Bread Oven Cottage

11/04/2026

We are still here!

Sorry, it has been quite a while since we said hello on Facebook!

2025 was a very busy year, and 2026 isn't looking any quieter (which is great of course). A huge thank you to all those who have already stayed with us, some numerous times since we opened. And thank you too for all the fantastically positive and generous reviews! We appreciate your trust and will continue to do everything we can to ensure a stay in Bread Oven Cottage is memorable for all the right reasons!

Over and above general winter maintenance, we have made a few little changes for this year - all designed to improve the experience for our guests.

We have added a second sofa into the lounge area and an arm chair into the second bedroom downstairs. We have also replaced our very expensive AEG fridge freezer in the kitchen as some guests noticed it was making rather a lot of noise at times. Turns out the compressor was faulty and can't be replaced or fixed so the whole thing had to go to the dump - so much for saving the planet! Sincere apologies if you were affected by the problem. The replacement seems whisper quiet so is hopefully a big improvement🤞.

Our website is still at www.breadovencottage.co.uk where you can check live availability and book direct to ensure our most flexible and cheapest pricing. We still have some space this year although availability is now becoming more limited.

Hope to see you in 2026!

Andy & Sue

Online Bookable, Non Smoking Self Catering at Bread Oven Cottage in Smailholm by Kelso

21/12/2024

Christmas comes but once a year!

And it is time for us to wish everybody a very merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

Hope to see some of you in 2025.

Andy & Sue

23/11/2024

First snow of 2024. Nice & cosy inside though 🤗.

04/10/2024

Sadly, due to bereavement our existing booking for New Year has just had to be cancelled. Our best wishes and condolences to the family.

Due to the very understandable cancellation we now have renewed availability over this coming New Year. Check out www.breadovencottage.co.uk for available dates and pricing as soon as you can.

Hurry though, we only have one cottage and there is only one Hogmanay in the the lovely Scottish Borders in 2024! Don't miss out!

Hope to see you then!

Online Bookable, Non Smoking Self Catering at Bread Oven Cottage in Smailholm by Kelso

12/08/2024

It has been a good year so far. Lots of lovely guests again - and even some sunshine! We have a very few vacancies from now to Christmas but not many so if you are thinking of a trip to the Scottish Borders check our availability and book direct at www.breadovencottage.co.uk soon. 2025 availability is also now online for your convenience.

Renovations and improvements to the cottage have continued apace, most notably with installation of a new 7.4kw car charger available for guest use.

Hopefully it is now even more convenient for guests with electric vehicles to stay in Bread Oven Cottage. Just plug in when you settle in for the night and by morning your car will be as rested and recharged as you are - ready for another day exploring. Just bring a suitable cable for your vehicle with a type 2 connecter at the charger end and plug in. We only charge for the actual electricity used and payment is administered by Go Zero so it couldn't be simpler. If you need a fast charge there is also a big new commercial charging station located just 6miles away at Tweedbank.

Hope to see you soon😀

Online Bookable, Non Smoking Self Catering at Bread Oven Cottage in Smailholm by Kelso

20/06/2024

We are pleased (and very relieved) to confirm that Bread Oven Cottage has finally been granted a 3 year Short Term Let licence (SB-00324-F) by Scottish Borders Council. Our application was lodged in September 2023 and our shiney new licence was finally granted on 18th June 2024, expiring 18th June 2027.

Phew, now we can get back to providing the best accommodation, facilities and welcome we can to all of our guests whether new or returning.

Hope to see you all soon!

Andy & Sue

29/04/2024

We are very proud to announce our sponsorship of talented gardener Kate McClorey's entry in this year's .

Kate, the worthy 2023 winner of the event competition, is this year entering a garden themed around a medieval "physics garden" which will feature plants, a water feature, trellis screens and many other features - all brought together into a small but beautifully balanced exhibition garden.

You can follow progress at https://www.facebook.com/peter.fenton.7564 where Kate's husband is posting regular pictures and updates.

We wish Kate every success in the 2024 competition.

15/02/2024

First of all, we would like to thank all our lovely guests that have stayed or booked to stay, especially over the "quieter" months of November, December, January, February, March and April. We have never been so busy doing our best to ensure everybody has a relaxing and enjoyable break here in the Scottish Borders. We do still have a few dates available for short breaks if you fancy a few days away - but hurry, there isn't much availability left!

On a cautionery note, we have found ourselves appearing on few "opportunistic" websites without our consent or agreement. They seem to screen scrape our details and set themselves up offering to be a booking intermediary (often apparently taking payments and deposits without our knowledge!). We do have valued agreements with our friends at Cottages.com, Airbnb, VisitScotland, Google and a very few others but there seem to be some out there we do not recognise, can't contact and have not knowingly sanctioned. Just be careful out there!

The best way to book is always direct through our website at www.breadovencottage.co.uk . You can check our live availability, book the dates you need and securely pay your 10% deposit by Credit or Debit card, safe in the knowledge that you are dealing directly with your hosts at all times.

Looking forward to seeing some of you in 2024!

Andy & Sue

Online Bookable, Non Smoking Self Catering at Bread Oven Cottage in Smailholm by Kelso

24/12/2023

Another year, another Christmas greeting! A Merry Christmas to you all, especially those lovely guests who have stayed with us in 2023!

This year was "the year of the walls". We had two very old and rickety stone walls collapse in the garden, both of which we have rebuilt using the orignal stone and, as far as possible, traditional methods. We are certainly learning a lot by living in this lovely old building. We think the repaired/rebuilt walls are looking good and should now last another hundred years or so without too much intervention! We also took the opportunity to re-gravel the drive once the walls were completed so hopefully that is all the major external work done for a while now.

It has been a great year in Smailholm with more guests than ever choosing to enjoy our lovely Scottish Borders location. We hope you all have happy memories of your stay in Bread Oven Cottage and that we will see some of you again in 2024 and beyond.

Take care and enjoy your travels - wherever they may take you.

25/05/2023

Moving on from our "doggie disappointments" we have continued developing the cottage and welcoming our lovely guests from all over the world to Bread Oven Cottage. Some have visited for the first time, others we have known and welcomed repeatedly for many years!

Our major project for the next few weeks is to rebuild our inner garden wall. Like the rest of the property it has suffered from historical neglect and inappropriate "maintenance". Our highly skilled local craftsmen will be tearing it down and rebuilding it by hand, stone by stone, using traditional methods and the original stones so that it is fit to last another 300years. It is amazing to watch them work - we can't wait to share the end result with everybody.

2023 is a difficult year for everybody, world events and our politicians seem determined to conspire against us but we continue to offer a relaxing and confortable haven in which to forget the outside world and just enjoy some "me" time. Why not try it? It really will do you good!

We still have some short breaks and even a few weekly slots throught the remainder of the year. Pricing, further details and online availability and booking can be found at www.breadovencottage.co.uk . We are also now working with cottages.com and Airbnb to spread the good word - but direct booking is still the most flexible way to arrange your time with us in the Scottish Borders.

Come and see us soon. We will make you very welcome 😀

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23/04/2023

Sadly, in the past few months, we have experienced occurances of thoughtless behaviour, damage and abuse by some dog owners. As a result, reluctantly and with regret, we have taken the decision to cease accepting online bookings which include dogs and other pets with immediate effect.

We are very happy to honour all existing "pet friendly" bookings and will continue to offer a warm welcome to owners and pets alike.

We pride ourselves on ensuring that all of our guests enjoy the same very high standards of cleanliness and comfort on arrival. Unfortunately this is made so much more difficult when thoughtless humans, in contravention of our very few house rules, insist on leaving dogs unaccompanied in the cottage and/or allowing them onto furniture and beds.

It was a tiny minority of people that have forced this difficult decision upon us. Most of our past four legged guests have been lovely and have been accompanied by responsible owners who have kept their pets under control and who have left the cottage clean and tidy. To those we say a big thank you, you are welcome back anytime - just contact us direct to arrange a repeat booking.

To the few. we would just ask that before booking elsewhere, you consider the cost, time and stress involved in ensuring that the mess and damage you and your pets leave behind is rectified before the next guests arrive for their stay - perhaps just a few hours after your departure!