Highland Hospitality Wins Holiday Cottage of The Year
Two years ago
Fearnach Bay House only existed on an architect’s drawing board, but this year it beat over 5,000 holiday properties to be recognised by MyCottageHoliday, the independent holiday cottage review website, as ‘Cottage of The Year’ in the 2010 Excellence Awards.
Owner Rory Campbell-Gibson says “This prestigious award is particularly special to us. We wanted to offer the perfect self-catering holiday experience, so we found the ideal location and built the house ourselves”. The four bedroom lochside holiday cottage, near Oban in Scotland also won the award for ‘Best Coastal Property’ in the UK. ‘Best Rural Property’ category was won by
Hendersyde Farm Cottages in Kelso, in the Scottish Borders. The number of returning visitors a testament to the high standards set by the owners.
Andy Brown, editor of MyCottageHoliday, explained what it takes to win an award. “The finalists for each region and category were selected by the editorial judging panel based purely on the reviews left by guests on the website. The very best cottage holidays all offer something extra. Sometimes it’s just little touches that make the difference for a holidaymaker. Consistency, commitment and attention to detail is what makes the winners stand out.”
Commendations were awarded to properties which just missed out on the regional or category awards. Eight of the twelve commended properties are in Scotland.
Tony Mercer, Head of Quality & Standards at VisitScotland, commented: “Congratulations to all the winners from Scotland. They are a shining example of how hard work and commitment to meeting the needs of visitors to this country can make a real difference to the overall visitor experience and it is fantastic to see their passion for Scotland and excellent service recognised in this way by the visitors themselves. These award winners are setting the standard for the industry, driving innovation and ensuring that quality shines through in Scotland’s tourism offering.”
The standard was so high that the judges decided to award Commendations to 12 of the shortlisted self-catering cottages. These, along with all category and regional-winning cottages, can be found at
http://www.mycottageholiday.co.uk/.
ASSC Winners:
Cottage of The Year 2010: Fearnach Bay House, Oban
Best Rural Property: Hendersyde Farm Cottages, Kelso
Regional winner for Scotland: Fearnach Bay House, Oban
The following properties did not win but are considered
Commended (properties who came very close to winning one of the awards) and
Shortlisted (properties who met the very highest standards and were shortlisted for the awards):
Commended properties:
But’n’Ben Breaks, Fort WilliamBurnbrae Holidays, Kelso
Kinlochlaich House, Laich Cottage, Oban
Stables Cottage, Loaninghead, Glasgow
Craobh Haven Cottages, ObanLoch Leven Chalets, Fort William
Shortlisted Properties:
Thorntree Barn, Stirling
Ach na skia Croft, Arisaig
Airdeny Chalets, Taynuilt, Oban
The Hayloft, Blairgowrie
For generations Scotland’s royalty gathered at Stirling Castle to revel in its impressive buildings, superb sculptures, fine craftsmanship and beautiful surroundings. Today visitors can do the same.
