We really enjoyed our stay in the cosy and very comfortable cottage with all the amenities we needed. The surrounding area was great to explore and included an excellent short walk recommended by Mark which started from the cottage.

We spent 5 days at Penkiln cottage over New Year. The cottage was very welcoming - even had a Xmas tree and decorations and we were greeted with tea, milk, biscuits and delicious home made jam!
We took our children, aged 9 and 12 and 2 border terriers and they all loved the countryside walks. We know the area well as we have family there but there was lots of information for visitors who had not been to Dumfries and Galloway before.
We would definitely return and would recommend the cottage to anyone looking for a holiday in the area.

We had an excellent stay at Penkiln Cottage. We found it to be in a lovely, tranquil area. A great base to enjoy all the surrounding areas have to offer.
On our arrival, Mark and Diane were wonderful hosts and showed us around the property (which was spotlessly clean!). The cottage has everything you would need and we really enjoyed the goodies that Diane had left for us. Plus a God send not having wifi - time to relax!
Overall we had a very comfortable stay and hope to return!

My husband and myself stayed at Penkiln cottage for 3 nights 7th-10th November 2015. We arrived to be greeted by Mark and Diane,we where showed round the cottage by Mark who was a wonderful host. Inside the cottage beautifully presented,fresh flowers on the table,milk in the fridge, Diane's homemade plum jam and shortbread biscuits went down a treat. The cottage was spotlessly clean, warm and well equipped, we both found Penkiln Cottage lovely and quiet and enjoyed good nights sleep in a warm comfy bed.Only regret we should of booked for a longer stay we will defiantly go back.

This cottage is presented with a well equipped kitchen and tasteful decor. It was immaculately clean on arrival and the basket of goodies and milk in the fridge was very much appreciated after a long sit on the M6. The surrounding scenery is beautiful and although it feels remote, the town is just a few minutes away.
As a family with children aged 10-15 the lack of Wi-Fi was a blessed relief and there are plenty of games in the cupboard to keep everyone occupied. There is also a comprehensive selection of books in the property including some on the local area.
The one drawback for us was the futon in the living room. The mattress was a little hard for our 14 year old son but on the plus side for him the size of the room meant he didn't need to put the bed away each day!
This place suited our need for a base from which to visit relatives in Newton Stewart. Mark and Diane have clearly drawn on their own experience of holiday stays to provide an appealing, comfortable and well equipped holiday let themselves.

Last minute break booked at Penkiln for 3 nights during October half term.
Plus points:friendly host, spotlessly clean, good quality bed linen, towels, furniture and soft furnishings, great location with lovely walks from doorstep, wildlife spotting, Barbara the pig!, milk, fresh flowers and homemade jam on arrival, fantastic dark skies at night for star gazing and shooting star spotting and ample outside space to use eg outdoor furniture at both back and front of property, well stocked kitchen with assortment of pots, pans, bowls, glasses etc, great size Living room with comfy sofas and chairs ( kids loved the rocking chair)

negatives: difficult to find. no directions to property sent prior to departure. Not clearly sign posted at all . Only sign for farm is quite obscure and easily missed. Wouldn't like to arrive in the dark!
Cottage was freezing cold when we arrived and took a while to heat up . It would be good to have heating on prior to guests' arrival . Likewise the heating is either on or off. Told not to use timer therefore as a result had to leave on overnight ( never do this at home) so it would be warm for getting up in morning however it then became too hot during the night. Likewise, as instructed, switched off when we were out during the day, but then house was cold again when we arrived back in the evening. Having it on a timer for a few hours in the morning and then again in the evening would prevent this and may also be more cost effective as i'm sure not all guests switch it off when they go out for the day?
the great sized Living room made it slightly problematic to have cosy, family time watching TV as the TV is nowhere near adequate in size or quality for the size of the room. It is so small that you almost have to be sitting on top of it to see the screen clearly ( tricky when there are 4 of you trying to watch it!). Due to small size the sound had to be turned up pretty high to hear from opposite side of room but the sound then became distorted... No movie nights for us while on holiday...
We couldn't even substitute the poor quality TV by streaming a movie from the internet as there is no Internet... Very surprised by this as nowadays Wifi in properties is as common as a washing machine. Despite the fact we are not a gadget family ie time spent on devices at home is limited it is nice when on holiday to be able to relax, do a bit of browsing of the local area and things to see and do while actually there while at the same time the kids can relax on their tablets etc
Finally , and the most disappointing aspect for us, were the extremely uncomfortable beds. The master double was so lumpy, with springs easily felt, that we had to put the futon mattress from the living room on top of it to provide us with a decent night's sleep. likewise the bottom single bunk bed mattress was also the same and we had to improvise by putting three folded up bed throes ( found in the wardrobes) on top of the mattress to provide one of our kids with a decent nights sleep.
A great cottage in a fab location that with some new mattresses, Wifi and a decent size TV could be superb.