Stroan

We arrived at the cottage and were immediately impressed. It was spotlessly clean, fresh and welcoming, and it was such a lovely touch to find tea, coffee and a few other essentials waiting for us. The cottage has two large bedrooms with huge, incredibly comfortable beds. As someone who genuinely worries about sleeping away from home because of a spinal condition, I can honestly say I had some of the best nights' sleep I've had in a long time. Knowing it was going to be a warm week, we brought our own cooling bedding, so we simply packed away the bedding provided in the large cupboard. That said, the bedding supplied was lovely quality. The living room was just as comfortable. The sofa was perfect for relaxing after a day exploring, and the window seats quickly became one of my favourite spots to sit with a book or simply watch the world go by. And that bath... wow! It's absolutely enormous. I couldn't resist having a soak, and I'm so glad I did. The downstairs walk-in shower was another pleasant surprise too. I wasn't expecting amazing water pressure, but it was excellent. The kitchen has everything you could need for a self-catering stay: a full-sized fridge and freezer, oven, microwave, kettle and dishwasher. The only negative – and it's certainly not the owners' fault – was a few marks on the living room carpet that looked like old coffee spills, most likely left by previous guests. It's such a shame because they probably would have come straight out if they'd been cleaned immediately. As someone who travels with dogs, I'm always so conscious of leaving a property exactly as I found it. We hoover, tidy and make sure everything is spotless before we leave, so it's disappointing that not everyone treats such a beautiful place with the same care and respect it deserves. The only thing I'd recommend to future visitors is bringing a fan if you're staying during a hot spell.

There wasn't really anything we didn't like. As we were travelling with our dogs, we'd probably choose the other community cottage next time simply because it has an enclosed garden. That said, we certainly wouldn't hesitate to stay here again, and we wouldn't let that put us off recommending it to others.

Very well equipped, clean and comfortable.

No garden or outside space. Quite noisy being right in the village.