Barend has everything your family needs for your holiday

We all know what fun family holidays are.  But we also know that sometimes getting everything in the car can be a bit of a stress.  We’re here to take the stress out of family holidays, leaving you and your loved ones to have an unforgettable time together! Barend Holiday Lodges is run by husband and wife team, Duncan and Sarah. We have three children (a toddler, teenager and pre-teen) plus 2 beagles.  So we know from experience what is handy when you go on a self-catering holiday.  We’ve used this knowledge to bring you everything you need when you come on holiday with us!

Cribs, cots and beds

Our first trip away with our young son showed us the problem with standard travel cots – that balancing act of lowering a tiny baby into the cot without them waking.  Yep, we’ve all been there!  Therefore, we can offer three different types of crib to best suit your baby:

• Snuzpod next to me: excellent for babies under 6 months, this crib attaches to the bed so you can easily reach your newborn.
• Joie Kubbie: a great in between cot, perfect for up to 15kgs and when your newborn might have outgrown the Snuzpod but is still a bit too small for being put at the bottom of a full cot.  These cribs can be set up at different heights and we found these great until our wee man was about 12 months old.  (Although he does still fit in them at 18 months!)
• Full size cots: these are sturdy wooden cots at full size.  Great for older babies who need a bit more space!

Cots cost £15 to hire and you’ll need to bring your own bedding – so that you use what your baby is used to.

Stairgates, highchairs and baby baths

All our lodges and cabins have at least one highchair as standard.  The lodges also have a stargaze (cabins are single storey).  If you’d like more stargazes or highchairs please let us know when you book.  Alternatively, you can add them on in the “manage booking” area.  They can be found under optional extras and are free of charge.

Don’t worry if you book a lodge with a shower.  We have baby baths that you can also borrow.  Again, please add these on to your booking, so we know to bring it down to your lodge for you.  These are prioritised for cabins and lodges without baths.

Laundry

The onsite laundrette is conveniently located next to the bar and swimming pool.  It only takes around 35 minutes for a cycle.  So you can pop it in while you go for a swim or a drink!  It’s £5 per cycle and £20p per 4 minutes for the dryer.

Alternatively, a few lodges have washing machines within them: lodges 8, 32 and 60.

Entertaining the young ones during a family holiday getaway

Barend Holiday Village is the perfect base to entertain a family.  Within most lodges there are books, games and DVDs.  The onsite swimming pool is free to use for all Barend Holiday Lodges guests.  Each lodge can book private use of the pool during their stay.

It’s only a 5-10 minute walk down to the lovely beach at Sandyhills, perfect for building sandcastles and having a dip in the sea.  Further afield there are many excellent opportunities for sightseeing.  Dumfries and Galloway has many excellent historical sites.  It is also the perfect base for mountain biking, road cycling and walking.  For more ideas about places to go and things to do, click here.