SELF CATERING HOLIDAY HOME IN ANGUS
SELF CATERING HOLIDAY HOME IN ANGUS
COURTYARD COTTAGE, IDVIES HOUSE, LETHAM, FORFAR, ANGUS, DD8 2QJ.
What Our Guests Think
2020
Roses are red, Violets are blue, its' an absolute pleasure staying with you.
The weather was cold, but that was okay,
We blew the fuse, but the spiders stayed away.
The roads were bumpy, the skies were dark.
The hair dryer blew and shot off sparks.
Tim came to the rescue, on every time.
Thank ya for everything, please forgive our rhymes
xoxo
Dustin Plantholt, Greg, Alex, Kathleen Murphy.
2019
Lovely quiet cottage, ideal base for us to visit Dundee for our daughter's graduation, thanks for the bread and milk. Fantastic countryside and some lovely views over to the mountains with the snow on top wheh we were out and about. Thanks once again.
Trevor, Helen, Jon, Charlotte & Caroline Hillman, Stafford
We had a lovely relaxing time in this well equipped special cottage. The weather was beautiful for September.
Les and Barbara Hope, North Lincs
Our third visit, what a lovely welcome! Weather was warm, rained a little but we had a lovely time. A really lovely cottage to stay in as always. We really enjoyed ourselves.
Joanne, Esmond, Jamie Hamilton & Esme Davis
We received a warm welcome at this lovely cottage, its really well equipped and has a lot of character too. Loved Lunan Bay and the golf (when the weather was good) and headed to Dundee for the wet weather days(V&A and Escape Dundee).
The Marshmen of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thank you for the cottage all clean and in good order. We enjoyed our time, especially you beautiful countryside and coast.
Antony & Honer Porter
Beautiful Cottage and lovely and clean. It felt like home from home. Thank you for the bread etc, it was a godsend after our long journey.We all had a fantastic holiday in a beautiful place. Thank you.
Martine, Stuart, Vikki,Lou,Benjamin,Gary,Bob, Ysabella
*We have had a really wonderful holiday. Lovely cottage and a really warm welcome. Thanks for the fresh milk and bread and for letting Becky join your family Easter egg hunt.
Andy, Nicky and Becky, Leicester
*Such a beautiful place, with lovely scenery- wonderful cottage and will be coming back again.
Donna Davies & Liv Henderson
2018
*Had a great stay
Ben
*Lovely cottage with lots of extra supplies - nice touch the loaf and milk on arrival. Great base for visiting towns and "child" stuff in the area. Thank you very much.
Ethan, Russell & Bobby
*1st time staying here, will definitely be back.
Dave, Hana, Afrina & Hidayah
*2nd time here and just as lovely (hopefully won't be the last!) Hosts warm and friendly cottage, home from home. Thank you so much x
Helen, Rob, Sarah & Christopher
*We've all had a wonderful time up here and the cottage is fun for everyone. All the hospitality is great and all the filming was great. Thanks for everything.
Matt & Wavem Studios team
2017
*A super cottage. Ideal as a based for visiting family and hosting them here - so well equipped. The children really appreciated the thoughtful gifts and decorations. Thank you.
Mansell family
*2nd visit, still found it enjoyable, will be returning. Thanks to Tim & family.
Cooper family
*Lovely cosy cottage. Ideal for visiting relatives every day in Arbroath. Thanks for flowers, bread, etc.
Mel & Gordon
*Fantastic cottage, lovely hosts which made all of us feel so welcome even with the crowd for our daughter's christening. Thanks again.
Sarah, Jem & Davie
*Great stay. Great people. Great cottage.
Jose, Maria, Armand & Rosa
*Amazing cottage. Lovely grounds and area to explore. Beaches at Lunan/St Cyrus, Deer Centre, Camperdown, Olympia pool. Thanks v much x
Jen, Rob, Archie & Finn
*2nd time here, fantastic, lovely weather and a warm welcome from all. Dunnottar Castle - fantastic views & super ice-cream! A lovely cottage once again!
Joanne, Esmond & Jamie
*Lovely house and location. Especially enjoyed Glen Doll & Glen Esk walks.
Phil, Sue, Chris & Emma
*The photos online don't do this lovely cottage any justice. Home from home (if not more so). Absolutely beautiful.
Helen, Rob, Sarah & Christopher
*Lovely cottage, very well equipped. Beautiful setting, so peaceful and tranquil. Very good location.
Paul, Lily & Andrew
*Delightful cottage and everything we could want. Perfect for exploring this side of Scotland. Will definitely recommend to all.
Noon family
*Beautiful surroundings and lovely hosts. Thank you for a great week. We've seen some marvellous places.
Gunby & Priest family, Cheshire
*Superb cottage, great location. Everything we could have wished for. Had a wonderful stay & enjoyed the quiet. Good nights' sleep for all. lovely kitchen with glass roof. Well recommended.
Coley, Williams family, West Midlands.
2016
*Beautiful relaxing hols amongst the quiet mystery and magic of the trees. Beautiful warm and cosy cottage. The glass ceiling in the kitchen dining room is a master piece. Thankyou.
Black,Stitt family Lanarkshire.
*Fantastic relaxed stay. Beautiful cottage and surroundings. Thanks for such a warm welcome. Hopefully we will come again. also thanks for the added extras...
Taylor, Haynes family, Warwickshire.
*Lovely Cottage, enjoyed our stay immensely. Everyone very friendly and helpful...
Clenton Family, Cheshire.
*Very lovely cottage,we had a wonderful stay. scottish people arevery friendly. we hope to come back very soon.
Daniela& Robert Schaten, Germany
*Lovely place for 4 generations to be together. Ages range from1-90yrs. something for everyone!
Ian, Ken, Morag and Zach, Moray.
*Lovely and peaceful, enjoyed seeing the wildlife, very friendly, super time.
Joanne and Esmond, Berwick.
*A beautiful place. Perfect for de-stressing. Thank you.
Tim and Eileen, Worcestershire
*Had a wonderful time in the beautiful palace. Thankyou.
Farmer family
*Thanks for everything, its been a home from home- we'd definately come back!
Anne and Allan, W. Australia
*Wir haben uns bei unseren ersten Besuch in Schottland hier sehr wohl gefunet. Besonders danken wir fur die Gastfreundschafts Jessica, George & Buster.
William aus Deutschland
*We love this place and the owners. Thanks for a wonderful week.
Lindfors family from Sweden
*Fantastic stay! Cameron can't wait until next May...Till next year...
S....y, St...e, C....e and Cameron
*Wonderful cottage, lovely and cosy! Great location with lots of good walks and surrounded by so many castles and stately homes all full of history. Enjoyed dis covering the Pictish Stones. Peaceful and quiet.
Rob and Lynda M....n, Castle Douglas.
*For us first time in Scotland, we are happy that we were here. Had a lovely time. Thank you, hope we come back.
TMY Czech
2015
*Best New Year in a long time. Super place loved every minute of it. Thankyou xxx
Ann, Lisa, Fay and Liberty.
*Had a lovely stay. Beautiful cottage & we hope to be back soon.Thankyou for everything.
Lorraine. Luxembourg
*Thankyou. Very impressed. Hope we come again.
Kevin and Kathleen L....t.
*We had a great stay thannk you.
G.......d. Abu Dhabi.
*Had a lovely time, cottage is beautiful, lots of walks taken by all. Thankyou.
Shirley and Andrew D....n. NSW, Australia.
*Had a beautiful meander accross the rustic river path. A truly magical experience. xxx
Joe.
*We have enjoyed our first stay in Angus- thankyou.
M.....K family.
*Nous sommes enchantes de votre accueilpour cet agriable sejour. Le calme et la plenitude de cette maison ont ete apprecies par nous tous. Vos conseils pour decouvrier la region ont toujours ete supers. Nous avons apprecie rencontre vos amis et votre famille. Ils sont vraiment formidables.
Patrick and family.
*Had a great stay in your lovely cottage, enjoyed the peace and quiet here. Also loved the greeting from Buster every morning.
The M.....L Family.
*Fantastic stay; had lovely meals.... Thankyou to Tim and Alison for making the cottage a home from home.
Stewart, Alison, Marcus and Lewis. Stockton-on-Tees
2014
*"Lovely relaxing holiday. Cottage lovely warm and clean. Family very pleasant, willing to help in any way. We will be back, thoroughly enjoyed holiday by all".
The T***** Family,Co. Down, N.I.
*"A fantastic cottage, very comfortable and clean. Will recommend to family and friends"
Ma***n family, Swindon
*"Thank you for the use of your lovely cottage. Thoroughly enjoyed the estate grounds"
Fay, Mary and John
*"Thanks for a lovely stay! As always fantastic cottage, good weather and we feel rested".
Shelley, Steve, Chloe and Cameron
*"We have thoroughly enjoyed our holiday at Courtyard Cottage (our first visit). The cottage is very comfortable with excellent facilities. We appreciated the warm welcome received from Tim , Alison (not forgetting Buster) when we arrived/ Hope to be back".
Doreen, Sandra and Alex W****n, Edinburgh
*"We have had a superb holiday, the weather has been wonderful, not a drop of rain all week. Great for motor cycling. Our hosts are the best ever! We'll be back!!!
Eddie, Barbara and Linda
*"Great location, perfect weather and thanks Tim and Alison for making us so welcome".
Paul, Evelyn,Patrick,Martin and Laura B****, Shropshire
*"We've had a lovely stay. Very nice house and friendly people! Thanks for flowers, bread and other groceries. We loved the great shower".
Harry, Marielee, Gys & Luule, Sneek- Holland
*"Thankyou for a warm welcome with flowers and groceries. A good base for exploring Angus, both inland and the coast. Useful leaflets in the sitting room."
The B.....n family. Durham and Cheshire.
*Vieleu liebeu dank feir die tolle gastfreundschopa. Einwonderschiones romantisches hauschen wir haben hier tolle tage verbrach.
Sebastian, Steffi, Kive,, Manuela. Germany.
*We had a lovely stayin the beautiful cottage. Thanks to Tim and Alison for the hospitality.
Dorit, Katja, Thomcen, Martin. Berlin, Germany.
*We had a lovely relaxing holiday. we will be back. Thankyou Tim and Alison.
Stewart, Alison,Lewis & Marcus. Stockton-On-Tees.
All work and no play, but at night to a quality place to stay! Thanks guys.
Ian L......e
2013
*"Beautiful Cottage. Beautiful Location. Beautiful Weather. Buster and Jessica added lots to our holiday too. We will defo be back."
S******, S****, C****, C****** and P**.
*"Very nice and comfortable cottage guarded by Buster. Beautiful landscapes. Lovely hosts. Enjoyed our stay."
S********, M***, A*** and L**. Belgium, Ghent
*"Thankyou for making our stay so enjoyable. Beautiful cottage, warm welcome. Perfect."
The G***** & p****** Families.
*"So far from home with all the comforts of home. Many thanks for your welcome & hospitality."
J**** & J***** H*** & Family. Lara, Victoria, Australia and Sweden
"Lovely cottage and a very friendly welcome. Plenty to see in the area".
N and M D*****, Oadby, Leics.
*"Good to get accommodation that has thought of everything even down to the cheese grater".
G***
*"Many thanks, love this place x".
Salmovac Team.
*"Many thanks this was a weekend made more than extraoardinary x".
Govan Fishers + 41 Pool Pod
*"A lovely relaxing time had by all. A great base for visiting around".
The H******** Family
2012
*"Great stay, never wanted to leave".
Mr C***** and party.
*"Nice house, peaceful surrounds for kids".
Mr M**** and family,Queensland
*"Thankyou for a lovely time & for putting us up in such a beautiful cottage. We had a fabulous time.
R****** and M*****. Staffs
*"The cottage is beautiful! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definately be back!"
T** D****** and P**** E*****. Washington D.C.
*"A Beautiful place, so peaceful, everybody is so friendly. we had a great time, we will be back."
The G****** Family, Athlone, Ireland.
*"Lovely cottage. Good location central for most places. The Groceries were most gratefully received"
R****,L****,V*******,M***
*"Thankyou for such a lovely time in a beautiful cottage. It was lovely to be greeted by Buster the dog."
T**, W****,D*****, J****, C******, Kirkby Lonsdale
*"Lovely to see you again Tim and Alison what a lovely cottage, home."
A***** + P******, L*** +M****** L*******. Woking, Surrey.
*"We really enjoyed our stay- we'll be back."
D****, C****, C*****, I****. Edinburgh
*"Lovely cottage, lots to see and do. Thankyou."
S**, M*** + E****, D****** and A. *****. Shropshire and Devon.
*"Many many thanks for your lovely hospitality."
D****, T*****, A****& S*****. Bath, UK.
*"Lovely well equipped cottage. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay."
J*** K***** & family. Kinross , Scotland.
*"Had a lovely Christmas here at Idvies. Hope to return."
T*****, P******
2011
*"What a fantastic place"
Mr & Mrs S ********, Australia.
* "Thank you for everything, lovely cottage. See you in the future !!"
Ms K ******* and family, Leeds.
*"Fabulous & lovely, friendly, peaceful environment to stay in. Highly recommended to friends. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!
Mr & Mrs *****. Mr & Mrs ******** and families, Maidenhead.
*"Excellent cottage well equipped, welcome pack very nice thought after long journey. The owner very welcoming, would certainly go again and recommend to family and friends."
Mrs J ******* and family, Stoke-on-Trent.
*"A lovely romantic night - great shower!"
Mr D *********, Edinburgh.
*"Super cottage in peaceful surrounds. Had a lovely week and weather was good! Thank you."
Mrs P **** and family, Dornoch.
*"Fantastic accommodation in very peaceful surroundings with many places of interest nearby. Wonderful time had by all. We'll be back!!"
Mr J **** and family, Edinburgh.
*"A beautiful cottage in beautiful surroundings. The owners were so friendly and helpful. it really was like a home-from-home. We will definitely be using Courtyard Cottage every time we are in the area. We felt really refreshed after."
Mrs ******, Wigan.
In Case You Were Interested...
Idvies was a thanedom at least as early as 1219. The original house was built by John Baxter and his son Henry in 1808 as a shooting lodge. The Baxters were of the internationally known Dundee textile firm of the same name. They were also co-founders of the Dundee Commercial Banking Group. Henry’s daughters sold the house and estate in 1865 to John Clerk Brodie WS and it was he who extended the house to its present form.
John Clerk Brodie, who was a descendant of the Brodie’s of Brodie, was a JP, Deputy Lieutenant of Forfarshire, Keeper of the General Register of Sasines and for a time, Crown Agent for Scotland. His descendants continued to live at Idvies until 1983 when the house and grounds were sold for conversion into a highly successful hotel, still talked about and missed by the locals.
The owners retired in 2002 and Idvies House was split. The hotel proprietors still live in half of the main house and their son converted the squash court into a house for his family.
Courtyard Cottage was, as the name suggests, a courtyard which was used for storing vehicles and was covered by the stunning glass atrium some time later. Prior to conversion into this beautiful property, it enjoyed life as an antique furniture and restoration showroom.