Self contained

Having to use bottled water but it was necessary.

The cottage was the best equipped of any we stayed in on the trip. Kitchen was exceptional. Central heating and hot water worked simply and well. Plenty of bottled water and coal for the fire was provided (the location is remote). Beds were good. The local hosts were pleasant.

Communication prior to arrival was atrocious. The phone number provided, we later learned, is for the owner and is a landline that is never answered. We were told we'd receive access instructions by email prior to arrival, but the email we received said that access details had already been provided "in the previous email" which was not true. And when I replied asking for instructions I received no reply. When we arrived (using an Ordinance Survey map I had), there were several possible cottages, mostly un-named and we had difficulty finding the right one. Then we had to knock on doors until we found the local hosts who told us where the keys were hidden. Being such a remote location (and considering the earliest access time is 17:00) we were worried about what we'd do if we couldn't gain access. This was totally unacceptable.