Pear Cottage - Priorwood Garden

48 Customer Reviews

• "On our arrival at five pm we started to unpack the car."

  I was carrying two small coats up the stone steps when I caught my index finger on my left hand on the railing, a piece of rusty flake of painted metal went under my fingernail and caused me to fall backwards down the steps. I split my head open, broke my collarbone, took a piece of flesh from my right arm and right ankle. I was taken to Melrose hospital by ambulance had a ct scan and spent the next twenty four hours there getting treated for the injuries. I would suggest that you remove the rose bush from the railings, strip the rusty flakes of metal and paint then repaint the railing. Also fit a further rail to the building side of the steps.

  The National Trust for Scotland are committed to ensuring our visitors enjoy Priorwood within a safe environment, and can confirm that, with the details you provided, we investigated the matter in line with our processes. We were particularly saddened to hear of this event and that your stay was impacted by your unfortunate fall and we wish you a full and speedy recovery. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Charles3.1★Aug 2024

• "A lovely little cottage in a perfect spot for exploring the borders."

  Easy access and parking just outside the door are a bonus. All the appliances and utensils you could require for your trip are provided. Just watch out for the shower screen that leaks and the loose toilet seat. Melrose has everything you need for breakfast, lunch, dinner, treats, walks and attractions. The next village over has a rail link with free parking and access straight into Edinburgh, well worth the trip.

  Reviewed by Michael4.4★Aug 2024

• "Beautiful location next to Priorwood Garden & the Abbey, sweet apartment with a location it’s great to wake up to, everything so adjacent in Melrose, lovely walks from the door with rivers & hills on hand."

  That’s all folks!

  Reviewed by John5.0★May 2024

• "A comfortable first floor flat set between Melrose Abbey and Priorwood Garden with views of the Eildon Hills."

  Convenient for everything in Melrose and the many attractions in the surrounding area. Trains run to Edinburgh from nearby Tweedbank. Access from the kitchen to the new staircase into Priorwood Garden would be a unique asset!

  Reviewed by Henry5.0★Apr 2024

• "Lovely property, lots of character and a great location."

  Reviewed by Karen5.0★Apr 2024

• "This is Our Second Visit to Pear Cottage, So Impressed with Our First Holiday, We Booked a Second & will be looking to book again for 2025, Location, Amenities, Surroundings, All exceptional, As with The Cottage, Very Well Presented, Clean, Tidy, Everything You would need, Perfect."

  We were fortunate on this Visit to meet The Owners, Who were without doubt, Friendly, Sincere, Helpful and an Absolute Credit to Sykes Owners, As it was Easter, They surprised Us with a Gift of An Easter Egg. We are now looking forward to Our Third Visit , Many Thanks...

  It is lovely to read your comments, Pear Cottage is one of 55 National Trust for Scotland cottages and apartments we have on offer. All are in unique locations such as castle, gardens or estates. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Malcolm5.0★Mar 2024

• "Better fridge in terms of size and able to maintain a low temperature would be a good improvement."

  Perhaps a washer/dryer might be useful , particularly in poorer weather periods.

  Reviewed by Glen4.4★Dec 2023

• "A cosy flat providing us with very good accomodation for our holiday."

  We were grateful for the warmth of the flat when we arrived on a wet afternoon following a wet walk; milk and shortbread ready for the essential cup of tea. Thank you.

  We hope to see you again soon at a NTS cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Lesley4.7★Oct 2023

• "The cottage were absolutely lovely could not fault it in any way."

  Clean comfy well equipped for all your needs. Garden was lovely to walk around and just sit and talk. Can’t wait to come back next year for longer than a week. Any one staying here will not be disappointed well worth the money you pay and a very enjoyable stay….. loads to see and do lots of places just a few miles down the road to visit . Thank you The National Trust for allowing us to spend time in your cottage

  Thank you so much for the lovely comments, we hope to see you again soon. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Mandy5.0★Sep 2023

• "A lovely apartment in central Melrose."

  The location is excellent. Pear cottage has a really nice ‘feel’ to it. The bed was comfortable, there is a new sofa and a replacement new dishwasher was delivered while we were staying. Gordon the NTS manager was very friendly. A few points need to be addressed. There is No under lighting in the kitchen. A single ceiling light is insufficient when working and in my view is a Health & Safety Issue, as the surfaces are dark and you cast your own shadow. The fridge is tiny and the door brackets are too small to hold many cartons/bottles. Finally we agree that installing a grab rail to assist in getting in and out of the bath, having used the shower, again would be a Health & Safety improvement. In conclusion we would certainly recommend Pear Cottage and if the improvements are carried out they would enhance the quality of the stay.

  Thank you for your feedback, lovely to read that you found the bed was comfortable. Thank you for allowing us to install the new dishwasher while you were staying in the cottage. We are exploring how we can retro fit under unit lighting in the kitchen to help improve the task lighting. We have also contacted our H&S team about improving access to the bath. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Alison4.4★Aug 2023

• "We left the cottage cleaner than we found it."

  The bedroom needed dusting and the dishwasher wasn’t working properly. The water didn’t heat up to a sufficient temperature to clean the dishes. There were dirty dishes in the dishwasher when we arrived, possibly put on but not checked. The most distressing was the workmen who arrived at 07.30 on the day of our departure and asked us to move our car. They told us they had work to do for the National Trust. It was raining heavily so my husband offered to move it as long as we could bring it back to pack at 09.00 They said this was no good as they needed time to set up their equipment. They stood and waited at the bottom of the steps until we left. This was unpleasant, unnecessary and stressful. We had understood we had access to the Priory garden but it ruend out this was only during opening hours 10-5pm the same as any member of the public. It would have been lovely to sit there in the evening as there was nowhere else. I am truly sorry if this is all gloom, we have stayed in lots of National Trust Properties in York, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and this was such a disappointment.

  Reviewed by Anita D C2.2★Jul 2023

• "We enjoyed a truly first class stay at Pear Cottage."

  The facilities provided are excellent value for money. We appreciated very much the nice touch offered by the shortbread 'gift' left on the dining room table. A very nice 'welcome' to the cottage. Excellent location, excellent facilities. The parking space available was a further bonus. Thank you very much.

  Thank you very much for the kind words about Pear Cottage, glad you enjoyed your stay and we hope to welcome you back to Melrose or one of the other National Trust for Scotland cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Philip5.0★Jul 2023

• "No salt or kitchen towels available."

  Door entrance rather difficult. Welcome information in a rather poor place. Tickety poo shop needs it's door repaired. Possible visit details not all in the one place.

  Thank you very much for your comments which we do appreciate to help improve what we offer in our cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by John4.4★Jul 2023

• "Pear cottage is in a good position in Melrose and having a dedicated parking bay is advantageous."

  Negative is not having hanging space in the wardrobe and only drawers and the fridge is very small. The couch in the lounge was hard not sure whether the cushions were missing.

  Reviewed by Janet3.8★Jul 2023

• "Lovely cosy cottage in excellent location."

  Generally well equipped but there are a few things we would suggest could make it even better. The bathroom window does not open. It would be good to get that eased as you need the ventilation for the shower. It would be good to have a grab rail on the bathroom wall so showers would be less daunting for the less well abled who might not have perfect balance. Please get a couple of bowls for serving salad or veg in the kitchen. The fridge is really quite small. It would be a good idea to replace the dishwasher with a bigger fridge. These are suggestions. We really enjoyed our stay. It's a lovely cottage .

  Many thanks for your feedback which does help us identify things that we can improve on. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Alison4.7★Jun 2023

• "Ideal base for exploring the area, roses at top of stair case could do with a trim"

  Reviewed by Terry5.0★May 2023

• "We had a wonderful week, the property had everything we needed, the apple orchard was in bloom, the birds were singing."

  Melrose has good facilities and was a delight. We travelled by train and bus and that worked out well.

  Reviewed by Lesley5.0★May 2023

• "Pear Cottage was everything it was described as, Quaint, Exceptionally well furnished & presented, Clean, Beautiful Decor, Quiet, Ideal location for all amenities, We were so impressed, We booked it again for the following year."

  Thank you so much for the great feedback, it is great to read you enjoyed your stay and we look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Malcolm5.0★Mar 2023

• "Excellent stay enjoyed it very much Regards John Kerr"

  Reviewed by John5.0★Feb 2023

• "This was a lovely cottage and we had a fantastic stay the only problem we had was that the electric cooker seemed to have a fault and would turn itself off but we left a not for the owners so hopefully it will be fixed."

  Reviewed by Danielle4.7★Feb 2023

• "Wonderful location in central Melrose."

  The comfortable apartment had everything we needed and wanted. Facilities were a bit dated but that wasn’t a problem. Would happily hire the flat again

  Reviewed by Bridget4.4★Dec 2022

• "The dishwasher stopped working mid break, but didn’t affect our break."

  Really enjoyed our stay at PearCottage

  Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that the dishwasher stopped working, out of our control but thank you for being so understanding. We hope to welcome you back to Melrose or any of the other NTS cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Lynda4.7★Dec 2022

• "We loved this cottage."

  And the beautiful little Christmas tree was a wonderful surprise.

  Reviewed by Gerard5.0★Dec 2022

• "Pear Cottage is warm and cosy and is situated in an excellent position for walks from the doorstep as well as being in the centre of town."

  The views from the windows are lovely, next time we hope to have a walk in the gardens which were closed for the winter. We found the sofa in the lounge to be too low for us to sit on without struggling to get up again but we managed with the two other chairs in the room. The kitchen was well stocked with equipment for cooking a meal when not eating out although the overhead light was too dim, I would suggest LED lights which are much brighter and also low energy. Also, another set of cutlery and plates would remove the need to do the washing up so often, saving more energy. The bed was very comfortable, in fact, the whole bedroom is a lovely place to sit and relax. The switch for turning off the cooker jammed on the last day and would not switch off, I'm sure the cleaners will have reported that though. All in all, we had a lovely week's holiday and hope to return again in the summer.

  Reviewed by Anne4.4★Nov 2022

• "We enjoyed our week at Pear Cottage and were pleased to note some improvements in the bedroom and living room since our stay last year."

  We found the cottage very clean. A couple of suggestions would be to get rid of the very large shelved cupboard in the bedroom and replace with normal size wardrobe with hanging space and drawers. The bathroom remains dated and substandard for the price being charged for this accommodation .

  Reviewed by Sarah3.4★Oct 2022

• "Pear cottage was lovely and we had a great break."

  Views into the National Trust garden out of one window and views of the Abbey out of the other. We did have an issue with the current cleaning policy though. Check in is not until after 1700 with check out 0900 the following Saturday so in effect we lost a day (which we had obviously paid for) for cleaning. This would be understandable if the cottage was thoroughly sanitised but we found greasy fingerprints on the shaving mirror and human nose marks on the windows. Not entirely convinced the 8 hours for the deep clean due to covid was necessary considering these obvious areas not being cleaned. The check out for 0900 also requires you to strip the bedding and towels to bag up for the cleaning staff so plan an early start on the day you leave, you'll need it!

  Many thanks for your feedback about your stay at Pear Cottage in Melrose. We are disappointed to read your comments about the mirror and the window and will bring this to the attention of the cleaners. The teams of cleaners at our cottages are often not just cleaning one house in the day, they have to judge which property they start in as some guests are late in leaving , some guests leave the properties very clean and tidy and unfortunately other guests leave alot of debris. Some customers don't use the cooker all the holiday, others use the hob and oven every day. We don't know what the cottage will be like until we can enter so we do need to build in a contingency. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Bruce3.4★Sep 2022

• "Very much enjoyed staying at Pear Cottage."

  Melrose and surrounding area very interesting and beautiful. Lots of local restaurants to try out when not cooking in.

  Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Jul 2022

• "Well equipped and very comfortable cottage in great location."

  There was a problem.with the tap in the bathroom which was sorted out by the Wednesday of our stay.

  Thank you for your feedback. We are glad that the team in Melrose was able to get the tap fixed before the end of the stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Alison4.7★Jun 2022

• "Sykes and National Trust Scotland were very helpful and gave all the information requested re the parking problem."

  Fortunately there were no problems with the parking during our stay. We didn't find the holiday information until Thursday night, it could have been visible on arrival not tucked away in a drawer. Our train trip to Edinburgh was superb but some information about how easy it is at Tweedbank with free parking would have been useful. The bed is particularly comfortable, well equipped kitchen and cottage is in a very good central position. We had an excellent holiday, thank you.

  Thank you for your comments and we are pleased to read that the information about the parking bay and the work on the wall were clear. We hope to welcome you back to Pear Cottage or to one of the other NTS cottages in Scotland. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Sally4.7★Jun 2022

• "Pear Cottage was situated in a beautiful setting with the Abbey and gardens nearby."

  Restaurants and stores were within walking distance and there was good access to local buses and hiking trails. The apartment was comfortable, charming, peaceful and well stocked with all the essentials. There was good communication from the rental agency before during and after my stay. I would definitely recommend this lovely spot to anyone who is looking for a short or long term holiday rental.

  Many thanks for your lovely comments about Pear Cottage. The Priorwood Garden is lovely, great to have so many heritage apple trees. We hope to welcome you back to Pear Cottage cottages or one of the other NTS holiday cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jane5.0★May 2022

• "At very short notice we were informed by email that building work was being carried out and therefore parking at the property was no longer available."

  At no point did anyone have the courtesy to let us know that the former parking place immediately adjacent to Pear Tree cottage was going to be used for loading building materials into two skips. The noise started on Monday morning at 8am. After we contacted the NTS office to ask for information we did receive a prompt reply and apology. However, we were told that the use of the skips would finish probably by Tuesday and definitely by Wednesday. We were also told that builders had been asked not to load rubble into skips until 10am, or create undue noise. In fact the work continued until the end of the week and on the Tuesday morning the first skip was collected at 8am. We understood that the repair work was important and necessary but we felt that it would have been courteous to let us know in advance that such building work would be taking place and to have kept us informed of the continued loading of rubble by dumper trucks into skips throughout our stay. The loss of parking was inconvenient and difficult because there are almost no parking spaces in Abbey Street readily available and the nearest car park is often full since it is regularly used by visitors to the abbey and town, and cyclists who arrive by car to ride the 4 Abbeys route, as well as parking lots for overnight motor homes. Pear Tree cottage is lovely but our holiday was marred by the fact that the promised parking became unavailable at short notice. In addition one had the courtesy to inform us that the building work would create noise and dust immediately outside our entrance. This holiday was to celebrate our joint 70th birthdays and we are disappointed that neither care nor consideration was given to informing us fully of the impact of the building work.

  We are sorry that you received short notice of the work planned on the wall at the far end of Priorwood Garden. The work to re-build part of the wall in Priorwood Garden has been postponed for 3 years, it was imperative that the work was started as soon as possible and when the tradesmen were available. NTS had asked Sykes to notify all guests coming into Pear Cottage as soon as we knew. Our Operations Manager did call after you had contacted Sykes to explain the work. He explained that he had spoken directly with the contractors so the excavation works would not commence early or finish late (to be considerate to occupants of the cottage), however going forward the noisy works will continue on ad-hoc days, but cannot define what the dates will be. Pear Cottage is a very popular cottage and there is simply not a long enough window in bookings to carry out this work when the cottage is vacant. Again we are sorry that your holiday was marred by this work and hope that we will be able to welcome you back in the not too distant future. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ian3.4★May 2022

• "Lovely well equipped property with great views of Abbey and Priorwood Gardens."

  The new bed is very comfortable and enjoyed the new sofa which was delivered during our stay.

  Thank you very much for your positive comments. We are pleased that the work the team have carried out has been well received. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Maureen4.7★May 2022

• "Great place and fabulous location."

  Many thanks for your comments, we have recently invested in some soft refurbishment at Pear Cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Gary5.0★Apr 2022

• "A lovely property overlooking Melrose Abbey."

  Quiet and comfortable. Nice and bright in the lounge with having three windows. Good size kitchen/diner. Actually all rooms were a good size for two people. Hope to return in the future.

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

  Reviewed by Paul4.4★Mar 2022

• "We had a great stay at Pear Cottage but there were two things that should be looked into: 1."

  The heating was strange and difficult to understand but luckily there was an electric heater which was fine in the lounge. 2. The sofa in the lounge was very uncomfortable and needs replacing. Everything else was first class and we loved our break in Melrose.

  Reviewed by Janice4.4★Mar 2022

• "Interesting period property with a great location right in the centre of Melrose."

  The cottage was clean & had all mod.cons.needed. It was really cozy & we had full control of the heating.The view of the illuminated abbey at night was stunning. The only downside was the seating which was fairly uncomfortable- everything else was great.

  Thank you very much for your feedback. Good to read that you found the cottage cosy and well equipped. We are sorry to read that you found the seating uncomfortable as we have just replaced some of the chairs in the lounge. We will review the furniture with the interior designer who provided the seating. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Alison4.7★Mar 2022

• "Very comfortable bed, good size and well equipped kitchen."

  The only problem I found was a sort of unpleasant smell in the sitting room but soon reported it to the NT office. In village centre, a few steps away from all amenities.

  Thank you very much for your feedback, glad to read you found the new beds comfortable. We are sorry that you experienced a smell in the sitting room and thank you for letting the staff know. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Laura5.0★Feb 2022

• "During the current situation with Covid, we feel that with over 7 hours to clean the cottage it was not as clean as it should have been."

  Bits on carpets indicating little vacuuming. Dust on kitchen and bathroom floors, crumbs on kitchen countertops, odd splashes on tiles. Kitchen sink gritty. No washing up bowl. No wooden spoons. Broken lower shelf front in fridge. No shelf in bathroom, obviously broken and not replaced. Shelf below sink in bathroom dusty. Sink not 100% clean. Only one bedside table and lamp. Oversized wardrobe with no hanging space. Only four hangers on hooks. Bed had been moved from position looking out of window - why?! Despite this we will be booking to go again! We stayed there for many years when it was first available to rent.

  Reviewed by Caroline3.8★Nov 2021

• "We had a lovely holiday at Pear Cottage in October."

  It's in a great location between the ruined abbey & the gardens.The cottage was well equipped with a comfortable bed and no traffic noise to disturb our sleep and the heating was easy to control. My only real criticism is that the bedroom lacks a mirror in a well lit location with a plug socket nearby (this might be an issue if you're trying to style your hair). All infall it was very good value.

  Reviewed by Aileen4.7★Oct 2021

• "Perfectly situation and very comfortable stay."

  Lots to do and see around the area, Galashiels home of the Great Scottish Tapestry opened this year and well worth a trip. Comfortable bed, and plenty warm enough cottage with great views into the garden and out to the monastry. I'd love to stay again. Would be perfect if a hoover could be provided (especially if bringing a dog) as its difficult to leave it as you found it when you only are provided with a broom.

  Thank you for you feedback, we are pleased you enjoyed your stay and we have added a hoover to the Cottage. Look forward to seeing you again. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Helen4.4★Sep 2021

• "Centrally situated in Melrose and overlooking the Abbey, beautiful pear cottage."

  A wonderful place to stay away from home to explore the Scottish boarders . We'll worth a visit, will come again

  Lovely to read your comments and we look forward to welcoming you again to Pear Cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Diane5.0★Jul 2021

• "Quaint little property in great location, but several issues, all easily fixed took away from our enjoyment."

  Apart from the bathroom, there is not a mirror anywhere in the property for hair and makeup etc. this is an essential which has been commented before but no action taken. In the bedroom there is no facility to hang clothes on hangers, again mentioned before and unacceptable and even a free standing rail would suffice. In the kitchen the grill pan was thick with grease and both grill and oven require proper cleaning. There are two new oven trays supplied which are in great condition which is not surprising as they are too big for the oven. We were not about to clean the cooker, so did not use it. Other than a small hand brush and dustpan there is no floorbrush to maintain the property, and if the Henry vaccum is used it emits such a stench that it literally makes you gag. Needs replaced or properly sanitised. What should have been an enjoyable break was spoiled by the above issues which have been ignored by Sykes and The National Trust. Totally unacceptable.

  "Thank you for your feedback on this review page and for your time when we spoke to you directly. Just to update you we have added a peg rail to the bedroom to hang clothes. Thank you for the suggestions and we have added new oven trays and a floor brush. We have liased with our cleaning company about the cleanliness of the oven and grill and the Henry vacuum has been cleaned out and spare bags made available. Again thank you for bringing these issues to our attention. Property Owner

  Reviewed by James3.8★Jul 2021

• "Very well positioned cottage in a lovely town, parking space is a bonus, NT staff helpful and pleasant."

  Bathroom ready for upgrade but perfectly functional. Great position for exploring the East of Scotland..

  Thank you for your kind comments about the staff in Melrose and good to read that you enjoyed visiting the area. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Glynis4.7★Jul 2021

• "Melrose is a beautiful little town in a glorious area of countryside."

  The flat is centrally situated and very quiet. Quite basic in terms of equipment and comfort.

  Reviewed by Chris3.1★Jun 2021

• "A lovely little flat, handy for everything."

  Bus stop across the road. Bathroom needs upgrading, and windows were single glazed, with 2 damaged panes. Flat was very clean, and we enjoyed the box of shortbread

  Thank you for your comments and we have noted your comments about the bathroom. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Anne4.4★Jun 2021

• "A clean, tidy flat in a lovely location with a spacious well equipped kitchen."

  We found heating and hot water working well. We did feel that the accommodation could be improved with the addition of somewhere to hang clothes ( we were forewarned by a previous review , and so brought clothes hangers) . This seems like a easy fix as there is space for a small freestanding hanging rail in the bedroom. More importantly , the bathroom does need refurbishment .

  Thank you for your suggestion and a Clothes handing rail is now in place . Property Owner

  Reviewed by Sarah4.4★May 2021

• "There was confusion over where the key safe was located - it’s on the front door and the instructions said Harmony House."

  The location is absolutely perfect. WiFi is not secure. Niggly little thing but no one collects rubbish from the bin store on a Thursday - maybe this is Covid related? It’s a beautiful little place which we would definitely go back to. Thank you

  Thank you for the review. We were unaware of historic bin collection issues and can confirm the bins emptied every Thursday by the Council. WE look forward to welcoming you back to Pear Cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Sally5.0★May 2021

• "The cottage is very pretty and in a great part of Melrose."

  The views over the garden are beautiful. Whilst we enjoyed the heritage aspects of the cottage there are items that could be improved. The bathroom really needs to be completely upgraded. Even in an historic setting it's good to have modern sanitary facilities. The bedroom needs to be re-considered as the layout is impractical. For example, there's nowhere to stand and dry your hair with a mirror. In addition, there is no wardrobe or even clothes hangers. Instead there's a rather large cupboard with shelves. This made it difficult to hang anything and we had to go out to buy some hangers and use hooks in the kitchen. Finally, the living room seating, particularly the sofa is small and not very comfortable. In addition, we were unlucky with the weather and the living room was very cold. This is probably due to the three windows, which could benefit from secondary glazing. The key collection instructions from the vendor need to be updated as we were all over the place trying to get the keys and it turned out they were actually adjacent to the front door of the cottage.

  Reviewed by Julie3.4★May 2021

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