Can a staycation beat a vacation?

We’re back from our 10th wedding anniversary staycation in Scotland. Ten years! It feels like only yesterday when we tied the knot and promised to love, honour and obey. Well, ok perhaps I’m exaggerating, but definitely the day before.

We stayed at one of the fabulous Loch Lomond Luxury Lodges just 10 minutes drive from the Loch and 5 minutes from the villages of Dryman and Croftamie. I fell madly in love with our lodge from the moment we walked through the door – it was gorgeous!

There was only the four of us but it actually sleeps a maximum of nine adults if you use the sofa beds. The ground floor has two spacious bedrooms, one’s a twin and the other’s a double with a kingsize bed and plenty of room to put up Little Man’s cot. The downstairs bathroom has a deep bath and a huge separate shower. The open plan lounge, dining area and kitchen had free WIFI (although it was a tad intermittent), a 42” plasma television, FREESAT and a DVD player and has French doors that lead onto a decked patio area with, get this; a big hot tub complete with fairy lights to look up at, Wheeeee!!

There was also a charcoal BBQ and large garden area that we shared with the other three lodges (they’re spaced apart so you get plenty of privacy) complete with a play area with swings, wooden climbing frame and slide and a small wood that was perfect for hide-and-seek. The whole deck area around the lodge was covered – which meant we could use the garden furniture, BBQ and hot tub whatever the weather (glad we brought our fleeces). The kitchen was impressive and literally had all mod cons including a dishwasher, large fridge freezer, separate washing machine and tumble dryer – as well as Denby crockery and crystal glasses! This was MY kind of holiday home, oh yes.

Ok so at this point you’re thinking ‘I bet all this didn’t come cheap’ and to be fair you’d be right. At over £1200 for a week we could have flown somewhere hot and stayed in a lovely hotel. But you know what? I LOVE that we chose to stay in the UK for this holiday. At our lodge EVERYTHING was included in the price – WIFI, electricity and heating, bedlinen, fluffy towels, hot tub towels, bathrobes, books, CDs and a selection of DVDs, a welcome pack with wine chocolate and biscuits and all the basics you don’t want to have to bring on holiday with you – toilet rolls, cloths, tea towels, dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, foil, salt, pepper, cooking oil etc etc.The master bedroom on the first floor had a kingsize bed, ensuite shower room and a second lounge with one double and one single sofa bed, a television, DVD player, stereo, private balcony and… a Scandinavian sauna!!

PLUS Scotland is an absolutely beautiful country, people here are so friendly, we speak the language, there’s loads to do and explore and while the weather isn’t hot and sunny all the time as long as you’re prepared there’s nothing to stop you having a great time.

There’s plenty of information about local activities on the Visit Scotland website and I used this to plan a few day trips before we arrived. While it was a bit disappointing that we were too late in the season to go to any of the Highland Games (I really fancied my hand at tossing the caber) we did spend a happy afternoon at Stirling Castle where Curly Girl explored every nook and cranny, met Queen Mary and learned how to use a sword (yes of course we came home with one, it’s obligatory isn’t it?).

Loch Lomond was just 10 minutes drive away and we spent two half days walking the Millenium trial and climbing Conic Hill with Little Man firmly strapped to my front or back in the still fabulous Ergo baby carrier.

We had a very interesting and somewhat boozy morning at the small and quite exclusive Glengoyne distillary. But the least said about that, the better I think.

All in all we loved our UK staycation and I’m already thinking about planning our next trip to the Lochs.

What’s your favourite UK staycation destination?