We spent a week at the beginning of October in this beautiful cottage in southern Scotland, in the Dumfries and Galloway region, not far from the picturesque and peaceful seaside town of Portpatrick. The cottage was called “Chestnut Lodge” and was booked using our Tesco vouchers through “Cottages.com”. It was actually a self-contained wing of the owners’ home, the accommodation comprising an entrance vestibule, leading to a corridor, with a (smallish) double bedroom and a bathroom opening off this and at the end of the hallway a door leading through to a large living room and kitchen area. The property was newly refurbished and had been very tastefully decorated and furnished. The living room had a fireplace, in which the owners had lit a welcoming fire when we arrived, a beautiful polished wooden floor and plenty of comfortable chairs. The owners had placed a large vase of lilies on the coffee table – another welcoming touch. The kitchen area was very well-equipped, complete with microwave, dishwasher, fridge, hob, oven etc. and there was a round dining table and four chairs in one corner. The kitchen had patio doors which opened out on to pleasant garden and patio area and the view from here was stunning when the weather was clear! A wide gap in the trees revealed the panorama of the Irish Sea with the coast of Ireland visible in the background. The cottage was in a very quiet, rural location, surrounded by green fields, trees and hills – perfect for a very relaxing holiday.
The owners had also provided a very generous “welcome pack”, which included freshly baked scones and shortbread, fresh eggs, freshly-squeezed orange juice, bottled water, a crusty loaf of bread, butter, tea, coffee and milk, a jar each of homemade marmalade and jam and a bottle of wine!! We were surprised and delighted! The owners were very pleasant and helpful throughout our stay and we really enjoyed our holiday. We found plenty of things to do during our week there, including visits to Portpatrick and Stranraer, to Scotland’s “book town”, Wigtown, with its many second-hand bookshops/cafes, to the southernmost tip of mainland Scotland at the end of the Galloway Peninsula and to the Galloway Forest, with its red deer and red squirrels and its incredible views of the night sky – it is officially designated as Europe’s only “Dark Sky Park”. The weather throughout our week was very good and the scenery was beautiful. We also found plenty of places to sample the local cuisine – great restaurants and teashops, as well as some lovely pubs. All in all we spent an excellent week and we would thoroughly recommend a stay in “Chestnut Lodge”!
