Cormack Lodge - Brodie Castle

38 Customer Reviews

• "Having stayed at Cormack Lodge three times, I have to say I was very surprised by the new curtains and heating, towels were thick and soft also new carpet through out and new furniture."

  It all combined to make a good self catering let; a really nice comfortable home from home. The book shelves were a great idea and I added a couple of books I finished there. The welcome tray and fresh flowers were an other lovely idea. I look forward to going back next year.

  Thank you for your lovely comments and we have some extra work planned for November with new Artwork and decorative items being delivered to the cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Pauline5.0★Oct 2024

• "Third time here, we love it."

  Love the area. Cottage is perfect. Will be back

  Reviewed by Sheila5.0★Sep 2024

• "We have just returned from a wonderful week in this lovely cottage."

  It was comfortable, clean and charmingly decorated. Despite the reservations of some previous reviewers, we found nothing to fault about the property. We enjoyed its situation in the grounds of Brodie Castle which give opportunity for excellent walks, and it is a very convenient base for exploring this interesting part of the country.

  Many thanks for your lovely comments and great to read that you enjoyed staying on the estate. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ian4.7★Sep 2024

• "Although THREE emergency phone numbers there was difficulty contacting anyone when wanted."

  We found bed too small. Fairly busy road outside not comfortable to walk along to nearby cafe.

  Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that you were unable to contact the staff on the numbers provided, we are not sure why this occurred. The cottage is in quite a rural location so we are not sure what you experienced. The staff in the Welcome Centre and Cafe would have been only to happy to respond to any queries that you had. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Kenneth2.5★Sep 2024

• "Our initial impression was that the property was was in a beautiful location and is very well presented."

  Imagine our surprise when we entered the dinner to find a lovely selection crisps and biscuits plus a bottle of Scottish water. The house was spotlessly clean and included towels and bed linen. Despite what other’s have said we found the bed firm and very comfortable indeed. The kitchen was very well appointed and ther was even a litre of lovely cold milk in the fridge

  Many thanks for your great feedback, we hope to welcome you back to Brodie or one of the other National Trust for Scotland properties. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Caroline5.0★Jul 2024

• "There were some welcome touches such as provision of scatter cushions in the living room, ornaments and replacement dining room furniture."

  Initially we found the bed to be very hard, not as we remembered from previous visits. We thought we were maybe imagining this but I then read the scathing complaint from a recent guest citing this issue. I contacted NTS at Brodie Castle and Kirsty sorted the problem the same day by sourcing a new mattress topper (on a Sunday!). Once this was fitted there was a noticeable increase in comfort. This was much appreciated. Unfortunately, soon after our arrival, the weather turned unseasonably cold and we were more than glad of the wood-burning stove. It was used a lot more than we had anticipated! All in all, despite the poor June weather, we had another very pleasant stay at Cormack Lodge.

  Many thanks for your comments. Great to read that Kirsty sorted out the mattress topper quickly for you. We would always strongly encourage any guests to contact the team with any issues while staying at a cottage rather than leave without allowing the team to come up with a solution. We are hoping to do a soft refurbishment to Cormack before the end of the year. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Donald4.4★Jun 2024

• "We had to cut our 2 week holiday short by some 5 days due to the pain caused to both my wife and myself by the bed."

  When we arrived, we found the bed mattress to be so firm it was like lying on a concrete block! In all our years of using Sykes as a company which we relied on to provide us with a good holiday, we have never had anything like this before. No matter how hard you pressed, there was very little give on the mattress, and we were unable to rest comfortably without either of us being in pain as if we had slept on the floor. in fact, I have slept on floors in tents while camping right through to comfortable ‘posh’ hotel beds with no discomfort such as this caused. Due to the amount the holiday had cost us, along with the distance travelled to get there, we had pinned our hopes on this being an excellent break, so we endeavoured to stay as long as possible. Imagine my horror of finding my wife in tears on the Tuesday morning and being unable to move due to the pain, and with her being scared to try and sleep there any more, I decided it would be better to bring her home. When we first arrived, there was a terrible musty damp smell throughout and along with the musty smell, that others have also commented on in their reviews, in the kitchen we also found a mouse carcass along with a cardboard Rodent Trap/Bait Box for Mouse Poison Control by the boiler. I appreciate the wildlife problems that can happen and understand the problems therein, but to leave a carcass in the kitchen where food is prepared is certainly not in health and safety considerations or something your guests should experience. As you know, mouse droppings etc are enough for councils to close down establishments where food is prepared. The trap in the kitchen was very dirty and covered in grime as if it had been there for a very long time. This total experience has really soured our impression of the Sykes holiday experience we have enjoyed for many years. Sykes say that they have not had any complaints so if you have had any poor experience at this lodge I would advise you to complain so that things may improve for other visitors.

  Thank you for your feedback about your recent stay at Cormack Lodge at Brodie. We have written to you via Sykes to address your comments. The mattress in Cormack Lodge is new, purchased from a local social enterprise company. They have also supplied other NTS cottages and apartments in the Highlands and we haven't received any negative comments about the comfort of the other mattresses. We would have been most happy to try and replace the mattress during your stay from other beds at Brodie if you had contacted us while you were on site. We could have also added a mattress topper to the bed if we had been alerted to you discomfort. We would have been keen to address your concerns there and then. Holidays Dept NTS Property Owner

  Reviewed by Dave2.2★May 2024

• "I rented the place because I had some family connection to the area but if I didn’t have that I don’t know if I would be able to justify the expense for the accommodations."

  I did appreciate the flowers and small amenities but I did find it as not an ideal place as most stores and restaurants are in neighboring towns and not nearby.

  Many thanks for your feedback about Cormack Lodge. The cottage is situated in the grounds of Brodie Castle rather than the town of Forres. It is a short drive to Forres for the supermarkets and shops. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Andrew4.7★May 2024

• "Loved Cormack Cottage, comfortable, warm and ideally situated!"

  The complementary castle tour and use of the grounds was the cherry on top of the visit. Will recommend and return.

  Many thanks for your kind words and we look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Marie5.0★Apr 2024

• "Loved the cottage, the setting and everything about Cormack Lodge."

  To make it perfect, a little footstool in the lounge. For putting up weary legs after walking the grounds with the dog. Yes the skylight in the kitchen leaked a little, but we had heavy rain, and a little kitchen roll did the trick. The garden was fantastic for the dogs. We will be back.

  Many thanks for your feedback, we have asked the property team at Brodie to see what they can do about the skylight in the kitchen. We are hoping to get permission to remove the skylight to stop the problem. We hope to welcome you back to Brodie or indeed one of the other NTS cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Fiona4.7★Apr 2024

• "Wonderful little cottage, very comfortable and with a lovely and secured garden for our dog to enjoy!"

  The staff at the castle was really nice and very helpful. They were also very enthusiastic and clearly passionate about the estate as well. We would love to book again!

  Many thanks for your lovely comments and we hope to welcome you back to a NTS property. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Josephine5.0★Mar 2024

• "Couple of things to consider."

  When there was heavy rain it was dripping in from the skylight in the kitchen. There was a smell in the bedroom/bathroom of damp. A spare blanket would have been welcomed.

  Reviewed by Edwin4.7★Mar 2024

• "It was a lovely cosy cottage."

  Really good value. Lovely and private and really nice dog walks straight from the door.

  Many thanks for your feedback and we look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Lucy4.7★Jan 2024

• "Generally fine."

  Unfortunately there was dog excrement at the front of the property and the kitchen roof window was dripping condensation onto the floor, it also desperately needs maintenance as it was black with mould. Otherwise, the cottage was comfortable, warm and just what we wanted.

  Thank you for your feedback and the team at brodie has received a copy of this feedback to take action on the points you have noted. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Gerald4.4★Nov 2023

• "A warm , cosy, comfortable and well equipped cottage in beautiful surroundings."

  Great walks from the cottage.

  Reviewed by Stephen4.7★Nov 2023

• "Great week at Brodie Castle,our 2 scottie dogs loved the walk around the duck pond."

  Lodge very comfortable and had everything we needed.A must is the tour of the castle and a walk through the playful garden and a hot chocolate in the tea room !

  Reviewed by Louise5.0★Oct 2023

• "Good value for money."

  Well heated, clean and comfortable. Good kitchen. Clean towels & bed linen. Nice surroundings. However, some improvements are needed - gutters and drains blocked leading to dampness and accompanying smell; eccentric hot water - timing & quantity, simply not possible to have a bath; unable to make contact to arrange complimentary castle tour.

  Many thanks for your feedback. We are sorry that the gutters were blocked, it is an ongoing job to clear leaves given the location. We hope that it didn't spoil your stay. You should have been able to contact the team by using the numbers in the welcome folder or visiting the welcome centre near the playful garden on days when the castle is open. Property Owner

  Reviewed by David3.4★Oct 2023

• "There was apparently heating in the cottage but NOT at the correct times ."

  The heating came on very early when we were still in bed . When we came in the evening about 18 00 , the cottage was not very warm and the heating was off . We had considered buying an electric fire to keep us warm . It was a good job that the weather had been quite warm during our stay !!! If we did not have a roaring coal fire on , it would have been quite miserable in the cottage . My wife has mobility issues and was unable to get into the bath because of its height . It would have been helpful to have had some kind of aid to help her get into the bath . We still had a great time in our visit to Moray

  Thank you for your feedback about your stay in Cormack. The team at Brodie would have been only too happy to help with the heating if they had been contacted. We have a welcome folder in each cottage with the contact details or you can contact them via the Welcome Centre near the Playful Garden. We can certainly look for some type of aid to assist people getting into the roll top bath. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Thomas4.1★Sep 2023

• "A delightful cottage, I found everything I needed within a clean, comfy cottage."

  The garden was fenced off and safe for the dog. The only drawback was the noisy road just outside the gate though saying that Brodie Castle grounds was just across the road and I enjoyed the peace and the gardens when the visitors had gone.

  Reviewed by Margaret4.4★Sep 2023

• "What a wonderful location, among the trees on Brodie estate, grounds of Brodie Castle excellent, great place to walk your dog, as is the path beside the Duck pond."

  All nearly next door to the Lodge, but far enough away as to maintain your privacy. The Lodge is spacious and well equipped, log burner very useful, when needed, cosy. Garden in enclosed and a good size. Would definitely stay there again. Forres is 5 minutes down the road, where are family live, so perfect spot for us. Aug 2023. Sue, Glen & Gracie dog, from Lincoln.

  Reviewed by Glen5.0★Aug 2023

• "A return visit to Cormack Lodge as the location is excellent."

  We love the wood at the back and walk to Brodie castle, the enclosed garden and easy access to everywhere. The cottage is no frills, and since the makeover it’s not as comfortable as it was. We avoided the living room as it a little too soulless now. The space for a cottage for two is comfortable, the bath is great and plenty of hot water and heat, when required. The bedroom is comfortable, but would benefit from airing out. The dining room is great for eating and relaxing (would be better if the dining chairs were upgraded). The kitchen is adequately equipped. You need to bring essentials such as hand soap, kitchen roll, bin bags (as only one provided) and decent toilet paper. However, we have visited three times now so the pros do outweigh the cons. Brodie is a very lovely place to stay.

  Thank you for your feedback and it was good to read that you have stayed with us a couple of times. We are currently working on a refurbishment programme of the holiday cottages and we are trying to schedule some work in Cormack Lodge. We have asked the team at Brodie to check the bedroom and air the room. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Mark3.4★Aug 2023

• "The property suited my needs without any difficulties."

  It was ideally located for using as a base and exploring Scotland. The woodland walks were good and also the duck pond close by. I had no difficulties with any of the equipment whilst staying at the property. Cormack lodge would be my first look to see if available for future booking

  Many thanks for your feedback and we look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ronald4.4★Jun 2023

• "This was our second visit to Cormack Lodge."

  It was pleasing to note that previous comments that I and others had made had been actioned. Furnishings had been upgraded and both Wi-Fi and tv reception were much improved. There is more information available in loose sheets but this could be improved by including these in a comprehensive folder for the property. Unfortunately the garden area still awaits turfing following drainage repairs but direct contact with NTS explained that this work had been delayed due to adverse weather conditions before our arrival. Fortunately weather conditions were dry during our two-week stay. All in all we had a very pleasant return visit.

  We have new welcome folders being introduced in all the NTS cottages and apartments. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Donald4.7★May 2023

• "Second stay at Cormack just as enjoyable as first stay last May."

  Everything perfect. Walks from outside door which is a must for us. Back in October. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Sheila5.0★May 2023

• "There was no broadband on our arrival."

  I tried reporting the issue on the numbers given for Brodie castle and the duty manager but both went to voicemail. This was around 4pm. The Sunday morning there was a knock on the door and a groundskeeper said but had been contacted and would look at the fault. We heard nothing until Tuesday morning when we got a call to arrange a convenient time for someone to enter the cottage. I explained that we had had to travel home for my wife’s mum’s funeral on th Tuesday and wouldn’t be back until Wednesday evening so with only two days of our holiday left we didn’t want to be tied waiting for repairs. So no broadband all week. Also there were no kitchen towels provided or oven gloves. And no instructions for the heating, the sheets of paper left with information for the cottage said instructions were in a folder in the kitchen but there was no folder. In addition the garden was dug up, whilst we were made aware of this a couple of days before we arrived it was disappointing that we couldn’t sit outside as it’s a key aspect of what we enjoy. Overall it was a very disappointing experience (particularly since we originally booked south lodge).

  Reviewed by James1.9★Apr 2023

• "There was a definite improvement on last year's stay; but could I suggest a list of bins day."

  My family live in Forres and I know the bin days are weeks apart, but a list left in a prominent place could go a lot to easing the bin problem. Saying that the shed was very much improved. My comments about the thinness of towels were taken on board things were much improved. Also, how about a book where we could pass on places to visit and shops to shop in, we had something like that in a cabin in Rafford a few years back which we found useful. However, as we know the area quite well, we were okay. Television reception could be improved; but we enjoyed the silence and listening to the radio whilst reading our books.

  Reviewed by Pauline4.1★Oct 2022

• "This cottage was clean and tidy but not very homely we spoke to the girl who manages the property and she told us that it was due for upgrading."

  Reviewed by John3.4★Sep 2022

• "Cormack Lodge was very comfortable ( apart from dining chairs!"

  ), generally well equipped and furnished to a good standard for a holiday let. Your listing includes a DVD player which isn’t there any more. This was raised with NTS staff at Brodie Castle but nobody got back to us on this. As TV reception is suspect due, I think, to a bad aerial connection, a DVD player is all the more relevant. Some other issues / facts that should be highlighted are: - - lack of any comprehensive information pack relevant to the property (e.g. location of shops or services, local recycling regime and bin collection, simple collated instructions for equipment in property, etc.) - WiFi doesn’t work in lounge so ‘smart’ features on TV don’t work, so no iPlayer or red-button available. - lighting is very dull for reading by, in what is already a fairly dark, shady cottage. - no oven gloves in kitchen and only one thin dish towel for a two-week stay. It should be noted in the listing that there is no mobile phone reception in the property on BT mobile or EE. This was an issue for me because of inability to receive one particularly important incoming call on a medical issue.

  Many thanks for your comments and we apologise for the issues you had. We have checked with the property team at Brodie about your comments. The DVD player has recently broken and unfortunately the entry on this website wasn't amended in time for your visit. We are going to fit a wifi booster to try and improve the wifi signal in this cottage for the TV and browsing. It is unfortunate but the cleaners didn't set out the correct amount of oven gloves and tea towels when they serviced the property. The team at the castle would have happily brought more across to you if they had known. We will ask Sykes to note on the entry for Cormack regarding the mobile signal. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Donald4.1★Sep 2022

• "+ Spotless, good standard of decor and flooring, kitchen well equipped, outside table bench, good sized garden well fenced."

  - No info for visitors, (recycling bins, local interest etc), walls bare, only a few pictures perhaps some photographs of local features? No cushions on chairs. Right next to a fast road.

  Reviewed by John4.4★Jul 2022

• "A really quaint old cottage ideally situated for our needs and nice to come home too after a day adventuring."

  Thank you very much for your kind comments. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Michael4.7★Jul 2022

• "Comfortable bed and plenty of lovely white towels."

  The rooms smelt musty on arrival but after some air came through it was better. It was thoughtful to have milk in the fridge for our arrival and biscuits .Thank you .

  Thank you very much for your feedback. Sorry to read that the property smelt musty on your arrival. We will ask the housekeepers to try and air the cottage for longer when cleaning. Glad you appreciated the milk in the fridge. Property Owner

  Reviewed by B4.1★Jun 2022

• "The property had not been serviced when we arrived but a phone call was met with a prompt response."

  The TV channels were very limited. We would prefer an enclosed shower.

  Many thanks for your feedback. We are very sorry that you had to contact the team as the property had not been serviced. This is very unusual and the property team will take it up with the cleaning company. We are awaiting a report on the cottage which will dictate our plans for a refurbishment. Many parts of the Highlands and Islands don't have the full Freeview package depending on which transmitter they receive the signal from. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Bruce3.8★Jun 2022

• "We have stayed in many National trust properties and once again not disappointed."

  The location was perfect. We had our springer with us and walks direct from the door we’re ideal. Well furnished, warm and everything we needed was available. Would love to go back even later this year.

  Thank you very much for your kind comments and we look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Sheila5.0★May 2022

• "Unfortunately we were very disappointed."

  Examples: Most of the windows could not be opened. The curtains were partly moldy. The skylight in the kitchen didn't allow a second look.

  Thank you for your feedback, we do have plans to survey the buildings itself and to upgrade the property. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Vera2.5★May 2022

• "Lovely cottage in a great location."

  If you lovely the simple and traditional this cottage will tick all the boxes.

  Reviewed by Mark4.7★Oct 2021

• "Overall, my stay was enjoyable and the cottage pretty comfortable."

  An abundance of pillows were provided which helped the extremely hard, uncomfortable sofa. A welcome packet in the cottage would be very helpful.- especially for foreign visitors like myself. I didn't understand how you waned me to sort the recycling (I am not from a recycling community so I don't know how it's done here). Instructions in the shed where the bins are kept would be extremely helpful. I didn't understand the hot water heater - getting more than 2 inches of hot water into the bath tub. The washing machine/dryer was also confusing. The router for WIFI should actually be closer to the TV to fully utilize the smart features. I could not make phone calls while in the cottage through my EE service. I had to go out on the road - very strange & inconvenient. The printed directions to the cottage location on my checking in email were not correct. So those should be edited for accuracy.

  Reviewed by Meg4.1★Sep 2021

• "The cottage was clean and comfortable and we had a very enjoyable holiday."

  We would definitely return in the future. The location was excellent with a lake to walk round and the whole castle grounds on the other side of the road, which unfortunately was a very fast one and went right past the front door. The rubbish bin was outside the drive and was full to overflowing when we arrived and was not emptied all week. We had to leave our non recyclable in a bin bag which was tied up on the window sill inside the house as we were frightened that foxes/rats would tear it open if we left it outside. The only other thing that could have been better was that we followed the instructions on how to find the cottage and retrieve the key and then we had no idea where we were in relation to the castle, shops etc and there was no literature inside the cottage and no one to ask. We eventually worked it out but more information, especially on the location of food shops would have been useful.

  Thank you for your feedback and we have now updated the welcome pack in the cottage to give more information about local supermarkets and directions. The local council missed out our refuse collection that week, we have flagged this up with the council and not had a problem since. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Carol4.4★Jun 2021

• "Great location, dog secure garden and loads of local stuff to do and see"

  Glad that you enjoyed your holiday at Brodie Castle. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Emma5.0★May 2021

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