Weekend Stay at Gilsland Park, North Berwick - Customer Review

Our Weekend at Gilsland Park

By Laura Muckett

We booked a stay at Gilsland Park to celebrate our son’s fourth birthday – a few days away from the norm in the lovely seaside town of North Berwick.

The staff on arrival could not have been more friendly. We were handed our welcome sheet with all the essential info and in the office there are all sorts of leaflets about what to do in the surrounding area – ideal! The staff offered some great top tips too.

We popped back into the car and followed the one way road system to the lodge. We didn’t know quite what to expect. The outside was clean and modern looking – and then we opened the door….

Spacious and open with a really high quality finish. We walked into the hall where there was a cupboard thoughtfully placed for our outdoor shoes. Then there was the kitchen and to the left a lovely living room, complete with fire and TV, and then also a dining area. Stunning, large windows looked out onto the fields extending below and just beyond that, the Firth of Forth and the island of Fidra.

There were two bedrooms with single beds (two beds in each) with TVs for the kids; a family bathroom; master bedroom, with dressing area and an en-suite!

We had no idea we would have so much space and such brilliant facilities. The central heating was a bonus, especially as we were worried about being cold. Exploring of the accommodation done and our swimsuits were on…. indeed, for the hot tub which also enjoyed the stunning  views.

After an excellent night’s sleep, leisurely breakfast and another dip in the tub, we drove down to North Berwick for a wander round the town. Quirky independent shops, boutiques and cafes galore. A particular highlight for us was whynot? which had shopping for me; deli for the husband; and café for the kids.

The afternoon was spent a few miles along the road at the Walled Garden at Archerfield Estate. We’d read about the willow and fairy trail and fancied some fresh air. It was a picturesque and compact walk, ideal for little legs, and lots of nice photo opps along the way.  Back along to the lodge for tea – with such great kitchen it made sense to enjoy some homemade food in comfortable surroundings and with those views.

The next day we had a little play in the park on-site – a range of activities kept both our kids (4 and 10) happy and there was great open space for them to run around. It also felt safe and cars abided by the slow speed limits.

Car packed up, we headed back into the town for an afternoon at the Scottish Seabird Centre and the beach. The kids loved the little soft play in the Discovery Centre and there are fantastic cameras to zoom in on the wildlife on the local islands, including the Bass Rock – the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets! There are also puffins from May to July, so we will back for them!

Checking out of the lodge was easy. The office was open throughout the day, but later on the Sunday all we had to do was pop the keys in a safe box and job done!

A brilliant weekend. The only bad thing was that the kids were so sad to leave! They can’t wait to go back and neither can we. We couldn’t recommend a break at Gilsland Park more highly.  

A Big Thank you to Laura for her blog.  We are delighted you all enjoyed your stay - especially the birthday boy!  If you would like to experience the facilities at Gilsland Park and share them in a Blog, please contact Carlene on carlene@gilslandpark.co.uk