Party - Two adults, two young teenagers, one dog

We decided that we wanted to visit Scotland this year and as I have fond memories of the Moray Firth area we looked for accommodation in these parts. We considered a number of places but in the end we booked this cottage through Sykes.

We thought that the price was very reasonable for the number of people who can stay and it seemed to have everything that we were looking for.

The owners take care of this property and keep it to a high standard. They met us at the house on the Saturday to give us the keys and show us around. We settled in straightaway although from our children's point of view there was no broadband access or mobile signal. The kitchen is huge and comfortable for sitting in either for meals or relaxation although there is also a living room. The bedrooms (like everywhere else) had plenty of space and were really comfortable. These are not the tiny rooms you can find in modern housing and there are three doubles and one single over the two floors. The bathrooms (there are three of them) were large, well fitted and very clean. There is also a utility room and a storage cupboard. There is a nice walled garden outside with a patio window from the kitchen opening into it.

Portknockie, like so many of the surrounding villages and towns has lovely houses and is very neat and tidy (try using streetview). The people are very friendly (especially those of the Church of Christ which is on the next street - I recommend their simple services) and much of the surrounding countryside is breathtaking. Although it is steep in parts you have to try the coastal walk to Cullen. There are a few shops in the village and more close by in Cullen and Buckie.

Good Things
The cottage is really worth booking
The owners are friendly and take a justifiable pride in their property
The cottage is like the Tardis - much bigger inside than it looks from the outside
The people in the area are friendly
The scenery is really nice
There is plenty to do as long as you don't expect a city's facilities on your doorstep
There are two small steps but with help the property should be accessible to a wheelchair and there are bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs (but check with owners).

Not So Good Things
No wi-fi or mobile signal
Pets are no longer allowed (Spot being one of the last)
That's it really

Did we enjoy our holiday? Very much
Would we recommend the property to a friend? Definitely
Would we be happy to stay there again? No, but only because we can't leave the dog behind and so have to use pet friendly accommodation.

One of the questions below is "Was the property as advertised?" Although I answered "yes" a more accurate description would be "No, it was much better."