Frugal Breaks in Scotland

Well, here’s what I have been doing during my somewhat lengthy absence from frugal blogging – taking the next step in providing our frugal friends, families and fellow money-saving challengers the opportunity to sample Frugaldom life for themselves.

Escape to the country and enjoy a frugal holiday.

Get back to nature in the Scottish countryside with a short break to sample rural living at a price you can afford. Try our budget self-catering accommodation in a holiday caravan at Three Lochs in the beautiful Dumfries and Galloway region of southwest Scotland. Relax and unwind, bring your walking boots, swimming costume, fishing rods and/or golf clubs and avail yourself of some Scottish hospitality, safe in the knowledge that your Frugal Break won't break the bank!

Followers of Frugaldom (Facebook, Twitter, Website, Forums or Blog) will know that our main aim is to make a good life affordable to all and that should include a break from the norm. Our answer to this is to give you the opportunity to find out about Frugaldom for yourself, right here next to the project.

We are now offering this comfortable, 3-bedroom static caravan, which is fully equipped with all the basics you will need for sampling our frugal lifestyle, for short breaks and frugal holidays. For added luxury, the following are all available FREE to our guests:

• WiFi
• Satellite television (free channels only)
• DVD player
• Indoor heated swimming pool
• 9-hole golf course
• Fishing loch
• Nature walks
• Squirrel hide
• Wet weather family games supplied (cards, board games, dominoes etc.)

We enjoy an elevated position here with views of nearby Loch Heron and the surrounding countryside and wildlife. There is easy access parking by the caravans and you are guaranteed to have frugal neighbours who can show you the sites and give you a tour of Frugaldom, which is less than a mile's walk, cycle or drive from the holiday park. (For the more adventurous, there are tent pitches available.)

The caravan is accessed by 4 steps leading up onto the 40' wooden decking, which provides adequate outdoor seating for enjoying lazy afternoons and evenings in the sunshine. A container garden provides fresh herbs for cooking and freshly picked sweet gale, grown nearby at the Frugaldom project, helps deter our Scottish midges. The location is adjacent to a small woodland where we have our bird feeding stations, which can be viewed from the caravans.

The open plan kitchen is fully equipped with gas cooker, microwave, toaster, fridge freezer, electric kettle and slow cooker plus everything you need for an enjoyable self catering holiday. There is a small shop on site for any additional items you may need, but we can include basics like tea, coffee and sugar.

The main living and dining areas are spacious, light and comfortable with adequate seating for friends and family. The caravan has 1 double room, one twin room, one single room with space for travel cot, which can be provided, and a foldaway double bed in the living room.

Bring your camera to catch a shot of the resident woodpeckers or watch for the red squirrels. The area has an abundance of wildlife and a good population of owls. If you are lucky you may spot a red kite or white tailed sea eagle soaring overhead between here and Frugaldom.

Prices start from £50 per night plus £5 per person for linen pack. You can, of course, choose to bring your own bedding and towels to save a few pounds extra.

We accept PayPal and all bookings must be paid in full a minimum of one week prior to arrival. Optional extras are available, like grocery packs and outdoor activities such as pony trekking, bike hire, air rifle shooting, archery, clay pigeon shooting, boat hire and fly fishing.

There is a small shop and laundry facilities on site, plus the indoor heated swimming pool, children's activity play area, BBQ hut and small skate park for use by residents and holiday makers. A woodland walk takes you around Loch Heron.

We should be able to start taking bookings from next week and I have already made a start on putting together a few photos and details for the webpage, which can be found at www.frugalbreaks.co.uk

NB: Frugal Breaks will offer booking concessions to 'Friends of Frugaldom' for any crafting, artwork, fitness, equestrian, tree planting, wild food foraging or other outdoor workshops we may organise.

Published by NYK Media as part of the Frugal Blog – helping make the good things in life affordable.