Otter Lodge

47 Customer Reviews

• "An idyllic property which we thoroughly enjoyed so peaceful but could have ..."

  An idyllic property which we thoroughly enjoyed so peaceful but could have done with a light up the path as treacherous of a night also we think the bed needs a new mattress the settees need fixing and there was only 2 desert spoons for 4 people and the balcony could benefit from a light also but we loved the peace and quiet which the property offered would go back again thank you for a wonderful get away Mr W Spurgeon

  Reviewed by Walter4.1★Oct 2024

• "The lodge was amazing very warm and cosy super views and very well equipped ."

  The lodge was spotless and had been ed very tastefully willing to y return. .

  Reviewed by Susan5.0★Oct 2024

• "Everything was perfect our second stay at otter lodge and would love to come next year"

  Reviewed by Marion5.0★Sep 2024

• "Otter Lodge has a lovely woodland location; beds were comfortable; washing machine and tumble dryer very helpful; heating worked well; clean and tidy; lovely local walks in Blackmuir Wood and further afield."

  Cleaning staff were lovely. Very well maintained exterior and balcony. As advertised no WiFi, but excellent 4G on EE, so we ran all our computers.

  Reviewed by Karen3.8★Sep 2024

• "Absolutely loved the location of this property and the space works really well."

  Have all the facilities you could need and the owners have thought of everything. The small touches really make the difference. No WiFi but loved this and didn't need it. A real get away destination in amongst the forest. Would recommend a stay here

  Reviewed by Claire5.0★Jul 2024

• "This was an amazing and cute cottage out in the woods."

  It was a beautiful setting and so quiet. The cottage was well appointed and cozy. Blackout curtains were perfect. The shower had little pressure but worked great. When you want to get away from it all, even Wifi, this is THE spot! It was close to Rogie Falls and the Singleton distillery. Beautiful setting!

  Thank you so much for taking the time to submit such a glowing review. We are glad you loved our little secluded getaway. We too actually apprecaite the lack of wifi and we are so glad that you were able to enjoy the local water - both before and after the malt! Property Owner

  Reviewed by Michael4.7★Jun 2024

• "Fantastic location right on the edge of the Forrest."

  Cabin was comfortable and cosy and had everything you would need for a stay. Had no hot water at first but quickly found out you need to switch it on at a switch that says don’t switch off

  I am so glad that you enjoyed your stay - even if the water heater had been turned off - many apologies and I am glad it didn't put a dampner on your stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Karen4.7★Mar 2024

• "This was my second visit to Otter Lodge this year and i was looking forward to having a bath after my long walks in the beautiful forests surrounding the area like last time."

  But i had no hot water the whole time i was there?Although there was a hot shower, so ok. The dishwasher was also waiting for a part so had to wash dishes with water boiled in kettle, no big deal as i was on my own. The TV signal wasn't great, but ok as not there to really watch TV, just annoying . I know most people go to escape modern life but nowaday it is difficult to not have to access the internet now and again so Wifi would be a good addition. Disappointed the bike shop is shutdown. I did like the Fair trade gift shop at the old station. I had an amazing holiday at the lodge love the feeling of being inside the forest and very peaceful. I had all the things i needed for a lovely stay as it is very well equipped. Its a great wee place. The signage for parking place could stand out a bit better its a bit weathered now. But all in all i loved Otter Lodge

  Reviewed by Lisa4.1★Sep 2023

• "Great stay, well equipped lodge."

  Excellent views and great position. Very clean and cosy. We had a great time doing the woodland walks with the dogs.

  Reviewed by Helen5.0★Sep 2023

• "The lodge was a haven for our dogs, with lovely walks in every direction from the front door."

  There were a couple of maintenance issues... the toilet seat and sink were both loose, and there were mouse droppings in the cupboard under the sink. We enjoyed our two week stay in Sept 2023, but a couple of things which would have helped us are: - Check out time - 9am is VERY early. We ended up leaving a day early because of this. - No WiFi - in this day and age it caused us problems and we ended up having to drive to Tesco in Dingwall to use their WiFi to do basics like online banking.

  Reviewed by Jane3.8★Aug 2023

• "Nice and beatiful place to stay."

  There were some problems with the unleashed dogs of the neigbours. Toilet seat is loose.

  Reviewed by M4.4★Jul 2023

• "This was an absolutely beautiful lodge right in the centre of the woods."

  The carpets looked new and the lodge was generally immaculate, it even had a utility room. Was so comfortable and cosy. We will be back!

  Reviewed by Aissa5.0★Jun 2023

• "We really enjoyed our stay at Otter Lodge with our two dogs."

  Perfect for a relaxing break, particularly watching the local wildlife from the veranda. Facilities were as described and really comfortable. Just wished we'd booked for longer.

  Reviewed by Linda5.0★Jun 2023

• "The Lodge was perfect."

  Comfortable, clean and in a beautiful location. Somewhere you can just chill and enjoy. Brilliant for the dogs with perfect doorstep walks.

  Reviewed by Margaret5.0★May 2023

• "Great place for a holiday."

  Sitting on the decking having coffee and listening to bird song. Very relaxing. Property is ideal. Great base for exploring the Highlands too. I'd love to go back

  Reviewed by Col4.7★May 2023

• "Beautiful Lodge Not overlooked Great Birdlife Very Comfortable."

  Would recommend.

  Reviewed by Kathryn5.0★Apr 2023

• "Had a very good week,enjoyed watching wild life birds told there is foxes ect."

  but did not see any plenty of good walks but not able to do some.

  Reviewed by Norman5.0★Apr 2023

• "Had a lovely time at the lodge, peaceful, comfortable in beautiful surroundings."

  Had everything i needed for my stay. Will be back again.

  Reviewed by Lisa5.0★Mar 2023

• "I love this place."

  This was my second time staying at Otter Lodge, and it weas exactly what I needed. I will definetely be back soon!

  Reviewed by Stuart5.0★Oct 2022

• "Our 3rd holiday in otter lodge ."

  Many improvements made since our last visit the sofas had been replaced and the radiator in the living area although there were no instructions on how to operate it, also some baking trays were provided which were non- existent last time but no oven gloves which would have helped. The toilet seat is still loose. Overall the lodge is always very clean and comfortable and would stay again

  Reviewed by Marilyn Sandra4.7★Oct 2022

• "Lovely place."

  Perfect for us and the dogs.

  Reviewed by Margaret5.0★Sep 2022

• "We had a lovely stay at Otter Lodge perfect base for sightseeing around the Highlands ."

  Cottage had everything we required for our stay , very clean . Loved sitting on the balcony watching the birds and the dogs loved the walks in the woodlands . Would highly recommend staying in either of the cottages . We would recommend popping for an ice cream in Strathpeffer Sweet Company shop who treat the dogs to a doggy ice cream !! . Managed to see Dolphins at Chanonry Point at last , had many a day out at Forres Roseisle as the weather was beautiful we will certainly be back again Thank-you Lisa and Darron

  Reviewed by D5.0★Jul 2022

• "Fantastic location, cosy cabin, lots of wildlife to see and great local walks, cabin had everything we needed and more, the property owner has definitely thought about the occupant."

  The laundry room was fab. Take some bird seed as there are bird feeders in the trees and we saw some great birds including woodpeckers. The walk from the cabin out of car park to the left takes you up the cats back to touchstone maze with great views of Ben Wyvis and red kites. There’s a secret rope swing in black muir woods to see if you can find it.

  Reviewed by Clare4.4★May 2022

• "Super facilities, plenty of room, great woodland location where we saw deer red squirrel and wildcat from the veranda."

  Really quiet and not far from shops and takeaways.

  Reviewed by Ian5.0★May 2022

• "This is the absolute best place on Earth."

  Loved it.

  Reviewed by Stuart5.0★Mar 2022

• "Lovely time lucky with the weather, cabin really cosy and comfy, great as nothing is open at this time of year."

  Fabulous walks straight from the cabin, beautiful views at the top of the hill, could walk to Dingwall along the hill if you so wished. Very dark in the evening took a bit of getting of getting used to, really quiet a definite getting away from it all break, we loved it!

  Reviewed by Joyce5.0★Nov 2021

• "Having stayed at this cottage last year we were disappointed that the cottage was not up to the same standard."

  The toilet seat was loose at one side ,I would have thought the cleaner would have noticed this and reported it to the owners, the fridge had not been defrosted so the ice box would not close, consequently the fridge door did not close tightly and the fridge dripped water all over the top shelf ,we had to chip the ice off ourselves. The fitted sheet on the double bed did not fit properly so the corners came loose every night and there were no pillow protectors. There seemed to be less equipment than last year eg. not a single baking tray. Having said all that the cottage was well cleaned .We rebooked for next year before we went this year expecting the standard to be the same so hope these problems will be addressed .

  Reviewed by Marilyn Sandra4.4★Oct 2021

• "The lodge was very nice but the kitchen what's was not up to scratch example ..."

  The lodge was very nice but the kitchen what's was not up to scratch example not enough plates utensil knives and forks cooking pans , other than that things were good

  Reviewed by Lucy3.8★Sep 2021

• "What a great setting for the lodge."

  Mostly very peaceful and a great centre for exploring Easter Ross. It was a pity that the local hotels weren’t ready for too many passing trade customers. The coffee shops were great though.

  Reviewed by Charles5.0★Aug 2021

• "Otter Lodge was located in a lovely setting and served as a fantastic holiday for myself and my children to enjoy our Scottish Holiday."

  The children loved being in the woods and there was plenty for them to do and explore locally. The lodge was well equipped and were able to enjoy a number of home cooked meals using the little kitchen.

  Reviewed by David5.0★Aug 2021

• "We enjoyed a fabulous time in Otter Lodge, it was clean and comfortable and in a brilliant location for birdwatching and the woodland wildlife Strathpeffer is a pretty Victorian Spa Village with a lot to offer."

  It has a local grocery store where you can buy most things however Dingwall, a short drive away has a large Tesco. There is a great Deli in the village which is open for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals (you need to book meals), it also sells lovely filled rolls ideal for picnics. There are some great walks in the local area but also this is a great base to go further afield. Places we went that I would recommend :- The Touchstone Maze..accessed close to Lodge. The Eagle Stone..directions from village. Knockfarrel Neolithic Hillfort. Museum of Highland Childhood & Victorian Railway Station which does coffee etc and a craft shop. Rogie Falls...just 10mins away. Castle Leod...in the village. Further afield we visited, Loch Glass, Ben Wyvis Nature Reserve, Black Rock Gorge. Finding the Lodge! Use Google Map to find Blackmuir Wood. The turning is between two white houses. Follow the track all the way down past the visitor car park. The last turning on the right has parking for Lodges. We will definitely be back.

  Reviewed by Marianne4.7★Jul 2021

• "There were more things available within Otter lodge than we thought there would be."

  Teatowels, a couple of dishwashing tablets, washing capsules for washing machine, washing up liquid, hand wash, bin bags. Tumble dryer was also there which is great as an extra if you can't dry outdoors. In addition to the fridge with the freezer compartment in the kitchen there is also a chest freezer in the utility room which was great as we could stock up for the week. We had more towels than we a needed. There were plenty of electric heaters should you use the cabin in wintertime. At times the freesat tv seemed to struggle with signal and it cut out for a few seconds at a time. Sometimes repeatedly. Im not sure where the satellite dish is located but maybe the trees were affecting it. Its a really peaceful location but you can travel easy enough to other parts of Scotland. All in all i wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

  Reviewed by Andrew5.0★Jun 2021

• "A beautiful cottage in beautiful surroundings"

  Reviewed by Alan5.0★May 2021

• "We had an absolutely fabulous holiday."

  Just what we needed. We would love to head back to Otter Cottage for another holiday.

  Reviewed by Wendy5.0★May 2021

• "This is a beautiful cosy lodge situated in the middle of very old woodland."

  It is a perfect base for exploring the Highlands but if you want to stay closer to home there are lots of lovely walks including the maze which is well worth a visit. The lodge is very comfortably furnished. We very much look forward to future visits!

  Reviewed by Christine5.0★Oct 2020

• "Absolutely stunning location - beautiful views and woodland walks right on the doorstep."

  The facilities in the cabin were absolutely excellent - we honestly couldn't have asked for more. The fact that we could bring our 4-legged family member too was an added bonus and she had the time of her life! We would certainly book again - both this cabin and with Sykes - the whole experience couldn't have been easier from start to finish.

  Reviewed by Fiona5.0★Oct 2020

• "The lodge was very clean with lots of anti virus cleaning products left for us to use if we wanted, The location was perfect for us to enjoy all the local wildlife including a pine marten!"

  The only criticism is that the path to the lodge from the car park was not marked and was difficult to find, we had to ask someone from one of the other lodges where it was.

  Reviewed by Marilyn Sandra5.0★Oct 2020

• "Lovely quiet location away from the other cabins."

  Great for wildlife. Good access to Strathpeffer and to local walks. Alison the house keeper was very good at responding to queries / concerns and generally very helpful. We had to contact her about a cracked glass and difficulty closing the bathroom window on arrival and she responded to this, providing a box of glasses. We had a water cut on the first day and were kept informed about the repairs (the whole village was affected). We were also given bottled water by Scottish Water. Some minor concerns: - the shower sometimes only ran cold and we had to turn the shower on and off to restore functionality. - the kitchen equipment (pans and utensils) were of poor quality and not best suited to self catering. - cleaning products were not ecologically certified and this kind of accommodation could make an effort to provide eco-certified products as part of their effort to care for the environment. Some suggestions for improvement: - a better range of pots/pans/kitchen utensils could be provided. - it was somewhat unclear how waste was to be sorted and where it should be left. Whilst glass can be taken to the Old Station in Strathpeffer for recycling, there was only one small blue bin there for all other recyclables. Could this be made clearer / improved somehow? - several bird feeders were evident on site. Could information on who refills these and where to find supplies be provided?

  Reviewed by Glen4.7★Sep 2020

• "Lovely location for exploring the area."

  Quiet and out of the way, clean and comfortable

  Reviewed by Robert5.0★Sep 2020

• "Very nice, clean and comfortable Lodge."

  Will definitely be booking again. Had an excellent week.

  Reviewed by Alan5.0★Aug 2020

• "Ideal base for exploring North of Scotland."

  Reviewed by Jennifer5.0★Jul 2020

• "Really enjoyed the holiday, however on advertising it said wi-fi available, this ..."

  Really enjoyed the holiday, however on advertising it said wi-fi available, this was misleading although it was tranquil,I had to venture into strathpeffer each day to get online, In future, please advertise properly stated advice

  Thank you for your feedback and i am glad you have enjoyed your holiday. In regards to the wi-fi, unfortunately our lodges have never had wi-fi so have never been advertised with this feature. If you wish to discuss this further then please contact Sykes Cottages on 01244 345 700. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Colin3.1★Sep 2019

• "We enjoyed the location of Otter lodge"

  Reviewed by M5.0★Aug 2019

• "Super location in the woods; especially if you enjoy walking there are a myriad of paths locally."

  Clean, cosy lodge with every amenity.

  Reviewed by Robert5.0★Apr 2019

• "My wife has walking difficulties and I struggle carrying items any distance."

  Otter lodge was a long way down a fairly steep gravel path from the parking area.It is not possible to get near to the lodge for loading and unloading luggage.Upon arrival we contacted the housekeeper who kindly asked the people who were renting Eagle lodge if they would swap with us because of our problems. They kindly agreed to do so,if they had not we would have had to find alternative accomodation or drive the 420 miles home which we had done to get there.The only mention in the information is that it is not suitable for wheelchair users ( the front steps we presumed).No where does it mention the extreme problems of using the lodge if you have any walking or carrying problems.Eagle lodge was somewhat more usable for us, but still it is a long way from the parking area to bring any luggage into the lodge.All in all if it was not for the kindness of other people our holiday would have been a disaster by not being given correct information about where we were to stay.Please ensure full information is given to potential renters in future.As you can tell we are not impressed by Sykes cottages.

  Reviewed by David2.5★Sep 2018

• "The lodge had some excellent finishing touches"

  Reviewed by Paul5.0★Aug 2018

• "This was really a very last minute booking after being letdown by another company,your representative helped me a great deal by searching for a lodge for me in Scotland I very much appreciated her help."

  Reviewed by Linda3.8★Jun 2018

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