ormidalehouse.co.uk Reviews 32

I hired the entire estate in November 2025 for a gathering of 44 friends from across the world. We gather every 5 years or so to play music, chat , rebuild and make new friendships. The place was perfect with people in all the buildings having their own space but gathering in Ormidale every evening for food and to settle in the main living room in Ormidale House for music and other performances.
The group feedback has been unanimous in its delight at the setting of the place, the "home away from home" feeling and the sheer versatility of the living accommodation which allowed everyone to "do as they felt".
Ormidale House is old and and heavy rain exposed a blocked gutter but that was sorted in minutes by Norman.

It was brilliant and we are considering a re-book at some point. From start to finish it was a good experience and the fives sttars reflect the location, the service we received, the fulfillment of our expectations by the houses and for us all being reluctant to leave.

It is a charming house in a lovely part of the country, that exactly suited our large family gathering. Clearly once a splendid estate, it now has the quality of being well-lived in—much like the older but less splendid houses in our own families—and thus makes one feel at home without being intimidating. There is plenty of space, the bedrooms are comfortable, and the kitchen facilities are excellent.

I might just wish for a greater variety of walks in the neighborhood; it is fine if you have a car, but going anywhere on foot first involves a longish walk along a road.

Ormidale was just right for the big family party that we have just enjoyed - 27 of us aged from 6 to 85. As others have found, it is a comfortable old house, big and rambling, well enough equipped to cope with a multi-aged party, whatever the weather, but not so grand or full of treasures that one had to constantly worry about what damage lively young ones might be doing. Once we'd organized what was to go where, we found the kitchen fit for purpose and took it in turns to provide meals on a combination of the Aga and the modern electric cooker alongside. We had one delicious dinner and one breakfast provided by Michael, who couldn't have been more helpful, as were Norman and Pam, on hand to look after all our needs. The grounds are superb and, in the exceptionally fine weather, a constant delight, as of course was the hot tub. Rather to my surprise, both the football field and the main big lawn were in very good condition for lively games and no ankles were sprained or knees grazed. After an initial food order from the Coop in Dunoon, delivered the day we arrived, the shops in Tighnabruaich and Kames met our needs well. Plenty to do locally or further afield for people who want to explore. I'd just mention the wonderful afternoon we had at the sailing school beyond Kames, paddle boarding at low tide - they only have four boards but we supplemented with a couple of our own and took a two hour slot so that everyone had lots of turns.

We had a wonderful week for an extended family gathering and stayed in all three houses. There is so much space inside and out and the kids were on the football pitch or scrambling about in the stream virtually 24/7 and LOVED it. The houses are super comfy with giant TVs for rain and gorgeous outdoor tables for sundowners and the coast at Tighnabruaich - 15 minutes’drive away is stunning. I miss falling asleep to the owls hooting!

Our family (aged 1 to 70) had a great week in the Mill House at Ormidale. Don't expect luxury accomodation but it is welcoming and practical for large parties with comfortable beds and many thoughtful touches like games, jigsaws and a whole shed full of bikes to borrow. Estate managers Pam and Norman were welcoming and helpful even turning out for a minor issue at an unsocial hour. We found some excellent mountain biking in the forest straight from the door and there are lovely places in easy reach (Bute, Benmore gardens and the Cowal Way). If you are looking for somewhere to gather your extended family you will struggle to find somewhere that is better suited or better value than Ormidale. (And don't miss the hot tub...)

we had a wonderful time at my 80th birthday couldn't find a single fault i think we will be returning there for our family holidays thank you Norman and Pam for all your help

The house and grounds were fantastic. There were 20 of us staying to celebrate a big birthday and we had an amazing time. The website photos didn't do it justice as we were overwhelmed with the size and space. All ages were in our group and we all had a great time. It's a place that I definitely will return for any celebration as everything about it was magical. The estate managers Pam and Norman were so kind and helpful to us all.

The grounds of the estate were well good on the whole and between the three buildings of the estate there was enough space for our party which is why I have given two stars. However it is impossible to give the estate a higher rating because of a number of issues we had. Firstly there were two caretakers on the estate and although Pamela was pleasant and helpful, we found Norman difficult, rude and unhelpful. He clearly should not be dealing with people within the hospitality trade as didnt have a clue how to behave.
We had a number of problems with the estate that were dealt with but really should never had been there:
1) the water was brown and not fit for drinking. It would have been good to know about the problems before arriving and for water to be provided automatically for the first day at least
2) The games room (which was extremely small) was absolutely filthy and needed to be cleaned before we could use it
3) the trampoline on the grounds was rusting and unsafe with a couple of springs breaking off whilst we were there
4) The football field had not been mowed so was unusable for the first three days
5) the bikes available for use were not well maintained with most having soft tyres
6) Some of the tables outdoors had sharp unsafe nails or bits of wood on them
7) the cleanliness left a lot to be desired, mainly because there is so much rubbish in the buildings such as an inordinate number of cushions and ornaments, it would be impossible to keep clean
8) A lot of the windows in the bedrooms did not open which was unpleasant but also felt unsafe in case of fire
Lastly, John, the owner, was very unpleasant to deal with after we left and actually blackmailed us not to leave negative reviews in return for getting back the whole of our deposit!
I would advise anyone going to ormidale to take photos of everything when on arrival and departure so that your deposit payment is not falsely kept.
I cannot recommend this accommodation due to the reasons cited above, which is a shame as with a bit of care and attention it could live up to its website information. However we felt onine information was very misleading especially in regards to the pool that we were told before arrival was no longer in use but subsequently can see from other reviews was actually not in use at the time of booking, which should have been made clear.
A once in a lifetime holiday and occasion that was marred by the problems and the attitude of both Norman and John. Go with an alternative if you can find one.

A fabulous place for a terrific family get together. Over 40 of us were there and we all had a fabulous time. Spotlessly clean, full of character. Facilities brilliant. All you could possibly want and more.

It is a fantastic venue for large groups. The main house is absolutely amazing, even hosting a baby grand piano in the luxurious lounge. More room than you could ever need for socialising together. Fantastically stocked kitchen ( maybe could do with a new tin opener) but apart from that there was everything we needed. Lovely dining area and games room. Warm and cosy with comfortable beds and both towels and robes provided for us all. Great outdoor spaces with hot tubs, tennis court, fantastic gardens and beautiful walks. I’ve now been twice and would definitely 💯 return for any further family and friends get togethers. Highly recommend this venue 👍🥰

Fabulous place for a large group get together
Beautiful crisp white bedding and large fluffy towels
Fully stocked kitchen ,great friendly cosy atmosphere
Perfect get away we have been twice and will certainly go back

Absolutely fantastic property and location. Perfect for a family and friends weekend and host was very helpful and accommodating.
We were there for our 30th wedding anniversary and had previously visited for our 20th and everything was perfect.
Can't thank thee email enough for such a fabulous experience.

Well, another fantastic family and friends get together at Ormidale House! After an amazing visit for our 20th anniversary we returned for our 30th (unfortunately Covid scuppered our 25th). We hired all the houses and the price is incredibly reasonable, especially considering the number of guests that can be accommodated. Ormidale House itself is a fascinating, traditional, enormous family house which feels like a home from home. There are a maze of rooms to explore and enjoy, full of things to see and do (the piano and snooker room proved very popular). Downstairs is very family friendly with a mix of large reception rooms and quieter corners to suit everyone’s tastes. The rooms upstairs are stunning with antique furniture and huge comfy beds and ample bathrooms,
The Mill House and Old Barn are modern conversions which have been converted to a high standard and have plenty of space for sleeping, eating and entertaining inside and out. We used the large open space in the Mill House for our ‘get togethers’. It was used for a games afternoon, bingo, live music venue, flash mob dance and general merriment.
The quirky little Garden Cottage can be either a haven for teens or a quiet retreat for a family with little ones, it is well equipped and has a surprising number of beds!
All the kitchens are well equipped with cookers, fridges, dishwashers and everything else you’ll need.
Our guests raved about the comfortable beds and the quality of the bedlinen. We had plenty of towels and bathrobes in all the rooms.
We used all the hot tubs, played snooker, 5 a side footy and enjoyed boozy tennis in the rain (the court is a little skewiff but that just added to the hilarity). There’s loads of free space for walks and exploring around the property in the beautiful countryside

John who owns the properties was there to greet us along with Pam and Norman when we arrived. He explained that the water system had undergone a massive upgrade and passed all necessary testing, we had no issues with the water supply. The Old Barn was also looking lovely after a refurbishment.
Pam and Norman were great, there when you needed them but happy to let us get on with enjoying ourselves. We were respectful and caused no damage and had our deposit returned in full. Another absolutely fabulous time was had by all, we will be back!
A few handy hints…
there are lots of extra wee bunk rooms which the kids (and extra adults) will love, the capacity of the houses always amazes me!
take tin foil, binbags, cloths, scourers etc with you.
take Smidge for the midges
if you need something attended to, just ask Pam and Norman

Fabulous place to stay for a large group
Big house and 3 outhouses
All refurbed
Hot tubs a bonus
Bathrooms all new and showers great
Kitchens well stocked
Lots of social spaces
Fab quality bedding
Thank you

Was there with a family party of 21, on arrival we were greeted with a lovely couple (caretakers) who had a nice chat with us. Going over the house and surrounding area. Plenty of baths and showers for everyone, and all double rooms had a sink, to brush teeth or quick wash. With the party of 21, I thought there might be issues with hot water, everyone wanting shower at same time, but we never experienced any issues with water. Can’t fault it, lovely location, plenty indoor and outdoor to keep us all entertained.. definitely hope to be back sometime in future..

If you haven’t been already it’s a must.
My family and I are just back from a long weekend. It was a party of 21 we stayed in the Mill house and the small cottage.
The location is beautiful away from the hustle and bustle .
Within the grounds there is a games room that the children loved as well as a tennis court and a large grass field with football goals .We had a sports day it was fantastic.The mill house is so well equipped , 2 ovens 2 dishwashers 3 fridges plenty of glasses and crockery.
It was a fantastic experience the open plan living/dining room was great we all ate at one big table 21 of us .
Would definitely recommend and will definitely return

Had a wonderful weekend with family at ormindale. Stayed for the weekend for few big birthdays. There was more than enough space for us all and plenty of places to escape 😂. It is a bit dated but that adds to the wonderfulness of it. The staff were always happy to help with the many emails sent and done their best to let us check in early and any other queries we had. (Pam &john)
Would highly recommend to large groups and families. Everything you needed was there, the kitchen was well stocked with all appliances and also 3 huge fridges
Main negative. Midges. But that can not be helped in Scotland. And we were well advised about this which helped
Fab stay

Incredible house and gardens set in wonderful surroundings. The owners were very friendly and left us to it. We were a large group celebrating a friend’s birthday; the facilities wee perfect. I have no hesitation in recommending Ormidale House.

On the surface this property is beautiful and a lovely location, that’s what the 2 stars are for. However there were too many problems to raise the rating.
The water supply and system was not adequate, there was times without water and due to the supply system the water is undrinkable without boiling and was often dirty looking. This was not explained until we arrived, we had a 6 month old baby so not ideal. Due to the water issues we only had 2 showers that worked intermittently for the whole weekend
The swimming pool was out of use, even though the owner had said he would try to get this remedied for arrival. A lot of disappointed children, and on closer inspection of the pool it was clear it had not been in use for some time. The heating in the cottage is plug in radiators and if you are the individual relegated to the middle bed, this is outside the wet room with no window or heating. The service from the owners is mixed, on one hand extremely helpful, on the other hand, well let’s just say I would advise to take time stamped photos as you arrive, and leave, of everything.

Our group of 23 people stayed in the Old Barn and Mill house. There was ample space and we had a wonderful time. Firstly the properties are located in a breathe taking area and views getting there were awesome. The staff were excellent and the facilities great. The Sauna, Hot Tub, Cooking facilities etc... were top notch and the living space was fantastic to gather with friends play board game etc.... Couldn't recommend this place more. We are already planning are next visit!