Birkenside Cottage
from £175.00 Per night*
Birkenside Cottage, Jedburgh, Scottish Borders, TD8 6RL
T: +44(0)7974 805376
A house that makes its own water and its own power
Birkenside sits at the end of a private track with no other house in sight of it, a forestry reserve on three sides and fields on the fourth. The off-grid part is not a figure of speech. Water comes from a natural spring cleaned through a UV filter, electricity from a battery bank with a diesel generator behind it, and the cooker from calor gas. Central heating is oil fired and hot water is on demand, so none of that lands on you as a chore.
The house is stone, built around a traditional chimney with a wood burning stove on each side of it, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. Two double bedrooms sleep four, and there is a single bathroom. The kitchen is modern and fully stocked, and in spite of where it stands the cottage has high-speed wifi and a smart TV, so the digital reset the owners describe is a choice rather than a condition of the booking.
The garden does as much work as the house. It is large, overlooked by nothing, and set up for children without being a play park: a treehouse, a flying fox, a climbing frame, a hammock, and room for badminton and pétanque. Indoors there are records, board games, and watercolours for the days when Borders weather makes the decision for you.
Good to know
- Arrival is from 3pm unless the owner agrees otherwise, and departure is by 11am.
- No pets, and no exceptions in the owner's terms. Smoking anywhere indoors ends the booking, and fireworks are not allowed because of the neighbouring farms.
- The house is not let to under 18s, and stag and hen bookings are not taken.
- Booking takes a non-refundable 25 per cent deposit, the balance is due eight weeks before arrival, and a refundable £150 good housekeeping deposit is returned within 48 hours of departure.
- Rates run by season, most recently £175 a night in winter up to £215 in June, July, and August, with 20 per cent off seven nights and 10 per cent off three midweek nights.
- Wifi is offered subject to technical availability, a fair caveat for a house on a generator in a forestry reserve.
Features
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Free parking
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Hair dryer
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Heating
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Indoor fireplace
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TV
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King bed
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Wifi
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Kitchen
Where it puts you
Jedburgh is the town you shop in and the one most people come here for. Jedburgh Abbey stands in the middle of it, an Augustinian house founded by David I in 1138 and knocked about by four centuries of border warfare, with a nave that still rises into open arches and riverside walking a few steps away.
Past that, the Scottish Borders is a region people drive through more often than they stop in, which is the argument for a base in it. Hermitage and Smailholm, two of the towers in our guide to Scotland's hidden castles, are Borders keeps rather than Highland ones. The owners say the cottage is reached easily by car from Edinburgh and the Lothians to the north, and from Northumberland and Newcastle to the south.
The Scottish Borders
Abbeys, mill towns, and the hill roads between them, and what to do with a week of it.
Cycling routes in the Borders
Coast to uplands, with the routes graded and the starting points named.
Frequently asked questions
Is the cottage really off grid?
Yes, for water and power. The spring supply is cleaned through a UV filter, and electricity comes from a battery bank backed by a diesel generator. Heating is oil fired and hot water is on demand.
Can we bring a dog?
No. The owner's terms say no pets, and the website says it twice.
What time can we arrive?
Tenancies normally start at 3pm unless the owner agrees otherwise, and the cottage has to be clear by 11am on the day you leave.
Is there a wood burner?
There are two, one in the kitchen and one in the living room, either side of the original chimney.
Is there anything for children?
A treehouse, a flying fox, a climbing frame, and a hammock, with room for badminton and pétanque. Board games and toys are kept indoors.
What does it cost?
The rate is seasonal, and most recently ran from £175 a night between January and March to £215 in June, July, and August, before discounts.
Is there wifi?
Yes, high-speed wifi and a smart TV, though the terms note the internet is subject to technical availability.
How much deposit is taken?
25 per cent on booking, non-refundable, with the balance due eight weeks before arrival. A further £150 good housekeeping deposit is returned within 48 hours of departure.
Important
*Make it Scotland provides general information and aims to be as up to date as possible. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information or pricing provided.
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