Accommodation to suit your needs

Are you looking for the perfect getaway that offers accessibility to all of your group? Perhaps granny has mobility issues and needs level access. Or maybe there is a neurodivergent young adult who would appreciate advance warning of certain triggers before setting off. Across the South of Scotland there are accommodation providers who are sensitive to your needs. From clearly marking an accessibility section on their websites, to providing easily downloadable access guides for their properties, these owners recognise the benefit of ensuring everyone is welcome! Here is our guide to inclusive properties across the region…

Airhouses

What & where: Luxury self-catering on a farm, Lauder, Scottish Borders

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From stunning views to hot tubs, you won’t want for anything when you stay at these award-winning self-catering lodges on the outskirts of Lauder. There is a host of farm animals waiting to greet you including pet pigs Snuffle and Truffle! This is a next level farm stay, set on over 600 acres of farmland and miles away from the hustle and bustle.

Airhouses has recently become the first Scottish holiday provider to be awarded an Autism Friendly Award by The National Autistic Society. The award is given in recognition of Airhouses’ autism-friendly practices, which include a downloadable comprehensive accessibility guide for those who are autistic. This highlights areas on the farm where there may be noise – near the donkey who may bray unexpectedly – and those parts which are quieter.

In addition, Airhouses offers VisitScotland graded Category 2 accommodation. This provides Assisted Wheelchair Access. Plus the team provides equipment like shower chairs, toilet frames, and ramps completely free of charge. You’ll also find all washbasins are wall-mounted and light switches are easily accessible for wheelchairs.

Outside, many of the walks around the farm are level and perfect for mobility scooters! And if you don’t have one, there’s info on how to rent one locally for your stay. There is also a digital information book available in each lodge on a tablet for those with hearing or visual impairments.

Ross Bay Retreat

What & where: Four holiday lets on the shore front, near Kirkcudbright, Dumfries & Galloway

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Glorious coastal views and being a stone’s throw from the beach is the clear draw at Ross Bay Retreat. Ideally situated near Kirkcudbright, this is the perfect blend of getting away from it all, while being close to local amenities and activities. The sound of the waves outside is a siren call for beachcombers and as the day comes to a close you can enjoy the sunsets over the Solway Coast. These four cottages are also set on a working farm and there is the option to meet the animals or watch from a distance.

Accessibility information for each of the cottages is easily found on their homepage. Each cottage has a list of its accessibility features allowing guests to assess their suitability for their particular requirements. The details include measurements of showers and details of door widths, along with which ones have level access bedrooms, ramped access from the car parking and the type of terrain encountered. And top marks go for providing a list of accessible local venues, making it clear there are plenty of options to explore with a guaranteed inclusive welcome.

Culmore Bridge Cottages

What & where: Three purpose-built cottages allowing wheelchair access without assistance, Sandhead, Stranraer, D&G

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Set in nine acres of woodland and not far from the sands and beaches of Luce Bay, these three cottages have been specifically designed, built and furnished to be accessible to everyone. VisitScotland has awarded the cottages their accessibility grading of Category 1 – meaning it enables wheelchair access without assistance.

All cottages have a bathroom and a separate accessible wet room, profiling beds, rise recline chairs, and hand rails. Hoists, shower chairs and other specialised equipment is also available by arrangement. The kitchen has also been designed with wheelchair users in mind with some low level worktops and access under the hob and sink. Two of the cottages are pet friendly as well and pets and guests alike will enjoy nine acres of grounds with wheelchair friendly paths to the pond, viewpoint and through the woodlands.

Kirkennan Holiday Estate

What & where – Wheelchair friendly cottage with woodland estate, Palnackie, Dalbeattie

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This Green Tourism Gold award holder offers guests a wonderful escape to nature. Since 2013 the owners have planted more than 5,000 trees, created paths through woodlands for exploring and built bat & bird boxes to entice their populations to grow.

And Woodsedge Cottage has been made as accessible as possible within the constraints of an old building. A full accessibility statement is available on their website. Features include level access to all rooms, wet room with grab rails and choice of shower stool or chair, electric bed with raising head end, adjustable height and vibrate function and loan of a mobility scooter. The cottages’s location allows access by mobility scooter to the walled garden and other parts of the estate’s accessible trails. The cottage is dog friendly too. Details on the possibilities of borrowing wheelchairs as well as a list of local wheelchair accessible locations helps ensure guests will feel confident about their stay here.

Peebles Hydro Hotel

What & where: Hotel with spa, Peebles, Scottish Borders

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This glamourous spa hotel outside Peebles offers comfort, luxury and family fun – the kids will love the playpark. The restaurants, bars and activities are open to day visitors as well and the hotel promotes its accessibility credentials. If you are staying, the rooms have space to move around as do the restaurants. There is easy access parking and a reserved drop off zone. A lift will take guests to the hotel’s spa which is also wheelchair accessible. Some bedrooms are specifically designated as with wheelchair accessible bathrooms that have handrails and a seat. Additionally, the hotel is dog friendly so your assistance dog is also very welcome. There is plenty of info on access easily found on the hotel’s website.

Hope Scott Wing at Abbotsford

What & where: Grand self-catering heritage home, Melrose, Scottish Borders

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If the idea of staying in a gorgeous historic country house is your idea of heaven, then the Hope Scott Wing at Abbotsford is for you. Stay in the home of Sir Walter Scott’s ancestors next to his ‘flibbertigibbet’ of a house – itself all on level access next door to the accommodation. Experience the stunning views out over the Tweed River from the patio area and garden, accessed by French doors from the dining room. Although the property stretches over three floors, there is a lift to access the various levels of the house and there’s an en-suite wet room next to a room that can be either a king or twin bedroom. All the specifics are found on the property’s entry on AccessAble. Dogs are welcomed at the property.

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