Balconie Steading

Fair
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : it was in a nice quiet area .some nice little walks in the local area. 10 mins walk to the local co op .the locals are very friendly.
  : the property its self had a funny smell to it when we arrived which didnt disappear all our stay .the kitchen tap leaks constantly, and there is a drainage problem as well with the sink.went to use the cooker the first night of arrival and had to turn it off as all you smelt from it was a really strong burning smell. i personally had to clean the whole cooker just so we could use it. all the electric items in the property are over due a safety check not a good sign in making sure they are safe to use.decking is rotten out the back of the propertyno garden furniture was available to sit on outside as we had nice weather while here.the house was not very clean maybe at first glance it seemed like that.needs a good deep cleanwe found beer bottle lids , finger nails fluff dust , food remains under couch & chairs and under the cushions of the couch and chairs as well and under beds as had to move furniture to baby proof it better.bedrooms not very spacious. nor for tall people with the slopping parts of the cellings.found broken glass in the dish washer.no toilet brush in either toilet.bins were full on arrival. had to use google to find out when they got emptied.and ask some neighbours where we could get some logs for the log burner as well as there is no information about that either in the property. I wrote in the folder about the bin collection day and where to get logs locally.you cant use the bath where it is situated it would be better just removed altogether and storage put in that area , the shower cubicle is very small and the doors dont shut correctly.the twin door into the sitting-room need looked at as they are very hard to open and close.property needs a ironing cover that actually stays on the board , and a better hoover and has been cleaned regularly hoover was dirty and has not got attachments nor a removable part to hoover right into the corners ect.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Business Traveler
  : Lovely house comfortable perfect location for the job in alness
  : Frying pan too small

Pleasant
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : Balconie Steading was very clean and there are a couple of pretty and interesting short walks nearby. It was functional, in a central location for heading out in any direction and very close to the A9 if you want to do so. Its also close to the local co-op which was great for topping up. The people we met out and about and in the village were all very friendly and the Wifi connection was very good.
  : It was freezing when we arrived and the central heating instructions were difficult to understand for timed heating. There is a wood-burning stove but they dont supply the wood. This is stated on the Gael Holiday T&C but it would be good to have it upfront on the Booking.com website and wed have known to pick some up on the way. It was dark - especially downstairs - and this is not the impression you get from the photos. All the lighting was low wattage, low energy light bulbs. They did eventually turn a bit brighter after being on for a while. It was fine for sitting and watching TV but not much good if you wanted to read and it made the sitting room a bit oppressive. We had to buy a higher wattage bulb. The lighting in the kitchen was not great either. The central light was ok but the lights under the cupboards did not work so lighting when preparing food was limited. It really needs the under cupboard lights to work. The front bedroom I slept in was noisy. You can hear the noise of the A9 traffic and the trains. Plus, the acoustics upstairs are not great - it was almost impossible not to wake someone when visiting the bathroom at night or having a shower. Although it did have most things you needed, there was only a very small frying pan which is not really enough. It wasnt as well supplied as other self catering accommodation Ive stayed in but Covid may have caused that. However, food and sauces from other users were left in cupboards which didnt feel hygienic. Two bathrooms is really one bathroom and a downstairs toilet. There is parking but its on-street which might also be worth mentioning on Booking.com. I feel that, with a little bit more attention to detail, Balconie Steading would have been a much better experience, just putting the heating on before guests arrive and a bit of bright lighting would have made it warm and welcoming after a long drive. However it was clean and functional.

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : dog friendly

Good
Traveller Type:
  : The location was good, quit, peaceful neighborhood. Private space in front and behind the house
  : When we arrived it was cold. Creaking door hinges Downstairs toilet difficult to use

Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : All
  : The bath we couldn't use as it was under the eaves plus the plastic under sheet on the bed was terrible and kept coming off the mattress so I didn't sleep well. The frying pan was too small and only 1 baking tray and the non stick coating was coming off so we couldn't use and had buy a few from teaco.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : Location Close to shop and hotelSpacious lounge and wood burnerDog friendlyWalks to woods nearby
  : Kitchen oven dishes were lacking so limited what we could do to self caterNot a 2 bathroom house only downstairs cloakroom and full bath/shower upstairs

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : Very quiet. Good places nearby to walk. Good road links to other areas. Local shop within walking distance. Bigger stores only 10 to 15 minutes in the car.
  : No working lock on bathroom door! No pizza tray in oven. No mirror in bedroom (2)