Iona Cottage

40 Customer Reviews

• "This is a great cottage in a lovely quiet area."

  It is deceptively spacious, very comfortably accommodating our party of four adults and a dog. There is loads of storage and a well equipped kitchen. It was nice and warm when we entered and we appreciated the option to adjust the heating if required. As previous reviews have noted the single ensuite room was cold - we think the radiator may need attention. The wifi router appears to be faulty and we had no wifi for the duration of our stay. Phone signal is very good but this was inadequate, given that the television required wifi and therefore mobile data was drained quickly. Once these issues are addressed, it will be a super cottage.

  Thank you for helpful comments . We have sorted the internet. BT supplied a new modem and the internet supply has been upgraded. I dont think there is a problem with the radiator. We can now control the heating remotely so will make sure the heating is on more. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Fiona4.4★Oct 2024

• "Cottage was lovely, and comfortable."

  The dog loved playing hide and seek in the garden. The only trouble we had was in locking the doors and working the oven as we are used to gas. Some instructions would have been very helpful, as would leaflets about local attractions.

  Reviewed by June4.1★Sep 2024

• "This is a really pretty cottage in a quiet pretty village however to be a retreat you need to be 3 things, dry, comfortable and rested."

  This cottage is being let down by basic problems. The 3 single beds have 1 mattress that is adequate, I spent the first night on the sofa to try and get some sleep. The pink bedroom is very damp, all clothes hanging in the cupboards quickly smelt of damp and the bedding on the grey bed also smells of damp. The garden is very neglected, I weeded the steps to create a safe path for my husband, and there is a pond which would be dangerous if we had small children. This is such a shame because the rest of the cottage is lovely, the kitchen is well equipped. The sitting room is cozy with French windows that looked onto the garden. The locks on the French windows and the front door are very tricky and at times impossible to lock or unlock. Because of the rural nature of the cottage the Wi-Fi is very limited so I advise doing your research before you get to the cottage for places to go. We did find the most of the local pubs had better Wi-Fi if we needed to load books to kindle or look something up. If the above issues were sorted out we would have no hesitation in returning to such a lovely place. So much more to explore.

  Sorry about the doors . The French doors are a little tricky, but there is instructions in the welcome book. Once you get the hang of the lock it is usually quite easy. I will look into the damp issue . The garden will be sorted in the near future. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Rachel2.5★Aug 2024

• "100% would stay again beautiful home comfort lovely kitchen just amazing loved ..."

  100% would stay again beautiful home comfort lovely kitchen just amazing loved it so much we cried leaving never had such piece and quite playground up the road was amazing for at 12 year old who went up on her own made friends in the village shops are 5 minutes in a car was only an hour out of Edinburgh would so stay again thank you for having a lovely home for us to stay in

  Reviewed by Dawn5.0★Jul 2024

• "Great base for touring the Scottish boarders or catching the train to Edinburgh."

  Drive to Wallyford Park & Ride, train station 5mins walk and in 10 mins your at Waverley station. There's everything you need in the cottage for you to relax after a busy day. Very clean and tidy with a welcome pack which was greatly appreciated. Would definitely recommend and use again.

  Reviewed by George5.0★Jun 2024

• "Our fourth time in this great cottage and hope to come again next year."

  Have no complaints apart from minor niggles that you would get in one's own home. Locks to doors open by sheer luck.. Had to cut grass again as I doubt if cut since last time we came. Brought our own non-stick frying pan as the.one in the cottage aint! But lovely bottle of prosecco and packet of shortbread biscuits left which forgives any complaint.

  Hi Terry, thank you for cutting the grass. We had hoped the management company would have arranged to cut the grass prior to your visit. However I am assured this is now in place. I enquired with the management company and the grass was cut on the 6th and 17th of May. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Terence4.4★May 2024

• "Had a lovely stay here over Easter week."

  Clean, comfortable & suited my 90 year old mum to a T. Have booked another week for later in the year.

  Reviewed by Yvonne4.7★Mar 2024

• "Internet connection very poor Kitchen cleanliness poor Bedding poor Access to upstairs bedrooms poor No communication with key holder other than me phoning due to no Internet."

  We didn't stay at the cottage for the full week due to lack of comfort and facilities.

  Reviewed by Deborah1.9★Oct 2023

• "A lovely cottage, could do with a good deep clean, and a spruce up, also there are a couple of “Lengths of wood within the pebbles” at the front of the property, which has a few long bolts in them-protruding upwards,we were just grateful that it was daylight when we arrived as if we had driven on to them it would have ruined a couple of the car tyres, also dangerous to walk on,as could be a tripping hazard, if you could let the owners know I am sure they can easily rectify this."

  Thank you for your comments. We were aware of this issue . It has now been sorted. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Peter3.1★Sep 2023

• "I have sent you feedback twice both times expressing my dissapointment in Iona cottage ."

  It was poorly maintained , not very clean , items which should have been in the cottage had to be purchased by ourselves ie bin liners . toilet rolls , washing up liquid . All in all a very expensive holiday with little in return .

  Thank you Judith. I have just stayed at our cottage . I agree with your comments and will be asking the cleaning agency to provide bins, washing up liquid. I have also done various maintenance jobs and have copied your comments to the cleaning company. Sorry that things were not satisfactory for you. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Judith2.2★Sep 2023

• "Iona Cottage is a lovely place to stay, welcoming, spacious and well-equipped, and Gavinton makes a peaceful and convenient base for exploring the Borders."

  There were a couple of minor issues with a loose bed bolt and lack of somewhere to dry laundry, which the agent responded to quickly.

  Reviewed by Fiona4.7★Aug 2023

• "Would have benefited with a shower in the upstairs bathroom but a lovely cottage ..."

  Would have benefited with a shower in the upstairs bathroom but a lovely cottage and friendly neighbours great location for reaching lots of towns

  Reviewed by Diane3.8★Jul 2023

• "Everything was great on arrival."

  Had to go out immediately for basic essentials - milk, bread etc - usually have a small welcome pack in Sykes cottages but no biggie. Everything was as described and a lovely area to stay with amenities very local in Duns. Very easy to get to Berwick, Edinburgh and down to Alnwick, Durham etc.. WIFI was intermittent but no deter from a great break and onto our next Sykes Cottage in October - returning to Bank end Barn in Cumbria again after another great break last year

  Reviewed by Jackie5.0★Jul 2023

• "The property was a great base to visit the Borders."

  The property is a true reflection of the photos, however, the garden has become a bit overgrown and could do with some TLC to make it more enjoyable. We had a slight issue with wasps, but it was sorted very quickly by the property agents, which we're grateful. The village is peaceful and the locals are friendly. There are lots of walks around the property, which our dog loved. We made good use of the football fields too. The Blackadder restaurant, which is 8 miles away is worth a visit too. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and would recommend the property and surrounding area for a visit.

  Reviewed by Jacqueline4.7★Jun 2023

• "The garden could do with attention, untidy and overgrown."

  Cooker oven not heating up on convection, disappointing as we had taken food to cook. Called the helpline in their brochure but nobody called back. No instructions, other than the tv, were there to help with the other equipment which makes it difficult to use. Otherwise the cottage was ok and we enjoyed our stay.

  Reviewed by Lynne3.1★Jun 2023

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

  I only have one very small thing to mention . Given that there is no shop in the village, it would be useful to have a couple of dishwasher tablets and a couple of spare bin liners and if this isn't possible, to mention that guests bring some with them. I did buy some eventually and left them for the next people to use. Just one other small point... The front door was often very difficult to lock. We always managed it eventually, but it was exasperating. Apart from these two small points, we found the cottage comfortable and extremely well equipped. Would definitely book again. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Moira4.7★Jun 2023

• "Great cottage and intend to book again."

  Only problem was unmown lawn. Grass was 18inches high and hard to cut.

  Thank you Terry. I'm sorry about the garden and the grass. I have weeded the garden and mowed it again. Unfortunately we were let down by a local gardener who promised to regularly cut the grass. We are trying to find a replacement. I'm sure we will succeed soon. Thank you for your note. a few sheep would certainly sort it. Thank you for your excellent feedback. Phil and Clare Cox Property Owner

  Reviewed by Terence5.0★May 2023

• "We had a great family holiday."

  Iona is a lovely homely Cottage in the picturesque village of Gavinton, 5mins drive outside of Duns. The cottage is spacious and well equipped, the village is very quiet, with friendly locals and lots of bird song. There is a small play park in the village green with football goals, which our 7yo loved having so close. It’s a great base for exploring the Borders, we’ll hopefully be back soon.

  Reviewed by Stuart5.0★Mar 2023

• "Beautiful clean cottage with everything you need for your stay."

  Easy check in with clear instructions. I really enjoyed my stay.

  Reviewed by M I5.0★Dec 2022

• "Iona cottage is a beautiful place to stay and has a lovely garden that was perfect for our dog."

  Great location for exploring the Borders. Cottage was very homely, we really appreciated the welcome box. Such a nice touch. Just a lovely place to stay, quiet, peaceful and what we wanted. We had a great time. So thanks to the owners and to Sykes. We look forward to our next break with you. Kind regards Susan

  Reviewed by Susan5.0★Sep 2022

• "Excellent cottage had everything we needed, and the village was very close to the A68 was very handy for travelling to Edinburgh."

  Reviewed by Debbie5.0★Aug 2022

• "This is a lovely cottage."

  The broadband makes watching streamed Tv impossible and should be rectified as there is clearly a fault on the broadband. We tried to leave the cottage as clean as possible, but the vacuum cleaner that was left for use was not working, meaning we had to leave the carpet without vacuuming it. This is a lovely cottage in a lovely location. We’ve stayed here twice and would definitely return.

  Reviewed by Lee3.8★Jul 2022

• "Splendid, fully equipped cottage in very quiet area of Scotland."

  The garden was not overlooked and was ideal for sunning ourselves listening to chirping birds. We had to cut the lawn on arrival, but this was of little importance and we had problems getting the Wi-Fi to work but probably because our internet skills are poor. Several small shops and cafes in Duns, bigger ones in Kelso and supermarkets in Berwick.

  Reviewed by Terence5.0★May 2022

• "Booking with Sykes was very easy and the operatives were very helpful and an all round excellent service."

  The cottage was comfortable and suited the two of us.and although it was well equipped perhaps the bed mattresses could be upgraded!!! It was in an excellent position for visiting all the places we wanted to see especially St Abbs head. We have used Sykes before and will certainly be using them again.

  mattress replaced October 2021. Thanks for the feedback Property Owner

  Reviewed by Helen4.4★Sep 2021

• "Lovely comfortable cottage with easy parking in a quiet street."

  Good for running, walking and days out by car. Best equipped cottage I’ve ever rented.

  Reviewed by Marianne5.0★Aug 2021

• "I few more extra mugs and shorter tumbler glasses would have been useful."

  Mugs and tumbler glasses added . Thanks for the feedback Property Owner

  Reviewed by Simon4.7★Jul 2021

• "Cleanliness wasn't the best."

  Broken glass and items left in dishwasher. Chipped bowl. Dead spider and web under sofa throw. Cobwebs in places. Garden very overgrown. However, greeted with a lovely welcome box. Loads of hangers in all wardrobes and great selection of books. No point in having Netflix or prime as it doesn't have the WiFi to load it. Signal was shocking.

  Reviewed by Jane2.8★Jul 2021

• "A lovely, homely, country cottage set in a beautiful location."

  Easy travelling distance to explore the Scottish Borders

  Reviewed by Elaine4.7★Jul 2021

• "Excellent base for exploring the Scottish Border area ."

  The cottage was spacious, clean and with everything you need for an good holiday . Particularly important to us was the fully enclosed garden area which meant we could relax when letting our dog outside. Very likely to book this accommodation in the future as we still have places in this area we would wish to visit again .

  Reviewed by Neil5.0★Jun 2021

• "Lovely spacious cottage with ample bathroom facilities for full occupancy."

  Upstairs twin room is small and cosy but adequate for sleeping in, my grown up daughter and I had this room and it was fine. Quiet location, ideal for exploring the Borders Northumberland and Edinburgh.

  Reviewed by Deborah5.0★Aug 2020

• "Amazing stay loved the cottage will definitely book again in the future with out a dout."

  Reviewed by Matt5.0★Nov 2019

• "It was warm, quiet and peaceful, very well equipped and well looked after."

  A lovely welcome basket. Would definitely recommend.

  Reviewed by Jane5.0★Oct 2019

• "We expected, because we've never been disappointed, to have a lovely clean property."

  This property surpassed all expectations. We were left a lovely welcome basket which was greatly appreciated. The property was situated in a lovely part of the borders and was convenient to both Scotland and Northumberland. We could not fault this property at all. Absolutely wonderful.

  Reviewed by Gladys5.0★Sep 2019

• "Lovely cottage in a beautiful peaceful area."

  Well equipped. Welcome pack much appreciated. Ideally situated for exploration of the Borders. Had a very relaxing break and hope to return. Note access to twin bedroom up a steep narrow stair, not suitable for elderly or very young children.

  Reviewed by Rona5.0★Sep 2019

• "We had a really great time."

  Cottage is in a good place for seeing most places Alnwick, holy Island, Edinburgh, all north east and Scottish attractions Bamburgh Castle to name a few. Cottage was spotlessly clean and cosy. Good facilities and welcome basket on arrival. Nice little garden for the summer. Would recommend.

  Reviewed by Sharon4.7★Sep 2019

• "FROM START TO FINISH THIS GETAWAY WAS SUPER."

  THE COTTAGE WASH VERY CLEAN AND MAINTAINED VERY WELL TO A HIGH STANDARD. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND WILL BE DEFINITELY BE GOING BACK

  Reviewed by Brian5.0★Sep 2019

• "A couple of disappointments, poor internet and unusable freezer."

  I will also mention, the single bedroom smells damp and musty!

  Reviewed by Teri3.4★Aug 2019

• "Lovely cottage, tastefully decorated and a fully equipped kitchen."

  (unfortunately when we got there someone had not closed the freezer door properly so it was all frozen over and we couldn’t use it) It was very clean. Very easy to find from directions. However, there didn’t seem to be an outside bin or at least we couldn’t find one and there was no information about recycling etc. We would have like some more information on walks that could be taken from the cottage, maybe directions etc. We had a nice time though.

  Reviewed by Julie3.8★Aug 2019

• "Wonderful cottage - we really enjoyed our stay."

  It's a shame the garden isn't better kept, more open and a larger area of grass with a washing line would have been great.

  Reviewed by Gordon5.0★Jul 2019

• "It appeared that Iona Cottage had only been open for a short time this year as there were only a few entries in the visitors book however we were delighted with the cottage, the fixtures and fittings and location."

  The layout of the rooms is very good and definitely suits families and our two granddaughters loved the twin room in the eves with the on suite facilities. As we are experienced in booking this type of accommodation we woul like to offer the following constructive comments that we are sure would enhance the experience even further. First the frontage of the cottage is very attractive apart from the wooden board and gravel immediately in fron of the steps to the front door. This we believe is a potential trip hazard especially for anyone who has mobility issues. The mattress protector and fitted sheet for the double bed is too small as the kept coming away from the mattress which made sleeping a little uncomfortable and the mattress itself could be of a better quality as you could feel the springs when laying down. The washing machine is a great fixture, especially for anyone staying for more than a few days however there isn't a clothes line in the back garden so this is something that we would recommend is corrected quickly. The Red Book in the dining room needs to have more and clear information about how to operate the White Goods and the central heating making it easier for clients to operate these safely. As the property is rural, which is great, it would help if the owners could provide, in the Red book, information regarding local facilities, such as shops, and things to see and do in the area. Finally we would congratulate the owners on the overall experience and we would recommend the cottage to family and friends. Mr & Mrs Smith, Glenrothes, Fife Finally although it's nice to have a county style rear garden that is dog friendly and saceure the garden does need urgent maintenance to make the space more usable for the stay.

  Reviewed by Peter4.7★Jul 2019

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