Ferry Cottage - Balmacara

The cottage is in a beautiful and peaceful location on the shores of Loch Alsh.

The accommodation is spacious and warm - the heaters work perfectly - and the kitchen is well equipped with quality appliances. A few tiny improvements, however, would improve the experience immeasurably. First - the double bed needs a new, firmer mattress - the current one is too soft and saga in the middle so that two people cannot sleep comfortably. Second /- the kitchen needs new knives - all are blunt - and new frying pans. And the knob of one of the bedroom doors has come off. The wifi was very slow.

Very enjoyable stay.

This was our second time here. We will book again in 2 or 3 years.

This is a lovely cottage in a lochside position with views across the water to Skye from the dining table.

Very comfortable stay. We had hoped to see dolphins but no luck during our stay, but otherwise an excellent stay

Brilliant wee cosy cottage.

Beautiful views across the loch. Quiet location with plenty of walks. Had a washing machine and dishwasher, a coal fire, and comfortable beds. Everything you need. When parking, it is advisable to park close to the house.

The location is fantastic, right on the loch and with wonderful views to the mountains beyond.

It's very peaceful at night. The woodland paths behind the cottage are perfect for walking the dog early in the morning, and there's a small, rocky beach 10 minutes' walk away. The electric radiators keep the living room and bedrooms very cosy. The beds were very comfortable. The smart TV has all the apps you might need if the weather is bad (iPlayer, Netflix, HBO Max, etc.) although you will of course need a subscription. The WiFi is reliable, with a strong signal in every room, but slow - 8 Mbit/s download (enough to stream video on one device only) and just 0.3 Mbit/s upload (a WhatsApp photo takes 10-15 seconds to send). The bathroom was cold and spartan, with a weak electric shower above the bath, and not really up to par. There was black mould on the silicone around the bath. The kitchen appliances are budget brands, but do the job. There are plenty of plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery, and the dishwasher will hold two days' worth of washing up for two people. Tea towels were provided, even though the listing says that they aren't. There's a selection of utensils (some of which are battered, broken and/or rusty) and several blunt knives - if you're going to cook, consider taking with you whatever you will need. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, but it is a practical, functional cottage and not as luxurious or quite as well-maintained as it looks in the photos. I'd have given it 7 out of 10, but have rounded it up.

We had a cosy week in Ferry Cottage despite mainly wet/sleety weather.

The central heating system was so efficient we didn't need to use the fire, and it was so good to return to a warm, homely cottage each day, and to know we were going to get a good nights sleep in comfy beds/bedding. The view from the front rooms are gorgeous for landscape, seascape and skyscape, and we often sat at the table just watching the changing colours. We were also lucky to spot porpoise, common dolphins and sea eagle whilst having a coffee. We also found the cottage to be a great position for touring Skye and the higher west coast. We will hopefully return some day.

We have just had the most wonderful stay at Ferry Cottage.

The views from the cottage left us speechless. We saw dolphins everyday from the dining room table (I highly recommend bringing some binoculars with you for your stay.) The cottage itself is lovely and we were very warm and cosy. We arrived on a weekend where the Highlands were experiencing an October cold snap so the hill snow and open fire of an evening just added to the magic of our surroundings. We will definitely be back to stay at Ferry Cottage again.

Lovely cottage in an idyllic position right on the loch edge.

We arrived late after a 10 hour drive and the fire was set up for us however there was no way to light it, no matches or lighter so we had to go out the next day for supplies. That however was our only issue, we had a lovely week here and would recommend to others.

ooking out to the sea, Ferry Cottage is an excellent place for a quiet week relaxing.

The heating is good and the kitchen area well equipped. There is good local walking on roads and tracks. Only a short distance from the main road it is also a good centre for touring either Skye to the west or mountains in all other directions. On our last evening a severe autumn gale meant that, along with other parts of western Scotland, the electricity went off! This won't stop us coming to Ferry Cottage again, though.

Ferry Cottage is the prefect loch side getaway.

Everything that you need is provided - extremely well equipped kitchen, wood burner starter wood etc, seats on the porch to look out over the loch. The furniture is comfortable and the pictures and ornaments make it very homely. There are walks on your doorstep and it’s so close to Skye and Plockton. We will definitely return! Thank you NTS for a wonderful stay.

We had a brilliant stay in this cosy little cottage right on the shore of Loch Alsh.

It had all the facilities needed and was warm throughout our stay. It was thrilling to see dolphins out of the windows and to watch the changing weather from inside. The Cottage is well situated for exploring the region, whether the relatively short run to Plockton and Loch Carron or to the south end of Skye. We were so impressed we are already talking of coming back.

we had a great week major positives were access to the gardens in the early morning and evening, how well equipped the kitchen is and the quality of the interior fixtures and fittings best thing was friendliness of all the National Trust for Scotland staff and volunteers who we met and chatted with thank you

We had a very relaxing week in this cosy cottage with spectacular views (when we could see through the rain and clouds!

). The cottage was spotlessly clean and had everything you could ask for to make our stay comfortable. It might have been helpful to have a heated drying rack to dry clothes on.

The garden and the surrounding shrubbery are in need of attention/pruning and some documented history of the property would have been appreciated (both items that the National Trust are usually good at).

A beauiful cottage, accurately described.

Walks from the doorstep with stunning views.

Lovely property in a lovely location, made even better by the glorious weather.

None of the windows opened though, seem to be painted in. Also the black on the bath edging needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, the property was just what we wanted and very comfortable.

I had a lovely stay in the cottage, my only complaint would be the close proximity to the road with it being busy with walkers and cars passing within feet of the window.

Other than that it was first class.

Extremely well appointed and comfortable accommodation with a glorious coastal view.

As returning guests we especially appreciated the refurbishment since our stay two years ago, beautifully done. The short walk along the lane to Balmacara Square is through the forest, where the mosses cover everything and are amazing (but be careful crossing the main road first). In the square the Cozy Corner Cafe serves excellent lunches and cakes, and the shop has a lovely range of gifts and clothes (but check opening hours, as in October the cafe didn’t open until 11am). The 13 minute train journey from Kyle of Lochalsh to Plockton hugs the coast for gorgeous views and it’s worth the walk from the station down to the village, where the Plockton Hotel serves good pub food, there are boat trips to see the seals, and attractive cottages and waterside gardens.

Stayed here for a week in October.

Cottage was lovely and in an amazing spot right on lochalsh. Fantastic views and very peaceful. Only 5 mins by car to town. Cottage itself was spotless and very comfortable with parking and plenty of room for two people and even 4 ! Only problem we had was shower wasn’t that powerful and couldn’t open any windows for some reason ? But on the whole a beautiful cottage in an amazing spot. Would definitely stay again if in the area.

Beautiful cottage in a stunning location.

Warm, comfortable and very well equipped. The weather was dry but cool when we were there at the end of September. The heating kept us very warm and we did not need the fire, although I'm sure it would be very cosy in winter. The only thing we missed was a proper sitting-out area. There are two chairs either side of the front door facing the loch and that is all. It would be perfect if the two small sheds at the side of the property could be removed and a sitting area made there. However, it didn't detract from the enjoyment of our stay.

Great cottage in a fantastic location!

This cottage exceeded our expectations.

A beautiful property - perfect for the 2 of us and the location, well, simply stunning. In a quiet location with a handful of other properties , right beside the edge of the Loch . We visited at the end of March and hit lucky with the weather although even if the weather hadn't been so great it would still have been a pleasure. Only 10 minutes or so's drive to the Skye Bridge so easy access to other interesting parts of the Highlands. Highly recommended.

This property was lovely, right on the waters edge, as we were staying in winter, so it was wet, windy, cold but sometimes sunny!

! Usual four seasons in a day Scottish weather, fab location for exploring local area and Skye! Eilean Donan castle is a lovely place to visit. If u have dogs, on a visit to Portree we discovered the fabulous The Highland Cow cafe, dog friendly, excellent toasties and coffee. Lots of lovely wildlife and scenery to enjoy!

Great cottage but you need to make people with children and pets aware of the road outside - no question that it is a public road but 15-20 mph is far too fast.

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Ferry cottage is comfortable and very clean with a high standard of fixtures and fittings.

It is in a wonderful location right next to the sea. The only slight criticism is that a tumble drier or washer/drier would be useful for wet Scottish weather rather than just the washing machine. Our second visit there.

We were delighted with Ferry Cottage , its situation and comfort, and we enjoyed a lovely holiday there.

Excellent all round except no dvd has stated.

Stayed here 20 years ago and it was still as beautiful inside and out this time.

Superb location on the edge of loch Kyle.

Views, wildlife, (including watching the otter!) convenient for Skye, Plockton, Eilean Donan castle, Applecross, Glenelb etc. Accurate description of property in listing. First Class holiday.

As tv was poor a DVD player and CD player would have been useful.

A beautiful setting for the property and a lovely aspect - with south facing views across the water from both the living/dining room and main bedroom.

The road immediately outside, however, does have some traffic, though it only serves 4 or 5 houses and the NTS office. There are also occasional walkers passing by on the woodland walks - which are lovely, gentle routes to take right from the front door. Very clean and tidy with a comfortable bed. No WiFi. Mobile phone coverage did seem to drop off every so often. Freesat TV. Potentially a property that could be used by a non car user as the Citylink coaches from Glasgow and Inverness via Kyle and onwards to Skye stop at the lane end (but please check this with Citylink in advance as there's no bus stop flag). We took a day trip on Citylink (Scottish Bus Passes valid) from Kyle to Portree and Uig so that the driver could have a break and sit back and enjoy the scenery. The other public transport option for a day out is the very scenic rail line from Kyle of Lochalsh to Plockton or Attadale Gardens.

Wonderful position on the loch at the end of a peaceful cul de sac.

Ideal place to explore the mainland as well as Skye. The cottage has lots of character.

Had a lovely stay here - amazing views from the property and handy to get to places (especially Skye).

Things to address: bedroom light in double bed room wasn’t working and it could do with a lick of paint in a few places throughout the property. Also the window in the second bedroom doesn’t lock.

Lovely little cottage.

Well equipped, beautiful location right on the lochside. Seals in the bay one evening.

Perfect location and beautiful little cottage.

We loved sitting at the table on an evening and watching otters in the loch. Vert clean and comfortable. Thank you

A warm cozy cottage in a beautiful position by the water side.

Located in a position which is great for SKYE and he mainland. Well equipped and welcoming..

We visited Scotland for many times, but this visit has been our best one.

Ferry Cottage is such a pretty cottage with a breathtaking view. It is located in a very calm area and we could make a daily walk through the nearby Wooldland Walks with our dogs. You mustn't take the car to reach all the pretty places around, because there are so many excellent walks in this area. We could even see some seals swimming past from our cottage window. We will definitely book Ferry Cottage again.

We enjoyed our stay nice and quiet and the uninterrupted view over loch Alsh was outstanding

None.

Though the Sykes organisation did not know where the cottage was and give guidance on getting there, though their staff tried there best to help.

We loved the cottage and it’s situation.

We appreciated that it was clean but didn’t have a pungent smell of deodoriser or fabric conditioner. We appreciated the plentiful supply of fuel for the fire. However, one light bulb was missing and the only pair of scissors was broken. A speed restriction on traffic on the minor road passing in front of the cottage would be good.

Stunning location and really comfortable cottage.

Very clean , but some upgrading needed. Damp in bathroom, rusty radiators and kitchen equipment sometimes faulty.