This is an advert for December 2022. Any shares / edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for.
Overview & Location
Drummohr Glamping and Camping is a sister site to Herding Hill Campsite on Hadrian's Wall which I know is a super popular staycation destination amongst this blog's readers. Located just off the A1 near Edinburgh and just over a 2 hour drive from Newcastle, you can expect the same high quality and warm welcome.It is a 4* Scottish Tourist Board Site and I was pleased to see that they're a living wage employer.
Dummohr is a quiet site, meaning you need to be out of your hot tub by 10pm and cannot play music outdoors. Ideal for those with small children or who are looking for a good night's sleep but if you're looking for a party site, this isn't the one for you.
There is a range of accommodation on offer from luxury lodges with hot tubs to camping pods and bothys. Tents and tourers are welcome too and some accommodation is dog friendly.
I think the best thing about Drummohr is it's brilliant location. You can walk to a bus stop where buses can take you directly into Edinburgh (and they run fairly late into the evening) or it's just over a mile to Wallyford Park & Ride where you will find ample free parking and trains into Edinburgh should take around 10 minutes.
You can also catch the train to North Berwick from here if you fancy a day at the seaside. Along with it's close proximity to the A1 yet peaceful setting away from the main roads, I think you'd struggle to find somewhere so convenient to stay in the area.
What's On Site
I was really impressed with the quality of facilities on site. For campers / tourers these include shower / toilet blocks, a covered washing up area and a laundry room.
There is an excellent children's playground with swings, climbing areas, a sand play area, football nets, seating, slides and more. The playground is in located the centre of the tourer/tent pitches and very close to the glamping accommodation and lodges (although it wouldn't be in your eyeline).
I loved the information hut which is open 24/7 and you can just pop in at any time. There are lots of thoughtful touches including maps (some you can take away), a good selection of books and DVDs to borrow, local takeaway & restaurant menus, lists of dog-friendly pubs in the area, transport info, timetables and taxi numbers plus discount vouchers for nearby attractions.
I don't exaggerate when I say they have thought of everything here.
I don't exaggerate when I say they have thought of everything here.
Some accommmodation is dog friendly and there is a dedicated dog walking area on site which takes you on a walk around the perimeter plus loads of bins. Dogs do need to be kept on a lead here. If we weren't visiting the busy Christmas Markets I would definitely have brought Fozzy to stay here.
The site is very well kept, super clean and tidy.
There are lots of dog-friendly places to visit in the area including the seaside town of Portobello (more on that later) and Camera Obscura in Edinburgh.
The site is very well kept, super clean and tidy.
There are lots of dog-friendly places to visit in the area including the seaside town of Portobello (more on that later) and Camera Obscura in Edinburgh.
Speaking of reception, this doubles as a handy shop stocking every day essentials and the staff are full of helpful info and know train and bus timetables off by heart. If you need any assistance, do pop by and ask. They'll be happy to help. If you need a bigger shop, there is a Tesco and Lidl within 3 miles.
Discount Code & Booking Info
Use code 'NEFF10' for a 10% discount on all stays completed before 31 March 23. Find out more and book here: https://www.drummohr.co.uk/
Refurbishment Statement
Drummohr are in the process of refurbishing their amenity blocks. They have two on site and only one will be open at a time until Easter (while work is carried out on the other). During this period, the site is running with reduced pitch numbers and will not be accepting tents. Tents will be welcome back from Easter once the work has been completed.
2 Bedroom Superior Lodge with Hot Tub
We stayed in a Pentland Lodge (see the full range of 2 and 3 bedroom lodges available including dog friendly options here).
Prices range from £140 per night (per lodge) for a standard two bedroom lodge with hot tub in low season up to £295 per night (per lodge) for a three bedroom lodge with hot tub over Christmas / New Year. Personally, I think these prices are super reasonable when compared to other similar options.
Our lodge was finished to a high standard with lots of nice touches including beds made on arrival, fresh towels, a nespresso machine, fresh milk in the fridge and some Scottish Shortbread and Irn Bru in a little welcome basket. We stayed in December and there was a decorated Christmas Tree in the main living area which was really appreciated too.
We received a full guided tour on arrival with info on how to use the oven, dishwasher, nespresso, WiFi, heating, hot tub etc......and it all felt personal and like the kind of place where they really care about their customers and will go the extra mile.
We had a family bathroom and en suite shower - both immaculately clean, modern and with plenty of hot water and pressure.
A nice little surprise was this small gaming den which I wasn't expecting. Jack was chuffed to see a retro console in there and had fun chilling out and playing games.
There were a few small niggles, the first one being the way the heating is operated. The central heating in the lodges is not 'on' all of the time and is not set to a certain temperature.
We arrived to a cold lodge which wasn't ideal when it was below zero outside. You can't switch the heating to 'on' and need to press a button which activates the heating for 30 minutes / 1 hour / 2 hours depending how many times you press it. After this set time, the heating automatically goes off.
This won't be so bad in the warmer months but when there was snow on the ground outside and temperatures were below zero, it was pretty annoying to keep having to reactivate the heating, not being able to have the heating on overnight and having to make a mad dash to the kitchen in the morning to switch the heating on.
Saying that, the lodge didn't seem to lose it's temperature and was insulated well. We didn't feel cold at night at all and beyond the initial arrival, the lodge always felt warm enough. Even after we'd returned from a day out. It is more of an inconvenience than something major and wouldn't affect me booking another stay.
I understand this is all part of their Green Policy. Other examples of green credentials include being corperate supporters of Scottish Wildlife Trust, participating in the David Bellamy Pledge for Nature, encouraging visitors to make use of the excellent public transport links and Recycling Stations.
Another niggle was the WiFi which is free across the site. We couldn't connect at all (even using the tips they suggested). We did have 4G signal for our phones so again, wasn't the end of the world but I know this might be a deal breaker for some. Finally, the TVs in our lodge were SD rather than HD which I just wouldn't expect from a luxury lodge.
These are all very minor complaints but I do like to be fair in my reviews.
The main living area is open plan and nice and comfortable. We cooked most of our meals in the kitchen and it was very well equipped and includes a dishwasher.
The absolute highlight of our stay was our hot tub which was on a private verandah leading out from the living area. There is seating and a BBQ area out here and you are surrounded with trees which if you peek through, you can see the sea.
The hot tub is one of the best we've tried and very well maintained with lights & super powerful jets (you can turn them down if needed). The temperature is set to a constant 38C and sitting out here, watching the stars as it snowed around us on an evening was just magical and a special memory from our break.
We had a brilliant stay here. It was quiet and private, had comfy beds plus everything we needed for our break as well as a few added luxuries.
Other Accommodation Options
Drummohr are very open and up front about their accessibility. Most of the accommodation on site is not suitable for wheelchair users. They encourage those with additional needs to read through their thorough access statement here and to give them a call if they have any doubts / need to ask a specific question before booking.
As well as lodges, there are some really cute glamping options available including compact glamping pods for one which are ideal for solo travellers and hikers. For families, they have Fairy, Harry Potter or Adventure themed pods which can sleep up to 4. They look super cool! You can take a peek inside here.
There are lots of different types of glamping options including budget pods, dog friendly pods and luxury pods which come fully furnished. Glamping pods start at £40 per pod per night.
Tourers and tents are welcome (tents from Easter) and Drummohr is open all year round. I was surprised to see lots of tourers here when temperatures were below zero! These people are braver than me.
Dogs are welcome (up to two can stay free of charge) and you can hire fire pits (you can't bring your own).
There is a choice of hard standing tourer pitches, seasonal tourer pitches and grass pitches. All pitch types come with electric hook up and you can expect to pay around £30 per pitch per night for 2 adults including electric hook up. The prices don't increase too much over the summer holidays either. If you're looking for a cheap getaway with good public transport links in the summer, it's definitely worth looking at booking a pitch here.
Dogs are welcome (up to two can stay free of charge) and you can hire fire pits (you can't bring your own).
There is a choice of hard standing tourer pitches, seasonal tourer pitches and grass pitches. All pitch types come with electric hook up and you can expect to pay around £30 per pitch per night for 2 adults including electric hook up. The prices don't increase too much over the summer holidays either. If you're looking for a cheap getaway with good public transport links in the summer, it's definitely worth looking at booking a pitch here.
Nearby Attractions
As mentioned in the introduction to this post, Drummohr is perfectly located for exploring the Edinburgh/Lothian area by both car and public transport.First of all, there is a bus stop less than 5 minutes' walk from the site entrance with regular buses to Princes Street in the heart of Edinburgh. They run fairly late into the evening too. You can find out more and view timetables here.
You will also find Wallyford Park and Ride Station just over a mile from Drummohr. We have actually used this site before when visiting Edinburgh as it is so much more convenient / less stressful than having to drive into the city.
There is free parking for over 700 cars and I counted 16 Electric Vehicle Charging Points. I assume on a weekday it may be busier with commuters but whenever we've visited on a weekend, there have always been loads of spaces.
Just cross over the road to the train station and you will find hourly trains into Edinburgh (they take around 10 minutes) or North Berwick in the other direction if you fancy a day at the seaside. Train prices are excellent - less than £5 return for adult and around £2 return for children over 5.
Discounts are available for railcard holders etc...... Make sure you buy your train tickets online before you travel or there is a machine at the station (sometimes there is a queue at the ticket machine so leave plenty of time).
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| Wallyford Park & Ride Car Park |
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| Wallyford Station |
There are lots of attractions to visit in the local area, I won't go into them all here. You can find out more over on the Drummohr website.
Ideas for attractions to visit include:
- Edinburgh Zoo
- Edinburgh Castle
- Royal Yacht Britannia
- Dynamic Earth
- Arthur's Seat
- Camera Obscura
- Dalkeith Country Park
- East Links Family Park
- John Muir Country Park
There are also lots of local beaches and country parks to choose from. If you are visiting with your dog, ideas for places to visit include:
- North Berwick Coast (we recommend Portobello beach)
- Dalkeith Country Park
- John Muir Country Park
- Camera Obscura
- Unleashed Dog Adventure Park
There are lots of dog friendly pubs and walks in the area, just ask a warden or visit the information hut for more info. You can visit the dog friendly section of the Drummohr website for ideas before you leave too.
We visited in December and had to pop by Edinburgh Christmas Markets. I'd recommend visiting in the morning to avoid the main crowds.
It was so easy to get to using Wallyford Park+Ride, the markets are literally next door to the train station.
It snowed! We had a brilliant time making snowmen in Princes Street Gardens and having imprompu snowball fights with other families, I loved the Big Wheel and the Christmas Tree Maze was fun too.
Edinburgh Christmas Markets are not a cheap day out (we spent around £100) but they are so festive and one of my favourite places to visit over the festive season.
On another day we visited Portobello which is a seaside town just a few miles from site. We parked on Bridge Street which was free (see here for postcode).
Wow I absolutely loved it here! You can expect an award-winning dog-friendly sandy beach, ice cream parlours and beach side cafes alongside a nice selection of bars and pubs in the centre.
On a chilly Sunday morning it had such a nice vibe with families walking along the prom, dogs enjoying running around the beach with their friends and others stopping for a quick bite to eat of festive hot chocolate.
The promenade is lined with friendly independent food shacks with plenty of seating options (covered or uncovered) by the beach.
We enjoyed huge pizza slices and the best parmesan and truffle fries from Civerinos, a fish finger sandwich and king prawns from Shrimp Wreck and the most amazing hot chocolates from Crumbs of Portobello. We were spoilt! Such a good place to visit if you like fantastic informal food like this.
We ended our visit to Portobello with a little play on the amusements. Got to be done when you're by the sea!
Wow I absolutely loved it here! You can expect an award-winning dog-friendly sandy beach, ice cream parlours and beach side cafes alongside a nice selection of bars and pubs in the centre.
On a chilly Sunday morning it had such a nice vibe with families walking along the prom, dogs enjoying running around the beach with their friends and others stopping for a quick bite to eat of festive hot chocolate.
The promenade is lined with friendly independent food shacks with plenty of seating options (covered or uncovered) by the beach.
We enjoyed huge pizza slices and the best parmesan and truffle fries from Civerinos, a fish finger sandwich and king prawns from Shrimp Wreck and the most amazing hot chocolates from Crumbs of Portobello. We were spoilt! Such a good place to visit if you like fantastic informal food like this.
We ended our visit to Portobello with a little play on the amusements. Got to be done when you're by the sea!
You can view all of the places mentioned in this post on the custom google map below:
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