Dougal's Dog Blog. SPECIAL PREVIEW: Strathclyde Country Park
You know how it is that your mobile phone always goes off at the most inconvenient moment?
So there I was on the Hebridean island of Harris with my head down a rabbit hole, and for the first time in my life I actually came face-to-face with a bunny rabbit.
The only problem was, I wasn’t sure what I was meant to do next. The rabbit didn’t seem too perplexed as she simply carried on texting her boyfriend. And it was at this precise moment that my own mobile went off.
It was the lovely Ro on the Dog & Bone. You know, that smiley lady from Club Together who smells really nice.
‘Dougal, I have an important job for you,’ she said to me as the bunny rabbit finished texting her boyfriend and started to file her claws with the kind of industrial sander that made me get my head out of that burrow PDQ.
‘There are a lot of members on Club Together who are slathering to find out about our new site at Strathclyde near Glasgow. You know, the one that’s opening on the 26th of October? Well, is there any chance you could swing by with that funny Human that you Own and give us a bit of a heads-up on what it’s going to be like?’
Did I know about the new site at Strathclyde? DID I KNOW? Put it this way, The Human hasn’t stopped wittering on about it since the day he found out that the Club was in the process of redeveloping it.
‘It’ll be perfect, just perfect for us!’ he sung while dancing in a most distressing fashion around the Tin Can on Wheels. ‘We go from Kent to Scotland two or three times a year with the ‘van, and this will be the perfect place to stop off for a night or two and break the journey! Perfect, just perfect!’ he squealed. If I cared, I’d worry about him.
Of course, being within barking distance of Glasgow means that it’s one of those places where you’ll stop off for a night and no doubt end up staying for a week.
I like Glasgow. I’ve been there before and we went to a really, really nice doggie-friendly pub serving good food for humans, called The 78 Café Bar on Kelvinhaugh Street. In fact, forget everything you’ve heard about Deep Fried Mars Bars and other such nonsense, the Human assures me that Glasgow is one of his favourite cities as far as food goes. And he’s a fussy eater.
So… what about the site itself?
Well, we visited at the end of September, four weeks before the site was due to open. And, to this canine at least, it looks like the Club has completely skewed its priorities.
All the hardstanding pitches were complete, the roadways, the loo blocks for humans, the caravan storage area, and late night arrivals area. But the dog walk wasn’t yet ready! How very dare they. But the very very lovely warden Olwyn assured me that it will be ready by opening. The dog walk is going to be of the ‘path’ variety, not the open field type, and will follow two sides of the storage compound. I glanced over at the storage area. It’s massive! It put me in mind of the one in Cadeside in Somerset. So that will be a good 10 minutes walk there-and-back.
But that’s not all.
The site is called Stathclyde Country Park. Think about that for a minute my canine pals. You know what that means? Yep, it’s slap bang wallop in the middle of a country park! In other words, directly opposite the site entrance is a short path leading to an open field for endless games of ball. Wander a little further and you come to the lake surrounded by even more ball-friendly green spaces. And if you really fancy a walk? According to the lovely Olwyn, the path around the lake is 3.5 miles in length. WOW!
Have a scroll across the photographs above, as one is taken in what will be the dog walk area next to the storage compound, and one of the others shows me in the Country Park.
About 400yds from the site is an amusement/theme park where I’m allowed to go in, but I’m not allowed into the food areas. Going out for the evening with the most important member of the family (i.e. the dog) would involve driving off the country park complex.
And it is for this latter reason that Strathclyde Country Park narrow scrapes a full house on the Bone Rating, but very comfortably achieves a 4/5.
Of course, if one of the local bars or restaurants reviews their dog policy then the site would get a five. The good news is that we’ve already booked a stay here in January, so look out for an update. And if the Human that you Own wants to know more about the site, tell him or her to have a browse around Club Together as my very own Human is writing about their facilities elsewhere on the site, and they should be posted within the next day or two.
Comments
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Thanks for the update Dougal.
To learn more about The Club's new site in Scotland please see the Strathclyde Country Park site details page.
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Sounds very good - did you get bothered by the dratted midges, sis & I have our work carried out trying to chase and catch them, then our humans bring out the dreaded yellow fish slice looking thing which is bashed about everywhere to try and get them -
we think it is cheating though.Skye & Iona
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Hello Skye and Iona!
As you can see by the pictures we had good weather for our mid-September visit, and were not bothered at all by midges (unlike the night before at Loch Long).
The Human is pestering me because HIS review isn't posted anywhere yet (glad to see the Club got their priorities right there!) and he wants me to say a couple of things.
He wants me to point out to everybody that there *IS* an element of road noise (motorway hum) at every pitch, and over this coming winter there will be some brown patches where all the grass hasn't grown yet. Apparently it was a bit of a wet summer this
year which delayed the landscaping a bit.But the important stuff, like the roadways, pitches, security systems, loo blocks etc are all in full working order!
I guess it's like moving in to a new house. Lovely and fresh and new but the grounds need a couple of years to mature.
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I can't believe my eyes! A dog's blog! How ridiculous. I thought this was a website for adults! Whereas I appreciate an update on the site's development and readiness for opening, I don't appreciate it in the format in which it is presented - through the
eyes of a dog! What is the Caravan Club thinking of?0 -
There are no lakes in Scotland only LOCHS.
Write your comments here... There is one lake in Scotland...........Lake of Menteith
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I can't believe my eyes! A dog's blog! How ridiculous. I thought this was a website for adults! Whereas I appreciate an update on the site's development and readiness for opening, I don't appreciate it in the format in which it is presented - through the
eyes of a dog! What is the Caravan Club thinking of?Write your comments here...I am sorry but I totally disagree with you. I think it makes a pleasant change.
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This is brilliant, please keep it up. Now with regard to a previous comment from MyGalSal, quote "how ridiculous" & "what is the caravan club thinking of" how sad you are no one forced you to open and read the blog, I take it you are niether a dog or a dog
owner?Toby toes (a hansome blue roan cocker spanial aged 3)
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I can't believe my eyes! A dog's blog! How ridiculous. I thought this was a website for adults! Whereas I appreciate an update on the site's development and readiness for opening, I don't appreciate it in the format in which it is presented - through the
eyes of a dog! What is the Caravan Club thinking of?I hate to be picky but what do you expect from something entitled Dougal's Dog Blog? If you don't like the title, don't read it. There are plenty of other articles on the site including apparently a review of the same site by Dougal's Human. No I am not
a dog owner, but I appreciate the humour of the piece and also a different perspective of a caravan site. At a time when we are trying to encourage younger members to enjoy our hobby, perhaps this style of review also appeals to children/young adults more
than an adult review would; I would have loved this when I was a kid. The world is increasingly driven by social media and a blog such as this is an ideal way to encourage others to join us in our wonderful lifestyle. The Caravan Club needs new blood and to
dispell the myth that we are all a bunch of fuddy duddys. Keep the blogs coming Dougal. In a world full of too many worries they make me smile.
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HI, THE WIFE AND I CALLED IN AT THIS NEW SITE AND WE WERE MET BY A CHARMING LADY CALLED SAM, WE WERE GIVING A QUICK SURVEY SHE WAS VERY OBLIGING, ITS VERY EASY TO GET TO AND LOOKS A VERY GOOD SETUP, WE WILL DEFINATELY BE THERE NEXT YEAR. ON ANOTHER SUBJECT WE LEARNT A VERY HARD LESSON LAST WEEK, WE WERE LOOKING FOR A SITE NEAR NEWARK ON TRENT SO WE WENT TO A NONE CARAVAN CLUB SITE BIG MISTAKE!!!!, OLD TOILETS. 20 PENCE COLD SHOWERS. MUCK UP. SO NO MORE NON CARAVAN CLUB SITES
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For a Human's perspective of the site, please follow (or cut n paste) this link:
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There are no lakes in Scotland only LOCHS.
Not quite correct; there is Lake of Menteith and there are many, many other bodies of water that are not lochs and can rightly be referred to as lakes or dams.
We ought to be grateful for anyone who is willing to promote Scotland and not treat them with hostility!
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There are no problems with midges at this location, you have to go further North before they become a problem. The park is very popular and the walk round the Loch will give you an appetite. If you are strolling though be prepared to be lapped by the keep
fit addicts.If you want to eat this is a great site with the busy carvery opposite and a good restaurant in the hotel by the theme park. Locally try Riva in Bothwell for Italian food and Smiths in Uddingston (Scotlands restaurant of the Year 2011) for their three course
meals at very good prices.0 -
I found this review humourous and it has made me smile on what has been a tough day.
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Hi Dougal. Will you be going to the National at Belvoir Castle? I checked with the Castle website and it stated "dogs not allowed in the castle and grounds". I emailed the Club and have been assured that dogs are allowed in the rally grounds but not the
castle or immediate grounds. Perhaps you could get your human to check out what is available. I don't want a bored dog on my hands if there is no where to walk her!!0
