Cottage Reborn After Burst Pipe

This winter we had the unfortunate catastrophe of a burst pipe in the cottage leaking for well over a week.  The ceilings fell in and the interior was pretty much destroyed!

We took this as an opportunity to do some much needed renovation and knocked out some walls extending in the process, making the kitchen three times larger, and open to the lounge.

So we have completely gutted the place, and renewed the entire building; rewired, replastered, re-insulated, redecorated, re-floored; we have put in a lovely new shower room; twin link beds which zip together to form a king sized monster; a beautiful log burning stove; and new furniture and lighting.

We love the little bolt-hole we have created – its a cosy little bothy, still oozing character but softer on the eye and underfoot.

Here is a pic, but more internals to follow.  The price remains the same and we feel this represents great value wth optional linen service, so grab a bargain before it gets booked up – click the link on the right for Discover Scotland and put in code CRO6ST.

The local area

The house sleeps 11 people in one double ensuite, two twin, one triple and a bunkroom. The cottage sleeps 2-3. For more information about availability of the house and cottage please click on the “Discover Scotland-bookings” link on the bottom right of the page.

If you click on the other links on the bottom right of the page you will discover more about what is on offer in the local area.

Main attractions include:

Beaches – Rockcliffe – a sandy child friendly beach 50 yards from our garden, with public facilities, limited parking and lots of rockpools to investigate

- Castle Point – a sheltered sandy beach accessed via cliff path at low tide 3/4 mile from the house – good for sunbathing / driftwood finds

- Sandy Hills – a wide panoramic sandy beach 3.5 miles east of our house along the coast, with views over Cumbria, and cafe/ice cream shop

Mountain Biking – Seven Stanes – a world class singletrack course in nearby Dalbeattie Forest, hosts various MTB competitions

Golf – Colvend and Southerness 18 hole links are close by -see links

Walking – the coast is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has much associated wildlife. Rough Island in the bay is a protected bird sanctuary

Historical – Threave Castle and Gardens is a national trust property with a beautiful sense of the local history and a lovely garden, Orchardton Tower is also a unique site nearby; look no further than the field next to the property for Mote of Mark – a 7th century fort, and Castle Point in the vicinity. There are Roman and Stone age archaelogical ruins near Sandy Hills.

Horse Riding – at Sandy Hills – see link for Barend Riding Center

Food – Balcary Bay Hotel Restaurant approx 7 miles drive , Double AA Rosette winner – see links below right for more info and menu

- Kippford harbourside Anchor Hotel within walking distance 1 mile from the house for seafood and pub fare at reasonable prices

- Rockcliffe 50 yards Barons Craig Hotel, see links below for more information

- Mill Brae tearoom at the eastern tip of Rockcliffe beach- Banoffee Pie..mmm

- Castle Douglas Arts Cafe and other restaurants

New Facilities for 2010 Season

Bed Linen service.

We are offering a linen service for a competitive price to help our visitors relax and have a hassle free holiday. let the agent know for more details. All rooms have new sets of duvets, sheets and pillowcases – if you choose this option for bed linen we take care of the laundry.

Bike/equipment lock-up and Bike Wash

There are world class mountain bike tracks in the area from the local Dalbeattie woods a few minutes away through the forest, to Mabie and the rest of the 7 Stanes. So we created a dedicated bike shed for safe storage of 12 mountain bikes and other equipment.

We also have a special bike wash area with a pressure hose to wash your muddy bikes off and keep you looking snappy.New Furniture and soft furnishings

Furnishings

All bedrooms have been updated with furniture and some rooms with new lighting, curtains and cushions in keeping with the character of the house. We hope you like the fresher feel we have tried to create.

BBQ

We love to grill food and fish we catch, so we are providing a BBQ for you to do the same. You’ll need to provide your own charcoal and food to cook!

Latest News – Refurb 2009

Because we go on holiday to the house too, we felt there were a few things that we would want from a holiday house in the 21st century and so we have decided to upgrade and address these issues.

As a family we have commenced on a refurbishment plan over the next few years to bring holidays at Craigrannoch into the naughties – we hope you appreciate the changes – we dont want to lose the unique character of the house, but recognise there are certain things that make life easier and more comfortable while we are on holiday there.

Watch the blog for the changes as we make them and put on photos to keep you informed.