Linda Vista

Location is excellent. Great sea view. Big property ideal for large groups. Lovely kitchen/dining/sitting area. Bright and sunny and generally well equipped though we had to cut fruit with large bread or carving knife - couldn’t find a small vegetable knife. North Berwick is a good location. The town appears relatively prosperous, well kept with independent shops and restaurants. Osteria was a particularly good restaurant. Easy access to Edinburgh via railway station and good bus service along the coast. Lovely walks along the coast and inland too and great little cafe easily reached on the clifftop called Drift.

Like all large, high-ceilinged old houses it’s beautiful but it has its problems but nothing that can’t be sorted. We were cold while staying there. Most of the windows are still single glazed sashes through which the wind howls and the cobwebs (on the upper, out of reach areas) blow like sails. Added to which the radiators are only ever lukewarm no matter how high the thermostat. We found two electric heaters which helped a little. The ground floor never got warm enough to use the second lounge and the bedrooms down there were very cold necessitating use of two duvets. Thick velvet curtains in downstairs bay are ideal but they’re hanging off the track so we didn’t dare touch them. They make the house look uncared for from outside. Thick curtains in the upper bay window would be a good idea to keep out the draughts. The house is generally in need of some TLC, in particular, the heating system. The blurb about the house asks that guests take their rubbish away with them. This is unreasonable even if you hadn’t arrived by train like us. If the house were at full capacity (12 people) imagine how much rubbish that generates. We raised this and were told to leave it in the bins in the front garden thankfully but why ask people to take their rubbish home in the first place?

Spectacular views and a great Central location. The house was warm, comfortable and clean.

A small detail, not a complaint, but it would have been good to have matching sets of mugs, glasses and tableware. There was plenty of everything, it just would have been more aesthetically pleasing.

Location, amazing view and plenty of space. Great living room and kitchen on middle floor.

Wet paint on arrival that got on clothes. Really not sure why someone has touched up paintwork prior to guests arriving. Ruined a brand new top. Overall house it’s getting tired but understand it’s a holiday home and well used.

Appreciate it was the winter but the house was very draughty and it was a struggle to heat despite the pre-warning and use of the plug-in heaters This coupled with showers with very little pressure meant it only an adequate stay but could have been better with these improvements - appreciate less of a concern in peak season