Blue Door - Kirkcudbright

30 Customer Reviews

• "The cottage is charming, quaint and very comfortable."

  We liked the artwork - Hornel paintings in lounge and samples of Jessie King artwork around the house. There was lovely Denby crockery and cookware. The kitchen was very well supplied with utensils, although the scales lacked a battery. We appreciated Netflix on the tv. The information brochure was clear but there was no information about the Wi-Fi log in code, although there was a booster on the window sill. As this was a NTS property, we would have appreciated more information about the history of the property and about Jessie King, a previous resident. We would also have appreciated more information about local walks which were itemised in the information brochure but no more information given. We would also have appreciated more publicity brochures about the local area and events taking place locally. Note: You may publish this feedback selectively, taking out any negative comments

  Many thanks for your feedback. We have checked with the property manager and a member of the Holidays Dept and the Wifi details were definitely in the front of the folder on Fri 20th Sept as they were doing a site inspection. There are some leaflets in the folder but we are trying to reduce the amount of print material. We would always encourage guests to contact the property team listed in the folder if you have any issues during your stay rather than put up with a facility not being available. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Margaret5.0★Sep 2024

• "Delightful atmospheric cottage, perfectly curated to reflect the artists who lived there, in the 'Artist's Town'."

  The decor and furniture immaculate, and the kitchen probably the best equipped with utensils, crockery and welcome tray we've ever encountered. The outdoor space was intriguing, if a little puzzling, finding 'our' garden a magical mystery tour until we discovered it. Lovely!

  Reviewed by Jill4.4★Sep 2024

• "The "Blue Door" is a nice, well-located and well-equipped house - but a little worn in the meantime, which we already knew from previous comments."

  Nevertheless, we were really looking forward to our stay. However, the cleanliness was a disappointment: although the textiles (bedsheets, towels) were clean and the floors seemed to have been hoovered, we first had to clean the kitchen, bathroom and toilet ourselves until we felt comfortable: Crumbs on the tables, thick splashes of fat in the kitchen, a lot of hair in the sink and on the bedside tables, contact lenses on the bathroom floor etc... We were also irritated by the musty odour in the living room and kitchen, of which we couldn't get rid of. We really aren't fussy, but we do expect the provider to ensure that basic cleaning is carried out properly. We contacted Sykes Holiday Cottages about this at the beginning of our stay but received no response. In the end, we weren't sad we could leave the cottage after one week.

  Many thanks for taking the time to give us feedback about Blue Door. We have spoken with the cleaners for the cottage and reiterated the standards we expect. The NTS duty manager for the cottage is checking the cottage after each changeover to ensure the very good cleanliness standards are maintained. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Angela2.5★Aug 2024

• "I previously emailed in response to your “we hope you’ve had…” email with the points below, but received no acknowledgment."

  If this was sent from a “no reply” email, it certainly wasn’t made clear. There were only 5 mismatched wine glasses for 6 guests. There were only 5 tumblers for 6 guests. Missing light bulb in bedside lamp in room with WC Over mirror light and ceiling light in WC not working - tricky! One of our guests got locked in the wet room when the inside handle fell off - fortunately we heard his pleas to open the door. Overall the cottage delivered what we wanted, but two nights were probably the maximum stay we’d tolerate. The cottage was cleaner than previous reviews led us to anticipate, but clearly there are some issues with maintenance and housekeeping. Many thanks.

  Thank you very much for the feedback about your recent stay. We have reiterated to the cleaning staff that the inventory for the kitchen must be checked and that the lights must be checked at each change over. The bathroom door handle has been attended to. We are planning a refurbishment of the cottage over the coming winter. We do hope that you will book again at a NTS cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Bob3.4★Aug 2024

• "I understand that the cottage is old and very charming, however, we found over all cleanliness could have been better."

  We didn’t use the downstairs shower room, as the wall tiles especially, were in need of either cleaning or renewing the grout! Beds were recently comfortable, however, although bedding looked well laundered and ironed, didn’t smell fresh. Maybe some fabric conditioner could be used so that bedding smells fresher. We also had to clear a few cobwebs in the lounge. Overall, the cottage was charming as was the garden which I believe us on the Artists Trail!! Kurkcudbright is a lovely little town and well worth a visit

  Many thanks for your feedback and be reassured that we take your feedback seriously. We have re-iterated to the cleaners the standards we expect. We are planning to do a soft refurbishment over the winter to Blue Door. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Diane2.8★Jun 2024

• "I didn't realise when I booked the property that the garden wasn't next to the house and I don't think the listing makes that clear."

  The garden behind the house belongs to someone else and every morning they hung their laundry out next to the cottage windows. The kitchen/dining area is dark so on nice days it would have been nice to be able to go outside or eat in a garden. The upstairs shower is a bathtub show with electric thermostat so not very good. There is a proper shower on the ground floor. The main reason I booked this property was to be close to Broughton House and it is very convenient for that and the town of Kirkudbright is very attractive.

  We are glad to read that you enjoyed your visit to Kirkcudbright and Broughton House. We do mention the location of the Garden for Blue Door twice on the listing for the cottage. "The property benefits from a lawned garden 100 yards away, where you can sit out and enjoy your morning coffee, taking in the views across the town as your canine companions stretch their legs." We are not sure what else we can do to make it clearer. Holidays Dept NTS Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ellen3.8★May 2024

• "A wonderful cottage situated in a fabulous location at the heart of ..."

  A wonderful cottage situated in a fabulous location at the heart of kirkcudbright We have thoroughly enjoyed our time there

  Reviewed by Paul5.0★Mar 2024

• "A lovely terraced cottage down a close/lane."

  The cottage was clean and well presented with decent sized rooms and comfortable beds. It was set in an ideal location, being very quiet but less than five minutes walk to the centre of the town. I would have given 5 stars for comfort but the lane was treacherous when wet as the cobbles had moss and grass growing out between them which made them slippery to negotiate. I appreciate the owner is not responsible for the whole lane but they need to get together with other owners and sort it out. Other than that it was excellent.

  Reviewed by Jim4.7★Mar 2024

• "It was a lovely clean, well equipped, cosy cottage in a very quiet location in Kirkcudbright within easy reach of the shops, it was warm and the bed was very comfortable and it was great that I could bring my pets."

  The little festive touches were nice. When I arrived I felt as though I was walking into a storybook. Thank you. I may well return with friends and or family.

  Reviewed by Joan5.0★Dec 2023

• "Lovely cottage."

  Enjoyed visit

  Reviewed by Frances4.1★Dec 2023

• "Nice property in a lovely location."

  Efficient heating creates a cosy ambience. Nice period (Arts and Crafts) furniture. Facilities like a wet room are useful. Double bed is small by modern standards, but so is the room where it is located. Kitchen needs under-unit lighting. Small drawer to right of cooker has all the manuals for electrical goods and central heating. Small maintenance issues such as no battery or battery cover in weighing scales and no dishwasher tablets (we begged some at Broughton House). Wi-Fi password is on the router only (in living room) and has not been filled out in the notes folder. Secluded, hedged garden is part of a patchwork relating to the various properties in the lane and is at the bottom on the right (with 'Blue Door' in blue paint on the decaying shed).

  Thank you for your comments, lovely to read that you appreciated the house and the history of it. We apologise for the lapses when setting up the property for your arrival. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Robert4.4★Oct 2023

• "The property was described as having a private garden."

  The description did not say it was 100 yards away.

  Thank you for your feedback. we have checked the web entry and it does say that the private lawned garden is at the bottom of the close. We will try to make it more obvious for customers as to the location of the garden. Photo 25 of the gallery does show the bottom of the close. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Malcolm2.5★Sep 2023

• "We had a happy three night stay with our family."

  4 adults 2 teenagers 2 dogs. We were all very comfortable. The ‘blue door’ is in a lovely setting very near to Broughton House and just a short walk to the town centre. If you love gardens, arts and crafts, coffee shops, walks on the beach - this is an ideal place. We felt we had found a little corner of paradise.

  Thank you very much for you lovely comments and we hope that you will return to stay in a NTS cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Muriel4.4★Aug 2023

• "We were a group of friends sharing the cosy cottage in order to attend a course for 5 days on the High St, so the location was excellent."

  We enjoyed the very eccentric garden. The house decor was charmingly reminiscent of the period of Jessie M King. The sitting room was comfortably furnished and we appreciated having 3 bathrooms. The kitchen was reasonably equipped but short of useful pans for cooking for 5. (Mostly small + 1 very large) The secondary glazing was a bit tricky tricky to handle and in between needed cleaning. However, overall it was much enjoyed by all of us and very convenient for the historic artistic centre of Kirkcudbright which is delightful.

  Reviewed by Patricia4.4★Apr 2023

• "We really enjoyed our stay at the cottage."

  Very comfortable!

  Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Mar 2023

• "A really wonderful place to stay, lovely character to the house, warm and cosy, at the same time as being spacious, very comfortable and clean."

  We’d love to come back again. Fantastic setting, locally the historic town of Kirkcudbright is charming as well as lots of great coast to explore near and further a field. Would highly recommend and the people involved in the booking were very helpful and kind, thank you!

  Thank you so much for the lovely review of The Blue Door, we hope to welcome you back to the NTS at Blue Door or any of our other cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Imogen5.0★Feb 2023

• "Beautiful house in such a lovely little town."

  Very comfortable overall and really cosy. The only downside was the Internet was quite poor and dropped out a lot. Aside from that, a lovely rental at a reasonable price.

  Reviewed by Vicki4.4★Nov 2022

• "Lovely quirky cottage beds comfortable kitchen well equipped gardens were lovely ..."

  Lovely quirky cottage beds comfortable kitchen well equipped gardens were lovely was close to amenities overall a lovely comfortable cottage would definitely stay again

  Many thanks for your lovely comments about the Blue Door. We look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Pauline4.7★Aug 2022

• "We were surprised that there was no soap in any of the bathrooms."

  Also no basic supplies in the kitchen like salt or oil. We liked that there was access to a TV package. The beds were very comfortable and the house was lovely and clean.

  Thank you for your comments. We are sorry that soap was not set out for you. Good to read that you found the property clean and comfortable. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Julie3.8★Jul 2022

• "Blue Door Kirkcudbright is a lovely period cottage."

  The living room and bedrooms were clean if a bit dusty. The bathroom had mould growing in the shower behind the screen. The kitchen really wasn't very good, the bin had mould and grease in the bottom which I cleaned and bleached before use. The surfaces felt tacky, a lot of mugs and glasses had been returned to the cupboards not properly washed so we did a dishwasher load before use. Undersink cupboards were dirty with spilt detergent and grime.

  Thank you very much for your feedback and we are sorry that you have had to pass on comments about the cleanliness. The team in Dumfries have contacted the cleaning company about the slippage in standards and the team are going to work on removing the condensation mould by the shower screen. Again thank you for your feedback. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Philippa2.8★Jun 2022

• "Infuriating that you have moved the access time to 5."

  00 p.m. Previous access time of 2.00 p.m. allowed time to settle in and enjoy the area. Your action has now denied this.

  Thank you for your feedback. It is common within the selfcatering industry to allow access to a property on the day of arrival between 4pm and 5 pm. This allows time to air the house, allow the cleaning company to clean the property and deal with any issues. If a guest checks out later than we advertise then it means we have less time to prepare the property for the next guest. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Derek3.8★May 2022

• "Two of the pots had a thick layer of burnt on food still in them."

  Inside of the oven/ grill could do with a thorough clean. Lipstick on one of the glasses. Old, blackened cobwebs in several locations. Washing up liquid and hob cleaner ran out after one day. There were supposed to be spare bin bags under the sink - none there. No spare toilet rolls. All this was unfortunate as it is a lovely, comfortable cottage in a great location.

  We have discussed the shortfall in standards with our cleaning company and this has been addressed. We have also supplied new mattresses in Blue Door, and a new shower has been installed in the bathroom. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Hugh4.1★Mar 2022

• "We recognise that the NT wish to be environmentally friendly however, arriving at a property in Feb at 20."

  00 to find the heating had been set to10 degrees made for a very cold and unpleasant welcome. Please consider setting this slightly higher for future guests. Also there is no lighting in the alleyway to the property. The string of bulbs which are present are not working. Whilst we appreciated the torches provided in the property these were not available when we were trying to locate the property carrying bags. Otherwise a lovely property and we had a very pleasant stay.

  Thank you for your feedback, we are sorry that you found the cottage cold on arrival. The cleaning company should have adjusted the heating after they had serviced the property. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Anna4.7★Feb 2022

• "Spent a month at the Blue Door, was a little disappointed with some aspects."

  The cottage really needs a general refurbishment, the decor was tired and worn. The room at the very top which my husband used as an art studio was lovely and light but we found the living room, dining room and bedroom at the back quite dark and for me it was a little claustraphobic. Blue Door had a well equipped kitchen but the utensils badly need replacing and bin does not work via the pedal (not hygenic to have to open manually via the lid). When we checked the cooker, the oven was dirty, there were a couple of items of food in the freezer and there had been food left in the cupboard. I noted that someone said they had left this on a previous review, not sure why this had not then been removed. We were asked to air the rooms when we left, this was not possible in most of them as the windows do not open. We apprecite that with this type of property that there are things which simply cannot be changed but it could be freshened up very easily. The general rubbish bin was the smallest of all and with no recycling facilities for the Blue Door it filled up very quickly. This was not helped by someone adding their rubbish to it (3 bags during our stay). I emailed NT directly about this and I was advised it would be sorted. Overall it was a comfortable stay but we would not return again to the Blue Door particularly in the summer when the prices are very high. Cheaper properties of the same space etc are available in the town. I would recoommend Kirkcudbright, it is a lovely town to holiday in, lots of great walks and good facilities in the town itself. It was also very quiet where we were, nice to just hear the local bird life.

  Reviewed by Diane3.1★Oct 2021

• "The directions to the property were the only problematic aspect of our stay."

  Google Maps took us to Bridge Street. Can you add to your directions as follows: “Once you have turned right onto High Street, follow it round the right angle bend at the Toll Booth (on your left). Then Greengates Close is first on your left under an archway with a mosaic above stating that Jessie M King and E A Taylor lived there. Park on the road, the Close is not drivable.” Other very minor points include: a drawer in the fridge doesn’t fit and is falling apart; we think a lamp was out in the electric stove in the sitting room; it was hard to air the property since most of the windows were locked and the ones that opened (first floor twin bedroom) quietly closed themselves behind our backs. Everything else was really lovely and very much appreciated.

  Reviewed by Penny4.7★Oct 2021

• "We loved the cottage and its historic setting and furnishings - the 'feeding bamboo to the panda' vase was delightful but our visit was overshadowed by the number of reminders that we had to leave the cottage all clean and tidy as we had found it."

  My understanding for a 'holiday' cottage is that the cleaning is factored into the cost and you get back a cottage which has been occupied by 2 adults and a dog for a week. I would of course not leave a mess for anyone-else to clear up but did not expect to finish with a major clean. In the event we managed to do all the Covid requirements but ran out of time (9.30am) to hoover, dust and sweep floors. Sorry about the food items I left but that was due to the stress of trying to deal with other matters. Maybe we just have to accept that another 'holiday cottage' stay is not for us.

  Thank you for your feedback. We would just like to clarify that we do not expect our guests to carry out a full service of the property before they depart. Since we had to introduce guidance because of the pandemic we have asked that guests strip their beds and open the windows to allow a good flow of fresh air into the property. We certainly wouldn't expect our guests to dust and vacuum. The change in check in and check out times are to allow time for the property to be aired before the cleaners go in, extra sanitising protocols etc , to protect both the staff and new customers. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ann4.1★Sep 2021

• "This was our 3rd visit to Blue Door and it needs some refreshing and TLC."

  Apparently something is planned but not sure when. We left on the Friday afternoon because of the early check-out requirement, while also expected to have beds to to stripped and gathered up with towels in bags. So folks have to leave early, having already not been allowed in until 17:00, and do some of the normal housekeeping. We always take care of the cottages we visit but feel the NTS is not playing it's part and keeping properties well maintained. This is an organisational problem and not the fault of those limited staff left to keep things going! We love Kirkcudbright and the area but would likely not rush to return to the Blue Door.

  Many thanks for your feedback and we are sorry that you are unlikely to book Blue Door again. The change in check in and check out times are to allow time for the property to be aired before the cleaners go in, extra sanitising protocols etc , to protect both the staff and new customers. The NTS regional teams are looking at budgets and what can be achieved over the winter season in terms of refreshing decor or refurbishing certain areas. Property Owner

  Reviewed by George2.8★Sep 2021

• "We had a lovely stay at the Blue door cottage, the cottage is so characterful and charming."

  It had all the facilities you would need. Need to make it clear which garden is Blue Doors - as we found it a peaceful place to sit in and a real asset to the cottage. Highly recommend the stay

  Thank for your comments and we will address your point about the garden and have a new map left in the cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jolene5.0★Jul 2021

• "Cottage was very clean and spacious and with a very unusual entrance down the close."

  Very well placed to explore Kirkcudbright and wider D&G. Co-op supermarket 5min walk. Whilst we had a comfortable stay as 4 adults and 2 young kids there are some things to be aware of, firstly the Wi-Fi didn’t work all week and reading the comments book sounds like this is an intermittent recurring issue. Secondly the nature of the house means it’s not very soundproof between the rooms, especially the 1st and 2nd floor. Lastly there is no private accessible garden from the house, instead there is access to a shared drying green and a shared garden at the bottom of the close (it’s worth venturing down to the very bottom to see some unusual features…!). None of these particularly bothered us however and we would happily stay here again.

  Thank you for your feedback and we have passed on your comments about the cottage being very clean to our team. The WiFi issue has been rectified and we are putting a new map in the cottage to mark where the garden for the Blue Door is located. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jamie4.1★Jun 2021

• "Te property was furbished and furnished to a high and inter-related way - the arts and crafts furniture was unexpected."

  Equipment was in good condition - perhaps too many saucepans in the kitchen? The shower over the bath - the beam over the bath makes it difficult for anyone over 5^8" but the shower in the wet room was very comfortable. The wifi router defied all attempts at connection, maybe a good thing. A wedge for the kitchen door might be a good idea, as it shuts strongly and loudly and this has been for us a resting holiday. The room at the top of the house was a cozy place to sit.

  Thank you for your comments. We will look at the shower in the bathroom so see what we can do. The wifi has been sorted out so hopefully will have a consistent signal now. We have purchased a wedge for the door. Property Owner

  Reviewed by David4.7★May 2021

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