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The Barn is one of three cottages in a u-shaped farm steading conversion in the Highlands of Scotland. It's rural but situated close enough to Inverness and Nairn to enjoy town life too. After a days' exploring return to the Barn to relax and unwind.
The Barn sleeps up to 6 and provides comfortable accommodation and an ideal location to tour the Highlands - Loch Ness, Aviemore & the Cairngorm Mountains, Dolphin Spotting, superb golf, Inverness (10 miles) and Nairn (6 miles). Culloden Battlefield, Cawdor Castle and Fort George nearby.
House Rules
Pet-friendlyKid friendlyNo smoking
The Barn at Balblair Cottages is strictly no smoking. One dog per cottage is permitted and there is a small extra charge of £20 per week. Guest booking must be aged over 18. Strictly no parties.
Bedrooms
1 Queen4 Twins
Bathrooms
1 Full bath1 Shower
Meet the host
Barbara Bariskan (Property Manager Barbara Bariskan)
Hosting since August 2011
Languages spoken: English
Response Time: Within a few hours
Interaction with guests:Â Once the balance payment has been paid details regarding the key, grocery shopping, and directions will be emailed.
The cottage has a large folder packed with information on local sites and places of interest as well as those further afield.
What an amazing place to stay.
We visited at the beginning of August and I have to stay despite our difficulties (nothing to do with the accommodation), we still had the most fantastic time.
Barbara is a wonderfully helpful host, who endeavoured to assist us in any way she could; from my being dense and not being able to work the extractor fan, to supporting us when our beloved family car decided the 7 hour drive up was too much for her.
The Barn was cleaned to the highest standard and had everything we could have wanted in terms of facilities and accoutrements. The table and chairs in the garden area was lovely for an early morning breakfast with the company of the local small birds.
The kitchen was fully equipped, right down to ice in the ice cube tray, washing up liquid and clingfilm and a gravy boat! All of the things you would usually expect to have to buy yourself on a self catering holiday in terms of washing clothes and dishwasher tablets were there for you to use.
The living room is a lovely size, and I am only sad that we weren't able to use the log fire. For once we didn't have poor weather and so putting the fire on would have been a total waste even if we all were desperate to.
The downstairs toilet/shower room was lovely. Super clean and very handy.
My 16 year old daughter had the downstairs twin room and was more than comfortable.
Upstairs the double room had plenty of space and storage, and the views were great. the blinds on the Velux window really cut out the light allowing you to sleep in.
The upstairs bathroom was large with a comfortable bath.
My 18 year old son had the upstairs twin room, and again had plenty of space and was very happy with the room.
I have one word of caution for anyone that does not know the area and it is more to do with the location than the cottage itself. You must make sure you have what you need in terms of groceries. Unless you are willing to hop in the car if you run out of milk, or are happy to take nice long walk, you need to make sure you are organised as there isn't a local shop you can 'nip' to by foot. For me this wasn't an issue as I had a young man that loved an evening stroll to the somewhat nearby Tornagrain and it was one of the reasons we really enjoyed the location - so nice and quite we even saw a deer in the field opposite the cottage early one morning. Just make sure you do your homework in terms of what you need, otherwise you will most likely need to take a trip in the car to get anything you run out of.
Nairn is very close by which has fantastic beaches (be warned - the traffic can build up if you head through during rush hour) a large Sainsbury's, McDonald's and Home Bargains. You are also very close to Fort George, which is a great place for a visit with a couple of nice cafes.
I am looking forward to booking in to The Barn again hopefully for next year!
Visited August 2022
Written August 13, 2022. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
donna639
London, United Kingdom31 contributions
Amazing return visit cant wait to return
It was our second visit in 8 months and we have booked to return again The Barn is an amazing space for our family plenty of room so we don't get under each others feet plenty of room to relax. We love that there is a separate shower room downstairs and bedroom as my mother in law is not great at stairs so means she can still come along. The Barn is very clean and has everything you need and more including a food mixer if you want to bake cakes. Barbara and her family are lovely and nothing is too much trouble they even brought Chance the pony into the field near the cottage so my son could see him every day and if he wasnt there he would go find him.
The setting of this cottage well out of this world amazing views and so peaceful yest literally 30 seconds from the A96 7 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Nairn or Inverness.
We had a Tesco delivery too so didnt even have to do a big shop when we arrived.
We cant wait to return at Xmas. Definitely recommend this place
Visited March 2022
Written June 15, 2022. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Rodtosh
1 contribution
Amazing stay!
We had a wonderful week at The Barn at Balblair, near Nairn and Inverness. The cottage was first class with everything we needed. There was a delightful welcome basket waiting when we arrived and a warm distanced welcome from the owner. Any queries were promptly answered. Under very challenging times, this property proved to be an excellent holiday retreat. It was cozy, comfortable and very well appointed. We filled every day of our week touring around from North to East to West, a perfectly situated cottage. Highly recommended for a peaceful break away. Thank you.
Visited October 2020
Written October 17, 2020. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kelly L G
Virginia53 contributions
Home Away From Home
Balblair Self Catering Cottages, the Barn, was the best decision made when planning our holiday. We spent a week at the Barn and felt like we were "coming home" every evening from our daily excursions.
The bedrooms were spacious with plenty of closet and drawer space. The bathrooms were spotless and featured towel warmers and heated floors. The kitchen has a washer/dryer unit and dishwasher, along with the handy small appliances. And if you're staying during the colder months, there's a wood stove with plenty of firewood to accompany the heaters.
The view from the cottages, the proximity to popular attractions. And Barbara's thoughtful hospitality make it the perfect place to stay.
We saved a small fortune cooking meals at the Barn. A few trips to Tesco and other local suppliers helped make it easy to prepare home cooked meals.
We HIGHLY RECOMMEND Balblair Self Catering Cottages.
Visited September 2018
Written September 23, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Discover795756
Warwickshire, United Kingdom1 contribution
Lovely retreat
A very well appointed cottage worthy of its 5 star rating. Barbara is welcoming and very hospitable.
The grandchildren will miss the ponies in the back garden. This is our first visit and we hope not our last.
Visited August 2018
Written August 31, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbara B
We are delighted with your 5 star review! Thank you for taking the time to write about your stay at the Barn at Balblair Self Catering Cottages. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Best wishes, Barbara
Written September 4, 2018. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
amacdon8
Basildon, United Kingdom9 contributions
Lovely Location - Had a Great Time
The location is cracking, beautiful countryside, sheep, lambs, a couple of horses and Bob the dog came to visit. The cottage was spacious, clean and clearly well looked after. Barbara was there to welcome us and was always available if we needed her. The location is great, just a few mins from Inverness airport....some obvious advice is that you are in the countryside so you need a car....thank you for a wonderful time and great memories....my family would all happily recommend Balblair cottages
Visited May 2018
Written June 2, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbara B
Thank you for your 5 star review and recommendation! We are delighted that you enjoyed the countryside location of Balblair Cottages and that the Barn cottage was spacious, clean and ideal for your family holiday. Best wishes, Barbara, Balblair Cottages
Written June 5, 2018. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fiona C
1 contribution
Wonderful, cosy cottage and perfect location
We stayed in the Barn over Easter with our two children (7 and 9). The cottage was perfect; warm and cosy (it snowed on a couple of days), comfy beds and everything we could possibly need. It's perfectly located for Inverness Airport, Inverness and Nairn, but you're still in the countryside with beautiful views across the Moray Firth. Barbara and her mum and dad were very welcoming and helpful. We would definitely stay again, and would recommend to anyone planning a family holiday in Nairnshire.
Visited March 2018
Written April 12, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cathy F
Brighton, United Kingdom29 contributions
Simply perfect!
We first stayed here 14 years ago and always said that one day we would bring any children we had to visit this beautiful area of the UK. In August 2017 we had saved up enough money to bring our 12 year old twin boys back to the Scottish Highlands and staying here again was the only place we considered - nothing could be better or more perfect.
The Strachan Family are lovely - friendly and full of lots of useful information. We loved feeding the ponies and playing with Bob the dog. The Barn is stunning - glorious views, peaceful and quiet, immaculate decoration, brilliant well equipped, warm and comfortable. We all slept brilliantly well and it was a welcoming 'home' to come back to after a day of exploring!
I could go on, but I almost don't want to say too many wonderful things, in case it becomes too popular and we can't get a booking again for next year!!
Thank you Barbara and family, we look forward to seeing you again next year.
Cathy, Luke, Robbie and Jossie xxxx
Visited August 2017
Written September 13, 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbara B
Dear Cathy, Luke, Robbie and Jossie
Thank you for your amazing review!!! We are absolutely delighted that you chose to revisit us and had a brilliant stay :) We look forward to seeing you again soon! Best wishes, Barbara & family
Written September 23, 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeffrey G
1 contribution
A perfect stay with a beautiful country site
amazing location in the country site with a short distance to narin and inverness. cottage with all the things you need . I highly recomand this stay
Visited January 2017
Written January 30, 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbara B
Thank you for your lovely review! We are so pleased you enjoyed the area and found everything in the cottage to make your holiday special. Thanks for highly recommending us. We hope to see you again one day. Best wishes, Barbara
Written January 31, 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael J
3 contributions
Gerne immer wieder
Hier ist alles vom Feinsten.
Die Mädchen sind glücklich mit den Ponys. Platz ohne Ende. Eine sehr nette Begrüßung durch Barbara und viele Tipps für Aktivitäten in der Umgebung.
Visited August 2016
Written August 3, 2016. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Culloden Battlefield (National Trust of Scotland)
Fort George (Historic Scotland)
Cawdor Castle
Dolphin Watching
Loch Ness
Whisky distilleries
Aviemore and the Cairngorms National Park
What's on in Inverness see www.invernessfestivals.com, www.eden-court.com, www.ironworksvenue.com
Inverness Highland Games
Nairn Highland Games
Baxter's Marathon
Access
Car advised
How to get there
BY ROAD
From the south (A9) As you approach Inverness follow signs for A96 Aberdeen road. Approximately 10 miles along this road you will see signs for Croy and Cawdor. There is also a restaurant. Turn right then next right for Croy. We are the first farm/house on the left.
From the east (A96) Approximately 6 miles from Nairn you will see signs for Croy and Cawdor. There is also a restaurant. Turn left then next right for Croy. We are the first farm/house on the left.
From the airport
Located 2.6 miles from the airport, approximately 5 minutes by car. From the airport follow signs for Aberdeen (A96). Turn right at the junction for Croy/Cawdor. Turn right again for Croy. We are the first farm/house on the left.
BY AIR to Inverness Airport
Flights into Inverness by Flybe, Easyjet, and Lufthansa. We are approximately 10 minutes/4 miles from the airport.
BY RAIL nearest stations are in Nairn and Inverness.
BY BUS nearest bus stations are in Nairn and Inverness. The No. 10 will drop you off on the A96.
Please note a car is advised for touring the area.
100% refund within 24 hours after booking (provided the stay is at least 60 days away).
No refund available once booking is confirmed
Notes from owner
Price includes electricity, a basket of logs/kindling for the wood burning stove, bed linen, towels, dish towels and detergent. Wi-Fi is available in the cottage at no extra cost. One small dog is permitted and charged at £20 per stay, payable on arrival. Please note we kindly request that your pet is not permitted on the furniture and not left alone in the property unless in a special dog crate. Strictly no smoking in cottage or on premises.
About this property
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