Ingonish Vacation Rental house

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Millbrook Cottage. Located on Ingonish Harbor, this very private home is right off the Rt. 312 (Cabot Trail) and minutes from the entrance to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. I shot a number of photos of the interior space which can be viewed on Flickr with a search for the user name bobw235.

The property was everything we were hoping for. It was spotless, comfortable, convenient, private and offered a beautiful (if somewhat obstructed) view of the harbor. The owner should prune back the trees off the front deck to improve the overall view of the harbor, but it doesn't detract from experience at all.

The inside of the home is beautifully furnished with local artwork. We were both very impressed with the finished woodwork interior and the wall of windows that face the harbor. Whoever designed the interior has a great eye for color and decoration.

Our rental was handled well via email. Jean met us at the home when we arrived, and took us on a tour of the house. She was very friendly and did a good job explaining things like how to use the satellite/TV system. We appreciated the advice about obtaining groceries in Baddeck (a cooler and freeze packs are helpful) before arriving at the cottage, as the local options for food shopping are a bit limited.

We took advantage of the wireless internet capability while there and it worked well.

A note for those that might be renting in warmer weather. The abundance of windows in front lets in a lot of sunlight and the living area can get quite warm. There is a ceiling fan overhead and the windows open to provide a good breeze, but in hot weather it may be uncomfortable if you're sensitive to higher temps. The master bedroom has an A/C which we did not use. The downstairs area is quite cool, containing two bedrooms and a full bath.

One suggestion we would make for the owner would be to install some form of interior shade in the master bedroom upper windows. Not for privacy (as they're very high up, and beautiful to look at) but to darken the room in the morning. Although the windows face to the west, it was quite bright in the room early in the morning.

The location of the property was quite convenient to the national park and all the wonders it holds. We would highly recommend the nearby Mainstreet Cafe and Bakery. Delicious food, especially the baked desserts.

Great overall experience!