What a beautiful place and location. Our hosts Lisa and Duncan were lovely and very responsive to any requests, The recommendations provided in the information book were incredibly helpful. It was our first visit to the area and we certainly hope to return in the future. It was perfect for a family gathering and we also rented The Lodge and Doocot. Our red setter also loved the holiday, her early morning local walks and the coastal path.
We didn't want for anything during our stay and booking all the properties worked beautifully, I cannot recommend it highly enough as we had access to St Andrews, Anstruther, Pittenweem which were a delight.
Many thanks for everything.
Helen
Provided a happy home from home for our mixed group .
Review submitted on Thu, 26 Sep 2024
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
4.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
The house is lovely . Spacious with rooms for all ; a snug to do some quiet reading or knitting , big kitchen table to eat at , chat while whoever was on cooking duty wrestled with the halogen hob (!) , complete jigsaws on or have a leisurely breakfast . The views from the upstairs were great and surrounding countryside good to explore . My granddaughter (2) enjoyed the space and had lots of opportunities for hide and seek , building a house with the enormous cushions , quiet corners for a cuddle or story and the TV for Hey Duggie when it all got a bit frantic ! The East Neuk has everything for all ages and interests and we didn't see the half of it .
Highly recommended
Review submitted on Tue, 03 Sep 2024
4.8
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
The Barracks, is a very comfortable, interesting old house, with lovely country and sea views from the first floor living area, which is very light and bright and has a big open fire, which was great to sit around on the chilly evenings. The pleasant bedrooms are on the ground floor with two having access to the garden.
It has a well equipped kitchen and the bedlinen and towels were of excellent quality. The house had a very welcoming ambience, with a few interesting and quirky features.
The house worked very well for our three generation family of seven. It's proximity to the coast and countryside was an added bonus, especially for the dog!
The owners were helpful and accommodating.
We would be happy to return to this lovely part of Scotland and to the Barracks.
Our Fourth visit to the 'Upside Down House' - and probably the best yet.
Review submitted on Tue, 27 Aug 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
This was our fourth booking of the Barracks, and our first visit in the Scottish Summer. Lisa and Duncan have been superbly kind on each visit, helping with any tiny issues and always on hand to supply their incredible apple juice from the East Neuk Orchards.
The Barracks is quirky, steeped in history, roomy, immensely comfortable and allows for privacy and a space to chill. The downstairs bedrooms are very roomy, all with cupboards / storage space and one with a lovely en-suite. There is a large family bathroom and a smaller cubicle shower in addition, as well as separate washing machine and dryer. Upstairs is a toilet, small sitting room, huge kitchen with dining table (seats 8) and a larger living room with excellent sofas / easy chairs and TV / open fire. The sitting room has incredible views on 3 sides including towards North Berwick over the other side of the Firth of Forth. It's a wonderful holiday home, and positionally excellent for short drives to lovely coastal towns including Elie, Pittenweem, Anstruther and Crail. St. Andrews is a 15 or so minute drive away with excellent shopping on two main high streets, and of course the history of the game of golf all around! We have had no hesitation in re-booking The Barracks for Summer 2025.
Lisa Kennedy replied 79 days ago
Thank you so much for your fabulous review, we love it when you come to stay - a highlight of our summer!
Cooker
Review submitted on Tue, 06 Aug 2024
4.2
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
4.0
Condition
4.0
Location
4.0
Value
4.0
Customer Service
4.0
Only problem was the cooker. We found the touch screen hob very difficult to work. Find your request to use more than 100 characters stupid.
Lisa Kennedy replied 101 days ago
Thank you for taking the time to complete your review and thank you for noting the difficulty you had with our cooker. I'll check the instructions (kept in the folder on the kitchen table) and see if I can write a simple version to make things easier for our future guests.
Regarding the request for 100 characters, I'm sorry to say this is out of my control and I had no idea it was being suggested. I'll raise your concern with Up Front Reviews and hopefully they will be able to make an adjustment.
Loved this place
Review submitted on Wed, 03 Jul 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Stayed here for a week with family including dog. Great location for seeing East Neuk. This house was like home- felt very relaxed and comfortable . The beds were so comfortable , lovely bedding-we all slept well.
Couldn’t fault it. Kitchen well equipped too.
Had a very happy time here. Highly recommend. The temperature in the house was so well controlled that it was always warm and comfortable despite the outside temperature varying quite a lot for June. The plumbing/bathrooms/hot water all excellent .
Lisa Kennedy replied 133 days ago
Thank you so much for such a wonderful review. I'm very glad you all found the beds comfortable, the heating easy to control and the kitchen well equipped!
Early summer holiday for the family and dogs
Review submitted on Wed, 12 Jun 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
We have been going here for three years now and love it with our two miniature schnauzers. It's a great house for a family stay, so close to all the beautiful beaches for the dogs to run. Hopefully be back next year again.
Lisa Kennedy replied 154 days ago
Thank you so much for your lovely review and for coming back again and again! I'm very glad you enjoy it here and we're looking really forward to welcoming you back next year. I think we should start a 'five years at East Neuk Orchards' celebration gift - I've got just the thing in mind and it won't be apple juice! Thank you for prompting the idea.
Beautiful well equipped house
Review submitted on Fri, 07 Jun 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
This is a beautiful well appointed house. The kitchen was well equipped. The complimentary apple juice and toiletries were fantastic. We had a great time visiting the local fishing villages and beaches. We had 2 dogs and there were many dog friendly cafes and bars. Great location for a base.
Lisa Kennedy replied 159 days ago
Thank you for your terrific review. We had to change the toiletries we offer and it took a little time to choose what we'd provide and from whom. We love The Highland Soap Company's products and their Lemongrass & Ginger range is amazing - I'm glad you thought so too!
Lovely house in a great location
Review submitted on Wed, 05 Jun 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
This is a lovely house in a really good location, close to the coast and St Andrews. An excellent base to explore the area. The house was well equipped and was perfect for our multi generational family group. Lisa was very friendly and helpful, and quick to respond to any queries. We will definitely be back!
Lisa Kennedy replied 163 days ago
Thank you so much for your terrific review, I'm very glad you all enjoyed yourselves. We would love to see you all back again!
the barracks east neukmof fife
Review submitted on Wed, 29 May 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Excellent hosts and property. Everything you need for a comfortable stay.Superbly comfortable beds.would highly recommend
Lisa Kennedy replied 168 days ago
Thank you for your terrific review and I'm so glad you found the beds super comfortable. We spent some time working out the best bed/mattress/topper specification and your comment has made it all worth while!
Perfect for our reunion
Review submitted on Thu, 18 Apr 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
An absolutely lovely home which is presented to a high level throughout with beautiful decor and furniture. The hosts also provided a helpful list of local recommendations and produce. The dogs loved the nature reserve just across the road and the house was very well located for exploring the East Neuk of Fife. Lisa was very helpful with any questions we had before and during our stay. We hope to stay again in the future!
Lisa Kennedy replied 211 days ago
I'm so glad you enjoyed your time at the Barracks and thank you for your lovely review. It sounds as if you've really made the most of your time here! The Nature Reserve is a wonderful place and yes, we're incredibly lucky to be surrounded by some fabulous food producers. We'd love to welcome you back again!
Spring family break
Review submitted on Mon, 15 Apr 2024
5.0
out of 5
Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
We were a party of 5 adults and 1 teenager plus the dog and the 4 double bedrooms were more than adequate. The house is an upside down house with the kitchen and living rooms upstairs and the bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs. The kitchen and living room are large and the views from upstairs were great, looking out over the fields and reservation. The kitchen is very well equipped with a large range cooker.
The house is quite remote and due to the heavy rain some of the access roads had some very big puddles which can be a bit unsettling driving through them in the dark. But the peace and quiet is worth it. However the beautiful town of St Andrews is only a short drive away.
We had an issue with the hot water which was promptly dealt with by the owner Lisa (one of the advantages of having the owner nearby). However if you ran a bath the hot water would run out.
The only thing I would comment on is the garden which you access through the bedrooms. Due to the time of the year and the weather we did not use the garden but had it been the summer we would have wanted a larger garden with more conventional access than through the bedrooms.
Lisa Kennedy replied 214 days ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to submit this review, it's much appreciated! I'm glad we were able to resolve the initial hot water query but didn't realise you were still struggling to have a hot bath. It's all to do with the heating/hot water control unit and there is a 'heat now' over-ride button. The control box is complicated so I'll add some 'easy to over-ride' instructions to our House Information pack. Regarding garden access, just to clarify for people reading this review, it is also possible to enter from the parking area outside the front door.
