House is brand new and well-quipped and very warm. Owner particularly accommodating when we had a car problem on route. Because, due to an accident, we were unable to get to the house for the first 3 days he allowed us to stay an extra three days without paying anything extra along with being always available with the numerous phone calls involved during what was a slightly stressful time. Great pies at the Lochinver larder and handy little shop near the beach. Bit of a steep drive from Lochinver to Clachtoll during wintry weather but a lovely haven away from it all.

Lovely cottage, everything we needed and in a good position to explore the area.

Just wished there was internet access.

The garden would not be a safe place for children as it is full of nettles, thistles and sheep droppings.

There is no outside seating. There are no bins at all and the previous guests rubbish hadn't been removed. The front door was difficult to close. The area around the house had abandoned cars and lower down the track towards the road there were piles of other abandoned goods such as washing machines. The heating was temperamental, but once we'd worked it out the house was warm.

We had a fantastic stay at Hilltop.

The stylish modern interior came as a welcome surprise in what looked a fairly unremarkable property at first sight. The location about half way between the Clachtoll and Stoer beaches was perfect, and the fish and chip van was practically next door! As other reviews have said, there are a couple of old cars and a small cuttting/quarry on the way up to the house, but this is a rural area and that is not unusual. They certainly didn’t spoil our view and we didn’t feel the need for pictures on the walls. The antics of the various animals on the Croft next to Hilltop we’re fascinating and made for entertaining viewing. If you are interested in geology, the view from the house inland is wonderful, showing the change from the red Torridonian sandstones to the grey Lewisian gneiss. There were a couple of minor issues with the property, although these didn’t affect the quality of our stay. There was some perishable food left in a cupboard by previous holidaymakers; we would have expected this to be disposed of in the present circumstances. The shower didn’t drain well at first, although this was solved by putting some cleaner (provided) down it. The mattresses on the twin beds were quite hard and might not suit some people, me being one of them! One side of the double bed seemed rather lumpy. However, these are minor points and the place overall was very clean and comfortable. We would certainly stay there again.

Very well-appointed, clean and comfortable cottage in a beautiful corner of Scotland.

Unfortunately when we arrived, the house hadn't been cleaned since the previous guests, which made for a stressful first evening, after a long journey.

We did contact the owner, though, who was very apologetic and sent round 2 girls shortly after, who changed the beds and took away the rubbish. In times of Covid19 we were disappointed, as cleanliness should be of utmost importance. There was also a smashed mirror in one of the bedrooms, which the owner had told us about beforehand, but I also felt this should have at least been boarded/covered up as it was very sharp and there were still some shards of glass on the carpet around it. It would also be helpful to have some information available about lighting the woodturner/using the oven/the central heating. Apart from these things, we had a lovely holiday and the cottage was warm, comfy and well decorated. The shower was hot and powerful and the cottage is in a beautiful, remote area, with lovely scenery and beaches nearby.

The place was a little hard to find(needs a better sign).

Once inside we were very pleased with the place lovely and clean and all mod cons. The only one thing was the tv. Not that we had much time to watch tv but needed to know the weather forcast... Would recommend the place to anyone who loves the outside from walks on stunning beaches to climbing high up in the snow capped mountains...

We really enjoyed our stay.

Despite the two storms that passed through we had a great time walking the coastal areas in all kinds of weather. The cottage was superb lots of space for storing our outdoor kit. Washing facilities much appreciated- bath was brilliant after a hard day in the elements. Made great use of the large kitchen diner. Loved the reclining sofas for vegging out in the evening. A great base for outdoor activities at any time of the year, we hope to go back.

The cottage was perfect

Area was excellent the cottage lacked the personal touch, very basic with no frills.

We loved it!

Perfect peace and quiet and everything we needed was provided in the cottage. The price was good too - very reasonable. We hope to return one day.

An odd "cottage", this is a new build bungalow in a remote Scottish valley.

Overlooking rusted cars and abandoned equipment, there is no scenic delight awaiting you. Despite comments going back two years, no effort has been made by the owners to provide light bulbs and coat hooks. We experienced power outage but there were no candles or torches to be found- the log burner was a god send. Avoid, it's not worth the money compared to local b&b.

There was no sign to Hilltop.

We had to drive up and down to match the photo of the property with the right bungalow. After a very long journey we were dismayed to find the approach track to the property very unattractive with the odd scrap bike, an old sink, piles off old tyres, a scrap car, and a collection of old trailers and another car to each side of the track. The mini quarry facing the front of the property didn’t improve the outlook. The bungalow itself was spacious and comfortable but felt soulless. Not a single picture or anything decorating the walls, minimal furniture (the spacious hall sported a single chair, no bedroom chairs, and no hooks anywhere for coats, dressing gowns, towels etc. Despite some of these criticisms having been made by previous tenants, nothing had been done to improve things. Clearly the owners have made no effort to address any of these matters, and of course this reflects badly on your company.

No, I selected met expectations as I've booked with you many times before, so knew to expect exceedingly high standards!

Overall, we were disappointed with Hilltop.

We had a problem with the gas supply to the hob which became a major disruption to our holiday. The gas supply to the hob was erratic with a very small flame eventually appearing on the rings for the first few days of the holiday. By Wednesday there was no gas coming through at all. We had to drive about a mile to get a phone signal as there was no WiFi or landline in the house on several occasions throughout Thursday, speaking first to a local contact and then on three occasions to yourselves. Each telephone conversation occasioned a separate trip as we waited for some progress. Eventually the owner (Simon) contacted my husband and advised he could not get a gas engineer until the following morning. That evening, we eventually managed to get some gas at the hob enough to cook a meal for our visitors. Catherine then arrived with her daughter and interrupted our dinner saying she had to take a photo of the gas hob for Simon. The following morning (Friday) Catherine arrived just after 9am with a gas engineer who eventually managed to fix the problem by installing a new regulator to the gas cylinder. The whole incident was very inconvenient and disappointing. Separately, I would comment that the cottage had a lack of homeliness in that the bare necessities were present but there were, for example, no coathooks, no towel rail or hooks in the bathroom, no pictures on any of the walls, no cushions on the sofa and no additional blankets in the bedrooms. Also there were no instructions on how to operate any appliances and very minimal information about the local area. There was no information about local services, Doctor, Shops, Restaurants etc. Finally, the garden was described as a "lawn" but was very rough terrain and pasture with cow dung all over the area. These may seem trivial points but such features do make a positive difference to the feel of a holiday home. The wood-burning stove appeared to be poorly installed and was uncontrollable and there was no information on local supplies of firewood. We have used self-catered properties for over 25 years and whilst Hilltop looked appealing on your website I would have to rate it as a poor experience.

We asked Sykes whether there was a non stick saucepan and flashlight at the property.

The phoned the owners who affirmed that there was. We had no gas for the cooker for twenty four hours as the Propane ran out . This meant we had no access to hot food from Thursday night until the handy man appeared the following night , Friday at 7pm. Apart from this the cottage was good.

I went there with my partner and two little children.

We all loved the place. It is not for everybody as there is no wifi signal and hardly any signal at all to be honest, but if you are looking for quiet place with absolutely stunning views, breathtaking beaches with white sands and clear blue water, that is the place for you. The house had everything we wanted, really well equipped, washing machine and dryer was a good addition to the place as sometimes you will get soaked with rain. Since we got there on Friday nobody bothered us at all. Place is really secluded walking distance to the lovely beach is only couple minutes away. We are already checking dates to book it again. By the way house is a lot more spacious than on the pictures, fireplace and lazy boys in the tv room..just perfect. Thank you for a brilliant holiday. We will be back again even though its 9 hours in the car to get there.

This is a lovely, well-appointed, property in a beautiful location, but there was something strangely missing.

Yes, it was warm and comfortable (leather reclining sofas) with a luxury kitchen (granite work surfaces) and a large TV, but the owner has clearly not actually spent a night there or some things would have become obvious. There is nowhere to hang a wet coat or leave your boots (this is NW Scotland after all), there are no pictures on the walls which makes it feel like an empty art gallery, and a place called Hilltop in this part of the world would be expected to have at the very least, a view of the sea, but in this it fails. Also, a note for future residents, the sign for the cottage is sometimes hidden by the wheely bins at the roadside, so it can be difficult to find in an area where there is limited phone signal to call the caretaker!

The location, the bungalow was very spacious.

A fabulous location, beautiful scenery and away from it all!

The cottage could be perfect - it could definitely do with somewhere to hang coats & towels (backs of chairs will eventually take its toll on them!). The kitchen could have done with a good clean. The cooker hob, pots & pans, cutlery & drawers weren’t clean (we cleaned them all before being able to use them). Great facilities otherwise, washing & drying always a bonus. No WiFi is good for some but unfortunately not for us as it meant not being able to keep in contact with family at home & mobile signal not great. All in all we had a great time here, the children loved it too.

We have been before so know what to expect.

Still needs some coat hooks in lobby! Some cracked wine glasses and some pans in bad state not of our making. For us this is a good location but perhaps not for everybody due to lack of Wifi and some other local amenities.

Lovely property & great to have laundry facilities to dry off after day on bike!

Shop just 8 mins walk away Hopefully Ian has used the rawlplugs we bought to fit the bathroom mirror....bathroom without a mirror?????? Otherwise, perfect

Great location for us.

We are keen on being outside walking and birdwatching. Facilities at the cottage were excellent, however on one small point a mirror in the bathroom would be helpful.

This wasn't a holiday but the cottage was booked so I could work in the area.

I stayed on my own so the ease of operation of all the facilities was important. I was not disappointed. The cottage is virtually brand new as are the contents. Yes the garden could do with some landscaping and a sign on the gate would be a good idea but that is being picky. Owners couldn't be more helpful or friendly. Overall Great.

The cottage is new, equiped to a high standard in the way of appliances, heating and hot water systems and furnishings.

Well situated, private, peaceful and quiet, in striking distance of Kylesku and Achiltibuie. Ian the caretaker is friendly and helpful, and stays nearby. The property is good value for money and if the owner wishes to add a final dressing of items such as pictures, mirror in bathroom, cushions, hooks for wet jackets, chest of drawers in the fitted wardrobes and one or two more pieces of kitchen equipment the cottage could easily command a much higher rental figure. The addition of a guest book for previous guest advice and wildlife spotting would be helpful, as would an owners folder with instruction sheets, information on nearest recycling points and local walks. Flossies beach hut is in walking distance and is well stocked with basics. Thank you for a great chill out holiday in a stunning area!