A high quality holiday park in the Lakes For our weekend in Cumbria, we stayed in a luxury static caravan at the award-winning Silverdale Holiday Park. Just off the M6, with views of Morecambe Bay, Silverdale makes for an excellent weekend break or stopping off point on a long trip south. You can pitch your own tent or caravan or rent a static caravan or camping pod. Silverdale Holiday Park is very family-focused, with secure entry, a large swimming pool (plus toddler pool and a sauna), an all-day family-friendly restaurant…
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Harvest Moon Holidays, East Lothian
A deserted beach, fresh air and no screens! One balmy evening, last September, we stood atop a sand dune on the ‘Forth Riviera’ looking down at a white sandy mile-long beach and saw not one single person. It was hard to believe we were just a thirty minute drive east of Edinburgh. As we admired the stunning views of the Forth estuary and the Bass Rock, the kids bombed down the sand dune on the sledges they’d just borrowed from the ‘glamp site’.
Read MoreAnd Granny comes too. How to handle a three generation holiday!
In these difficult economic times, there is a growing trend for families to take their holidays all together: grandparents, parents and grandchildren. It makes perfect sense. Share the costs with people you know and trust, bring your family closer together and create happy long lasting memories – especially for young children. Ideal some would say, but be aware there can be pitfalls…
Read MoreTop 10 Tips for Holidaying with Friends
Secrets to a happy holiday with friends There are many benefits to holidaying with friends such as shared costs, larger properties, friends on tap for the kids, joint childcare opportunities and a guaranteed social life. But there are many potential pitfalls too which could affect your friendship and even your marriage…
Read MoreTop 10 Tips for Surviving Airports with Kids
Young children and airports – not always a happy combination. Of course, there’s nothing in the world quite like being met off a flight by your kids but travelling with them, well, that can be… stressful. Airports are just inherently exciting to kids of all ages, the plane landings, the take-offs, the general buzz and activity, the uniforms, all those nooks and crannies, the cool shops and the ride-on luggage trollies, screens to see, buttons to push. Then, all we ask them to do in this purpose-built adventure land is to stand…
Read MoreTop 10 Tips for Long Car Journeys with Kids.
Are we nearly there yet? In the last 5 years my family has undertaken three epic family road trips around Europe (from Scotland to Portugal, and from Scotland to Croatia twice). 1) Treat the car journey as the start of your holiday. The key to a successful long car journey with kids is to think of it as the start of your holiday and make sure you all enjoy it. This is a chance to spend family time together, to talk, to share each other’s time, ideas, music etc. (Our book, the Family…
Read MoreUninvited Lunch Guest
“There’s a snake up there Daddy!” No one even bothered looking up. Sam, 8, had been attention-seeking all day…
Read MoreTaychreggan, Oban
Stunning lochside country hotel on the banks of Loch Awe Perhaps best visited without the kids…..but children are very welcome! This hotel is a former winner of “Most Romantic Hotel”, Taychreggan Hotel is a stunning haven of peace nestling in its own bay on the shores of glorious Loch Awe. The hotel lies at the end of a seven mile single track lane where you find yourself pausing to give way to fearless Red Deer in no hurry to get where they’re going. Then, as you order your glass of wine…
Read MoreCenter Parcs, Whinfell Forest
Centre Parcs Whinfell Forest is not cheap but overall it’s good value for money. There is simply so much to do for the kids and for families to do together while still remaining relaxed. You never feel like you’re just ferrying the kids from activity to activity.You can join in with many sessions like football or rock climbing or tennis or drop them off for a lesson or one of the kids activities clubs and spend the afternoon in the luxurious Spa. You can eat in or dine out, book…
Read MoreEcocamp, Glenshee
In May we spent two nights in pods the Ecocamp site in Glenshee near Blairgowrie in Perthshire. “A wooden tent” is how the owner describes his pods and you can’t argue. The pods are high enough to stand up in, they won’t blow away and have electric heating, lighting and a window with glorious views of the Glen and their three resident Llamas. It’s quite a special location to spend a few days with friends, dog walking, mountain biking, skiing etc.
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