A stay in one of the glamping pods at Craigend Farm offers lots of what’s great about Scotland – and yet it’s only half an hour from the English border. Here in the Scottish lowlands, you are surrounded by countryside that’s grazed by woolly sheep and coos (that’s Scots for cows, in case you don’t know). The pods here are named after them and located in a place that’s within easy reach of Scottish castles, coast and the casks of whisky distilleries. It’s also just a single mile outside Dumfries – a town with strong connections to both Robert the Bruce and the poet Robert Burns.
The glamping pods themselves provide a very comfortable, compact base from which to discover all this. Situated on a working farm with lovely views, each of the two pods offers self-contained, self-catering accommodation that’s big enough for a family of four but not too big for a couple. Each is a neat, shingled, curvy cabin with a glass front and a sheltered seating area outside. Inside, you have everything you need for a week or a weekend away. There’s a comfy king-sized double bed and two cute bunks for younger kids. There’s a dining table and comfy seating. And, as it’s hooked up with electricity and water, the kitchenette and shower room are just like what you’re used to at home – perhaps a little smaller – but maybe, just maybe, a little more stylish and contemporary too.
Although the dimensions are cute, this is glamping where you really don’t need to go without. Bedding and towels are provided and, for mod cons; there’s a TV, WiFi and underfloor heating. That’s in addition to all the kitchen kit you’ll need: toaster, kettle, hob, oven and fridge. If you want to cook, head to the outskirts of town to pick up Dumfries and Galloway produce from Kilnford Farm Shop – though you might find yourself tempted by their kitchen. Or distracted by the fine dining and whisky selection on offer at Robert Burns’ old haunt, The Globe Inn in Dumfries itself. And there’s plenty more to distract you in the wider area too from farm parks to forests, castles to the Galloway coast, just 20 minutes’ drive away.
