Autumn in the Aire

Autumn is certainly in the air, with our park-up area looking a little sparse around the edges. The trees are casting their leaves in rustling showers and the colour palette of Frugaldom has become one of bronze, yellows, reds and golds. There is still a little bit of green to be seen but most of the flowers have gone.

The scarlet dogwoods add a splash of colour by the edge of the paddock and by the side of the drive so we will soon be cutting these back to replant those red stems elsewhere. Come along and help, if you can.

The willows have become wispy, waving in the wind and ready to be cut down for replanting elsewhere. Willows and dogwoods are fantastic for this very reason - harvesting their stems, or coppicing them, produces an abundance of new planting material every year.

The beech tree is turning golden and is currently the location of many bird visits as the goldcrests and other small birds pick at the bugs and buds. The hazel and oak trees are frequented by the jays who come to feast on the nuts and acorns.

The ground beneath the trees is carpeted in crispy leaves, often disturbed by scratching birds and snuggling badgers. You can tell the year is winding down, which means we need to step up the feeding to supplement the diets of all the creatures who live here. We now have regular badger buffets and tree picnics for the pine martens. The most fantastic thing about nature is that it surrounds us and can be enjoyed by all for free. Catching glimpses of badgers and pine martens or the occasional red squirrel is a gift to be enjoyed by all. Feed them and they will come.

If you would like to help us feed the animal inhabitants of Frugaldom then you can simply contribute a few pounds via PayPal to frugaldom@gmail.com 

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Badger's Holt

It has been just over a month since we reopened the yard to campervans and  motorhomes. Bay 1 has been introduced as Badger's Holt, the play on the word "Holt" (halt) appealing to my sense of humour. For anyone who doesn't know, a Holt is an area inhabited by badgers.

During our first month, we hosted 10 wildlife watchers with a 100% success rate on spotting badgers. A lucky few were able to spot the pine martens, regular visitors but much more wary and they don't feed near the badgers.

Over the coming months we will be offering many more opportunities for folks to come and experience Frugaldom for themselves. Plans are afoot to improve access to the huts and visitors will soon be able to make the most of those for wildlife watching. Priority, as ever, will always be given to our Friends of Frugaldom support group members but for we will be offering day and night use of the huts to our visitors, meaning you don't need a campervan or motorhome to enjoy a night of wildlife watching. Just pack a picnic and hunker down for the night in the cabins. £50 fee will apply, which includes parking and use of our basic facilities. You might like to bring peanuts, monkey nuts, fresh eggs and perhaps even some pure, unsweetened peanut butter, all favourites of the pine martens and badgers.

Welcome Back Campervan Friends

Certificate of Exemption issued by the all new Caledonian Touring Club. Huge thank you to Oliver for achieving success in his aims to create a new club. After his own campervan and motorhome site in Aberfeldy, Frugaldom became the second such site to be registered in Scotland. We are open to campervans and motorhomes up to 7.5m from Friday 1st August 2025 and can also welcome folks with small caravans. 

We invite you to book a visit for wildlife watching - £15 for 1 night, £25 for 2 nights and £75 for a full week. Maximum stay is 28 days. 

We provide supplementary feed for the wildlife but you are welcome to bring along fresh eggs, peanuts, monkey nuts, fat balls/blocks, suet blocks, suet pellets, wild bird seed or even peanut butter... All are favourites of the wildlife here.

Space is limited so we will host a maximum of 3 vehicles at any given time. We can accept prepaid bookings, meet-ups are encouraged and we will be hosting small rallies for wildlife and nature enthusiasts.

Frugaldom is off the beaten track, completely off-grid and provides nothing but space to enjoy your stay. Our yard is secure with relatively flat hardstanding for parking. Bay 1 is adjacent to a recently extended wildlife feeding station, which is partially lit by solar lighting at night, allowing watchers to spot pine marten, badgers and, no doubt, one or more if the projects feral cat residents.

Thi one has been named Caramel, the not-so-feral feral feline. She is often seen around the place with Minstrel, Sox or Macaroon.

Get in contact now to book your spot. Submerge yourself in nature within our micro wilderness surrounded by wildlife, over 60 ecoarts sculptures, ponies, goats, cats, birds and even the occasional lizard, adder or slow worm. The latter seldom venture into the yard but we do have designated basking areas they frequent, if you are lucky enough to spot them. 

The Ecoarts project is all about art in nature. Each creation is crafted in wildwood, driftwood or beach debris, making it more environmentally friendly as well as it becoming home to a miriad if insects and even nesting birds.

Frugaldom offers you a unique experience at a fraction of the cost of the more mainstream outdoir activities. Bring your cameras, trail cans, binoculars... You will certainly make memories while here.

Email frugaldom@gmail.com or message via any of our social media pages @frugaldom.

This Frugaldom Corner of Scotland

Rescued foals

In 2020, with the COVID lockdowns hanging heavy over all of us, we struggled along, devoid of volunteers, gainful employment (or self-employment) and with support at an all time low. Several friends lost their jobs, their businesses and their loved ones. Times were pretty grim. We had just taken in 5 emergency rehomings late 2019 - a Shetland pony, plus 4 colt foals that had been part of a large rescue operation in South Wales.

We survived 2020 and then into 2021. With the support of a few vanlifers and a planning exemption certificate from Dumfries & Galloway Council allowing us to charge £5 per night for visiting campervans and motorhomes, we made it through 2021, having rehomed the Shetland pony but gained a laminitic retiree. Estimated costs of keeping a pony here average £1,000 per year and £10,000 is a huge amount to pay out just on feed, bedding and hoofcare. We are lucky in that we have no rent, mortgage or other debts to service so as long as the animals are fed, we are fine. 

Yard parking

When the council exemption certificate ended, we decided to continue with our 'aire', the certification transferring to the organisation called 'MotorhomeFun'. We remain licensed for up to 5 campervans, only now it is through CAMpRA Rally. 

We remain at £5 per night for stopovers. We are still off-grid with no services other than a soakaway for waste tap water and a tank for emptying cassettes from portable toilets. We are still devoid of visitors, volunteers or supporters most of the time, despite being listed in many of the relevant sites, directories and mobile apps. This makes us a great hideaway for anyone travelling around our part of southwest Scotland. 

 

A holiday park or campsite is something we will never become but if you love wildlife and nature, plus ponies and the odd goat, you are welcome to stop in for a visit, park up, stay a night, a weekend, a week or a fortnight. Just remember that all you get for £5 per night is a safe place to park and a memory of Frugaldom. We recommend you bring peanuts, eggs and apples for the pine marten and badger clan. some dog food for the fox or cat food for the feral cats. Alternatively, you could bring carrots, apples, celery or bananas for the ponies and goat.

Frugaldom Fresh Aire, Nature and Wildlife

Feeding station

 

Here at Frugaldom, we have several feeding stations set out for the various wildlife that frequent the land. With over 12 acres of wilderness deicated to nature and wildlife, the project comprises grassland, woodland, orchard, wetland and the pony tracks where the sanctuary equines live. 

Campervan/Motorhome Bay 1

The yard has designated parking for three campervans or motorhomes (max. 7.5m)  Parking bay 1 is in the corner of our yard. It is edgd with hawthorn and dog roses and we do not keep a tidy garden - this is a wildlife haven so everything is kept as wild as possible.

Corner plot

Across the fence, there is a wildlife feeding station, made up of bird feeders, bird bath and a platform that the wildlife can go under or on top for feeding. It is a simple structure built from recycled pallets and old water pipe. The badgers often walk through the pipe and the pine marten can occasionally be seen on the platform if you leave him out an egg and some peanuts for his supper.

The Rearing Horses

In front of this parking space is the sculpture of two rearing horses, 'Balius and Xanthus', the immortals. As well as the mythical connection, they are in memory of the Galloways, a breed once common around these parts but bred into extinction in the development of the Thoroughbred racehorses of today.

The yard

The yard is fairly flat but not perfectly level. We are toally off-grid so no services are included in the £5 parking fee. Campervans and motorhomes must be fully self-contained with on-board toilet, water and waste containers. Frugaldom is about affordability, simplicity and getting back to nature so we expect our visitors to respect the property, the wildlife and the rules, of which there are a few. We are not a campsite but as long as you have everything you need and leave no trace, you are welcome to come along, park up and experience Frugaldom. 

Badger at feeding station

As a sanctuary and nature project, we do allow well-behaved pets but they must be on short leads and in for the night before wildlife surveillance begins. You are welcme to bring along your own trail cams and peanuts are always appreciated. Frugaldom is not for profit, we operate voluntarily. We have a Friends of Frugaldom support group you can join from as little as £5 per month, then visit us anytime you can.

Wildlife Watching at Frugaldom from your Campervan or Motorhome

When visiting Frugadom in your campervan or motorhome, you are likely to encounter some of the wildlife that we feed in the garden and orchard around the yard. Bay 1, a corner pitch, overlooks a wildlife feeding station so for any photographers, wildlife watchers or nature fans, feel free to bring along a rail cam and set it up ouside your van. I left a camera out there last night just to see what is visiting.

The badgers were active, snuffling around the feeding station for quite some time, rooting for peanuts that we always put out for them and the pine marten.

Frugaldom is also home to several feral cats that roam around after dark. We very seldom catch sight of them during daylight but we know thet are out there in the same way we know the badgers, pine marten and fox are out there - caught on camera. This is Macaroon, the black cat. She is often seen along with Socks, a tabby and white male. Most have ben neutered under the catch and release scheme so we shouldn't see kittens. 

The fox is here most nights and we think she is nursing cubs somewhere nearby. Unlike the badgers, who have already brought a baby along to Frugaldom, she hasn't ventured within camera range with any cubs, yet. It could be soon - it could be while you are here watching.

This is a photo we caught of one of the mother badgers bringing her cub into the paddock a couple of nights ago. We love supporting the wildlife here and will happily accept peanuts, complete dog food or cat food in lieu of payment for an overnight stop. Likewise, you are welcome to leave eggs for the pine marten as these are his favourite food of the moment.

The pine marten is a little more elusive but if you can't see him, you ofen hear him at the feeding platform in the big tree, where the clunk of the wooden lid of the feeder signifies he is there snacking on peanuts. Leave an egg and peanuts out for him on the platform next to bay 1 and chances are that he will pop by for a late supper.

We can comfortably accommodate three motorhomes or campervans up to an absolute maximum of 7.5m but you need to have your own toilet on board and bring water as we are completely off grid with no services other than our grey water waste soakaway and a toilet tank for emptying cassettes. We have rain water harvesting to a 1000 litre tank for rinsing but during dry weather, this can run out. At £5 per night for an overnight stay, it is still well and truly worth a visit to Frugaldom. Find us on Google maps, SearchforSites, Park4Night and What3Words///Photo.Regal.Fencing will bring you to our main gate. Just search for Frugaldom or better still, join us via our support group at www.ko-fi.com/Frugaldom then visit whenever you can.

See you soon!

Are There Any Aires in Scotland?

This page is dedicated to campervan and motorhome stopover providers within Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland licensed through CAMpRA Rally Group*.

ARE THERE ANY AIRES IN SCOTLAND?

Yes! At time of writing, there are 162 CAMpRA aires within the UK and around one third of those are in Scotland. Many have their own websites, are pinned on Google maps and/or have social media pages. Frugaldom blog is hosting a free list of some fabulously frugal aires that should be on every campervanner or motorhomer's list.

WHAT IS AN AIRE?

An aire is a simple stopover that can be used by campervans or motorhomes while travelling. These can be service points that offer fresh drinking water, electric hook-up and toilet emptying facilities in exchange for a nominal fee or, in some cases, a donation. Some aires simply provide a safe, secure and legal place to park. The 'no services' aires are handy stop off points and allow you to relax and rest for a day or two without the worry of being moved on, as long as you don't display any camping behaviour. No camping behaviour means no awnings, no BBQs or firepits and no setting out the sunloungers, chairs or picnic tables. Aires provide overnight parking, nothing more. Most expect you to arrive in daylight with everything onboard you require and leave no trace when you go. The usual price for these stopovers is around £5 per night, slightly more if there are services available. The 'CAMpRA' licensed aires are star rated with 3 stars meaning no services, 4 stars have waste facilities and 5 stars can mean electric hook-up is available. Prices vary accordingly but like I said, many are asking for only £5 per night. Aires, unlike many holiday parks and campsites, are open all year round. 

WHO OWNS AIRES?

Aire owners are just ordinary people who want to offer those travelling in campervans or motorhomes an inexpensive alternative to fully serviced campsites that stipulate a minimum stay. Aire owners set their own rules and prices, depending on the facilities available on site. Some will have grass pitches, some will have hardstanding or be based within enclosed yards, all will be for a maximim of 5 vehicles. If you arrive at an aire with 5 vans already parked, move on to the next available stopover site, don't risk losing the aire owner their licence.

FINDING AIRES (The demonstration links here lead to Frugaldom's aire)

Being rural, postcodes and SatNav can often take you the wrong direction. In the countryside, several miles of single track lane may link a number of farms, houses and businesses, all with the same postcode. There isn't always anyone around to ask directions and often mobile signal can be non-existent, so no option to call anyone. For this reason, we always recommend using What3Words or else check for pinned sites on Google Maps. Many sites and apps such as SearchforSites and Park4Night include coordinates for these overnight stops.

SCOTTISH AIRES

Naturally, I am going to begin with Frugaldom. Overnight parking is provided in the yard so you are fairly sheltered and secluded. The yard is all hardstanding and as level as we can afford to make it for now. Set within the centre of the sanctuary and surrounded by wildlife and wild bird feeding stations, this aire is completely off-grid. Arrival is by daylight only and we have quiet hours between 9pm and 9am. There is no electricity and no fresh running water but we do have grey water waste disposal and a tank for emptying chemical toilets. For use of these facilities, we ask £5. The overnight parking is by donation either by scanning the QR code that links to PayPal or by dropping a few pounds into the donations / honesty box. While here, allowing for weather conditions, you can see the sanctuary ponies, Vincent Van Goat and possibly the badgers, fox, pine marten, adders and various wild birds. We also have our  environmental art project, which now has over 50 sculptures dotted around the site, from wizards and green men to unicorns, woodland creatures and fairy folks. I like to think of Frugaldom as being one of the quirkiest aires you will visit.

AIRES IN UK

I am compiling a list of inexpensive aires for anyone to browse, save, share or take note of for future travels. Aires are the way to go if you are travelling in a campervan or motorhome and in some locations, such as Frugaldom, they are free for those prepared to trade their time volunteering in exchange for safe and secure park-up. This is the link to the list of aires in UK that is currently being developed.

Happy holidays, folks! Frugaldom is about finding affordable options. You are welcome to join us as Happy Hutters or Wildlife Watchers if campervanning isn't your thing. I'm not including camping as there are just too many places in Scotland where you can wildcamp for free. Please remember to observe Scotland's 'right to roam' Outdoor Access code sensibly and respectfully.

* CAMpRA UK Ltd is the Campaign for Real Aires in UK

Frugal Aire

An overnight stop at Frugaldom costs just £5 in a campervan or motorhome.

We can accommodate vehicles up to an absolute maximum 7.5m if you are fully self-contained.  Frugaldom is totally off-grid so no lighting, no electric hook-up, no showers, no running water, so don't arrive expecting campsite facilities. Nearby Balloch o'Dee may better suit your needs if you aren't used to the wilder side of getting away from it all. We simply offer a frugal alternative.

What we do have, however, are basic waste facilities for grey water and toilet cassette emptying, as long as you are using eco-friendly products.

Bay 1 overlooks a wildlife feeding station where you may catch a glimpse of a fox, badger or pine marten, as well as the wild birds that frequent the feeders.

Next are the rearing horses, representing the ancient Galloway breed that once roamed the nearby hills and became famous world wide before being bred out of existance. The Bald Galloway is one of the original descendants of almost all modern day Thoroughbred racehorses and many top performance horses. Now you know.

Bay 2 overlooks more of the wildlife garden that leads to this little area, home to the ghostly hooded rider. Another bird feeding station can be seen here, often visited by the resident woodpeckers, siskins and various other birds and wildlife.

Bay 3 is adjacent to our visitors'herb garden, from where anyone can help themselves.

Payment for stopovers can be made via PayPal to frugaldom@gmail.com or via the QR code but we also have honesty / donations boxes for those  who prefer to pay cash.

If you would like to support our project, which is run voluntarily as a sanctuary, you can do so here.

Thank you for taking the time to read these posts. Please share with friends and help us keep our animal sanctuary, art project and stopover aire open.

Who You Can Expect to Meet at Frugaldom

 

For anyone visiting Frugaldom, either in a campervan, motorhome or while staying in the wagon or huts, chances are that you will meet Vincent Van Goat, our assistant gardener.

Vincent was one of two goats we rescued from being barbecued. He was brought here along with his buddy, Goatis Redding. Sadly, Goatis had to be put to sleep just a few months ago. We are still seeking a suitable goat companion for Vincent. If anyone can help out with that, we will happily rehome one or two goats, either females or castrated males but they must be tagged. Frugaldom is a registered holding and Vincent has his walking licence.

There are hundreds of dog roses around Frugaldom, each one planted over the past few years. We have assorted colours of Rosa Ragusa as well as the common dog roses, Rosa Canina. Vincent doesn't mind which type he trims. The rosehips are collected for feeding to the ponies and wildlife and also for adding into cordials, syrups and hedgerow jelly. Foraging is actively encouraged here at Frualdom.

I must not forget the oxeye daisies. We have thousands of them here at Frugaldom. Vincent does enjoy eating the heads off a few of them but for anyone visiting, you are welcome to take some away with you for your own gardens. 

An overnight stop at Frugaldom costs just £5 in a campervan or motorhome. We can accommodate vehicles up to a maximum 7.5m and they need to be fully self-contained as we are totally off-grid with no electricity or running water. We do, however, have waste facilities for grey water and toilet cassettes with eco-friendly chemicals.

Campervanners, Summer is Coming!

Planning a campervan or motorhome trip to southwest Scotland this summer? Don't forget you can stop over at what we reckon could be the quirkiest parkup in Dumfries and Galloway for just £5 per night.

Even under stormy skies, this little wilderness is a fun and safe place to park. There are miles of walks  through the forests, across fells and around nearby lochs. We are pet friendly, although there is need for leads as we are a sanctuary with animals on site. Watch out for the wolf and for our ferocious wee midges. We find bog Myrtle the best deterrent so feel free to help yourself while here.

There are so many exciting things to spot while here that it could easily take you two nights, which would cost you as little as £10. Look out for the cloaked rider emerging from between the trees at dusk.

We are completely off-grid so you need to be self-contained with toilet and water on board but we do have an emptying point for grey water and toilet cassette waste if you are using eco friendly fluid. No need to book, just pull in and park up in the yard. Maximum 3 motorhomes  (7.5m max.) Bring what you need, leave no trace.  PayPal accepted via QR code.

Sunshine After the Rain a Frugaldom Campervan Stopover

The Frugaldom yard is empty so we have been making the most of a bit sunshine to trim overhanging hedges, weed planters and  tidy up around the edges. With good drainage and hard standing, the site can remain open all year round for campervans and motorhomes, although few know that Frugaldom offers overnight parking at just £5 per night. We are the frugal option - no frills, no services but a fantasy world of art in nature awaits all who dare to venture within the realms of our wilderness hideaway. 

What3Words//Photo.Regal.Fencing will bring you to our gate. 

We accept PayPal via QR code or pop your payment into the donations box at the sign. Alternatively, join Friends of Frugaldom for £5 per month and make us one of your regular park-ups.

 We are rural, secluded, off-grid and offer secure overnight parking, ideal for solo travellers or for those looking for a hidden getaway. Set within a sanctuary surrounded by ecoarts, Frugaldom is an ideal escape from reality where you can seek solace and find inspiration in nature. See you soon - message me at frugaldom@gmai.com for further details if required.

Things are Changing Around Here in 2024

 

The Internet is becoming more and more of an abyss, what with social media blurring the edges of every website we visit and an assumption that everyone has fabulously fast broadband and mobile phones that can juggle a thousand photos, videos and applications. Sadly, this is not the case for everyone. Some of us live within the small percentage of UK to where such luxuries have not yet arrived. Blogging seems to have become obscured by vlogging and while viewer numbers on our own YouTube channel reflect no need for it to be there, it is still something that I want to do, There are no frills attached, not even voiceovers, just tiny fragments of videos that give our viewers the opportunity to see what we see while we are here. Getting the word out about anything is beyond affordability to the likes of us, despite taking part in local wildlife events and such like.

So here we are, trying to get back into blogging but now from the off-grid huts that sit amidst the wilderness that is Frugaldom. I am relying on an inexpensive 100w solar panel connected to a secondhand leisure battery to power the laptop and I access the internet by tethering the laptop to a mobile phone. This only work if I perch the phone on the edge of the camping stove. Granted, the view from the office window is fabulous on a clear day - fields, forest, Vincent Van Goat calling from his enclosure, rescue ponies frolicking around their track in whatever the weather and all against the backdrop of the Galloway Hills. Not bad, in my book. But that doesn't pay the bills nor does it put food on the table, feed in the buckets or hay in the nets.

AIRES AND SPACES

At just £5 for an overnight stop and a licence that allows for up to five campervans at a time, we have the potential to generate some income. Our yard is fairly level, secluded, enclosed and secure but lends itself better to hosting three motorhomes up to 7.5m so that is the number I am working with for now. We are off the beaten track bu only 4 miles from the main A75, depending on which route you take. We are not on a through road, nor even on a road to anywhere other than a wind farm and forest so only the farmer, forestry folks and windfarm maintenance people pass our gate, plus a few dog walkers who drive their dogs up to the windfarm. Again, this does not lend itself to overnight stops, especially as all around us are alernatives to paying for parking. But wait... could there be a small percentage of campervanners who may just be looking for a safe, secure hideaway to escape the norm? Or might there be the occasional individuals looking to pay £25 per night to have the yard to themselves? Even better!

With 5 spaces at £5 per space, our yard has the potential to generate an absolute maximum aire income of  £9,125 (less transaction fees) per year, but the reality is far different from that. Based on 3 campervans, the income potential is £5,475. Again, the reality is far from actual turnover as the possibulity of having 3 campers in every day of the year is just fantasy. Where we are right now, we are lucky to see an average 1 campervan a month. No point glossing over this fact. I am forever reading comments on socal media about how so many want to pay so little for so much and this is one of the reasons I feel we should move on from offering secure parking and look at alternatives. We are a very quirky project, not your normal run-of-the-mill campsite. We are an aire - a term I had never encountered before opening our yard to the land of campervanners and motorhomers. Indeed, I have never spent a night in either - my preference is hutting in the countryside, surrounded by famiiar landscapes and our regular visits from the badgers, pine marten, fox and yes, even the adders, when the sun decides to shine. 

We accept PayPal payments to Frugaldom either direct via the QR code posted at the gate or by email to frugaldom@gmail.com but we also use honesty and donation boxes for those who prefer to pay cash. On occasion, we will barter for goods, services or a little bit of help from visiting campervanners. It all helps when running a voluntary project with no regular source of income generation on site. So what is our niche?

HUTS AND WILDLIFE

Most nights, we are visited by pine marten, badgers and fox. As members of our regular support group, which costs from as little as £5 per month, you can visit anytime and watch for the wildlife. 

Bring some peanuts and you're sure to attract some animal attention, even if it is just a visit from Vincent Van Goat, who is one of our rescued residents living at the Frugaldom sanctuary.

We are special, we are quirky, we are affordable, we are niche, we are at Frugaldom. We will hold the ampervan aire open until the end of the year then assess the situation from there.