Craggan Cottage - Balmacara

I have booked another fortnight for next year, and that really tells you all you need to know about what we thought about the accommodation and its location.

There had been ongoing issues with the central heating which appeared to be resolved during our stay. It took a couple of days to fix, but I cannot fault he efforts made to resolve the problem, and this reflects the attention and quality of the management, staff, and accommodation. The beds were comfortable, house cozy, and kitchen equipment was to a high standard. The only utensil lacking was a potato masher. You will be only a few minutes from shops, I was able to get logs delivered, arrange a Tesco delivery to a pick up location, and the butcher would have delivered our order.The cottage is that happy medium between being remote, and yet still connected to life’s essentials. Internet was surprisingly fast and our mobiles had signal all the time. The freshness of the air the sound of the loch waves on the beach, wind in the trees, all contributed to resetting the stress levels. It is possible to hear road noise depending on the wind direction, and how quiet things are, all I can say is that I did not find this in the least intrusive, or very frequent.

Great cottage!

Comfortable and well equipped in an amazing location- will definitely return……

The cottage was very comfortable (we loved having a wood burning stove) and in a wonderful setting.

There were walks from the doorstep and great wildlife watching in Loch Alsh. The closeness to the Kyle was very good for shopping (the Co-op and Zettle Fisherman both do a great job). We would not however take this cottage again because of the vehicle access and only having a downstairs bathroom. It also requires a new boiler but we were told that this is planned shortly.

Saw Dolphins 3 times outside the house, so perfect week really!

The house is really nice and the kitchen has everything you need, however the first thing we got when we walked in the front door was the smell of wet dog. Which I guess if dogs are allowed in and it’s in rainy Scotland, you’re going to get, but my first impression was oh no. (Note for cottage, it’s the hoover that smells of wet dog, so when you use it, it makes everything smell. When we hoovered before leaving, it made it smell again) However, after about 30mins of arriving (and the smell subsiding) you realise the magic of this place is in the garden! Despite having some of the worst august weather on record, we spent so much time out there in our coats and hats watching the water. The balmacara estate was excellent! Did a 23km walk on the first day and saw one person the whole day. The paths were very clear and accessible. Short drive to Skye where we did a wildlife boat tour and saw dolphins (again), sea eagles and seals. We had a storm (Floris) for one of the days where we lost power, heating and phone signal so make sure you stock up on food - you are in the highlands. It was a real adventure and we really loved our week. I’d 100% come back again.

Had our second wonderful stay here.

The weather wasn't as good as the first time, so the midgies came out to play, but this is such a stunning location I'm surprised more wildlife hasn't discovered it! A couple of small problems (a blown lightbulb, and the heating playing up) were immediately dealt with by the estate manager (hats off to National Trust for Scotland and the Balmacara Estate). We'll be back a third time soon...

We loved our stay, the views incredible, cottage clean and comfortable, the double bed we did not find comfortable however this is the only down side.

The parking was tricky with a large wide estate car. It was clear a neighbour parked their car in the area we believe was for the cottage guests. If 2 cars with 4 guests visited it would be a problem. Otherwise could not fault, we would love to go back one day.

Lovely cottage with a fabulous view.

Very nicely redecorated. We had two weeks of rain, while we were there and needed the heating, but sadly the boiler kept seizing up and we were cold on several occasions. A heating engineer did come out, but not for several days.

Amazing location and really comfortable inside.

Well equipped and comfortable. The drive up to the cottage is a bit tight but we knew about that and parked at the end. Kitchen was missing a few things like a peeler and a masher.

The cottage is absolutely beautiful.

The outside will be done this April. But I didn't mind the look before. I have never been this relaxed before. We saw an otter and seal. The beach is perfect for beach glass collecting. Also the location of the cottage is perfect for day trips to the Isle of Skye or even Inverness/Glen Coe. We will definitely be back next year. It was such a perfect stay and I felt so sad leaving.

Superb location albeit difficult vehicle access.

Cottage was well equipped, warm, cosy and relaxing. A tumble drier would be a necessary addition should there be a prolonged period of wet weather. Furnishings were of a good standard. Windows were not always easy to open. The immediate surroundings were fantastic for walking our two dogs. Appreciated the quick response when we had a small problem in the cottage. Thrilled to see dolphins and sea otters in the loch in front of the cottage. We would definitely stay again.

dear owner everything was perfect and we had a great time in balmacara.

we were sitting once outside having lunch, spectacular. todmall details: - the bin in the kitcheen should be replaced - the window in mainbedroom urgently needs to be repaered. best wishes ulla ott

The cottage needs painted inside and out.

The cleaning should be improved hairs on bedroom curtains. The kitchen sink badly stained. Double bed and pillows uncomfortable. Floors needed a good clean all through out. This was our second visit but the cleaniness has dropped. And for the money it costs should be spent on upgrading Shame a beautiful cottage in a fantastic setting.

We were extremely grateful and comfortable in the cottage, which was not only in an excellent location, but also central to everywhere we wanted to visit.

Everything was exactly as you said. Thank you.

We enjoyed our weeks stay at Craggan cottage.

The facilities, the location and the walks nearby all made for a really enjoyable relaxing week. We will be recommending the cottage to anyone wanting to enjoy the Kyle of Lochalsh or Skye.

Lovely house in a great location.

Very clean, warm and well equipped. Fantastic garden with its own small beach. Would definitely book again.

Beautiful, cosy cottage in a spectacular location and conveniently situated for exploring Skye and Lochalsh.

We had a wonderful stay, despite the wet weather during our week in Balmacara. The cottage is very well equipped and was immaculately cleaned for our arrival. The soft, fluffy towels provided were luxurious and smelled divine! The only aspects we felt would benefit from improvement were; * the quality of the double mattress in the master bedroom. My husband and I both felt it was quite uncomfortable and led to a poor night’s sleep for us sadly. * it would be fantastic if a DVD player could be provided for the lounge and a small selection of DVDs. The digital channels were good but often the TV lost reception (perhaps due to the stormy weather whilst we were there however). * a better quality electric shower or a mains shower in the bathroom. The existing electric shower and very poor water pressure. Otherwise, we were very happy with the cottage and its furnishings and hope to return in the future. The views are very special and we loved waking to the sound of the rolling waves a stone’s throw from the cottage. Thank you for a memorable stay :)

Well situated for Skye & Torridon and beautiful local environment.

Lovely, comfortable cottage in a stunning setting.

The National Trust woodland walks behind Craggan Cottage were ideal for dog walking. We had a really great stay.

My dream cottage, I'd rent it every other month if it wasn't so far from home!

The cottage had everything we needed, and is very well maintained. The only slight niggle was the smart TV. We didn't try streaming anything, but the freeview channels weren't very stable with the broadband. But this is an isolated cottage in the Highlands - we didn't go there to watch TV! Although isolated, it's within an easy drive of both a Spar shop at Reraig (perfectly adequate for the basics), and the large Co-op at Kyle (for the main shop). It is the perfect base for exploring the Highlands; we had various trips up the coast to Plockton and Applecross, down the coast to Glenelg (from where we took the ferry to Skye and drove back via the bridge), and several trips over the bridge, visiting Kylerhea, Elgol, and, on our final day, taking another ferry over to Raasay. I'm sure it helped that we had gorgeous weather, but I can imagine it casting differents spells during other seasons. The emailed instructions for finding the property didn't make sense, but it is easy enough to find it on googlemaps. Highly recommended.

The only negatives were a poor shower which I suspect is due to water pressure issues and does happen in rural areas.

Also there was no DVD player. But the cottage was beautiful, well equipped and in the most fabulous setting. The view across the Loch to Skye is gorgeous.

A lovely cottage tucked away and surrounded by the most beautiful views.

So beautiful that you don’t need to leave the cottage.

We had a wonderful and memorable stay at this lovely cottage .

We particularly appreciated its location and views and its warmth . The weather was mixed when we visited and snowy at times . The stove in the sitting room was a really nice feature .

Lovely cottage with well equipped kitchen.

Bathroom probably could do with an upgrade at some stage. It might be a good idea to leave a note for each guest to remind them of bin collection on the Friday and which bin to leave out. The front door handles need fixed as several times we worried we were locked out ! Stunning views and fabulous woodland walks on your doorstep.

Fabulous location, character cottage, everything provided that you need.

Nicely refurbed, good admin, very cosy and comfortable. Hope to return every year.

Lovely cottage.

Very professional team who were attentive to the Wi-Fi issue.

It was a stunning location and a very comfortable cottage

Lovely cottage in an amazing location.

Very good size for 4.

We loved our stay.

Cottage is very warm and comfortable considering the location on the coast. Everything we need was provided. Would recommend.

We had a great stay at Craggan Cottage.

Walks in the area were superb, and the cottage was a very nice surprise, the views were spectacular! A fab holiday, but a few hopefully constructive suggestions: - description does not sell the cottage well, it should pull out that it is secluded at the end on the road, with spectacular views, and on the Loch edge (hear the waves at night, private beach, great walks on the doorstep, etc) - the garden was described as secure, but it was not, a shame for our dog. Two small gates would solve this (one between house and garden wall, one down to the loch beach) - the prices have gone up a lot since joining Sykes. As NTS members, would be great to get some benefit, such as a discount - while I appreciate COVID guidance, it would be good to have 1 map of the estate in the cottage (we picked one up from the car park?) as the wifi is weak, and reception is a little hit and miss. - the front door closing and locking behind us caught us out a few times (a warning sign, and second key would help) - a small sign/ instructions on where to park would be helpful so as not to annoy the neighbours - the under cabinet bulb in the kitchen melted our chocolate in the wall cabinet, might be worth thinking about leds?

Wonderful location, stunning views from cottage

More in the way of outdoor table and chairs rather than just the fixed picnic table would have been useful.

Kitchen knives were very blunt.