Accessible Accommodation in Fife: Homelands Trust and The Rings

*Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Visit Scotland

Whilst staying in Fife we got to stay in two different locations; Homelands Trust in Lundin Links and The Rings in Cupar. Both were accessible self-catering places but they were very different.

Our first four nights were spent in the Cardy lodge at Homelands Trust. Driving up to Homelands was an experience; both my boyfriend and I shocked at how impressive it looked and couldn’t believe that is where we were staying. We arrived at about 6pm and our keys were in a coded lockbox at the side of our lodge which we had prior been given the code to.

Cardy is basically a two storey house that sleeps six; one double/twin room upstairs, a twin bedroom downstairs and a pull-out double sofa bed in the living room. The kitchen, living and dining area was all open-plan with very modern fixtures and fittings with wooden floor throughout. I loved the layout and design of the kitchen, it was very much my style; sleek, clean and contemporary. It was also stocked with absolutely every piece of kitchenware you can think of. As I am an ambulatory wheelchair user, and use crutches I had no problems with the height of the counters but if you’re a full-time wheelchair user, be aware that you may not be able to access some of the higher up units. 

The living area was really comfortable with a cosy sofa, armchair and recliner that I spent my evenings in. This led onto patio doors with a south facing garden overlooking the most beautiful view of the Lundin golf course and coastline. Just off the living room with sliding doors there was the twin room which had a standard single bed and an Invacare Medley Ergo electric bed with Invacare Softform Premier Active 2 airflow mattress plus Guldmann H-frame ceiling tracking hoist. The beds were really comfy and had beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

Downstairs also comprised of a utility room with a washing machine, dryer, iron and ironing board, and cleaning equipment; basically none of the things I use but my boyfriend was impressed. It also had a really large downstairs wet room with Guldmann H-frame ceiling tracking hoist and ‘Clos-o-mat’ toilet which had instructions on how to use on the wall next to the toilet but I didn’t read them and ended up with soaking hair, but that’s another story. It does, however have elbow pads to flush the toilet that are extremely useful. The wet room has lots of floor space, a shower seat and grab rails. It also has a wheeled cart to put any wash items on which I really appreciated as I didn’t have to bend over to retrieve things whilst sat on the shower chair. There’s also a separate toilet with sink on the ground floor which I thought was a great idea because if someone needed the toilet whilst another was in the shower, they wouldn’t have to wait.

Upstairs there is a double/twin bedroom with a Velux Cabrio balcony with incredible views. There’s also a bathroom with toilet and a shower over the bath.

The Cardy lodge was a dream to stay in; it was so spacious with lots of turning room for wheelchair users and set in a beautiful location. There was disabled parking right outside the door and a garden specifically for dogs to use as a toilet. We loved our stay and would definitely return.

On Friday we left Homelands and headed on a fifteen minute journey to The Rings in Cupar for our final two nights in Fife. Upon entering the driveway, I was enamoured with the uniqueness of the cottage and how seamlessly it meshed with the beautiful rolling hills and surrounding fields.

We were greeted by the wonderful Moira who showed us to the Ruby studio apartment we would be staying in but also gave us a tour of the rest of the cottage. The Rings is something like I had never seen before, it’s totally flexible so you can book as many or as few rooms as you need. Up to sixteen people can be accommodated and the wall between the two main living areas can be moved to make one large open plan space. Each person/couple has their own room with an en-suite bathroom and doors can be locked for privacy, or not so family/friends can enter whenever they want. Some rooms also have adjoining doors. The house can also be sub-divided to allow smaller groups. You can see from the image below how The Rings can be split up. The whole place is wheelchair accessible and on one level. Furthermore the decor caters for those with sensory and visual impairments and it is sound proofed so you will not be disturbed.

There are two studio apartments at The Rings and ours was Ruby, a south-facing room with stunning views. It had its own entrance and mini kitchen with cooker, hob oven, kettle and toaster. The entrance opened onto decking which was all the way around the property ensuring a smooth surface for wheelchairs and we could come and go as we pleased without disturbing anyone else staying at The Rings.

There are two studio apartments at The Rings and ours was Ruby, a south-facing room with stunning views. It had its own entrance and mini kitchen with cooker, hob oven, kettle and toaster. The entrance opened onto decking which was all the way around the property ensuring a smooth surface for wheelchairs and we could come and go as we pleased without disturbing anyone else staying at The Rings. 

I loved how the apartment was laid out, with hooks on the walls so not to take up space with a wardrobe, and inbuilt shelving that wasn’t protruding but giving more storage. There was also a wall-mounted table that folded away but gave a wheelchair user a desk area if they needed. There were so many little added touches that you could tell had really been thought about to make things easier for disabled people.

We were meant to come home on Sunday but Moira asked us to stay an extra night as her guest and we jumped (okay, I didn’t literally jump because I’d probably injure myself) at the opportunity. It was so incredibly kind of her and it gave me the rest day that I needed before travelling back the next day. It also allowed Teddy to play in the large, enclosed garden on the property, which you can read more about in my post about Dog Friendly Fife.

We’d love to return to The Rings, it was so peaceful and relaxing. I highly recommend you check it out.

For accessible accommodation, Fife is definitely doing it right and it’s always great to have options. If you’re planning to visit, you should definitely stay at either Homelands or The Rings, I highly recommend.

*Disclaimer: This post is sponsored but all views are my honest, unbiased opinion.