Gate Lodge

28 Customer Reviews

• "A beautiful little property well situated near two main routes which made our exploring very easy!"

  The lodge was spotless and well equipped, the secure garden was perfect for the dog as was the ability to go for a walk on the grounds straight from the gate. The christmas tree was a lovely touch for our arrival on 30th December, and the lovely welcome treats and card were very much appreciated! I read reviews before we booked that talked about the noise of the cattle grid but honestly we didn't have any issues. Vehicles only really go over it during the daytime when we were either awake or out walking - the nights were very peaceful! We will most certainly look to book here again in the future and would recommend the Gate Lodge to anyone.

  Many thanks for your lovely comments about the cottage and how the cottage had been prepared for your arrival. It is in a great location for visiting Glasgow and Edinburgh and you can use the Park and Ride nearer the city and take a tram into the city centre for Edinburgh. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Josie5.0★Dec 2024

• "A very nice and comfortable cottage for 2 within easy reach of Edinburgh."

  We liked the layout of the accommodation and quality of the decor and accoutrements. The property has a nice sized rear garden but at this time of year it does need a sensor activated floodlight for when guests dogs go out to use it. At present there’s no rear garden light. Also I would have liked to have had a slimline dishwasher installed instead of one of the cupboards ( after all no one’s likes washing up ). Other reviews have mentioned the noise from the adjacent cattle grid entrance to House of the Binns and we did notice this noise too during our stay. In summary though this is a nice place to stay and the staff/hosts were welcoming.

  Reviewed by Paul3.8★Dec 2024

• "A well furnished,well equipped and cosy cottage in a beautiful rural setting but close enough to amenities and with many interesting sights to see in the vicinity."

  Reviewed by Philip5.0★Nov 2024

• "Gate Lodge is the most wonderful place to stay."

  The cottage is comfortable, cosy and beautifully decorated and furnished. It is set on an estate of the House of the Binns which is wonderful to explore. The staff on the estate were friendly and helpful and gave us a tour of the House of the Binns. It was very interesting. The cottage was in the vicinity of so many places to visit. Highly recommend a stay here.

  Reviewed by Angela5.0★Oct 2024

• "A very comfortable, well located property."

  Loved it!

  Reviewed by Nicola5.0★Oct 2024

• "This cottage is very well placed for trips around Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife."

  Well equipped and clean. The only downside is the animal gate! Even late at night people drive over it at too high a speed. The noise from this gate is really hard to bear. The only solution for the National Trust for Scotland seems to be to move it 50-100 yards away.

  Thank you for your feedback. We will have a discussion about what we can do about the cattle grid. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Olaf4.1★Oct 2024

• "We were made to feel at home as soon as we walked through the door."

  Small things like, Tea, Coffee, Biscuits, cooking oil, small amounts of cleaning materials were all to hand. The whole cottage was very clean and well presented. All amenities worked and we had a really comfortable bed. All services were clearly explained in the introduction folder and everything worked with good Wi-Fi coverage. We enjoyed a short stay which was very convenient with Falkirk and Edinburgh just a short drive away. The countryside held stunning views and we enjoyed walking through the Binns estate to the tower with a stunning view of the Forth Road/rail Bridges.

  Many thanks for the lovely comments. The cottage is in a great location for going east and west. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Robin5.0★Sep 2024

• "Lovely cottage in a great location, ideal for visiting Edinburgh to Stirling and everywhere in between."

  Cottage was very clean and well maintained with everything you need supplied. Yes there is a cattle grid but we got used to it and can’t say it was a problem. Would definitely return and would recommend this cottage.

  Reviewed by Jill5.0★Sep 2024

• "Would not hesitate to recommend this property."

  Excellent facilities - everything you need and more. Spotlessly clean and the decor and furnishings first class.

  Reviewed by Keith5.0★Aug 2024

• "Nice cottage and convenient location for us."

  It would have been useful to have more information on the contents in advance (the website has little detail) as I took things I didn't need (e.g. hairdryer) and didn't take things I could have used (e.g. CDs). The cottage was neat and comfortable, lots of cushions, and on arrival superficially appeared clean. However, the wardrobe in the dining room needed to be wiped inside before using. The doors did not run properly because they have been poorly fitted, though we managed to improve them slightly. Various other bits such as skirting boards and less accessible corners had dog hair and there were muddy paw prints on the wall under the dining room window. Not been wiped off. The hoover really did not work well (spat out more dirt than it took up) and this turned out to be because it was completely clogged inside with dog hair. We emptied it and managed to clear most of the blockage, but it still wasn't great. It needs a proper clean. I noticed that its stand was filthy (fluff and dirt behind and underneath); clearly no one has moved it and cleaned the floor properly for some time. We wiped up a couple of water drips on the kitchen floor with kitchen roll and it came up black - not caused by us as we always left our shoes by the door! It needs a thorough scrub. I didn’t feel that it was my job to clean longstanding dirt. The washing machine leaked some foamy water over the floor during the rinse cycle. My guess is the filter is blocked with dog hair, or possibly the waste pipe is not into the drain far enough. The blind on the large bedroom window fell down when I was trying to lower it. Managed to get it back up but it is not very secure it is only screwed on with 1 screw each side and they are a bit loose. These windows could not be opened. The door of the ice compartment in the fridge is broken - the door falls off if you open it. Medium saucepan lid handle is broken. There's a rotary dryer for the garden but no base for it. The rug in the lounge is worn and rather threadbare in places. It might be a good idea to plant some shrubs along the fence by the cattle grid: they might mitigate the noise when cars go over it.

  We are really glad that you liked the cottage and location! Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We do ask that if guests have any issues during their stay they get in touch with staff who are onsite 7 days a week and these could all have been resolved quickly for you. We have spoken to the cleaning team about cleanliness standards and hope to do a paint refresh this winter. The freezer door clip has been sourced and fitted and an engineer has attended to check the washing machine, which he advised had probably had too much detergent put in it. The vacuum is a shark cordless purchased last year and the electrician also checked this. The wardrobe door and blind have also been fixed. We will speak to the gardening team about the possibility of planting some shrubs beside the fence. Once again, thank you for your feedback, and if you do come back hopefully there won’t be any issues as these have all been addressed, but please don’t hesitate to contact the team at the time who will be able to resolve things straight away. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Corinne2.8★Aug 2024

• "Really lovely property, perfect for time away as a couple with dogs."

  Incredible location both rural and also close to Linlithgow, Blackness and Bo’ness. It also affords really easy access to Edinburgh or Glasgow by car or train from Linlithgow. The property is furnished to a very high standard and has a well equipped kitchen. The garden is perfect for dogs and for lovely long mornings with coffee reading the paper overlooking parkland. Honestly can’t recommend it enough. N.b. Some folk have commented on the cattle grid outside the property - I can honestly say that very quickly for us it became background noise.

  Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Gate Lodge is in a great location for both Edinburgh Festival/Fringe and for the museums in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Ruth5.0★Jul 2024

• "Stunning little cottage, stunning location, downside cattle grid but you get used to it."

  I would like to see chicken wire fence on the brick wall as its low and could be jumped by our 4 legged friends.

  Reviewed by George5.0★Jun 2024

• "While the cottage was beautifully appointed, as befits a property owned by the National Trust of Scotland, the WiFi was horribly deficient -- so feeble I couldn't even download emails when sitting right by the router."

  This was a little more than an inconvenience as I really needed to have the work contact. Also there were very few hanging hooks: the one in the hallway supposedly for coats fell off as soon as anything was put on it. This has evidently happened before as the fixings were shot. We were also a little surprised at the water wastage from the combi boiler. At least a gallon was down the drain before the water became even lukewarm! Apart from the above points, everything was just fine.

  Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that there were issues with the Wifi but this was out of our control . We also had issues at the House of the Binns and office where we use the internet for tills etc. The boiler is serviced regularly but we will check the run off until hot water comes through. Please in future do not hesitate to contact the property owner or manager to report a fault such as the coat hooks as we would have been very happy to call out a contractor to fix the coat hooks. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Caroline3.8★Apr 2024

• "The cottage was very nice and comfortable but we felt there was somewhat of a lack of storage space for clothes, especially thinking of wet walking gear etc."

  The cupboard in the dining room was beautiful but practically would have been more use as a nice chest of drawers?. The biggest let down was the garden which was sadly neglected with lots of bind weed and broken decking edging with exposed screw heads. To make the garden dog proof there needs to be fencing alongside the wall as any medium sized dogs could go over the wall onto the busy road- our collie most certainly would have done!!. We hope these comments will be useful. We would use Gate Lodge again, the position is great but those improvements would be very welcome. Regards Alan and Angie Noble

  Many thanks for your feedback which has been forwarded to the team at House of the BInns. We do appreciate your comments to try and improve what we offer and pick up any maintenance issues. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Alan4.4★Sep 2023

• "The cottage was lovely, great location,clean and all the amenities you could want."

  Binns house was lovely and nice wooded area. The park land wasn't good I knew there were sheep on the land but there was so much poo even right up to the cottage boundary that you just couldn't miss it so had to take my dogs elsewhere. The worst thing was the gates to the estate where smack outside the cottage and so was the cattle grid. The gates where open 24 hours a day and cars where coming and going day and night and the noise from the grid was horrendous. Not quite the relaxing cottage I had hoped for.

  Reviewed by Elizabeth4.1★Sep 2023

• "Beautiful cosy cottage for 2."

  There is some noise from the road and the cattle grid, but this didn't bother us at all.

  Reviewed by Judy5.0★Jun 2023

• "The gatehouse has been recently done up and is well-appointed."

  The location is good. The cattle grate issue and the main road did not bother us but it is good that this is all clearly set out in the listing.

  Thank you very much for the kind comments and we look forward to welcoming you back to the NTS. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Elizabeth5.0★May 2023

• "Th Lodge was very comfortable and was ideal for visiting a variety of places eg."

  .The Kelpies, The Falkirk Wheel and obviously Edinburgh via the Park and Ride at Ingleston

  Reviewed by Evelyn4.7★May 2023

• "Very nicely furnished."

  Ideal position for exploring the area. Would recommend.

  Reviewed by Peter3.8★May 2023

• "We had an issue with ants from the 2nd night, we managed to solve it by putting all foodstuffs in the fridge or microwave & sprinkling talc on the outside window ledge."

  The cattle grid is also worth a mention, it is close to the house & noisy, especially when driven over at speed. I was woken every morning at 6 am despite the closed windows. The property is beautiful though, decorated to a very high standard and well placed for visiting Edinburgh & the local attractions.

  Thank you for your feedback and we are investigating your comments re the ants which we haven't seen previously. We’re really sorry to hear that your experience was not a positive one. We will take your valuable feedback on board as we’re always striving to improve with each and every stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Steven4.7★May 2023

• "The location of the property couldn't be better for a relaxing, dog friendly getaway in delightful surrounding."

  The grounds of The House of Binns are delightful with spectacular views across the Forth. Despite its rural location, the property is ideally situated for touring the region and just over a mile to the coast at Blackness with its wonderful pub/restaurant, The Lobster Pot. A couple of miles down the road from the property is the excellent Hopetoun Farm Shop.

  Reviewed by Roger4.7★Apr 2023

• "Lovely property in a good location for visiting beautiful areas in the Southern half of Scotland."

  We will stay there again. David and Sandra.

  Reviewed by David5.0★Mar 2023

• "Well presented small 1 bedroom cottage, outside Linlithgow."

  Clean, parking off street. Some noise when cars cross the cattlegrid , and the main road, but indoors all quite cosy, no trouble sleeping. Great value alternative to 1 week in a hotel.

  Reviewed by Mark5.0★Mar 2023

• "Lovely cottage, made very welcoming."

  Thank you

  Reviewed by Joanna4.4★Dec 2022

• "Had a good week very peaceful and the dogs liked walking in the grounds"

  Reviewed by Adam5.0★Nov 2022

• "Everything was excellent."

  The only observation I would make is that the branches of the tree on the road side of the lodge forcibly struck the roof over the lounge when the winds were high. The owners might consider some judicious pruning to prevent any damage to the roof. We had some high winds during our stay.

  Reviewed by Archie5.0★Oct 2022

• "The cottage was beautiful, clean and very well presented."

  The location was perfect for visiting the Fringe and Tattoo in Edinburgh as you could get the train from Linlithgow and travel in. The bed was very comfortable and everything we needed was provided. The wifi was great and heating system very efficient when necessary. The premises is located at the gate of an historic house, which was closed to the public for renovations, but the grounds still open. We had a lovely run/walk around the clearly marked pathway. On a constructive note, the cattle grid was quite loud and noticeable during the day. Clearly no traffic was there in the evening or at night so we were not disturbed then. Also, in the kitchen, there was no cupboard to put any food as they were all used for crockery and/or pans etc or the recycling bins. I had to put the food we bought on the window sills which was a bit cluttered but we managed by shifting things around. I would try to move the glasses to the lounge perhaps to create some cupboard space. Other than that, highly recommend this property for its quality and location. A welcome retreat from the hustle of the City.

  Many thanks for your positive feedback about the Gate Lodge at the House of the Binns. Your suggestions of moving the glassware to the lounge sounds a very good idea and we have passed your comments onto the property team. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Dave4.7★Aug 2022

• "Corner cupboard difficult to access all utensils inside it; Wardrobe door does not slide properly and has cleaning equipment in it, limiting the hanging space; TV - Currently no access to terrestrial TV channels, access for BBC can be achieved by using BBC iPlayer, but no access to ITV or any other channels for live programmes."

  This should be highlighted in property description until resolved. On a positive note, the Property is at the entrance to some lovely grounds with walks to the main House, which then reveals spectacular views over the Firth of Forth and beyond.

  Thank you very much for the feedback following on from your stay at the Gate Lodge, House of Binns. I understand that you reported the problem with the TV to our property manager, thank you for doing that. We have scheduled someone to come and sort out the aerial for us. We are going to look at the wardrobe on the next changeover day and sort out the runners. There should only be a iron and ironing board in the wardrobe and again we will recheck on the changeover day. Again many thanks for your feedback and we hope to welcome you back to the Gate Lodge or one of the other National Trust for Scotland cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Paul4.4★Jul 2022

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