Last week the three of us (and our dog, Alfie) had a little staycation at Piperdam Golf & Leisure Resort in Dundee. Was it a little strange going on a mini break to somewhere I previously lived for over 5 years? Not really, apart from a quick shopping trip to drool over the new Kat Von D counter at Debenhams and have dinner at Tony Macaroni’s, it didn’t feel like we were in Dundee whatsoever. We stayed in a pet-friendly log cabin (the Rainbow Plus) with two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, lounge area and hot tub. This included full use of the ‘Osprey’ spa facilities too.
We were on a tight budget so it was great to have the option to cook in our own kitchen. We went for breakfast at Howie’s Lounge Bar (where there’s live entertainment at night) and out for lunch most afternoons, but put together bread, cheese and meat platters to snack on at night after Penny fell asleep before we hit the hot tub. The log cabin was clean, cosy and came with a mountain of fluffy white towels. The beds were comfortable, the shower was unbelievable and the hot tub was always spotless, heated and ready to use at a moments notice.
I loved that we could bring Alfie with us. He’s a huge part of our family and it wouldn’t have been the same without him. We went to Camperdown Park and although we couldn’t go see the animals because he was with us we found a cosy spot in the cafe where we munched on stovies and Mars Bar cheesecake which overlooked one of the monkey enclosures. Just look at that happy wee face!
We also treated ourselves to a couple of treatments at their new Admire Spa. Ross had the Admire 90 Minute Massage and I treated my poor wee face to the Elemis Anti-Blemish Mattify And Calm facial. It’s specifically targeted for oily, congested or hormonal skin and includes an intuitive massage to help restore micro-circulation. There was lots for Penny to do too, she loved ‘Little Pipers’ the on-site soft play area. There were lots of babies for her to play with and she enjoyed numerous sausage rolls and tubs of strawberry ice cream too. They even had a pirate fancy dress event with activities and snacks. There are also lots of activities for older children including archery, zorbing, quad biking and bike hire.
The highlight for Ross was playing at both Piperdam’s beautiful golf courses. Other facilities at Piperdam also include a recently added Professional shop and locker rooms, short game area, and putting green. There’s also a full gym and 20-meter indoor heated pool with a steam room and sauna to relax in afterwards.
We had a lovely time and felt like we were in the middle of nowhere even though we were only about a 15-minute drive from the city centre. It’s worth mentioning that you may experience poor phone and internet signal during your stay which can be frustrating at times, but honestly, I kind of liked that we couldn’t rely on our phones for entertainment. It meant that we had quality family time and we had a flat screen with Freeview and DVD player so we could curl up on the couch under a blanket with a cheeky cider and watch a movie or countless episodes of Parks & Recreation. We had such a lovely time at Piperdam resort, I highly recommend it and I can’t wait to visit again.
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