Auchendennan Luxury Self Catering — Hotel in Great Britain

Review of Finlas View Lodge, Loch Lomond

We recently stayed at Finlas View Lodge in Loch Lomond, and unfortunately, our experience fell short of our expectations, particularly with respect to the management's responsiveness to basic comfort and cleanliness concerns.

Upon arrival, we found a significant number of flies in the rooms and shower room upstairs in the property, which indicated a lack of thorough cleaning before our stay. The manager came to ‘fix’ this issue by hoovering dead and alive flies. On the first night alone, we discovered approximately 50 flies and continued to discover more the following 2 days between the double bedroom, the other upstairs bedroom and shower room. We understand that a rural location naturally comes with insect life, but the volume we encountered suggested a more serious issue. Additionally, a wasp nest on the property was spotted and highlighted to management, presenting a notable hazard, leading to one of our group members getting stung and forcing us to keep doors and windows shut to avoid further incidents. Unfortunately, we were not provided with any fly spray or other means to deal with these pests.

Basic amenities also proved to be problematic. For example, we discovered that the dishwasher had been left uncleaned, requiring us to sanitise it before use. This oversight further suggested a lack of attention to detail in preparing the property for guests.

Another critical issue was the heating, which made the property uncomfortably warm, especially at night. Management’s suggestion to "simply open the windows" was unrealistic due to the wasp and fly issues, which prevented us from ventilating the space properly. We also encountered issues with hot water availability on our last day, adding to the overall discomfort.

When we raised these concerns with the management, we felt our feedback was dismissed without genuine consideration. Overall, while we appreciate the scenic location of Finlas View, we were disappointed by the lack of basic comfort and responsiveness, which overshadowed what could have been a relaxing stay.

Ultimately, we can no longer consider Finlas View Lodge as an option for future stays. It could have changed our perspective if the owner had shown any level of responsibility or offered an apology. However, they seemed uninterested in addressing our concerns once they had pocketed our money. We recommend avoiding this property, especially if you're travelling with family, as there is little assurance that issues like wasp nests or cleanliness will be handled responsibly.

NB. We were returning customers after a pleasant experience staying in the Oak Lodge earlier this year. I cannot in good faith give this business any repeat business and would urge others to rethink booking. You may not be as unlucky as us on our stay but, if you encounter any issues, don’t expect for the management or owner to handle any...

I stayed in Loch Lomond for 4 days in December for a family wedding at the nearby Cruin restaurant. Loch Lomond accommodation offers numerous different options to suit different accommodation needs. I stayed in a 1 bedroom self catering cottage on the site. This is well suited to a couple or a couple plus 1 adult on the sofa bed in the lounge. The cottage is quite spacious and comes with all the things you need to call it home for a few days. Even tea, coffee and sugar are provided. The bathroom is very modern with a spacious power shower and the whole cottage was clean and warm with central heating. Needed in a cold and rainy December! A farm track at the back of the property leads up a nearby hill where you get a nice vie of the Loch. Rather boggy but the owner did tell us wellies would be required. I paid extra to bring my dog for the weekend and she loved the muddy fields! The main road to the other side of the property has a constant stream of fast moving traffic and is a bit of a nightmare to cross but it is here where you can walk to the Loch side, The Cruin and nearby Balloch. (don't worry the cottages are well away from the road, you can not hear the cars). This accommodation is highly recommended for a short weekend break in the Scottish Highlands despite not being able to control the weather. I can only imagine how beautiful it is in summer when you can sit out in the decking area of the cottages. (photo below is taken from their website, I could only have hoped for...

This summer we went on our first trip with our cats. Some people might be reading this and thinking "You are crazy! Who in their right mind would travel with their cats?!" Well, we did.

While I was planning the trip, I had to call a lot of accommodations to ask if they also allowed cats. After a few no's I spoke to Angela and I got the most kind 'yes' I've ever heard!

So with this knowledge I booked the Courtyard Cottage for dates in July-August '23.

I had (a lot) of questions on the day on our arrival. I swear not even minutes after I left a lengthy voicemail someone came 'running' towards our cottage! And she had all the answers to my question!

She was incredibly kind to us and our cats!

I also spoke to David on the terrain and it made us feel as if we were neighbours living on the grounds! It was the most homey experience I have ever had.

The cottage itself was spotless and had everything one might need! Nice bed, comfortable shower, cosy couch and a complete kitchen.

I can absolutely recommend them! Especially for cat lovers!

I'm sure it will be cool for dogs too. But we only had the feline experience!

With kind regards,

Ravenna, Arend, Alina and Maxim.

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