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Reviews of Carnell - an Historic Estate in Rural Ayrshire, near Troon and Prestwick .

Carnell - an Historic Estate in Rural Ayrshire, near Troon and Prestwick .
Hurlford, Scotland

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 8 out of 8 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 8 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 8 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 8 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Joe L.

Liked: Cleanliness
The most amazing place!
What an absolutely fabulous place. Adrienne and her wonderful hardworking team could not do enough for our party of 18. From the entire booking process/communication with Adrienne that involved extensive dietary requirements, plus the organisation of activities including clay pigeon shooting, archery and air rifling, professional whisky tasting, arranging a piper and having an official Robbie Burns address to the haggis superbly undertaken by Barney. There was wonderful food constantly provided by our superb chef, all served by friendly and attentive staff and there was never anything that was too much trouble, the level of service was such that they were always there for us but kept a quiet distance so we felt super comfortable. All bedrooms and en-suites were fabulous, the dining room magnificent and the beautiful hallway and drawing rooms with their fabulous fireplaces. A special thank you to MJ who was a star at getting red wine out of shirts, jumpers and carpets and for being so patient with us. Thank you all SO much for such a wonderful experience over Hogmanay, we will never forget it, the Loader/Davey/Sullivan family
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2023
Response from VrboOwner on Jan 9, 2024
Dear Joe Firstly, many thanks for taking the time to write a review. Thank you too for your kind and glowing words about your visit. The Chef and our fantastic little team will be thrilled with your generous words. I have already passed on your email message to everyone including Jay at Cowans Law and David for his whisky tasting. I think we all had some trepidation about getting all the dietaries right; our knowledge of vegan substitutes is now unbounding and only hope those omnivores in the party didn't feel ignored at times especially as we're so usually heavy on Jersey dairy and much else. All the team loved having you all here. Your party was so thoughtful to our team and as MJ said a couple of days ago, didn't we have a fun New Year. It really was and down to you and your friends and family. We hope it won't be the last time and thank you for choosing us. Very best wishes Adrienne

10/10 Excellent

Thomas K., Belmont

Liked: Cleanliness
Once in a lifetime trip
Where to begin? We had booked the Carnell Estate property for a family reunion 6 months previously with lofty expectations. Adrienne and Micky, our hosts, made sure that all our expectations were exceeded!. It was spectacular; the surroundings, the manor, the food, the staff, and fortunately the weather. Our family re-connected in exactly the way I had hoped. It was truly a memorable trip, and we are incredibly grateful to have had this experience.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 31, 2023
Dear Tom Your review has appeared and we are endlessly grateful for your kind words. It was an important birthday for both you and Daniel and so pleased to see both East and West Coast 'boys' chose to celebrate in Scotland. Happy too for the younger generation to celebrate Sam's 30th here too. We do hope you'll be back at some point to explore more of Scotland with Rachael or as a family again and do know you'll be most welcome to stay. Wishing you all the very best, Adrienne and Micky

10/10 Excellent

sharon b.

Liked: Cleanliness
I don’t want to go home
We are just leaving beautiful Carnell… 10 friends, spent a week, and every minute was heaven! Adrienne and her staff make you feel at home in this incredible estate. We have never had a chef that prepared such delicious meals… Even haggis! You will love it here… So sad to leave.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 31, 2023
Dear Sharon, Huge thanks for your very kind review which all our team are thrilled to read. It was a great pleasure to welcome you and David and your lovely friends. Your fun and kindness were greatly appreciated by everyone and we were pleased you managed to devour so many Ayrshire golf courses in just a week. Pleased too that we have 10 more haggis converts....we hope we will see you again. Our very best wishes Adrienne

10/10 Excellent

Sean T.

Liked: Cleanliness
Amazing Stay!!!
Carnell exceeded all expectations! The estate was wonderful, the staff was exemplary, The food was incredible. Adrienne was so helpful we couldn't have done it without her.
Stayed 15 nights in Mar 2023
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 31, 2023
Hi Sean and Kasey , Thank you for your very kind review. We are thrilled you enjoyed your visit to Scotland and Carnell. Please pass on our best wishes to all your family. Kindest Adrienne

10/10 Excellent

keith c.

Liked: Cleanliness
A most exqisite experience
The estate and the mansion/castle are everything advertised...incredibly comfortable, luxurious and historic and more. However, we were really overwhelmed with the service, the staff and the proprietors. They went above and beyond every day with gourmet food, flexibility when our plans or the weather shifted. Just when we thought we had experienced the best, Four Seasons' level of service, we were positively surprised again. Thank you Adrienne, Mickey, Lewis, Lorna and the rest of the staff! We will be back!
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 31, 2023
Dear Christina and Keith, thank you for your very kind review. We dearly enjoyed welcoming you and your friends and absolutely loved being a part of your very special celebrations. It's down to you both that you managed to meld a very wonderful time of golf, sightseeing, boating, history and celebrations in to an all too short week. Thank you for the mentions for our team. They will be delighted. We have a stellar back of house who keep us all on course including Jacky in the laundry, Vince in maintenance, Bobby in the gardens and Hugh in the grounds. Lori and Calum are stalwarts keeping prey at bay for the estate and Jimmy up on the farm. Grand family we're not so we'll take the Four Seasons analogy any day.... you are most generous and we hope to see you long, long before the next 10 years. In fact, if you're back in Scotland and don't visit, we'll be very sad. With warmest wishes from Burdundy...we're looking at future seasons and hope you enjoyed our choices. Very best Adrienne

10/10 Excellent

Lisa M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fantastic Scotland Experience
Carnell was the perfect spot for our Scotland trip. In Mickey's family for 700 years, the historic estate is beautiful, and Adrienne and Mickey are wonderful hosts. The lovely and helpful staff, especially MJ, made our visit so relaxing. There are too many activities available to count. During our stay we rode Clydesdales on the beach in Ayr, enjoyed multiple hacks on Gypsy Vanners on the estate, visited castles and spent an afternoon at the Highland Games, happened upon a Robert Burns World Federation meeting in Kilmarnock and were invited to attend, visited the Isle of Arran and climbed Goatfell mountain, took a steam train to the highlands, went fly fishing and clay pigeon shooting, had afternoon tea in Glasgow, shopped an impossible number of thrift stores looking for hidden treasures, and even had our marriage blessed over the anvil in Gretna Green. We looked forward to the chef's delicious dinners at the estate, and Adrienne even arranged a Scottish evening with a harpist, a piper, and a Burns recitation on our penultimate night. Those in our party who preferred less activity during the day spent time relaxing on the estate and enjoying the multi-course catered lunches. There is something for everyone, and the weather was a welcome change for all from our muggy, Virginia summer. We can't say enough good things about the trip and our new friends Adrienne and Mickey.
Stayed 9 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 31, 2023
Lisa, her parents and her lovely extended family were wonderful guests enjoying both a very active, jam-packed 10 days and also relaxing for those less sporty. We were thrilled that Lisa chose Carnell to celebrate both her own big birthday as well as her father's. The younger members of the party behaved impeccably and despite early mornings and late evenings around the fire pit, it was a complete pleasure to have them to stay.

10/10 Excellent

Kevin H., Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

Liked: Cleanliness
A unique and unforgettable experience
The idiosyncrasies that come with a home of this age are part of the charm of staying in such a piece of living history. Unlike many estates throughout Europe and UK, Carnell has not been stripped bare of it’s family treasures. Small heirlooms of crystal, porcelain and silver are everywhere, mixed in with family photos and artwork. The grounds are beautifully maintained with an endless array of places to explore. The house itself is as impressive from the outside as the inside and very photogenic. There is exotic wildlife everywhere. While formal in initial appearance, the atmosphere is anything but stuffy; the addition of Micky and Adrienne’s 3 dogs, and the occasional appearance of Micky at cocktail hour added warmth and familiarity. Service: This was a surprise in that it exceeded our already high expectations. Adrienne has experience in hospitality and it really shows. She and Micky have assembled a team which is second to none. Our family is very casual so it was important that the service did not feel intimidating or stuffy. Each member of the team felt like family after 7 days. There were simply too many small details to mention here. They were amazing. Likewise, the chef did an outstanding job in providing a full immersion into Scottish culture. The staff was present from early in the morning to late in the evening to ensure every detail was attended to, from the starting of the fire to welcome everyone in the morning to meeting every need until all had retired in the evening. Communication: Adrienne’s attention to detail is impressive. She listens to what you have to say, and then makes it happen. We had many special requests throughout our stay and each was accommodated without having to ask twice. Over the years we have dealt with many of the best concierges in the world. Adrienne’s communication skills are truly unsurpassed when compared with this high standard. Value: Although Carnell is certainly an expensive proposition for a family of 20+ people it does represent a good value for the level of service you receive. We left the experience feeling that we got more than our money’s worth. Conclusion: We had a very specific vision in mind for the family and Carnell delivered on that vision, meeting and exceeding our expectations on every level.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Seth G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Carnell Estates is Phenomenal!
We rented this property as a HQ for a week of business surrounding COP26 and had 13 of us total plus a number of additional guests for dinners. The estate is absolutely spectacular - right out of a movie. Everything was 5 star all the way. The owners were incredible as were the staff. Mess were absolutely delicious! Cannot say enough good things about the experience! If you get the chance to stay at Carnell you will love it! We hope to return again soon!!! Bravo!!!!
Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2021