Our First Lodge Holiday

[Ron240]

We are just back from a 4 night stay in a lodge, which was our first time trying this type of holiday.
It was at a resort called Piperdam which is 8 miles outside Dundee.
It was for a family celebration and there was quite a few of us so I think we had the biggest size of lodge in the park. It had 6 en suite bedrooms, games room, hot tub (non time machine version) and sauna.
It was also my first time in a hot tub and was very pleasant despite the -4 degrees evening air temperature at the time.
We had hired a car for the occasion due to needing more space which was a Mazda CX-5. I previously never gave these a second thought but I was actually quite impressed and in this trim spec was very well equipped...it even had a head up display. I know this technology has been around for a while now but its the first time i have experienced it.
It was a 2.0 petrol which was less powerful than my Puma, but more comfortable and relaxing to drive.
We will probably go back to this resort at some time in the future but to a lodge more suited to 2 people.

[Sparks]

Looks very nice and Cosy.

[Rizmo]

I've checked the smaller lodges and the pricing for early March is good. There is only WiFi in the large units which is a shame but for a short stay is no big deal. Also not far from Dundee which is a great city. It's now on our list.

[seyahremmus]

I've not tried the Kuga head up display, so not sure what the ford one is like, but I did test drive the new Qashqai a while back with one and I loved it! If it was an option on the Puma I would have definitely had it. They should.make it standard on all cars on safety grounds. No more having to look down for various bits of info

[FP2022F1T]

Looks amazing

[Ron240]

It was very nice and very comfortable.
Like I said this was the first time we had tried this type of holiday so didn't have anything to compare it to, but it is definitely something we would like to try again.
I took nothng to do with booking this holiday but I have since checked the website and found that the lodge we were in is the biggest.
There was no Wi-Fi in the lodge and mobile reception was poor unless you happened to be on the Three network, which only one person in our group was. Still it encouraged more social interaction.
Outside of the lodge mobile reception was good and inside the main complex Wi-Fi was excellent.
We dined in the restaurant on 3 of the 4 nights we were there, where the menu was traditional and the food was tasty. Main course prices were very reasonable, although starters and desserts were higher than average.
There was also a swimming pool and gym, but neither of those 2 held any interest for me.
There is an Asda superstore approximately 10 minutes drive away, and the centre of Dundee is another 5 or 10 minutes.

Regarding the Mazda CX-5 and its head up display, yes I agree this should be a more widespread feature on cars because it is very useful.

[MrT]

We have several times been on group motorcycle holidays (arranged by my clever wife), hiring a good sized and well equipped former farm house, near Fort Augustus, on a sporting estate. The gamekeeper is a Ducati rider and seems to know all the prettiest roads in the Highland, so we always had a great time. There’s nothing to beat good company , a comfortable base and beautiful surroundings.
We shall be staying for a few days in a wonderful hotel in northern France, in the third week in March. We have been visiting there for 17 years. The food is fantastic and it’s ridiculously under priced. If I remember correctly, it’s around £80 per person per night for bed breakfast and a three course evening meal. And it’s only half an hour from the French end of the channel tunnel. I can’t recommend it highly enough. If anyone is interested, look at the website: Le Chateau des Tourelles, at Le Wast.
We shall be driving there in my Puma STLine 155 and enjoying the driving experience.
My Puma has replaced my previous Mazda 6 , top of the range 2.2 diesel, with around 215 bhp. The heads up windscreen display was sensible and a safety feature. I had covered about 63,000 miles in it over around 3 years and 9 months, the last major trip being to the Dolomites and back in August/September. It was a great car, quiet, good handling in bends, comfortable, economical and with all the creature comforts. I have downsized, as I am hoping to retire soon, so insurance cost will become more important, but being able still to enjoy the driving experience is important, hence the Puma.

[Mike]

Looks a nice place, will be checking that out on the old inter web.
Cousin has a Mazda, never missed a beat.
I like the cx5 but the low power from the 2.0 engine has always put me off.