Making memories – Your family needs a National Trust membership trust me

Today was a special day in western Scotland – it was officially our third day this year where the sun has been splitting the trees with all it’s glory, making me convinced the start of Summer is nearly here.  There is nothing better for the soul than going out and enjoying it.  Truly every opportunity of sunshine leaves me with the lack of excuses not to be out in it with my family.

Growing up we took one type of holiday – a caravan holiday.  Our four berth caravan was usually take to a few places in Scotland each year, but our absolute favourite was Culzean Castle Camping park right beside the country estate.  I adored each holiday time taking my bike with my sister and cycling for hours round and round the caravan park site, and then would come our adventure rides with our Dad down the big road to Culzean country park where many an hour could be spent going from one part to another just for fun.  I don’t remember a time where cycling round the park didn’t fill my soul with happiness as a child.  I simply adored it.

This Easter time we have two little boys in our lives now, and I want them to have a love of the outdoors as much as I did as a child.  Life has too many Ipads and technology sometimes for my liking – and I grew up in the generation that had them really in their teenage years to enjoy.  I crave a life of as little distractions as possible, where time and fun merge into one day of adventure at a time.

Today we had the first of our adventures days this year I’m sure.

My parents have been lucky to rent out the Ardlochan Lodge on Culzean Castle Estate and this self-catering home is stunning and perfect for small families. It’s brand new and you can tell it the moment you walk through the entrance.  Every room is kitted out with modern clean interiors, ideal actually for families of small people (less worries about mess to clean up with massive efforts).  They even provided the home with a high chair and travel cot.  I couldn’t believe the level of detail.

You have full luxuries of a washing machine and dishwasher so truly you feel like you are on holiday.  In fact – it might be better than your normal home it is that special! But what makes this place special yet again, and one that I can completely tell will be a self-catering home we try and get as much as possible over the years the boys grow up, is that you are right beside the huge kids playarea and then have a beach within 5 minutes walking.  It is unbelievable the location.  You have no excuses not to be out in the countryside and the country park each and every free moment.

Today we made memories.  We spent the whole day in the country park – kids running about in the play-area to their hearts content, walking around the small part of the country park we could with the baby in the buggy having a sleep enjoying all the dog walkers saying hello and smiling at us, a trip down to the beach to build sandcastles and show baby boy the sea and sand for the first time, the list goes on and on.  I feel like my soul has been recharged and that was just one day.

If you have a National Trust for Scotland or National Trust membership, you can come to Culzean and the many hundreds of other locations for free as many times as you like.  Literally you could waste a weekend every month without question going to the same location over and over again just to reconnect to the wonder that is the outdoors.   For the cost of barely even two McDonalds meals (which wouldn’t even feed a 4 person family anyway) you can have all this and create family memories.  No Ipads in sight.

Every family needs a chance to make special memories together – of certain places that even when we might not be together they will spark joyful memories of times in the past.

More than anything I want to share my love for favourite things with my family – and our NTS membership is without doubt priceless for doing just that.  Why not try it for yourselves and see?