Kilconquhar Castle Estate

The place is a comfortable timeshare resort and hotel, though it isn't elegant. The cottages date from the 1980s and feel very dated, but they've been kept in good condition. There's plenty of open space. The on-site shop has drinks and snacks; for groceries, the nearest store is 25 minutes away, while a great farm market is about 10 minutes away.

I've owned two timeshares on the Estate for over 18 years, and it's extremely well run. The grounds are impressive, the staff are friendly and helpful, and all the villas are clean. The newer ones are very high spec, while the older ones aren't quite as much so. There's a leisure centre with a pool, gym and sauna, and the restaurant serves good food, especially breakfast. The Estate welcomes dogs, and the surrounding area is lovely to explore, with lots of small fishing villages and beaches. St Andrews is only a 20 min drive away. I'd highly recommend staying here.

The murder mystery itself was a success, with an entertaining, engaging plot and acting team. After that, the evening went downhill. The staff member lighting the fire on arrival might have made the hall cosy, but it gave off hardly any heat, and with both doors open at opposite ends we were freezing all evening. The food was extremely disappointing, especially the mains. My chicken and haggis wellington had such a thin, soggy white pastry layer it looked like chicken skin. Underneath, I found one small Brussels sprout. There were only two between our group of six, I was told, and I also got four and a half peas while nobody else had any. The only vegetable besides potato on the other plates was a single carrot. We later found out some luckier people had parsnips too. Dessert wasn't better: the chocolate tart was gloopy and almost inedible, with no chantilly cream despite the menu; the creme brullee hadn't really been fired on top, and the shortbread was disgusting. Such a lovely venue and performance, but the rest was extremely poor.

So quiet and peaceful here, and the staff were really friendly. I loved seeing all the bunnies running around the estate.