Staying with Bonnie & Blyth
A cosy weekend at Bonnie & Blyth, a quirky riverside cabin in the Scottish Borders.
My weekend at the cabin was complimentary (organised through Kip Hideaways) but I was under no obligation to write a blog post.
As always, all content and opinions are my own.
Kip Hideaways
If you haven’t heard of Kip Hideaways before, allow me a second to explain. Kip is a membership website that features a carefully curated selection of boutique hideaways for 2-6 people. Rather than trawling the web for the perfect place to stay, Kip has already done all the hard work for you. Their properties are all carefully selected and impeccably curated. Their membership allows you to book directly with the owners (so you always get the best price) and gives you access to honest and impartial reviews of all the properties as well as other member perks.
You can read more about the membership here if it appeals.
Bonnie & Blyth
There are two beautiful cabins to pick from, Blyth Cabin (an impressive shepherd’s hut on stilts) and the Bonnie Hut (half rustic cabin, half vintage caravan). My home for the weekend was the Bonnie Hut and to say I fell in love with it is an understatement.
The Bonnie HUT
The Bonnie Hut sits directly on the banks of the river in the most tranquil setting you can imagine. To get to the cabin you cross a wooden bridge and a field filled with rare breed sheep - it feels a bit like stepping into a fairytale. A witch’s cabin in the woods definitely springs to mind. There are two gorgeous wooden decks with seating areas to enjoy - one looking directly over the river and one with a beautiful view of a nearby field. Think wide open skies and the gentle rush of river water… It really is the most tranquil and relaxing spot.
SLOW LIVING
The Bonnie Cabin is all about slow living. The wooden part of the house has a stove to keep you cosy and warm, a day bed and a comfy sofa for reading or snoozing. In the vintage caravan part of the cabin, there’s a cosy double bed with views out to the river. It’s small but snuggly and you can hear the river rippling during the night. The owners are passionate about eco-living and the hut is solar-powered and has a high-tech composting loo. Cabin guests also have access to the Wash House (complete with proper loo, washing machine and a lovely hot shower!) which is just a short walk away from the hut.
Your options for cooking are limited, but charmingly so. There’s a small kitchen and you can cook on the wood fire inside using the special stove or on the campfire outside (there’s also one gas hob ring for anyone feeling less adventurous!) We mainly cooked on the inside stove but we did put the fire pit to good use, toasting marshmallows under the stars.
The location of the hut on the riverbank means its perfectly placed for wildlife spotting. We saw lots of birds and apparently, if you're very lucky, you might even spot wild otters.
Good to know
The cabin does get some 3G and 4G signal but there is no wifi. There are USB power ports for charging your devices.
The hut is a few minutes walk from where you need to park so bear that in mind when packing.
The fire pit is perfect for toasting marshmallows so make sure you take some (we picked up a bag from the Spotty Dog Deli in Lauder.)
GETTING THERE
The Bonnie Hut is located south of Carfraemill on the Edinburgh-Coldstream road and is around 4 miles from Lauder. It is best accessed by car and took us less than an hour to drive there from central Edinburgh. Parking is available on site.
LOCAL AREA
Bonnie & Blyth is four miles from Lauder, a lovely wee village with a local deli, art gallery, butcher, bakery and a few restaurants and cafes. The Flat Cat Gallery does excellent coffee and a delicious carrot cake! Also nearby is Thirlestane Castle, a fairytale castle if ever you’ve seen one.
