We spent ages weighing up the pros and cons of a big holiday with a little baby. It’s a big deal really trying to get things right because we wanted to get on with things and have some fun – for Lily, Katie and I – but to have a bit of sanity / settled, relaxed homeliness for Elsie (now nine months).
Peebles Hydro seemed to have it all – Katie had stayed their twenty something years ago and it was a known quantity; pool, family friendly, easy travel (just under three hours door to door) and with the added bonus of horse stables (for Lily), oodles of forest paths (essentially for me – lovely run on Tuesday) and no washing up or laundry (is it sexist to say this is for Katie? Hmmm… don’t bother answering – I’m pretty sure it is).
The Hotel was flipping ace. It’s grand, in pretty much every sense of the word, but it’s friendly and homely – and the staff were so welcoming. Meals we had in our room, rather than the restaurant – largely due to Elsie’s teething issues – leading to very disturbed nights (yawn).
Edinburgh for 24 hours – including a stay in the Premier Inn (basic but absolutely perfect) was also great. Lily was so utterly excited to see the HUGE Castle, which we toured on Thursday morning. It’s a cracking city and we’ll be back for more.