Roulotte Retreat

The highlights

• Individual roulottes complete with kitchen areas, shower rooms, toilets and wood burning stoves.
• Beautifully decorated and adorned with hand carved wooden doors and frames, opulent furniture and beautiful fabrics.
• Enjoy the wildlife, wildflowers and birdsong in the meadow by day and star gazing under the dark skies at night.
• Firepit next to the wildlife pond to enjoy a campfire and bbq.
• Two roulottes, Zenaya and Devanna have their own eco hot tubs.
• The Gitana has an outdoor copper woodfired bathtub.
• The Maharani roulotte comes with its own barrel-shaped wood-fired eco sauna with huge circular panorama window, from which you can watch the sun set over the fields and watch the wildlife whilst being warm.
• Surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Borders - within easy reach of Melrose, Kelso, Selkirk and, of course, Edinburgh.

You should know

• Unfortunately, the roulottes are not suitable for children, however they are welcome to stay at the gorgeous Horseshoe Cottage.
• Zenaya and Devanna both have eco hot tubs and Maharani has an eco sauna.
• There is an additional charge for the eco hot tubs and eco sauna (£85 for two nights; £100 for three nights, etc for exclusive use).
• Dogs are allowed in one of the roulottes - Rosa Bella. The owners ask for an additional fee of £10 for each night for guests staying with a dog. Up to two dogs are allowed.
• Dogs must be kept on a lead on their land due to the chickens and other animals on-site.

The detail

Fancy a break with more than a little romance? How about a stay at Roulotte Retreat, in one of the charming, traditional Gypsy caravans? Circling a three acre meadow in the Scottish Borders and overlooked by the Eildon Hills, the roulottes are a magical place to stay.

Each roulotte is unique, with decor that draws influence from Moroccan, Indian, Oriental and Celtic culture. Rich, jewel tones swathe both interiors and exteriors and intricate designs are carved into beautiful woodwork.

Depending on your preference, you may wish to stay in Devanna Roulotte, cheerful in peacock blue, with carvings of peacocks and symbolic paisley patterns and its own private eco hot tub, or Karlotta - beautifully art deco in design and oozing glamour in vivid scarlet. How about a stay in magical Gitana, with butterfly windows tinting her interior ruby red and green? Maharani is sure to impress, with detailed Indian fabrics and heady purple and gold hues, creating an air of opulence- a “palace on wheels”, with its own eco-sauna nearby. Enjoy some zen time in Zenaya, with an oriental ambience and secret eco hot tub. Shivanni in blues and ochres creates a feeling of being in the Himalayas, tucked away in the far corner of the meadow. Rosa Bella roulotte is a little larger than the others and sleeps up to four in her jewel toned splendour. This roulotte is also dog friendly, with one well behaved dog allowed at a slight added cost of £10 for each night. Dog owners will be pleased to know that there are many delightful dog walking routes nearby!

Apart from Rosa Bella, which sleeps four, each roulotte sleeps two adults in utmost comfort. You may be surprised to find that each has excellent self catering prospects with a kitchen area which should suit most guest’s needs. You can also enjoy a hot shower in the comfort of your roulotte too. Each one also enjoys a beautiful chaise lounge or day bed, for day time relaxing in front of the wood burner, as the eco logs crackle and you feel your worries float away. Basically, you have everything you need to lock yourself away from the world for a very tranquil few days.

If you are visiting with children, the pretty Horseshoe Cottage and accompanying Romany caravan and woodland garden will be a treat for the whole family.

Outside, in the beautiful meadow surroundings, is a small lochan and wildlife pond for birdwatching and nearby firepit for night time stargazing. There is an abundance of wildlife in the surrounding countryside - owls, deer, fox, rabbits, hares and, if you’re lucky, you may see the resident badger family or the elusive otters.

If you would like to venture beyond the immediate woodlands, Eildon Hills and River Tweed around Roulotte Retreat then there is plenty to keep you amused. The scenic Yarrow and Ettrick Valleys provide ample walking and wildlife spotting opportunities and a neighbouring valley has great mountain biking terrain. The historic town of Melrose is home to the beautiful ruins of a historic abbey, as well as pretty shops and cafes and in April is home to one of the Border’s biggest sporting events, the Melrose Sevens which attracts some of rugby union’s top players and plenty of visitors too. Also in Melrose during the month of June booklovers flock to the increasingly popular Borders Book Festival which encourages authors, writers and readers from afar. It is also worth noting the cultural delights of Edinburgh are about an hour away.

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