Osprey Apartment

This accommodation has great potential.

It is well situated in the heart of the Spey valley close to the amenities of Aviemore and Kingussie. The grounds are full of wild flowers. The other accommodation looked really good and there is potential for group bookings. Osprey apartment itself is nicely decorated with a good shower room and spacious bedroom. The kitchen living room could be better thought out to improve the kitchen area which was small and not well equipped Tall people have to take care due to low ceiling height. The main let down was an uncomfortable bed and sofa. Communication with the owners could have been better over entry arrangements especially

Great location for walking and exploring the area .

Clean and tidy. Would definitely recommend to others . Would have expected some washing up liquid as it was a pain to have to go to shop in Aviemore to get some on day we arrived!

Another good stay loved every minute except window opposite the bed had a fly problem when sprayed 7-8 flys dropped also could not get the normal tv channels had to settle for films all week but I would book again for the location and how quiet it is.

We had a really nice time!

The appartment was very nice and everything was okay. The only thing we missed was a drying rack to put on the laundry.

Lovely cottage.

Peaceful, quiet location. Plenty of walking locations nearby. Will definitely be back.

Ideal situation for visiting The Cairngorms National Park.

Good parking and easy access. Lots of walks from the property.

We were informed before we arrived that there was no TV signal but had hoped this would be restored by our arrival on Saturday 24th October.

It wasn't and although I phoned both Sykes office and Lisa who's name was on the letter I'd received (RAF) I didn't get an acknowledgment which I found unbelievable with a company the size of Sykes. A bulky packet was on the table on our balcony which looked as though it might be a spare part but despite leaving a message on the voicemail calls it was still in the apartment when we left!! Could we please have an explanation about the lack of TV service? This caused a big problem which I won't go into. I had no Wifi /IPhone - just a bog-standard mobile phone . The microwave & cooker were barely useable as in the welcome pack it stated instruction guides were in the cabinet under the TV. There was no cabinet or drawer under the TV. A small transister radio would have been very welcome in the absence of the TV. And maybe a clock or other small time-piece on the wall.. (Please do share these comments with the property owner!. They didn't return my call.) When I phoned, a lady answered who wasn't Lisa so I didn't go into details with her. The apartment itself was brilliant - always warm and comfortable whatever the weather outside, though we did have lots of sunshine. It was lovely to explore by car the surrounding roads & tracks - I'd forgotten what a lovely area it was. When I was unpacking yesterday, I found I had two of your forks in the bottom of our picnic bag . We are returning to the area (Aviemore) at the end of September this year so will return them to Osprey apartment whilst we're there if that is OK with you. And if we were chatting face-to-face I would mention that I'd never come across the method of draining washed items in the sink. Never did get the hang of that black tray, but it did serve a purpose! LOL I wait for a reply at your convenience, and will write again, and to Sykes' office if one is not forthcoming. Best wishes Sandra (Taylor)

Lots of information provided before our arrival, easy check in process.

We were granted early check in which helped after an 8 hour drive through the night! Property was perfect for my husband and I and our 7 year old. Clean, tidy, everything in good working order. Towels & tea towels provided, hot showers, heating. We were able to control the heating which seems to be an improvement having read a number of previous reviews. Brilliant location - Half an hour from Cairngorm base station, 15 minutes from Aviemore (Tesco, fab pizzeria La Taverna & fish & chips Happy Haggis), just under hour and a half from Loch Ness (exhibition tour recommended). The only things we could have done with is a cheese grater, wooden spoon & a bigger duvet on the main bed! Overall, we would definitely recommend this place and would love to return next year. Great price for 5 nights.

The shower was not good.

Low pressure not what you want after a day full of activities. This might have been better if there was a bath but only a shower with low pressure.

The property is lovely.

Wonderful location. We enjoyed our stay very much. The two things I would say that need improving are the shower and the cleanliness of the utensils and appliances in the kitchen. I had to wash everything thoroughly before using them. The pans were very dirty, oily and burnt. Mugs were also dirty. Unfortunately the owners can’t rely on guests to leave the property clean. Therefore the utensils and appliances should be checked before the next guests arrive. Before I left, I made sure all the utensils I used were cleaned and ready for the next guests. Lastly, the shower has very poor pressure and it was very difficult to wash hair. Considering it’s an eco friendly place and they want us to use less water, this defeats the purpose.

Everything was fine except hot water was a bit hit and miss.

Sometimes hot, sometimes luke warm. Shower was also a bit tricky to use and not very hot.

This is such a lovely property, and we had a lovely time staying here!

The location is ideal, offering a remote feel whilst not being far from the areas we wanted to explore. There are also walks right from the doorstep. Loved the bird feeders nearby, a lovely touch. The apartment was fresh and modern, and a perfect space and size for us as 2 adults and 1 large dog. The instructions sent by Sykes were great, and excellent customer service whilst booking. Areas for improvement: there were some minor issues with cleanliness, e.g. the draining rack looked like it had never been cleaned, and there were hairs and stains on the bedding. Other things that were slightly bothersome were the shower pressure - it was a real pain to have such weak pressure throughout the stay. There was no tea, coffee, washing up items, or standard things you'd usually expect in a holiday let, so we had to buy a lot of basics which was a bit of a nuisance as we didn't really have luggage room to take them all back with us. Some of the glasses in the cupboards also looked and smelt like they hadn't been washed. I was, however, impressed and thankful that an iron and ironing board were provided! The main issue for us was the heating system. The heating to this apartment is connected to the one downstairs- so if they accidentally change the zone, you lose control of the heating. This for me is a huge problem! On the night we arrived, the apartment was freezing. We adjusted the thermostat accordingly, but after 2 hours there was still no change in the radiator temperatures, so I had to go downstairs (as advised in the handbook) to speak to the occupiers of the apartment, and together we were trying to figure out if they'd done something on their heating control to effect ours... neither of us could actually tell! It was a real inconvenience, and I felt uncomfortable having to disturb other people's evenings with an issue they also don't expect to have to deal with. Thankfully our heating did come on in the middle of the night, and was fine for the rest of the week, but this would be the main thing for me that people need to be aware of before they come, and something that if is possible to address for property owners, I 100% would say this is essential to resolve. People don't want to have to be bothering other people on holiday - and I'm sure the other apartment didn't want to be bothered. I also was so cold it was numbing the joy of having arrived at such a beautiful apartment. All that being said, the heating was the main issue, and that aside we would happily stay again! Thanks for having us.

A great first stay at Feshiebridge Lodges.

The location was so peaceful and in an idyllic location but easily accessible to Aviemore. Osprey Apartment was comfortable, clean, and had everything two people needed for the duration of their stay. Highly recommended and will definitely be visited again in the future.

We had a very enjoyable stay in comfortable and beautiful surroundings, unfortunately our only issue was the cleanliness of the apartment.

The plate and utensil drainer had a lot of old crud in water drain outlet, the microwave oven was filthy, the shower drain outlet was filthy under the drain cover and the waste water was very slow to drain away.

Lovely apartment the shower pressure is poor and needs a pump.

Great wee storage shed for kayaks and bikes that is shared with another apartment.

A lovely property in a very secluded environment.

Good base to see the Cairngorm area. Very well presented- clean, tidy and in good order. Overall most enjoyable. Thank you.

Good points: excellent location, quiet with nice outdoor surroundings.

Fresh decor and felt light. Generally very clean. Great to have a bike cleaning station. Bad points: could not find communal bike storage- could this please be signposted? Grout in shower was horrible...because it is brown grout it's hard to see the mould but there was over a teaspoon of orange/brown mould we had to clean off. Sofa bed is not comfy to sit on (in our opinion) and the Netflix did not work (only live TV). Could there be more than one tea towel (especially if staying a week). A boot tray to the left of the front door would he helpful and the outside mat is worn away so needs replaced. A communal laundry for the site would make it perfect-esoecially as most people are visiting for outdoor sports so you get muddy clothes.

Osprey was in a very good position near to all the places we wanted to visit.

It was very clean and comfortable with excellent facilities.We would highly recommend this property. Even has Red Squirrels around the site.

A few points to improve the property: 1.

The front outside doormat is worn out; 80% of the bristles are gone. The mat needs replacing. 2. The front inside mat is good but you need another in the corner to put wet /dirty boots/shoes on. 3. The mobile shelving in the bathroom is good but a second shelf is needed. 4. A small extra shelf (like the one in the bathroom) is needed in the kitchen. If you bring a weeks worth of food then it needs to be stored properly and given the price of the property the owner should be able to afford it. 5 The paintwork on the metal rails and handrails needs to be repainted as starting to deteriorate in places. 6. Finally, the steps to the lodge should be swept at least monthly if not weekly.

As downstairs controls the master thermostat is was unbearably warm.

They kept turning it up to 30 which was much to warm. The instructions for the shower did not work and it was freezing. We couldn't get in touch with Sykes cottages for a day and a half so couldn't shower and then they sent out someone to fix it - it took them over an hour and it required specific instructions which they said they had previously provided to the property and should have been available. Downstairs' door also slams and shakes the whole flat. Otherwise it's a lovely space in a beautiful setting. And the issue with the shower would not have been so bad if there had been someone to contact... thankfully it wasn't more serious but it does mean we won't use this company again in the future.

Property is lovely and location is perfect.

The shower needs to be upgraded but overall facilities fine. We were disappointed with the management company as I had emailed ahead of our stay for the sofa bed will be required with bedding. On arrival after a 7hr drive we discovered no bedding, luckily we had some blankets so son coped for a night. The unit appeared to be clean however my son is allergic to dogs and although we knew the units allow dogs to stay we did not expect such amount of dog hair to be present. Bags were covered simply placing them on the floor, I tried to hoover however it was broken so contacted the management company for a replacement. Unfortunately due to this we spent most of our evenings out as my son was suffering pretty bad with nose bleeds and asthma attacks. It was only on day 4 of our holiday a hoover was dropped off. I had already brushed and mopped as many areas as I could, when I got the hoover I did the carpets and furnishings to which I unclogged the head numerous times it was so much. I understand there are animals allowed and it’s a risk we took however did not expect such lack of basics like hoovering carpeted areas ahead of the next arrival.

The perfect home away from home peaceful and quiet

We have stayed previously in the bigger lodges and was surprised to find that in the apartment there is no ironing board or iron available and there is no drying area inside.

The bed was not very comfortable and as for the shower this has the slowest flow rate ever. Thank you for dealing with the wasp nest at the front door, these were a real nuisance. We still enjoyed our stay as we have done at this location since 1993 and we will be back again, please please sort out the shower.

Apartment is lovely, stunning and peaceful location which we enjoyed very much.

Couple of little points of feedback would be a power point next to the mirror for drying your hair given hairdryer provided. Or a mirror on top of the chest of drawers for use. The sofa is not comfortable, which is such a pity. Very difficult to use the hob as not any space to prep food or put hot pots Down etc. would recommend oven use only. Otherwise brilliant and we will be back. Hope you look at the points favorably

We loved our stay.

The apartment was just what we expected and more really. Comfortable bed, clean apartment, good, basic kitchen but had nice quality crockery, and kitchen knives which isn’t often the case! The area was so peaceful and was a great base for us to explore Scotland. The only slight downside for us was the people staying in the apartment next to us started their wood burner whilst we were out. As we had been enjoying very hot weather we had left our roof windows open to keep the apartment cool during the day. This then meant the apartment was very Smokey, but this isn’t a criticism on the accommodation. Usually this wouldn’t be a problem as the weather would be cold and the windows would be closed. Would throughly recommend the apartment and wouldn’t hesitate to book again.

The Flat is great for 2 people but would benefit from 2 extra trolley trays (like the one in the kitchen) one to be in the shower room (as there is no where to put things and an extra one in the kitchen area to prevent having to place things on the kitchen surface working area as it is a very small space.

Additionally, we had to put down paper on a plastic sheet inside the flat by the front door to put our shoes and wet mountain boots. The front door area needs a plastic sheet for muddy / wet boots. And, returning to the bathroom, it would be useful to have some sturdy hooks to hang to wet jackets and over trousers. Finally, It would be great to have a small washing machine in the flat or access to one in another location. I have pictures of what I have suggested if you want to see them.

A lovely cosy apartment with outstanding views.

It had everything you need to accommodate your holiday.

Great property in a great location.

Sadly we had no hot water for the duration of the stay and had to boil the kettle for washing up. Karol was very helpful, but sadly unable to resolve the issue. I think that having the master boiler controls in a different apartment may have contributed to this.

We thoroughly enjoyed staying at the Osprey Cottage, it was a wonderful week in the calm peacefulness of the forest

It’s great to see the transformation of the lodges!

We stayed in Osprey lodge for a week, the lodge itself is spacious for 2 people. A nice modern look with almost all you could need. Only thing missing is a washing machine. The location is excellent, if you want seclusion you can have it. If you want to explore the highlands it’s very easy to access the major A roads to get around and aviemore is only 15 minutes away.

A lovely clean, comfortable apartment.

Kitchen area small but well equipped. Bed very comfortable. We had everything we needed for a lovely week away. Beautiful walks all around. Close to Loch Insh . Really quiet.

Pros + fantastic location, lodges nestled within the Forrest, peaceful, easy excess with car.

Cons- the lodges apartment itself was clean, but the bed was very uncomfortable, the sofa in the main living room has seen better days, very very uncomfortable we cut short our holiday by 2 days due to chronic back pain. I suggest the owners invest in a new mattress and sofa seating

Overall a fantastic experience, and the property was fantastic.

The one draw-back was the extremely low shower pressure in the Osprey Apartment (particularly when compared to families' showers in the Wildcat Lodge). However, this was such a minor point when rating the overall experience.

The apartment and location were both excellent and difficult to fault.

Excellent value and quality service throughout the booking and stay. I would highly recommend Osprey Apartments and Sykes Holiday Cottages, and I have already booked for 2023 with the Sykes group. Thank you. Mark & Gillian

Really nice stay in the apartment.

So quiet every night! More space than expected! Good value for money. Perfect location for aviemore which we loved going to almost everyday. Thank you for a nice stay

I had asked for the pull out bed to be made up, this had not occurred and whilst bedding was found in one of the cupboards there was no second duvet anywhere.

fortunately my friend had brought his own sleeping bag. The teapot was dirty and had not been washed. The freezer compartment was so frozen up it was almost unusable.

Really enjoyed our stay very relaxing lovely lodge and location.

The only thing which could of been better is the water pressure in the shower which is quite poor. Also to have a plug in closer proximity to the mirror (hair drying).

The property itself is lovely and well kept, however there is very little space to cook and the bed gave us both really bad back ache after sleeping on it for a few days.

The light on the balcony came on when turned on but then flashed 3 times and went off. Not good when outside and you can’t see. The bathroom was lovely and the shower worked well, and the star gazing windows were a treat. I think if we came back we would book one of the bigger lodges.

The location was lovely, we really felt in the middle of the Cairngorms but still within a very reasonable driving distance of the amenities of Aviemore.

The apartment was warm and comfortable, very welcome after days out in the cold! Some of the kitchen appliances/crockery were a bit dirty, we rewashed them before using it - additionally we could have done with a garlic crusher and some kitchen scales for our cooking (we bought some from the local store in Aviemore and have left them there for future occupants). Our main issue was the water pressure in the shower - I have thick curly hair so the shower being so weak meant washing my hair took a considerable amount of time! Additionally, on the first day there my husband hit his head on slanted ceiling, right on the edge of one of the windows. It was quite a nasty hit and left a large bump. We were wondering if there would be a way to soften those edges? I was less bothered by the slanted ceiling as I am quite short.

We loved our stay.

The property is well located, near to Loch Insh and Aviemore. Everything in the apartment was excellent quality and it was really warm and comfortable. As other reviewers have said, the kitchen is small and there isn’t much storage but this wasn’t too much of an issue for just a week. We loved having velux windows over the bed so we could look at the night sky, and the small balcony felt nice and private. The only thing which wasn’t great was the water pressure: the shower was fairly weak and it was honestly the only negative about our stay. The bed was wonderfully comfortable and we’d love to come back.

Lovely stay in Osprey apartment.

Very spacious and comfortable for two people.

Yes bike store although advertised wasn’t able to be used.

Fantastic appartment, with great facilities and location.

Only a couple of things to note, the staircase upto the front door is in need of some attention as the wood slats are starting to errode and could probably use a coat of weatherproofing oil. Also the shower has extreamly poor pressure making for an underwelming experience. Otherwise we were impressed with the quality of the cleanliness and decor.

Perfect location, excellent apartment.

Kitchen a little small with limited storage. Two of our daughters and families had the Otter and Wildcat lodges so we had a brilliant week.

Beautiful apartment in wonderful setting.

With all you need to enjoy you holiday. Only down fall shower waste took ages to go did report it on day one ! But failed so send someone out

The accommodation was overall very good but some equipment & extra food storage would elevate it to excellent The shower could do with some shelving for gel, shampoo etc, wider range of saucepans and extra cupboards in the open plan kitchen dining lounge area eg in the recess adjacent to the tv Otherwise the accommodation, equipment , standard of finish and comfort was too marks

Had a fantastic and relaxing time in Scotland.

The Osprey apartment catered for our every need. So much to do beautiful walks can’t wait to go back with our dogs.

It was so good we’ve already booked to go back next year but upgraded to one of the lodges and we are bringing extended family!

Beautifully appointed apartment (Osprey) in peaceful woodland surroundings.

A great base for exploring Speyside. (Only a minor niggle, but a second saucepan would've been useful!)

Beautiful setting, everything was to the highest standard.

John Lewis everything. Stars at night through the roof windows, red squirrels in their dray viewed from the King sized bed. A small problem with the heating was fixed promptly, politely and with minimum fuss. It's a brilliant place to stay in the heart of a fantastic area for wildlife. Peace, quiet, warmth and rest.

Lovely clean apartment in a lovely location but it was a bit too quiet for us personally.

We were unable to make use of the communal log burner as felt like we would be imposing on the family below who used it every night. The kitchen is lacking anywhere to store food i.e vegetables, tins, bread etc. The fridge was the only food storage place. I feel a vegetable trolley or rack could be placed in the kitchen. As there is no washing machine we expected more towels than we were provided with. We also were unhappy that we could not stream anything on the tv as if the weather had been poor we could have watched a movie etc. I think the apartment should also have an iron and ironing board. To summarise we did love the apartment which seemed very new and finished to a good standard I just feel the aforementioned issues would make a difference. I dont feel the communal area works if the people in both areas are not part of the same group, we would loved to have had use of this but it feels very much a part of the lower building.