Moray Self Catering cottage, 85 Seatown, Cullen, sleeps 6

Summer Holiday
The other visitor reviews have provided a good summary regarding local amenities that will be interesting for a stay in Cullen. Take note of the comments below that are specific to the property. This is our second time at 85 Seatown. As previously commented by the owner, there have been some improvements made that have added to the character of the property. We found it to be clean on arrival, but unfortunately with no house visiting instructions. Hopefully the comments below will help future visitors. Be aware of the issues surrounding parking. We parked our car on the kerb outside the property. The following day we were offered a parking space at the front of No.146, as parking outside the house made it difficult for passing vehicles. The Seatown streets are narrow, so be mindful if you have a large vehicle. We had a query regarding rubbish bins. We eventually found the bins for the house, but they were already filled by the previous residents. We were offered access to the bins of No.146, but all this confusion wasn?t really needed on holiday. You will find the bins of the property right at the very end down a narrow passage. Bin collection day is on Friday. There is a leaflet on the wall next to the kitchen door about the bins that are available to you and waste collection. The kitchen dishwasher does not appear to work very well. Only half of the items had been cleaned, as the cleaning tablet was not being dissolved during the wash cycle. We ended up washing the plates by hand for most of the week. The owner had upgraded the oven which is really helpful when cooking for everyone. Dripping hot and cold taps in the kitchen -washers need replacing. The toilet upstairs needs a cistern clean or upgrade, as it constantly runs water after a flush. Very noisy and annoying! The bathroom is clean with a good shower. As for cleaning the house throughout the week, there is a broom available, but a wider broom with a soft brush would have been really useful to sweep out the house properly. The same goes for the hoover, which had difficulty sucking anything up. I think having access to the house via two doors is a great idea, especially when cooking in the kitchen or needing a cool breeze to pass through the rooms. Cullen is about getting out and discovering places, but there are days when we just wanted to watch a bit of T.V. I think you will need to rely on your tablets and phones, as the current television struggled with certain channels. I think an upgrade to a smart T.V would be a nice touch, so visitors can sign in to Prime or Netflix. The wifi did its best to cope with all our devices. Don?t expect fast wifi speeds! Have a game of cluedo. Jigsaws available and a small book library. I will briefly touch on a couple of things to consider in Cullen. We were disappointed with the local fish and chip shop. Try the fish and chips in Portknockie. First class. Chinese takeaway in Cullen also really good. The co-op is really handy, with a Tesco available in Buckie for a big shop. To summarise I think you need to accept the ?ways of the house?. All of my comments are only a slight, with suggestions that could only improve the experience. I think many would agree that 85 Seatown is a lovely little cottage, ideal for a family wanting to get away. I believe that it is good value for the quality of the cottage in the summer period. For this we wish to thank the owners. We will no doubt return to this property if we come back to Cullen.
C4682T
2021-08-15

We have listened to your feedback and improved
We appreciate all feedback that has been given for our cottage. There is plenty more on the Sykes website if you want to look. Although the feedback is predominantly positive, we are using this lockdown period to address any issues that have been raised. Below are changes recently made, or being made for the April 2021 reopening: 1) We installed free wifi in the cottage 2) A new range cooker and fridge/freezer is being installed in March 2021 3) The stairs, landing and three bedrooms are all being re-carpeted 4) There is a new matress on the downstairs bed, following reports it was hard There is also a general refurb going on, trying to maintain the 'cozy cottage' feel, while refreshing and upgrading some aspects This was the only way we could find to give you the upgrade information on this site. We look forward to welcoming you soon Stuart & Joy
stuart m
2021-03-07

Home from Home
On first sight the cottage is very charming and comfortable. It's bright, spacious and am sure would comfortable accommodate four adults and two children. We were only two so were spoilt. A few negatives make this not a five star. As previous reviewers have said, the two doubles are very hard and the one downstairs like a board. We ended up using the duvets as padding and covering with the light patterned quilt. The ventilation in the bathroom is not adequate, the ceiling is covered in black mould and the radiator is rusting. After just one shower the walls and door are streaming. We took to leaving the light and extractor on for a while after finishing in the bathroom and leaving the door open to air the room. The kitchen is large with ample seating, but again a few things need attention, the freezer was unusable as it was choked up with ice the drawers would not open, and the door would not close properly further adding to the ice problem. Quite a few of the down lighters did not work, nor did the standard lamp in the sitting room. Think there perhaps needs to be a check list to go through at change over. We arrived around 3:30 and the cleaner was still there, she allowed us to bring our bags in whilst she finished up but think perhaps that led to a bit of a rush job? One last thing, we all live in era of technology and expect to be able to stay in contact with family and work whilst away. Wi-Fi would be an excellent addition to the cottage as there is no telephone signal in the area. Ended up feeling a bit cut off, maybe the point of a holiday, but still felt a bit anxious that I could not be contacted as I have an elderly mother. I'm sure the costs could be recovered by adding £5 to the rental. All in all these are only minor niggles and did not mar a lovely stay. I would recommend this place but would also recommend the owners do a bit of maintenance.
sharonl250
2016-09-21

Lovely cottage in a great location.
A very lovely cottage that with a few tweaks could be 5 star. This cottage has everything you could need and is beautifully decorated, modern and very spacious. The kitchen was well stocked and you could easily cook a meal if you wished to. We were kindly left some delicious shortbread which was much appreciated. The tweaks needed are slightly better cleaning, WI-FI installing, particularly as there is no phone signal and the biggest thing of all is new mattresses on both double beds. The bed in the downstairs bedroom was very, very uncomfortable and as hard as a rock. The mattresses are the only things that would stop me from returning but if these were replaced I would return tomorrow. The location is idyllic and only 2 minutes walk from the beach and harbour. Cullen has everything you need, including a fantastic fish and chip shop, ice cream shop and delightful cafe. The surrounding area is beautiful with plenty to do and see.
Ttjph
2016-09-07

This is a fabulous holiday cottage. It is in a perfect location for the beach and harbour. We had a wonderful holiday and we will be back!
Mrs Wilson
2016-06-29