# Kilconquhar Estate and Country 4BR on Hold, anyone stay here?



## GrayFal (Feb 4, 2016)

I have a 4 BR unit on hold and have been reading the RCI reviews. 
Not so good although they say the villas are spacious. Really a mixed bag in terms of quality. Will check trip advisor next. 

I was going to pair this with 4 days in Edinburgh and 5 days in London. 

Is there enough to to do in the area to stay for 7 days or should I do 5 days here as well. 
Car a necessity or public transit okay????

Would love to hear from someone who has stayed on the property.


----------



## Fletcher921 (Feb 4, 2016)

We stayed there in 2004 and just loved it.  We used the local buses and went to/from St. Andrews.  Enjoyed every day of it.  Very peaceful.

We did a tour up to Loch Ness and also went to some Highland Games.  Husband loved touring some of the local distilleries.  We hired a driver and he showed us a variety of interesting villages.


----------



## silentg (Feb 4, 2016)

Go for it Pat, sounds like a nice trip!


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 4, 2016)

Fletcher921 said:


> We stayed there in 2004 and just loved it.  We used the local buses and went to/from St. Andrews.  Enjoyed every day of it.  Very peaceful.
> 
> We did a tour up to Loch Ness and also went to some Highland Games.  Husband loved touring some of the local distilleries.  We hired a driver and he showed us a variety of interesting villages.





silentg said:


> Go for it Pat, sounds like a nice trip!



We really prefer not to rent a car. My husband is okay with driving on the left but it is more relaxing for him if we do not. 

My one BAD RCI exchange was to Connemara Counrty Cottages and it was a disaster.  Do not want to repeat that experience hence my hesitation.


----------



## Fletcher921 (Feb 4, 2016)

I understand.  We didn't dare drive.  Wanting to relax - we contracted with a local and he toured us around wherever we wanted to go.  I think we had him come like every other day.  The other days, we rode the local bus.  Was a ball!


----------



## Laurie (Feb 4, 2016)

I have exchanged into a 2-BR there, our unit was in their manor house. There are also stand-alone houses which may be the 4-BR's. It was and still is Gold Crown so I can't imagine finding it uninhabitable as you did with Connemara.

You could be there without a car, the resort offered some tours (we went on 1 full day one up to Loch Ness). Plus the local bus runs to picturesque fishing villages along the coast, and you can walk from town to town along the coast, it's gorgeous hiking. You can also take the train to Edinburgh, I think we did that for a day trip (my memory of how we got there is a bit hazy).

But we did rent a car and found it useful, even though the narrow roads and driving on the other side of the road took some getting used to, it was our first experience with that. There are so many beautiful places that are easier to reach with your own transportation. Just take your time.

I loved our stay there, there was more than plenty to do for a week for my taste (I could have hiked a different section of coastline every day), and I'd consider going back.


----------



## geist1223 (Feb 4, 2016)

We stayed there last April. We had a 2 bedroom cottage. We had a rental car (we had spent the previous week in a self-catering cottage on a working farm 10 miles north of Inverness) and used it to drive to Edinburgh (twice), Stirling, and all around the Kingdom of Fife. We greatly enjoyed our stay and the staff was very friendly and helpful. They do offer dinner and breakfast meal plans. We bought the 3 breakfast plan and the 5 dinner plan (this included 2 breakfasts) so we ended up with 5 breakfasts. The Blood Saugage and Haggis was quite good. We enjoyed the freedom of our own car. We also saw the Scottish Bunker, Falkland Castle (with its Royal Tennis Court), etc.


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 5, 2016)

Thanks everyone for your input. I have decided to confirm. The four bedroom units look awesome and have three full baths. Have one friend who has committed to go and waiting on a second. 

Very excited to see more of Scotland after a 4 night stay in Edinburgh last year.


----------



## Laurie (Feb 5, 2016)

Congrats, I think you will enjoy it!

If you do decide to rent a car, my feedback on their full-day tour to Loch Ness is that it covered so much distance, you spend a LOT of time in transit as opposed to out of the vehicle seeing places, and was expensive (for a party of 4) as opposed to driving to the various stops on your own. 

As you know, long road trips involve a lot of narration - our guide was pretty funny and told several off-color jokes which we couldn't help laughing at in spite of ourselves. We scheduled it near the beginning of the week before we were sure we felt comfortable doing the driving, so it worked out fine and we didn't regret it. But I would have preferred to spend more time at some stops, and less time at others, and to split the itinerary into at least 2 whole days.

But I understand not wanting to deal with driving, so either way you will be fine.


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 5, 2016)

Laurie said:


> Congrats, I think you will enjoy it!
> 
> If you do decide to rent a car, my feedback on their full-day tour to Loch Ness is that it covered so much distance, you spend a LOT of time in transit as opposed to out of the vehicle seeing places, and was expensive (for a party of 4) as opposed to driving to the various stops on your own.
> 
> ...



Thanks. That is very good feedback. As I said, my husband has done the left hand driving in Ireland, he just would not particularly want to be "the" driver for the week. We could look into renting for a few days. When we were in Ireland in 2013, the roads and signage were greatly improved then in 2007 when we drove all around the country. Our subsequent trips we were mostly in Dublin. And I have had two TUG friends commit to this trip so we will be 5-6 people....so more then one driver. 

Thanks for the information.


----------



## geist1223 (Feb 5, 2016)

When we stayed in the Cottage by Inverness we drove to Skye, John O'Groats (stopping at Patti's Family  Castle Dunrobin), etc. We also did an unusual thing - we drove complete around Loch Ness clock wise. Some of the roads on the east side were quite small.


----------



## Laurie (Feb 6, 2016)

GrayFal said:


> And I have had two TUG friends commit to this trip so we will be 5-6 people...



Oh cool, that must mean you have space for 2 more!


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 6, 2016)

Laurie said:


> Oh cool, that must mean you have space for 2 more!



A 4 bedroom has 3 baths so 5-6 works just right, with an extra room for any snorers :rofl:


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 8, 2016)

I just got my final confirmation from RCI and under unit it says "3"
I am assuming that's the unit number. Anyone have a map from their visit to the resort. Curious as to the location. 
TIA


----------



## scotlass (Feb 8, 2016)

GrayFal said:


> We really prefer not to rent a car. My husband is okay with driving on the left but it is more relaxing for him if we do not.
> 
> My one BAD RCI exchange was to Connemara Counrty Cottages and it was a disaster.  Do not want to repeat that experience hence my hesitation.



We own at CCC so wondering when you went and if your bad experience was the on the one-track road to the complex or if there were other problems.  We will be going in April and are looking forward to it as we have new management that is doing a fabulous job.  The units have been upgraded as has the road.  

I know that driving on the left can be a difficult experience for some.


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 8, 2016)

scotlass said:


> We own at CCC so wondering when you went and if your bad experience was the on the one-track road to the complex or if there were other problems.  We will be going in April and are looking forward to it as we have new management that is doing a fabulous job.  The units have been upgraded as has the road.
> 
> I know that driving on the left can be a difficult experience for some.



If the units have been renovated then that would resolve the problem we had. 
Driving on the left was not the issue. As I said we have done it and would do it again. It is just our preference to be able to enjoy the scenery and relax. 

Here is my review from RCI. My visit was in 2007. It was much worse then I indicated. The bathrooms and kitchen were really gross. We slept in our clothes. We were freezing. 
After we checked in we drove back into town and I was able to book a three bedroom unit for same day checkin at Old Killarney Village. We had spent the previous week at Fitzpatricks Castle. Both these resorts were great, clean and comfy. That is all we were looking for. 

Date:September 23, 2007
Best things about resort
Individual Cottages and Galway area location - spacious but dated units
Best attractions or restaurants nearby
Unknown - we checked out after one night!

Review
I was not expecting fancy but I did expect clean and in good repair - the linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms looked as if they were original to the cottage that was built in 1980 - many cracks, tears and signs of extreme wear. 

The heating system was broken - there was a leak in the fuel line - and there was no concrete time frame to getting this fixed. As we were checking in on a Saturday at 4 pm - we really weren't hopeful that the system would be repaired - there were 2 electric heaters in this 3BR 2 story cottage but only one worked. The gentleman who checked us in did provide additional comforters when we requested them and was very thourogh in explaining the workings of the cottage. He also gave us prepared sight seeing materials that would have been excellent if we had stayed.

The kitchen was very outdated and in poor condition - it would have been difficult to prepare a meal there.

We were able to start a peat fire in the living room which would have been charming if we didn't have to huddle around it for heat.
The cottages were 1 mile off the road on a dirt track and from there you are 6 miles to a small town - with restaurants/pubs, one internet connection and 2 grocery stores.

I had looked forward to this exchange for 2 years and visiting this part of Ireland but the condition of the cottage was so unsatisfactory that we left before 8 am the next morning.


----------



## Sugarcubesea (Feb 8, 2016)

GrayFal said:


> Thanks everyone for your input. I have decided to confirm. The four bedroom units look awesome and have three full baths. Have one friend who has committed to go and waiting on a second.
> 
> Very excited to see more of Scotland after a 4 night stay in Edinburgh last year.



This is a dream of mine to one day go here...How awesome...


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 8, 2016)

Sugarcubesea said:


> This is a dream of mine to one day go here...How awesome...



Me, too!  I have wanted to go for 10 years.  Looking forward to a wonderful stay.


----------



## tschwa2 (Feb 8, 2016)

What month are you traveling and how many tpu's for the unit through RCI?

I used to own a 2 br villa there.  I would expect at least 2 of the bedrooms to have two twins, one probably has a double, and the Master might have a king but might have a queen.  Bring clothes that dry easily.  Their dryers are terrible and clothes are normally damp even after a cycle.  Problem is they charge for power based on your usage so you don't want to use multiple cycles.


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 9, 2016)

tschwa2 said:


> What month are you traveling and how many tpu's for the unit through RCI?
> 
> I used to own a 2 br villa there.  I would expect at least 2 of the bedrooms to have two twins, one probably has a double, and the Master might have a king but might have a queen.  Bring clothes that dry easily.  Their dryers are terrible and clothes are normally damp even after a cycle.  Problem is they charge for power based on your usage so you don't want to use multiple cycles.



Early October....35 TPUs. 
Do you know the location of unit 3 (not CR-3) on the grounds? Or do you have a site map?
I am familiar with this type of washer dryer! Not the most efficient. And I did see they charge for electricity.


----------



## tschwa2 (Feb 9, 2016)

At one time I had a map but I don't any more.  Mine was number 24 and it was west of the castle.  I would imagine that the lower the number the closer to the castle but I only went once and don't know that for sure.


----------



## tschwa2 (Feb 9, 2016)

I emailed kilconquhar and they sent a unit map.


----------



## GrayFal (Feb 9, 2016)

tschwa2 said:


> I emailed kilconquhar and they sent a unit map.



OMG! That was so nice of you!  I am really looking forward to this exchange.  I did not realize how big the grounds are.
I have a search in for Knocktopher Abbey in II for the third week  will do London/Dublin in between


----------



## RichardL (Apr 2, 2016)

I am an owner of a 4 bedroom at Kilconquhar for the past 5 years.  If you still have some specific questions I would be pleased to help out.  I noticed your mention of preferring not to drive.  The Castle is in the rural area and as such the roads are a little narrow and my wife shares your thoughts.  The problem is the Castle is not a place you walk to town from.  But that said I have had lunch at the resort cafe and met a couple you had just spent hours walking and taking buses throughout the countryside.  But I am no longer 35yrs. old.   You can contact the front desk about local transportation, but I would suggest a car.  Exploring can sometimes get done by a private tour guide arranged from the front desk.  A car gets you to the nearby town for groceries or exploring nearby St. Andrews.  Fortunately, traffic is light.

Enjoy.


----------



## GrayFal (Apr 3, 2016)

RichardL said:


> I am an owner of a 4 bedroom at Kilconquhar for the past 5 years.  If you still have some specific questions I would be pleased to help out.  I noticed your mention of preferring not to drive.  The Castle is in the rural area and as such the roads are a little narrow and my wife shares your thoughts.  The problem is the Castle is not a place you walk to town from.  But that said I have had lunch at the resort cafe and met a couple you had just spent hours walking and taking buses throughout the countryside.  But I am no longer 35yrs. old.   You can contact the front desk about local transportation, but I would suggest a car.  Exploring can sometimes get done by a private tour guide arranged from the front desk.  A car gets you to the nearby town for groceries or exploring nearby St. Andrews.  Fortunately, traffic is light.
> 
> Enjoy.


Thanks Richard, as we get closer to the date, I am sure I will have more questions


----------



## WinniWoman (Apr 11, 2016)

We stayed there a few years ago in Tracy's unit. We were there for 8 days total. Our cottage backed up to the horse farm and we were treated every day to the view of the horses and rabbits. We went in June so the sun never completely set. The animals were up at midnight!

Plenty to see and do. We rented a car at the airport in Edinburgh and we did plenty of sightseeing. Really liked St. Andrews and the Isle of Fife. Lots to see and do there.

My husband hated driving on the left and it wasn't relaxing for him. The roads are narrow with the stone walls and so on. We survived but we always had a degree of anxiety every time we got in the car.

The weather was damp and chilly most times. The cottage wasn't very warm. We mostly cooked in the unit, but it was difficult and honestly we hated the food. We couldn't wait to get back to NY just to have a tuna fish sandwich! LOL! Fish and chips were good there, though.

Drove to the Braveheart castle (Stirling) and also to Loch Lomond and the national forest there, though that is quite a drive.

However, we did take a car tour through the resort to go into Edinburgh as the traffic was crazy there. We went to the castle and the guide was kind enough to take us to the Rosslyn Chapel (of Davinci Code fame) as well. We wanted to go up to Loch Ness in the Highlands but it is a very long ride and we decided to try to go with the resort tour guide, but he couldn't get enough people to make it worthwhile, so we did not go. So you can't always count on that. With the trip into Edinburgh it was just our family of 3 but he did the tour.

The cottage was comfortable, but nothing fancy for sure. Yes- the electric thing made us nuts. You have to turn the breakers on and off to use things- even the stove and hot water because electric is so expensive there. I brought a small clothes line with suction cups to hang in the bath tub area so I could rinse out a few things.


----------



## Pompey Family (Apr 11, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> We mostly cooked in the unit, but it was difficult and honestly we hated the food.



Surely that's a poor indictment of your cooking!


----------



## WinniWoman (Apr 11, 2016)

Pompey Family said:


> Surely that's a poor indictment of your cooking!



We actually didn't like the food we ate in restaurants either. I think as far as in the cottage, at the supermarkets we really couldn't find the convenience foods we would have liked to make it easier to prepare meals in the cottage. You know how it is when you don't have everything you need to cook a variety of foods, like all the spices and such.

We wanted some fast and easy things but was hard to find/do when you are not familiar with what is available and have limited time, as we were in Scotland to sightsee not cook.


----------



## Pompey Family (Apr 12, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> We actually didn't like the food we ate in restaurants either. I think as far as in the cottage, at the supermarkets we really couldn't find the convenience foods we would have liked to make it easier to prepare meals in the cottage. You know how it is when you don't have everything you need to cook a variety of foods, like all the spices and such.
> 
> We wanted some fast and easy things but was hard to find/do when you are not familiar with what is available and have limited time, as we were in Scotland to sightsee not cook.



I agree, it is difficult to cook the things you like to without all the ingredients that you have access to at home. It took a couple of timeshare stays for me to work out what to take with me, usually small bags of herbs and spices, individual stock cubes, a small amount of flour for coating and thickening sauces and small bottles of sauces/oils. I also take a decent set of knives with me. Barbecues are usually the best option for us for dining although I accept that Scotland is not exactly conducive to barbecues.

I'm surprised you couldn't find much in the local Sainsbury's. It's one of the more quality supermarkets and they even sell tuna there! M&S is also relatively close by and they sell a good range of quality ready meals which are handy for those lacking the ingredients or time to cook from scratch.


----------



## WinniWoman (Apr 12, 2016)

Pompey Family said:


> I agree, it is difficult to cook the things you like to without all the ingredients that you have access to at home. It took a couple of timeshare stays for me to work out what to take with me, usually small bags of herbs and spices, individual stock cubes, a small amount of flour for coating and thickening sauces and small bottles of sauces/oils. I also take a decent set of knives with me. Barbecues are usually the best option for us for dining although I accept that Scotland is not exactly conducive to barbecues.
> 
> I'm surprised you couldn't find much in the local Sainsbury's. It's one of the more quality supermarkets and they even sell tuna there! M&S is also relatively close by and they sell a good range of quality ready meals which are handy for those lacking the ingredients or time to cook from scratch.



Yeah- well we only travel with carry ons so that eliminates taking all that stuff. There are always issues, like buying tuna means buying mayo for one time use- not to mention that everything was way expensive (British pound vs. US  dollar). And- we only put so much effort into food shopping and cooking as we were only there for a week and had better things to do and see. We went to two food stores- a learning experience for sure- like finding eggs on the shelf instead of the refrigerated case.


----------



## Conan (Apr 12, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> ....finding eggs on the shelf instead of the refrigerated case.



*"*Europe takes a different approach to prevent salmonella contamination. 'The priority in egg production is to produce clean eggs at the point of  collection, rather than trying to clean them afterwards,' according to  food safety officials in Ireland*"
http://www.businessinsider.com/should-you-refrigerate-eggs-2014-7

http://gizmodo.com/why-the-british-dont-refrigerate-their-eggs-1604297251

*


----------



## Pompey Family (Apr 12, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> We went to two food stores- a learning experience for sure- like finding eggs on the shelf instead of the refrigerated case.



That's where they're meant to be! There's no requirement to refrigerate eggs, as Conan has already pointed out. The eggs are also stamped with use by dates which is not something that is done in the US, unless you know the provenance of an egg you have no idea when it is safe to eat by! Eggs are also porous and by keeping them in the fridge they are prone to absorbing odours. 

A solution to avoid buying a whole jar of mayonnaise is to collect the little sachets of mayonnaise in pubs etc. Granted, it won't be decent stuff, usually Helmanns or similar but should suffice if you don't want to buy a whole jar.

I have to say, I'm impressed that you can undertake a transatlantic trip with just carry on, I struggle to fit everything in a full size case!


----------



## WinniWoman (Apr 13, 2016)

Pompey Family said:


> That's where they're meant to be! There's no requirement to refrigerate eggs, as Conan has already pointed out. The eggs are also stamped with use by dates which is not something that is done in the US, unless you know the provenance of an egg you have no idea when it is safe to eat by! Eggs are also porous and by keeping them in the fridge they are prone to absorbing odours.
> 
> A solution to avoid buying a whole jar of mayonnaise is to collect the little sachets of mayonnaise in pubs etc. Granted, it won't be decent stuff, usually Helmanns or similar but should suffice if you don't want to buy a whole jar.
> 
> I have to say, I'm impressed that you can undertake a transatlantic trip with just carry on, I struggle to fit everything in a full size case!




If we ever get to Europe again (only been to Scotland-that's it) we are going on a tour. It's too much work navigating everything. I just want someone to take me and show me around and feed me without having to think too much. LOL!


It was tough with just a carry on because of not being able to use the washer dryer. This is why I brought a clothesline. We rinsed out a few things. But Scotland was so chilly and damp it took a long time for things to dry. Brought mix and match. We are very casual- so no dress up clothes.

In the states it is easier with the carry-ons since the timeshares have the washer/dryers.


----------

