Book with confidence at Dam View with our Coronavirus Booking Guarantee
  Show Gallery (42 images)   Add to Favourites

close holiday gallery

Showing availability for one unit only: The Ivy Lodge   Search all availability at Dam View
  • Dates
  • People

Choose check in and check out dates  

We are limiting availability in line with the Coronavirus restrictions in each country, and we will update this as guidance changes.

Check In Available Unavailable
previous month next month
show more months
Cancel

How many adults and children are in your party? Please provide an age for each child for an accurate price.

Adults

0

Children

0
Cancel

The Ivy Lodge

UK Scotland Central Scotland Stirlingshire Dam View

  • Sleeps 6 (max 6 adults, 5 children)
  • Cooking facilities
  • Beds Provided
  • Bed Linen Provided
  • Towels Provided
  • Private Hot Tub
  • Private Bathroom
  • En-suite bathroom/toilet
Luxury safari lodge in a class of its own, with a wood-fired hot tub and set within Scotland's Gartmorn Dam Nature Reserve
  • Lovely roll top bath so you can enjoy a soak whilst appreciating the idyllic countryside
  • Excellent wood burning stove, heating the whole tent on those chilly Scottish evenings
  • Furnished on your arrival with crisp white bedding and towels
Rising on the edge of Gartmorn Dam – Scotland’s oldest reservoir, dating back to 1713 – there's something wonderfully wild about Dam View's Ivy Lodge, which offers the upmost comfort amongst 100 acres of farmland. If you thought you were "in the middle of nowhere" on the journey here, prepare to feel completely disconnected as you amble around the surrounding nature reserve – perfect for walkers who want to discover the unspoiled Scottish wilderness.
The gorgeous family-sized safari lodge – sleeping six in three bedrooms – is thoughtfully made and come lovingly furnished. There's a vintage leather sofa, antique furniture and Ivy boasts a wood burning stove keeping you warm and toasty throughout the winter months, whilst providing a means of cooking. At the heart of the living space is a fully-equipped kitchen, and a stunning roll top bath, so you can appreciate that unspoiled scenery whilst having a soak. Perfect!
Away from home this part of peaceful Scotland has plenty to offer; it's amazing to think that Glasgow and Edinburgh and and are both just an hour’s drive away. Dam View overlooks Gartmorn Dam Country Park and Nature Reserve, which plays host to plenty of birdlife and boosts connecting footpaths only two-minutes from your lodge. Fancy a trip to Scotland's capital? Then Edinburgh Castle is a must, and if you visit on a Saturday, make sure you pass through the famous farmers market and say hello to your host Sarah, selling Gartmorn Farm’s popular poultry.

The Owner Says

We are situated on our small 100 acre family farm looking out over a nature reserve with miles of walking, bike riding and bird watching straight from your lodge. The lodges are all kitted out for your arrival with fresh beds, towels and toiletries. The kitchen is equipped with everything you need for your stay with us, with all your cooking and kitchen utensils and pots, we have two cool boxes for your use with more freezer packs available on request. There is a wonderful wood burning stove, that heats the whole tent on those chillier days and evenings whilst also having an oven and hob too. There is a camping stove also available for the mornings where you would like a cup of tea or coffee without starting the fire. There is also a BBQ outside for you to use outside and a fire pit for toasting marshmallows on. There's also hammocks and wood-fired hot tub to your left and a beautiful view of the Dam.

There is a roll top bath with shower attachment in the tent, you can even open the back of the tent to enjoy the view while having a bath. There are towels provided for all our guests, along with locally made shampoo, body wash and hand soaps. The toilet is right outside your lodge for your privacy, it has a flushing toilet and small hand basin inside it. We do not have power in the lodge, however the toilet uses solar lighting and there is a solar powered phone charger in the kitchen for your use.  We provide solar powered lanterns and battery powered candles for around the lodge in the evening.  We have our own pet chickens on site that are looked after by our children, they would be delighted to bring guests fresh eggs - if our chickens (or children) are behaving. During the summer months our turkey chicks arrive which is a very exciting and busy time on the farm.  If you would like to visit any of our chicks please ask when you are here if there are any to see.  Of course during this time while we are all social distancing we might not be able to show our farm off as we usually would.

We do live in a beautiful peaceful setting, however if the wind is blowing the wrong way, then you might hear some road noise.  Luckily this also means that although you will feel like you are in the middle of nowhere it also has the advantage that we are in a very good location for visiting the rest of Scotland.

Our Coronavirus Booking Guarantee

Book with complete confidence at Dam View with the Glampingly Coronavirus Booking Guarantee. We guarantee the following clear policy for your booking:

  • A low deposit of 30% to secure your booking
  • Balance due 30 days before your holiday
  • Complete flexibility to move bookings up to the end of 2021 in the event of Coronavirus restrictions
  • Due to the flexibility provided we are unable to offer refunds
  • This guarantee supersedes any other policies

Click here to read the full terms

Gallery

The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge
The Ivy Lodge

Features & Facilities

Safari tents boast everything you could wish for from a luxury retreat, including three bedrooms, crisp white sheets under a thick duvet, hot water bottle, a well-equipped kitchen, roll top bath with shower head inside, wood-burning stove to keep you toasty and outdoor decking. The tents are situated above Gartmorn Dam a SSSI Nature Reserve, where there’s a working poultry farm. Fires are permitted using the firepit provided and outdoor games are provided in the tents.

Activities

It's a scenic 45-minute drive to St Andrews where you will find excellent beaches, a world renowned golf course and many restaurants and farm shops. If you'd like some pampering you could pop up to Gleneagles (01764 662231) for a luxury spa or lunch. Closer to the site, Dollar is a lovely little village with walks up to the castle and through the hills. If you don't fancy such a calf-straining walk then pop in for an ice cream or milkshake, and wander up the burn to Mill Green Park where all the local children paddle when it’s warm. The Kelpies (01324 590600) – a sculpture of huge Clydesdale horse heads standing 30 metres over Helix Park – makes for a great afternoon out, plus there’s a visitor centre and a small cafe. As impressive as they are during the day they are even more so at night – so if you are heading back from Edinburgh at night, look out for them! Do bring bikes (the path around the Dam is reasonably smooth) and you can also go further afield and tackle some longer and slightly harder rides. There are many places around the Dam to stop for a picnic (or try some bird watching) and there’s a coffee shop at the head of the Dam which is an ideal end-point to grab some refreshments. Lochleven Castle (01577 862670) is an early 15th-century tower where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567 and spent a year at the castle as a prisoner, before dramatically escaping. The castle is only 16 miles from the site and you can take a boat ride over to the castle and follow in the footsteps of Mary and Robert the Bruce.

Food & Drink

BBQ and breakfast packs are sometimes available if requested before arriving and Dam View also have their our own eggs (when the hens are behaving), frozen chicken and duck available. The Juniper Bar and Restaurant is an independent restaurant in Tillicoultry (01259 753777) with excellent local food at reasonable prices. The chef has worked at some of the UK's best restaurants, including Gleneagles. Muircot Farm Shop & Bistro (01259 750886) is the ideal place for breakfast, lunch or just a quick snack – they also serve mostly local produce. Cafe Des Fluers (01259 743699) in Dollar used to be open only in the daytime and they dish-up the most amazing scones, cake and milkshakes. At the time of writing they started serving evening meals too, but please check with them directly. The perfect place to eat if you fancy a traditional Scottish meal with the freshest of ingredients, Bridge Street Kitchen (01259 928020) is well worth a visit. They also serve a few dishes in tapas quantities and host themed nights throughout the week. Finally, The Tormaukin Inn (01259 781252) offers a stunning setting, and were featured in the 2015 Michelin Eating Out Guide. If you enjoy walking then you can ramble from Dollar Glen across to the Tormaukin, and really work for your meal! The restaurant is popular so book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Search All Availability at Dam View

Site Reviews

Add Your Review

Be the first to leave a review!

Location

Show Map

Getting There

Head north on Clackmannanshire Bridge and at the roundabout, take the first exit onto the A977. Continue for just under 2 miles to the B9140 and then turn left onto B9140. Continue straight on the B9140 (through the village of Coalsnaughton) and turn left at Gartmorn Farm, after you leave the village on your left hand side – when the trees begin is a farm track. Follow the farm track all the way along until you reach a gate, turn left down the hill towards the tent car park.
Alloa train station is a 15-minute drive (just under 5 miles) and there are buses running from the village.