Kamba Cottage, Kirriemuir

Positives first I guess, upon arrival the owners seemed pleasant and the cottage was nice, in a quiet location. Unfortunately things only went downhill from here. Every morning at 6am and sometimes again at 6:30am there was a loud banging & thudding noise coming from pipes in the property. We were not made aware of this issue prior to our stay even though the owners were aware of it beforehand. We rented the cottage for a relaxing stay, not to be woken up by loud noises every morning. Had I been made aware of this beforehand I may not have gone ahead with the booking. The next issue is the pool area is heavily overlooked by the family living there, if you think its going to be a private pool, it is not, the family all sit in a room with a window overlooking the pool and regularly walk between rooms connected to the pool. It also smells strongly of dogs in the pool area, with occasional dog hairs found in the pool. The biggest issue during our stay was one day when going to use the pool, there was a very strong smell of hash coming from the pool area. This was very unpleasant, particularly when they knew there was tenants staying at the cottage next to their residence, who had 2 young children and planned to use the pool. It was very unprofessional and completely unacceptable. I contacted Sykes, with whom I made the booking through to seek a refund for this unpleasant stay. They stated that they are only a go between and are not responsible for refunds and suggested I contact the owners directly. However the owners refused to answer my calls and reply to my messages. So Sykes said they would contact them on behalf. They responded and I have attached a picture of the reply with my name, email and reference number blanked out, in which the owners admit to all these failings including the use of drugs. However they refused to offer any form of compensation. Then I was told Sykes would follow up with the owners as I was happy, then I never heard from them again. I had to make numerous follow up calls and not once did anyone update me or follow up or take any kind of ownership with the issue/case. Months later the owners replied again and denied all allegations that were made, even though they previously confirmed it was all true and Sykes now seem incapable of looking back over previous emails from months ago to confirm otherwise. Its all incredibly unfair and inconsiderate. I would strongly advise anyone to give serious consideration to using these cottages in future.

We got a lovely welcome here at Kamba Cottage when we stayed for NY - the lady was very pleasant and helpful (as she was throughout our stay). Bottle of Prosecco, some Scottish shortbread, Christmas decorations and the heating being on full blast were all nice touches. The cottage is spacious and was more than enough for our family of four, plus our dog (garden is fenced in so all safe for her too). It had all the amenities - so why the three stars and not more - well, for me it was a bit tired and had been decorated too cheaply for what we paid (albeit an inflated number as it was NY). The beds were very cheap and uncomfortable- my wife ended up sleeping upstairs on a single bed as she could not use the double. So lack of good sleep was my major reason for the lower score. The wardrobes, settees etc seemed very cheap and really detracted from what is a lovely cottage. The swimming pool was nice (could be a bit warmer, but ‘ok once you are in’!), jacuzzi for 2 was nice (hot too) as was the sauna. I wouldn’t visit the area again (as seen what it had to offer), but for those that are - we enjoyed Lunan Bay, Reekie Linn, fish and chips on Arbroath harbour, wandering around St Andrews and (on the way home) Stirling. Food at Drovers was good.

The cottage was snug and warm on arrival with a bottle of wine cooling in the fridge. Under floor heating ensured our dogs dried quickly although to be fair, the weather was kind. The owner Lynette was extremely helpful and friendly and nothing was too much bother. The location is lovely and quiet within easy reach of a local town to get supplies. The swimming pool was an absolute bonus for my three children and again, we couldn't ask for more help from Lynette who let us just get on with it. I would definitely recommend it to friends and family without hesitation.

We had a great weekend stay at the Kamba Cottage. The hosts were lovely and left us a bottle of fizz to enjoy for a friends 21st birthday. We used the pool, hot tub, sauna and enjoyed walks at the beach near by. It was peaceful and cosy and we would definitely go back! Thanks again.

The owners were extremely welcoming and friendly; nothing was too much trouble for them. We will be returning to Kamba Cottage and would highly recommend it.

The cottage was warm and comfortable, the bedrooms airy and clean. There was plenty of hot water and it was well equipped. The use of the swimming pool at the house was wonderful.

Our second stay at Kamba cottage and another great holiday. Myself, Wife, Sons 10 & 6 and Father and Step Mother came this time round and we found found it to be a fantastic base to explore the surrounding area from. The beauty of Kamba is that you also have the added bonus of swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, swings, trampoline and plenty of space for kids to ride on their bikes or scooters so you'll struggle to hear the dreaded "I'm borrrred". The surrounding area is ideal for day trips and you cant beat the stag in Forfar for great food. If you do go great places to visit are * The Stag (Forfar) * Glamis Castle * Dunnottar castle * Stonehaven * Johnshaven * Glen Cova * Glen Cova Hotel ( climbers bar ) * Luna beach (take a pic nic, windbreaker, change of clothes and your set for day.) Loads more places worth visiting, too many to mention......

We all had a fantastic time. In a lovely tranquil setting and the owners pool, jacuzzi and sauna are an added bonus. Cottage is lovely and warm with ample space. Everything was just perfect and we will definitely be back. Thank you.

Amazing holiday, Swimming pool & hot tub fantastic, Will definitely be back

Great getaway, quite (our phones had no signal apart from in the car - which was GREAT), very relaxing. Played lots of board games, watched DVD's, read books. The pool & hot tub were fantastic. Totally chilled experience, family couldn't be nicer. Definitely would recommend going if you want a chilled phone free break

Relaxing environment, with welcome access to the swimming pool for the kids. It was nice to not be in a crowded space. The owners family were very friendly and helpful.

The owners are very friendly and hospitable and provided useful information about places to visit. The cottage is in a lovely setting and it's well equipped and very cosy. We made good use of the lovely swimming pool during our stay. We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and look forward to returning in the future.

We stayed for 7 days in winter time as family of 4 (kids 4 and 7) and enjoyed our stay.place was clean and tidy with heating controls in every room.kids loved sleeping upstairs with own bathroom etc.only used pool once which was nice,sauna nice but jacuzzi never warm enough.best days out were glenshee ski resort (1hr away).edinburgh zoo.castle ok but expensive.olympia swimming centre in dundee (best ive ever been to).plenty to visit in a car.we dined at nearby finavon hotel,drovers inn,dunachen stone and chapel bank in forfar which were all fantastic.make sure car is full with fuel as petrol garages are non existant in hillside.only annoying thing with cottage is heating pipes bang alot when heating on and spiral stairs need looking at as they are very creeky.all in all a great area to stay at though.many thanks owners.

A lovely and well equipped cottage with underfloor heating . The indoor swimming pool, sauna and hot tub in the owners house was a great attraction. The owners were friendly and helpful. Perfect relaxing getaway. Booked again for next year.

The cottage came with use of the owners swimming pool and jacuzzi.

A well equipped & comfortable holiday house. The pool, sauna & hot tub were such a treat. We really enjoyed the whole experience, & the grand kids had great fun befriending the various animals around. We would certainly come again.

A safe, comfortable place for the dogs and the grandchildren. We loved the animals, the pool and the tranquillity.

We went in winter so there was a nice crisp layer of sparkly snow, the moon was full, adding to this there was the comfort of underfloor heating and all mod cons, including a indoor swimming pool which has lovely windows looking on to the garden. With it being central, there were lots of nice scenery and quaint villages to visit. Not far from the coast either. The family have a lama in an adjacent field and two ponies which we loved feeding them apples and carrotts. Perfect relaxing getaway. Lovely owners whom we hardly saw. 5 star. Kindest Reguards Lisa.

Lovely cottage and used the pool every day. Our little boy loved feeding the ponies and lambs. Would go back.

The underfloor heating, the swimming pool, the sauna and the grounds were lovely too. There was a resident heron in the pond, ducks and rabbits in the field, a llama and two wee ponies nearby which we fed apples and carrots too. Wonderful location, design and friendly owners.

The owner was very friendly and the property was very clean and well equipped. The garden was completely enclosed - that was great for letting our dog out.

The cottage is beautifully decorated and was spotlessly clean. Very well equiped with everything we needed for a break with two girls age 11 and 12 and our pet pug. The garden is completely secure so our dog could wander in and out. The swimming pool, hot tub and sauna in the owners house were open for us to use whenever we wanted and the owners were really friendly. Not many places to eat out but there is a large tesco in Forfar about 5 miles away so no problem with shoppping. We had lovely days out in Glamis, Kirriemuir (which was a good cycle ride from the cottage), shopping was good in Dundee and lovely deserted sandy beaches in Montrose and Carnoustie both of which have good childrens play areas as well. The cottage was really warm and cosy so even in winter it would be great. The beds were so comfy and upstairs there is a mezzanine Area which gives some separate private space ideal for teenagers The best thing according to our girls was the llama and two Shetland ponies in the grounds which they could pet and feed apples to - highly recommended.

We enjoyed our holiday in Forfar and visited Dundee/Aberdeen, Glamis and many other places of interest including the Pictish trail which was great. With regard to accommodation, the owner was lovely as was the property and ideal for our little dog too. The beds were extremely comfortable.

We stayed at both cottages with my sister and they were both lovely. It was great to have use of the pool. The owner was very helpful and on hand at most times and gave us useful information.

Lovely location.