Hill of Maunderlea Lodges

The thought of a countryside getaway in the summer sounds like a dream. JonWatkins gave everyone a glimpse of his accessible week-long trip to Hill of Maunderlea Lodges. He mentions that the lodge was set in beautiful, quiet surroundings and was dog friendly. The venue sounded like the perfect getaway with an all-in-one lounge and beautiful views over the countryside from every window. If you want a nice walk, there’s a circular path at approximately 1km that leads up through the woods to a viewpoint to see mountains and coast. Make sure you have your camera handy if you visit, we think you’ll need it!

The Glenkinchie Distillery

This trip to a whisky distillery truly sounded like a 5-star experience. BWI gave us all a sensational impression reading his review of his trip on a blazing summer day. He told us about the beautiful garden and an Aladdin’s cave of a shop, describing his tour experience as one that “surprised the senses”. With accessibility high on the agenda at Glenkinchie and interaction sessions galore, BWI particularly enjoyed the sensory experiences as he got to smell all the notes of the whisky production as well as experiencing the sound of grain milling too.

Jacksons at Jedburgh

Jacksons at Jedburgh is a family-run farm that had two five stars reviews during July. Scottishbq75 enjoyed the experience with their son, describing it as a wonderful and tranquil place to be. Their experience described the beautiful animals and wonderful staff who made them feel so welcomeand enabled Scottishbq75’s son to be himself during the trip. Louiseg32 agreed, who also reviewed Jacksons at Jedburgh, saying it is a must-visit experience.

Grammar Lodge

A trip to the centre of Campbeltown is where you’ll find Grammar Lodge Guesthouse. Kingqueen gave a Covid Confident review, saying: “It is lovely having such a well-converted, accessible room in this lovely old building. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything was as easy as possible, and I rate it.”

There is a spacious wheelchair accessible room with an excellent level access, spacious en-suite shower, and toilet. Not only a convenient stay but also a comfortable one with an accessible toilet with brilliant grab rails.

For an enjoyable stay away from home, there’s plenty to do in the area. The staff were even kind enough rinse the sand from Kingqueen’s wheelchair!

Thurrock Garden Centre

Spending the day among flowers and nature truly sounds like a summer fantasy. When Fishworm visited we got the 5-star review of their accessible experience. They were truly delighted by the wide access ramps and doorways, describing it as a joy. An additional feature of the Thurrock Garden Centre is the accessibility when it came to the large car park. Disabled bays were easy to find as they are right by the entrance, along with travel as it is on a major bus route. What made this sound so fun was the staff’s willingness to let visitors explore even roped-off areas, allowing the full experience to be enjoyed.

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill

The Anglesey Abbey is owned by the National Trust and has both formal and informal gardens. Suzie123 visited in July where she could explore the downstairs of the house via a ramp. Staff were very helpful from collecting the ticket to showing Suzie123 around, who identified impressive accessibility features of the venue. The Abbey has three accessible toilets, but the inside tip is that the one near the shop is the best for wheelchair users. The café wasn’t open on Suzie123’s visit so she could not review it, however, she said the “pop-up” refreshment stand was excellent and renewed every 20 minutes.

Hangloose Adventure

Hangloose Adventure in Bodelva is home to various adrenaline adventures. When it comes to accessibility, they do their best to be inclusive as possible. Bilando1981 got to experience these efforts when he visited the venue in July. He pre-booked sessions for disabled people which provided more time for instruction and reassurance. The staff were aware of accessibility features whilst being friendly and competent. Giving us a great impression, Bilando1981 said it was fantastic to be able to join in a family experience at a once-in-a-lifetime event. What made this review sound so enjoyable was how fantastic the staff sounded: the manager was very welcoming when greeting them on their visit and accompanied them, sticking around to supervise and advise his staff throughout the amusing activity sessions.

Hoe Grange Holidays

When summer comes, it’s time to go on a little getaway to one of the most revered holiday destinations on Euan’s Guide. Susanwatt did exactly that by taking a lovely disabled access break to Hoe Grange Holidays, tucked away in the gorgeous Peak District hills. All the necessary equipment and adaptations were in place for Susanwatt and her husband, with a fully accessible bathroom.

The highlights were the proximity to Carsington Water, where Susanwatt’s husband was able to take part in Sailability, the rental of a Tramper, and the mighty off-road Boma wheelchair – available for hire at Hoe Grange. Not to mention you can hire the wood-fired hot tub too, which Susanwatt recommended in her review.

Brickhouse Cottages

Summer truly is the time to spend in new places. Joanna72 decided to take a wee break to Brickhouse Cottages. Her experience truly sounded like a storybook tale as she stayed in luxurious cottage which she could only describe as “absolutely stunning”. Not only that but she got to enjoy the stunning views and tranquil surroundings. As a powerchair user, she highly rated the accessibility of the venue. Joanna72 said there was no problem getting around and a nice feature was the high tables in the bistro. We loved hearing such a positive review and to know that the staff were wonderful very helpful and friendly.

Kensington Gardens

For an immersive experience, you need to hightail it to Kensington Gardens. Zozimus had a five-star experience visiting the Van Gough Alive exhibition that temporarily took place at the venue. Kensington Gardens is in Central London, just across the road from Royal Albert Hall. Luckily there are multiple transport options, including train, bus and underground, or you could get a taxi. Zozimus said the gardens have a flat path through them that are accessible for all and that entry to the exhibition is by ramp, which is also flat. All the doorways and corridors are wide, then you get to the main space where the headline showcase appears in a very large room. There are a few seats available if you require, but the majority of people sit (or lie) wherever they want on the floor itself. With exhibitions changing all the time at Kensington Gardens, you are guaranteed a very engaging day out!

The summer is still here! Tell us where you have been in August or recently by leaving a review on Euan’s Guide.

Written by Iman Mackenzie, Communications Intern