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Homelands – Wheelchair Accessible Holiday Lodges in Fife, Scotland

Are you planning a holiday in Scotland but struggling to find a wheelchair accessible lodge with a ceiling track hoist, profiling bed, and Clos-o-mat toilet? Look no further than Homelands in the East Neuk of Fife!

The East Neuk of Fife is one of our favourite places to visit for days out, so we were excited when Homelands kindly invited us to stay for me to share my honest review with you.

Emma enjoying a wheelchair accessible walk at Letham Glen. She is in the forest and there are daffodils next to Emma.
Emma enjoying a wheelchair accessible walk at Letham Glen near Homelands

Homelands – Wheelchair Accessible Holiday Lodges in Fife, Scotland

Homelands Trust-Fife is a Scottish charity that provides accessible self-catering holiday accommodation. They have nine lodges, five of which are brand new, in Lundin Links, a picturesque village surrounded by beautiful scenery. All lodges are wheelchair accessible, provide luxury amenities, and can accommodate either six or eight people.

The lodges are designed with a high level of accessibility in mind, and they are equipped with ceiling track hoists, electric profiling beds with airflow mattresses, and Clos-o-mat toilets. This makes it the perfect getaway for disabled people and their families who want to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing stay with all the comforts of home.

*Not all lodges have a Clos-o-mat’® toilet. The Homelands website clearly states the facilities and equipment available in each lodge.

We stayed in the Durham Lodge, which is one of their new lodges. Read on to find out all about our experience.

Accessible Private Parking

Each lodge comes with its own parking bay that includes an electric vehicle charge point, and there is an additional parking bay for guests. The parking area and path leading to the lodge entrance are monoblocked for easy wheelchair access and have outside lighting.

Emma in her wheelchair sat in outside in front of the Durham lodge at Homelands Fife, a wheelchair accessible lodge in Scotland. Emma is wearing a beige jacket and brown trousers. Her silver wheelchair accessible vehicle is parked on the left.

Entrance Hall

Upon our arrival, we used the code provided to access the key safe box located on the wall next to the lodge’s door. We collected the key and entered the Durham lodge, where we stayed for three nights.

The entryway is spacious and has step-free access. We found the mobile hoist that I had requested waiting for us in the entryway.

The utility/laundry room is conveniently located in the entryway, which helps keep any noise from the washing machine, etc. away from the living and bedroom areas.   

A mobile hoist at Homelands Fife.

Open Plan kitchen, dining and living area

The main downstairs living area features a large, open plan lounge, kitchen, and dining room. Leading off from the lounge is the accessible twin room, which I’ll come back to in a little bit. There is also an accessible wet room and a family toilet downstairs.

A photo taken from the stairs landing looking down at Emma sat in the open plan lounge, dining and kitchen area.

Kitchen 

Access from the entryway leads into the spacious kitchen which is fully equipped with everything you may need during your stay. However, the kitchen is not adapted apart from the slide and hide oven door and it doesn’t have lowered worktops for cooking and cleaning.

Although there is a low-level breakfast bar that I liked because I was able to easily roll under and sit at it while eating or chatting with Allan as he prepared our meals. I found the breakfast bar table to be more comfortable for eating than the higher dining table.

The kitchen with a low breakfast bar table in the Durham lodge at Homelands in Fife.

We went to a nearby supermarket and bought groceries to cook our meals. However, you can order your groceries online and have them delivered directly to your lodge. It could be helpful to have your food shopping delivered, especially if you are staying for a week or longer or lack storage space in your car.

The nearby supermarkets include Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Iceland, and Farmfoods. Additionally, there are several Premier convenience stores dotted throughout the area.  Plus, there are local restaurants and takeaways.

Lounge and Dining Area

The lounge area in the lodge consists of a comfortable sofa, a coffee table, an armchair, and a rise and recline chair, which makes it an ideal place to relax and spend time with friends and family while watching TV or playing games. I tried the rise and recline chair and found it comfortable.

The open plan lounge, dining and kitchen area in the Durham lodge at Homelands in Fife

As a wheelchair user, I appreciated the spacious lounge and dining area, allowing me to move around easily.

Emma sat in her powerchair in the lounge at Homelands .

The glass patio sliding doors offer a beautiful beach view in the far distance and lead out to the garden. It was really peaceful, so I enjoyed sitting, looking out admiring the view and reading my book.

Sliding patio doors from the lounge leading out to the patio and garden area.

The Bedrooms at Homelands 

The Durham Lodge at Homelands can accommodate up to six guests with one accessible twin room on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs.

Accessible Twin Room

Once you enter through the two wide sliding doors, you will find an accessible twin room. The room is equipped with an Invacare Medley Ergo electric profiling bed, which comes with an Invacare Softform Premier Active 2 airflow mattress. There is also a single divan bed, which can be easily moved or pushed up next to the profiling bed.

The accessible twin room with a height adjustable profiling bed with an Invacare pressure relief air mattress. Plus a single divan bed. Ceiling track hoist above the beds.

A Guldmann H-frame ceiling tracking hoist runs above both beds, but there is the option to request a mobile hoist, which is what I did. The friendly team will make sure to have the hoist and any other equipment you require waiting for you upon your arrival. 

The accessible twin room with a height adjustable profiling bed with an Invacare pressure relief air mattress. Plus a single divan bed. Ceiling track hoist above the beds.

The room also has wardrobes, and you can enjoy the beautiful views of the garden from the comfort of your bed as the room has patio doors that lead out to the paved garden.

The accessible twin room with a height adjustable profiling bed with an Invacare pressure relief air mattress. Ceiling track hoist above the bed.

Upstairs bedrooms

The upstairs features two double bedrooms with one having the option of being made into a twin if required. Both bedrooms have a cosy feel, natural light from the windows, and clothing storage.

Double bedroom in the Durham lodge at Homelands.
Twin beds in the Durham lodge at Homelands in Fife.

Accessible wet room at Homelands

The accessible wet room is located across the hall from the accessible bedroom. It has various accessibility features and equipment, including a Clos-o-mat’® toilet and a Guldmann H-frame ceiling tracking hoist. Grab rails were positioned next to the toilet, wash basin, and shower area. 

A large wet room in the Durham accessible lodge at Homelands. It has a clos-o-mat toilet, shower with wall mounted seat, shower commode chair.

It’s great to see a ceiling track hoist installed in the wet room, as not many holiday accommodations provide this equipment. Even rarer is a wash and dry toilet like the Clos-o-mat. I wish more places had these toilets, as they allow disabled people to maintain dignity and independence while away from home.

Clos-o-mat toilet in the Durham accessible lodge at Homelands in Fife

The shower area has a wall-mounted seat with a Raindance showerhead, a handheld showerhead, and water controls that are easily accessible. I requested a shower commode chair as I find the wall-mounted seats difficult to use due to my lack of core strength and balance. You can request a shower commode chair or any other equipment you require when booking your stay at Homelands.

Shower commode and a wall mounted shower seat in the shower area of the wet room at Homelands in Fife.

Family bathrooms

The Durham has two family bathrooms for use. One is located upstairs next to the bedroom and has a bath, while the other is downstairs and only features a toilet and a wash basin. The downstairs toilet is accessible with grab rails, but it is much smaller than the wet room, which means it may not be ideal for some wheelchair users.

Family bathroom in the Durham accessible lodge at Homelands
Family toilet in the Durham accessible lodge at Homelands in Fife

Equipment available at Homelands

As I mentioned, there is a range of equipment that comes as standard in the lodges at Homelands, including ceiling tracking hoists, electric profiling beds with an airflow mattress, shower chairs, shower trollies and toilet raiser.

The following equipment can also be hired free of charge when booking a lodge:

  • Etac Turner stand aid (non-electric)
  • Electric stand Aid – Oxford Journey
  • Electric mobile hoist – Oxford Advance
  • Assisted wheelchair
  • Manual wheelchair
  • Infrared TV listening system: hearing aid users
  • Infrared TV listening system: non-hearing aid users
  • Freeway TA180 sit-to-stand transfer aid
  • Static bedroom commode
  • Freeway shower chair/ commode (self-propelled)
  • Freeway shower chair/ commode (assisted)
  • Freeway T80 Reclining Shower Chair 490mm wide
  • Shower trolley
  • Bed leaver
  • Rollator

More information and access statements for each lodge can be found on the Homelands website.

Accessible Patio and Garden

Sliding patio doors open off the living area onto the south-facing garden. The garden features a patio area with a four-seat table and a barbecue, overlooking a large communal garden.

Although the patio area is not fully private or enclosed, each lodge is divided by walls and fencing, offering some privacy on the sides, but not directly in front. This feature allows you to enjoy the views of the garden. 

The patio and BBQ area at the Durham lodge at Homelands with a view across the communal gardens.
Emma in her wheelchair sat in the garden at Homelands . It is beautifully landscaped. Emma is sat next to a four seat table. She is smiling at the camera.

During our visit, the spring sunshine was out, but it was still a little cold to enjoy sitting outside for long. However, I would love to be sitting there in the summer with my family, enjoying breakfast or reading a good book in the afternoon sun, and having a BBQ in the evenings.

Emma in her wheelchair sat in the garden at Homelands. Behind Emma is the rear of the lodge.

Final Thoughts on Homelands

We had a lovely stay at Homelands and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wheelchair accessible holiday lodge in Scotland, especially in the beautiful East Neuk of Fife. The accessible lodges at Homelands are fantastic, featuring spacious and open-plan living areas, a wet room with a Clos-o-mat toilet, an electric profiling bed with an airflow mattress, and ceiling track hoists in the bedroom and bathroom. Plus, a range of equipment is available for hire free of charge, ensuring that disabled people can enjoy a relaxing holiday with their friends and family, knowing that their needs are met. There are lots of things to do in the area and plenty of stunning views to enjoy.

Have you stayed at Homelands? If not, would you like to stay there?

Where Next: You Might Also Enjoy

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Meet Emma

Hi, I’m Emma! I'm an award-winning accessible travel and disability blogger, writer and content creator. My mission is to show you the possibilities of accessible travel through my travel guides, tips and reviews. I also share personal stories, live event reviews and more.

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