Ailsa Lodge

A hillside farm with the Clyde in front of it

Cleeves is a North Ayrshire livestock farm running sheep, cattle, and forestry, and its three lodges sit on a shoulder of it above Dalry, the ground falling away west towards the Firth of Clyde. They were made in Scotland, clad in Scottish larch, and took their first guests in April 2021.

Inside is 40 square metres: a king bedroom, a double sofa bed in the living space, and one bathroom with a toilet, a sink, and a walk-in shower. The kitchen has an oven, a hob, a microwave, a fridge, a freezer, a kettle, and a coffee maker, which is enough to cook properly rather than reheat. Linen, towels, and toiletries come with the stay, along with a television, an iron, a hair dryer, and wifi.

The reason most people book is on the patio. The hot tub is private and wood fired, so it is lit and left to come up to temperature rather than switched on, and the wood is grown on the farm. There is a barbecue grill out there too. The lodge runs on solar with battery storage and inverter technology, and the owners intend to add electric vehicle charging from the same panels.

Choosing between the three lodges

Good to know

Features

Location

Where it puts you

Dalry is inland North Ayrshire, farm country rather than coast, but the coast is close on either side. Fairlie and Largs are north west, and Kelburn Castle sits above Fairlie with its painted tower and its glen. Ardrossan is the ferry port for Arran, which is the mountain on the horizon from most of this hillside.

Inland, Kilmarnock has Dean Castle Country Park, a 14th century castle in 200 acres of woodland and riverside walks. South of it the rest of Ayrshire runs towards Ayr and Alloway.