Just returned from a 5 night stay at Walston Mansion Farmhouse. It is run by Margaret and Norman, a hard-working couple in their 70s (hard to believe, when you see Margaret's get-up-and-go).

We were welcomed with a steaming pot of tea and coffee and a plate of home-baking in front of the roaring coal fire in the sitting room. The bed was comfy and the room was clean and cosy. Breakfasts were huge, delicious and served with a smile! We took the evening meal on 2 of the nights and it was delicious - all freshly cooked and at amazingly reasonable prices.

At breakfast on Easter Sunday, all the guests were presented with an Easter egg and the farmhouse was suitably decorated with chicks and eggs!

On arrival home last night Margaret had sent us an e-mail hoping we had travelled safely......

If you are looking for a bland, impersonal hotel room, don't go to Walston Manor Farmhouse - this is all about homely, friendly Scottish hospitality. Oh, and I forgot to mention, that of course the area is beautiful and well situated for visiting the Borders and Edinburgh.

We have now stayed at Walston Mansion Farmhouse which is set in beautiful surroundings, 3 times and we have certainly not been disappointed. It is a very old farmhouse and it it true to say that the standards of furnishing etc is not what you would find in a 'cookie cutter' hotel but the owner can't do enough to care for the guests and does this all for absolute rock bottom prices. We have always enjoyed the breakfasts ( eggs are collected daily from their own free range hens). The 4 course dinners are amazing for an extremely low price and are home cooked using fresh ingredients. We could smell the bread baking when we first arrived on our latest visit, and this was served with homemade soup, followed by stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon and then homemade apple sponge with custard and cheese and biscuits to follow. Huge pot of freshly brewed coffee served in the lounge where a log fire is kept burning all evening. The owner will even offer a second pot if you stay up later and doesn't charge. She is amazing... what more could you want for the money she charges? Kettles, tea, coffee, biscuits etc are kept in a sitting area on the landing... we just took a kettle, 2 mugs with tea bags and asked the owner for a jug of milk and took all into the room ready for a morning drink but perhaps the previous reviewer was also expecting room service Get real.....I am a very frequent business traveller and stay in some great hotels but for a holiday break or a long stay for work , this very homely B & B gives both excellent hospitality and the best value for money that I have ever found !

Terrible B&B the worst - it really spoilt our holiday. Room was dirty and worn looking, the breakfast always tasted stale, the tea and coffee making facilites are kept in the communical landing so you have to walk back and forth to make drinks (every time we brought one of the kettles into our room the owner would remove it) Also had really bad problems with our water - basically no hot water and the shower had no power. Dont stay here it really spoilt our holiday.

Stayed at this guesthouse for one night, but found it a major disappointment. The four-poster bed and ceiling had cobwebs, and the whole room looked grubby and tatty. The en-suite was dirty and we had to clean the wash-hand basin before using - didn't even attempt to have a shower! The toilet is fitted with a macerator which is extremely noisy, especially during the night. The beds themselves did seem to be OK, but I would not have wanted to stay another night. In the morning, we had our breakfast then returned to our room, only to find the water had been turned off as a plumber was working in another part of the establishment - no warning given. The guesthouse is in a remote location which is badly signposted, and transport is required to travel the several miles to the nearest village/town for an evening meal.