Boghead Farm Holiday Cottages - Aberdeenshire
If you’re looking for a wheelchair accessible holiday, dog-friendly cottage in Scotland, look no further than Boghead Farm Holiday Cottages in Aberdeenshire. The Byre is a bright and airy steading conversion in Lumsden sleeps 6 in three bedrooms, and you have a gorgeous bunch sheep for neighbours. We were invited to stay in return for a video review but now I’ve started the written blog as well, I thought it would be rude not to include a write-up! Watch the video here or scroll down to read more.
Living, Kitchen, and Dining Space
When Thomas, the owner, showed us around the cottage we were first struck by how bright and airy it was. The wooden doors with cast iron handles really keep the farm-vibe going even in a big modern space. The combined living, dining and kitchen area boasts a high beamed ceiling and huge windows, with doors leading out to a patio area. Thomas is happy to arrange the dining table to allow easier access to the patio doors. On the dining table was a beautiful welcome basket with whisky, shortbread, doggy biscuits and poo bags, along with a vase of fresh flowers - now that’s a personal touch!
A wood burner makes itself centre stage - sadly it was too warm for us to use when we visited but in cooler weather you can’t beat cosying up around the fire after a day’s exploring. There is also a TV, but with the views and the sunsets I honestly don’t think you’ll be glued to it!
The kitchen isn’t fully adapted meaning no wheel-under surfaces, but the oven is at a good height for a wheelchair user. Kirsty does most of our cooking, so it suited us well and she was really pleased to find that there was a whole host of cooking pots, pans, and utensils. Importantly, there’s a dishwasher too, so nobody ends up lumped with the washing up! (Sadly, as this was a video review, I didn’t take many stills of the accommodation and don’t have a photo of the kitchen area, I do cover it in the video above though!)
The Bedrooms
The three bedrooms at the Byre are decorated in themes - the green room, the ochre room, and the purple room - with the green room being the most accessible. There is adequate wheelchair space at either side of the bed, a wardrobe with sliding doors, and a bathroom that includes grab rails around the toilet and sturdy fold-down shower seat. Due to space constraints, the sink is a little small and hard to get to if you’re unable to lean forwards.
The ochre room and purple room are too small for most wheelchairs, but both have shower rooms making them ideal for people with limited mobility.
At night, it’s very dark and very quiet, ideal for a good nights’ sleep (and the beds are v.comfy!) Or perhaps you prefer a late night and a bit of star gazing? That’s possible too because Boghead Farm Holiday Cottages are Dark Skies Friendly. You’ll also find some books about star gazing on the bookshelf in the hall.
Outdoors
One of my favourite features of The Byre is the patio. It’s the perfect spot for a morning cuppa, or to watch one of the incredible sunsets at night. Sat there you can hear the sheep snuffling and gently grunting away, which I find an incredibly relaxing sound! They aren’t noisy neighbours but do enjoy a good head-scratch if you’re passing.
The Byre doesn’t have an enclosed garden which we found a bit of a faff with Millie and Kimber. They need to be kept on the lead, so they don’t bother the sheep, but without a fenced garden area it meant we couldn’t relax outside with them. That said, there are plenty of nice wheels and walks around, so it’s not all bad!
The single-track road from the village to the farm is good for a gentle wheel along with the dogs. It’s a bit gravelly and bumpy in parts with some large potholes, though I found these easy enough to dodge. The scenery is lovely with rolling hills and big skies.
Things To Do
The area is jam-packed with things to keep you occupied, whatever your interests. Thomas and Fiona have put together a brilliant selection of leaflets under categories such as whisky, castles, walks and more! If you’d like to get ahead of the game and plan things to do before you visit, check out Visit Aberdeenshire for some inspiration.
“Did you know? Aberdeenshire has over 260 castles!”
Book Your Break
All in all, we had a fantastic visit. Boghead Farm Holiday Cottages was such a relaxing place to spend a few nights, but I’d highly recommend staying as long as you can to make the most of everything Aberdeenshire has to offer. Wheelchair accessible dog-friendly holiday accommodation is hard to come by; Boghead Farm has it all. You can find out more about The Byre by watching my YouTube video, and you can book your break at Boghead Farm here.
Looking refreshed after out break at The Byre
