Castle Cliff

32 Customer Reviews

• "The position of the property was perfect for exploring this part of Scotland."

  The property had plenty of space for our party. Cleanliness Was good, it had all the facilities we required. The price was was very reasonable. Kitchen facilities was excellent. We would certainly consider booking this property again.

  Reviewed by Barry5.0★Oct 2023

• "The size and location of the house was perfect for our needs."

  Whilst the house is lovely, it is in serious need of some TLC. With a bit of investment, it could be an incredible property. Whilst on the surface, the kitchen and bathrooms were clean, a deep clean of the whole property is required. The cooker hood/extraction fan is filthy and the smell awful. The oven also takes a very long time to heat up so perhaps should be checked out. This put us off using the cooking facilities despite the kitchen being well equipped with plenty of crockery etc. The wood burner was full of ash which we cleaned out so that we could use. The main living room was comfortable enough, but we could not use the second small sitting room as there were no curtains and it was very cold. We did not use the twin bedroom downstairs as not required but if we had had to use it, the wardrobe is full of junk and could not be used for storing clothes. The drawers in the bedrooms upstairs all need hoovering out as there was lots of dust etc. Two of the bedrooms had a hanging rail with the other two having a cupboard with a rail in. Both of these had a number of items lying in the bottom, and in the main bedroom the hinges are hanging off the wall so you need to be careful opening. The radiator in one of the bedrooms is hanging off the wall, and had a pair of socks down the back of it! I felt that the bedding and towels had a fousty smell which perhaps comes from not being dried properly before being stored. There seemed to be a lot of junk in the various drawers and dressers downstairs in the house, and a broken ornament in one of the drawers in the same bedroom that the radiator is hanging off the wall. There is insufficient hot water for more than three people showering. The plumbing is obviously quite antiquated given the age of the property and I think the electric shower in the master en-suite needs to be looked at as it was a very fine line between being scalded and frozen. This put us off using which then caused issues with us all needing to shower as insufficient hot water from the other shower in the main bathroom. Overall, it would not take much in terms of improving the cosmetic appearance of the house - some fresh paint and clearing out some of the junk. Get rid of broken furniture and dated items. Some joinery work to fix door handles etc, and the locks need some WD40 as we struggled to get the key to turn in the back door. The front door could also do with being a bit more secure. The downstairs toilet had no seat when we arrived although I did get a text message from the owner to say someone would be by to fix a new one. The seat was delivered one day while we were out with the package left under our car on the driveway, then someone turned up a couple of days later to fit it. No-one had contact us regarding the plumber coming so I am not sure what would have happened if we had not been in the house at the time he arrived. I have also contacted the owner to advise that one of the bedroom windows is very draughty and was leaking (there was a bad storm so the weather was particularly bad at the end of the week which perhaps did not help the leaking window). Overall the house was fine but really needs some work to bring it to an acceptable standard. From reading previous reviews a number of people have said similar things so really shouldn't come as a surprise to the owner. We have stayed at a number of properties in the area as we are regular visitors so are aware of what quality of rentals are available.

  Reviewed by Jennifer2.8★Oct 2023

• "We enjoyed our stay ."

  A comfortable house .We felt that there was a lack of information , information was found in a drawer in the dining room but with every thing elsie . Our feelings that the folder required updating . .

  Reviewed by Isobel Anne3.8★Sep 2023

• "Ideal well equipped holiday home for large family gathering."

  Local shop and bakery round here corner and short walk to Anstruther and Cellardyke harbour. Few slight niggles but nothing that spoiled the holiday. Would stay again

  Reviewed by Gillian3.8★Sep 2023

• "Well located and clean."

  The comfort on the ground floor was fine. Comfortable sofas and seting. The issue with this property is the need for new mattresses. They are so old, lumpy and uncomfortable. Please invest in new mattresses and you will be a five star review. This has been mentioned in previous reviews too over a period of time, so clearly been ignored.

  Reviewed by Sheila3.8★Aug 2023

• "Well maintained."

  Parking space for two cars. Highly recommended. Thanks

  Reviewed by Vrinda4.7★Aug 2023

• "Property was really appreciated."

  and size and condition more than suitable. Minor problem with plumbing (load groaning noise when toilet facilities in use. This was a minor botheration within a really good property. Thanks again to proprietors and tor company. billy docherty

  Reviewed by William4.1★Jul 2023

• "Very friendly communications, the house was gorgeous and perfectly suited what we needed."

  Everything was spotlessly clean, thoughtfully laid out we immediately felt at home. Directions to find it were easy to follow. Everything was well organized and the whole booking process just felt simple and effective. Would definitely do this again and I would highly recommend it.

  Reviewed by Gina5.0★Jul 2023

• "Perfect stay for a family group House was cosy well equipped Great location"

  Reviewed by Nanette4.1★Jul 2023

• "Loved the house , our second visit, and liked the update in the living room ."

  Perfectly clean and lots of linen , well stocked kitchen , lots of space gotten guests. Our only concern was that the oven did not heat very well and the top freezer drawer was sticking . We would definitely stay again and recommend

  Reviewed by Gail4.7★Jun 2023

• "The house is lovely, well located for beach walks, shops, pubs,take aways and days out."

  It had everything we needed and plenty of space for 6 people. The gardens were great to use when the sun was out and were secure enough for our dog and children to be out in. There were a few things that were disappointing (my "niggle list"): * As previous reviews have mentioned the freezer was totally iced up and unusable, i tried to defrost it but it just iced back up again, because of this and the fridge housing door being connected to the freezer it meant that the fridge door didnt close properly which caused the fridge to not chill, i had placed a food order to be delivered on the day of arrival and was concerned that my food would go off, i contacted the owners who did arrange for a repairman to come, he didnt fix the problem as such, he disconnected the housing door so that the fridge and freezer doors could be used independantly, it meant that the fridge was able to chill again but didnt solve the problem of the frozen up freezer. Because the fridge hadnt cooled properly for 4/5 days some of my food/milk went off and had to be thrown away. * The shower in the ensuite varied wildly in temperature, one minute it was fine, then freezing then scalding, it also kept tripping the fuses. * There was a smell of urine coming from the landing that went to the bathrooms, im not sure if it was from the bathrooms or the laundry room. * The laundry room is a great addition but was so full and dark it was hard to get in and use properly. * When stripping the beds on departure i noticed that several pillows and duvets had stains on them. * The cupboard door in the main bedroom had come off its hinges so when opened it fell off, we did manage to screw this back into place but im not sure how long it will stay as its quite tight due to new carpets and could do with planing down a bit. * The Playstations didnt have the correct cables/controls so couldnt be used. * The outside chairs were broken so couldnt be used. * Some of the toilet roll holders were loose and about to fall off. I would definitely recommend staying here but for the price thats being charged id expect the "niggles" to be put right especially since some of mine have been mentioned by other people for over a year. Overall though, these things didnt disrupt our holiday too much, we had a great time.

  Reviewed by Caroline3.8★Aug 2022

• "Our family enjoyed staying at this charming cute property."

  Beds were very comfortable. Kitchen had everything we needed. Lots of space for our two families (8 people total) to spread out. I do highly suggest that all of the bath towels be replaced. They were very old, worn and scratchy. There were no washcloths provided which is not good. The in suite bathroom had a light above the sink that did not work. Could not turn on. I also suggest adding a small table in the bathroom for guest to lay their toiletries on. The sink was so little, you had no place to lay your items. Overall, it was a lovely two night stay.

  Reviewed by Jennifer4.4★Jul 2022

• "The house was ideally situated to enjoy the facilities offered by Anstruthur and the surrounding area."

  It was warm, comfortable and spacious. Overall the property was well equipped, but there were a few things which could have been improved. We’d already been informed by Sykes prior to our visit that the main shower was out of action. As it was only my brother and I staying there, this was only a minor inconvenience, but could have been problematic for a larger holiday group. The fridge / freezer was in a poor state and the freezer completely unusable as it was totally frozen up. The TV in the small sitting room was only geared up for use as a PlayStation but there were no instructions or controls there to watch DVDs, as was stated. There were also a few things missing with regards to the kitchen equipment - microwave dishes, a mixing bowl and scales.

  Reviewed by Hilary3.4★Nov 2021

• "Unfortunately the main shower was unusable as water came through light fitting in the kitchen and rain came through roof in small hallway leading to bathroom."

  Only other thing of note is freezer could not be used as frozen solid. Fridge could do with replacing. However owners were very pleasant and were arranging for plumber and roofer to attend and overall our stay was lovely. Very comfortable and clean. Everything you need. We stayed for two weeks and would highly recommend this property.

  Reviewed by Katherine5.0★Oct 2021

• "This is a lovely old house with a fantastic garden in a great location, the kitchen has everything you could need and the bedrooms were all really comfy."

  The plumbing let things down slightly as there was water leaking from the main shower through a light fitting, the owner told us they were getting it fixed but it made us slightly concerned about using that shower for the rest of the weekend. However the en suite shower was very erratic (no toilet could be flushed 5 mins before use and it wildly varied between hot and cold for some) so making sure we were all clean wasn't the easiest! The downstairs toilet was also leaking at the base. But these problems weren't major, the owner said the plumber was going to fix the main shower so it should all be grand and we had a lovely stay.

  Reviewed by Jennie4.4★Oct 2021

• "Large house suitable for several families."

  Ideally situated with beaches coastal walks and eateries nearby.

  Reviewed by Joy5.0★Sep 2021

• "Excellent location and suited us perfectly for our holiday."

  House is big enough for 10 with a little sofa bed as well in the games room. Loads of crockery, cutlery, bedding, towels etc. Could do with smaller tumblers and wine glasses but otherwise a great house. Will definitely book again

  Reviewed by Lesley4.7★Sep 2021

• "I originally wasn’t going to leave feedback on this cottage as I wasn’t that impressed with it to be honest especially when it cost us nearly £1000 for a week but it didn’t appear to be being let out this year so didn’t leave feedback, now I see it is I feel I need to share our experiences."

  This cottage is a mixed bag. The cottage itself is lovely the ceiling in the front room is beautiful, it’s a large old property so you need to expect some quirkyness. Firstly on entering the property there was a smell of urine, this we tracked down to the sofas in the living room, it was so bad we bough a wax burner to cover the smell. The freezer was frozen solid to the point you couldn’t use it, there was a previous guests ice lollies still stuck in there. The kitchen didn’t feel very. Clean and as we stayed during times of covid to find other peoples food in the cupboards was not what we expected. There was dog poo left in the garden. Upstairs in the master bedroom the bed was terrible and uncomfortable you could not turn over without it really creaking, the pillows on all of the beds really needed replacing. The en-suite was near enough unusable, the pump , macerater made that much noise you could not use the toilet in the night, the shower was also terrible you could not use even the smallest amount of water anywhere else in the house as the water would just run cold. The main shower was blocked so you couldn’t use that either as it would overflow. The bathroom and bath was lovely and really well decorated. All of the towels were old , marked and shabby and really needed replacing. There were sweet wrappers under the bed in one of the bedrooms. The property could be lovely but more attention to detail was needed, new towels and pillows cost next to nothing. Cleaning needed to be more thorough especially as it was during covid. Anstruther itself is a lovely village. We had an enjoyable holiday despite the cottage not being up to scratch. I’m sorry for the negativity but at £1000 I expected better !! I see other reviews have mentioned the same problems but obviously nothing was done. Hopefully in 2022 things may have been improved

  Reviewed by Sharon1.9★Sep 2021

• "Location: amazing!"

  The town is brilliant and the house in a few mins walk from rocky shore great for rock pools and a lovely playground overlooking the tidal pool, great water sports and fish and chips near by. Delicious bakery and corner shop just steps away. Great trips to St Andrew’s and wonderful sandy beaches very easy, and Craigtoun park is fab. House: fantastic size and really well stocked. Could be cleaner. Fridge door shelves broken so made it impossible to keep milk etc in door which meant lots of spillages. Great garden. Really fantastic for us as two families with young kids - would absolutely recommend.

  Reviewed by Clare3.4★Aug 2021

• "We had a great time."

  House was spacious, warm clean and well appointed. The beds were comfortable and kitchen had everything you would need. Garden was large, secure and ideal for families with dogs. The house is in a quiet street close to a small corner shop and bakers. It is a short walk to Cellardyke harbour, the Fife Coastal trail and Anstruther with it's own larger harbour, shops, cafes and fish and chip shops.

  Reviewed by Stewart5.0★Oct 2020

• "Castle Cliffe was ideal for me and my brothers families to get together for a special celebration."

  The house was spacious with plenty of room to socialise and fantastic bedrooms and bathrooms. I particularly liked the living room with it's beautiful ceiling. The garden was also ideal for our cockapoo and we all enjoyed the swing, even though the weather wasnt really good enough. Lots to do around Cellardyke, and despite the volume of holidaymakers I felt safe, as everybody respected social distancing and wore masks. Thanks also to Jane for her prompt correspondence and for sorting us out!

  Reviewed by Janice5.0★Jul 2020

• "This house was perfect, yes it's not shiny and new but when you have three children you feel comfortable."

  It's like home from home. Host was very very helpful. The house has everything you need and more. Hopefully will get a chance to return very soon. Cc

  Reviewed by Avril5.0★Sep 2019

• "When we got there,the freezer was frozen solid, it took my brother 2 hours to get all ice out."

  We think it was to high because the fridge got frozen to and we had to throw fruit and salad stuff away. The only frying pan there had a broken handle so we had to buy a new one. One of the dining room chair arms was either loose or broken.There was a couple of other things like the book that tells u what is what i.e car one other side of road, how to work heating, washing machine etc should be near front door, and there was one bedroom door handle broken, other wise we had a fantasic time the houae it self was great. Mrs brown

  Reviewed by Heather3.4★Sep 2019

• "Lovely large house for a family or group of friends."

  Plenty to do in the area. Great walks along the Fife Coast towards Crail or Elie. Bus stop very near for St Andrews and 3 miles from the secret bunker. Short walk to the pubs, restaurants and harbour in Anstruther.

  Reviewed by Aileen4.4★Jul 2019

• "Good house for a family break."

  Owners had just done some work replacing some carpets and installing Wi-fi. Unfortunately when we arrived the heating had not been turned on and it took a long time to warm the house. The lounge radiator is insufficient to beat December temperatures and we had to purchase coal and logs for the fire. It still needs some tic including lightbulbs that work in all light fittings. Cooker hood and light still does not work. We did enjoy our break

  Reviewed by Margaret3.1★Dec 2018

• "The location was great."

  We had no problem finding an on street parking space opposite the house and it was very quiet and only a minute from the sea. The house was very comfortable (warm and homely) but requires a little bit of TLC. Some maintenance is required, in particular the front door lock. The house would also benefit for some more equipment in the kitchen such as microwavable bowls and double ended oven gloves (rather one oven mitt).

  Reviewed by Mark4.7★Oct 2018

• "Good location."

  Lots of space and accommodation for the eight of us. Slightly confusing info about what we should do with our rubbish!

  Reviewed by Geoffrey Stuart4.4★Oct 2018

• "Castle Cliffe is in a lovely location and is a great size for large families."

  The surrounding area is beautiful and has some great walks. St Andrews is a short car journey away. The owner left some fresh flowers and a bottle of wine for us which was a lovely touch. There were a few bits in the house that require some attention. Some loose door handles and the cooker hood wouldn't work for us but very minor things.

  Reviewed by Peter4.1★Jul 2018

• "The fact that the dishwasher was not working was reported to the owner on arrival by us."

  A plumbers visit was promised with immediate effect but he had not turned up by the end of the week. There was very little information about the use of any of the equipement. For example we had to discover the heating timer hidden behind towels and never found out if the cooker hood worked. Information about local doctors etc could have been useful although, fortunately we did not have any emergencies. It was not clear from the literature that parking was on street.

  Reviewed by David4.1★Mar 2018

• "Great house for our party of 10 - lots of space for adults and kids and a great garden for tree climbing!"

  Walking distance to the shops, harbour, parks and the coastal path!

  Reviewed by Rachael5.0★Oct 2017

• "What a great house for larger groups!"

  We had a 2 yr old and a 78 yr old with us - this property met all our needs and was easy and comfortable to relax in.

  Reviewed by Hilary4.8★Jul 2017

• "This is a lovely property and was perfect for a get-together with friends!"

  Reviewed by Amy4.8★Dec 2016

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