Our Summer Holiday Plans | Rumbling Bridge

 

This week, we have cancelled holiday number 7645. We were set to stay in a log cabin with a hot tub in Kielder over a weekend in January but alas, the Government/COVID has other plans. Our Kielder trip cost £575 so I spent some time on Boxing Day trying to find a summer holiday break of a similar value with the idea being, we just use the refund money to book so it doesn't actually cost us anything extra. 

Personally, I am not booking any foreign travel for the next 6 months or so. I just can't deal with the expense and stress of it all. I also feel like UK staycations are going to be super popular this summer and I imagine prices will increase (for some) and demand will be high which is why I have booked early. We may need to cancel or postpone but we have a good cancellation policy so I am ok with this. It feels pretty normal to expect this now. 

I weighed up a few options: 

Kielder - I could have rebooked Kielder but as our Summer holiday falls in school holidays, the price doubled to £1095 for 4 nights in July which is more than I wanted to pay. Plus I really want to visit Kielder in the Winter again as I love sitting in a hot tub under the dark skies. We will save this trip for another year. 

Wales - We did have a trip planned to Snowdonia in August 2019 which sadly had to be cancelled (you can read about our plans here). I do still really want to visit but for this trip, Wales just feels a little too far. I lost a little bit of money when cancelling this trip which has made me a little reluctant to re-book when things are so uncertain. 

Glamping in the Lakes - We absolutely love Ready Camp and a Monday-Friday break in Windermere in the summer holidays would set us back just £395 which is a steal. There are a few places I want to visit in the lakes but ultimately, I decided visiting in peak Summer holidays probably wasn't the best idea as the lakes get super busy and trying to find parking spaces etc.... stresses me out at the best of times. I would rather save this trip for an off-peak weekend. 

Scotland - We love visiting Scotland and have so much more of the area we want to explore. It is just a few hours drive for us but as it is another country, it is far enough to feel like a proper change of scenery. We were going to visit the Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel in 2019 and again, I lost money on a hotel booking when we had to cancel this trip and I have wanted to visit Blair Drummond Safari Park in forever. In the end, we decided to go with Scotland. 

Where we are staying 

I have booked this chalet in Rumbling Bridge, Central Scotland through AirBnB ( click here to get up to £50 off your first AirBnB booking with my referral link). The chalet is just under 3 hours away and the cost was £640 Monday-Friday in the school summer holidays which I thought was a brilliant price point. We paid half now and will pay the other half just before our trip. Here is why I was drawn to this property: 

• Excellent reviews and a SuperHost 
• Good cancellation policy - we can cancel and receive a full refund up to 14 nights before or cancel up to the day and receive a 50% refund
• The chalet has 4 bedrooms which is a real luxury for us as the boys share a bedroom at home. They will be over the moon and having their own space will provide a proper break for them
• There is a games room with table tennis/a place for the kids to chill, large grounds and gardens, WiFi, a wood-burning stove, two bathrooms, decent kitchen.....everything we need and more
• The location is rural but we are within a few miles of farms shops, butchers, bakers, shops and pubs and it is very well located for exploring Scotland and the places we wish to visit. 
• Red squirrels visit the garden 

What to do in the area

There are lots of cute little places for local food and shopping within a few miles, including: 

• Powmill Milk Bar 
• The Green Village Refillery 
• Muircot Farm Shop
• Dollar's Deli
• Bayne's the Family Bakers

Plus a handful of cute country pubs, cafes and restaurants too. It seems to be an area where there are lots more independent shops and restaurants over big chains which is something I always look for when booking a holiday. 


Walks in the area 

If by the summer, attractions are still closed, there are lots of walks and outdoor space to enjoy. Including: 

• Rumbling Bridge itself is a small village built on both sides of a gorge which looks like a nice place for a little stroll 
• The Japanese Gardens at Cowden look lovely
• Loch Leven is a 15 minute drive away and looks like a lovely place for a walk, you can catch a boat to Lochleven Castle on the island too. 
• Lomond Hills Country Park isn't too far away
• Gartmorn Dam Country Park (with Dam Good Coffee)
  

There are lots of little lochs and country parks in the immediate area, the above are just a few examples.

Day trips within 20 miles 

I hope to visit all of the places on the list below if restrictions allow. Fingers crossed! 

• Blair Drummond Safari Park  - I have heard good things about here. There is a drive-thru safari, walk through safari and dinosaur experience too. 
• The Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel
• Stirling Castle looks fantastic and will definitely be on our list. 
• Culross is a quaint historic village which feels like you are stepping back in time. I can't wait to visit. The palace here is free to visit for NT members too. 

Further afield 

Glasgow and Edinburgh are both only a 45 minute drive from Rumbling Bridge so are options if we fancy a day in the city. I guess it will depend on what is open at the time. I have visited Glasgow a few times and always wanted to take the kids so one option is to add a city break here onto the end of our trip. I will decide nearer the time if we fancy doing this though. Loch Lomond is also within 30 mins - 1 hour drive so we do have lots of options available. 

Scott's View 

I have wanted to visit Scott's View for ages and hope to stop off here en-route or on the way back. The views are said to be incredible. 

I know these plans may be cancelled but for now, I feel confident at least part of the trip and some of the things mentioned will be able to go ahead this summer. It feels nice to have something in the diary. If it does need to be cancelled, it won't be the end of the world and we won't lose any money but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. 

Have you made any plans for summer yet? 

If you fancy this trip at a later date, pin this post below to save it for a future date....