Frugaldom

How to Support Frugaldom

2026-03-02T15:53:17.867+00:00

All the fun of Frugaldom revolves around the animals who have found a safe haven at the project. Since starting our wildlife habitat creation in 2014, we have planted over 12,000 saplings generating woodland and hedgerow, as well as wildlife corridors, ponds and orchard areas. Frugaldom is a privately owned, volunteer run project without funding, run voluntarily. We have ponies, goats and feral cats on site, as well as all the wildlife.

We rely on our personal income to fund the majority of the project and have extra support from family and friends. Monthly funds to help provide for animals and wildlife are generated from memberships to our support group and stopover fees from the campervans and motorhomes that visit. Find out how to support the Frugaldom project here. We offer various options, from adding a few £s to the 'tip' jar, to signing up monthly as Friends of Frugaldom, pony partners, sanctuary supporters, wildlife watchers or happy hutters.

For campervans and motorhomes, we offer overnight parking on hard-standing near wildlife feeding stations at a cost of £15 for 1 night or £25 for 2 nights.

Overnight camping in huts is permitted (£50 per night) but you will need to bring everything you need, just as you would if tenting. Frugaldom is completely off-grid so there's no running water, no plumbing and no electrics. We operate on a strictly 'bring all you need and leave no trace' basis and our top priority is the safety of the animals and wildlife.

Follow Frugaldom on Facebook, or check out @Frugaldom on X, Instagram, YouTube, Google or Ko-fi.

March of the Badgers

2026-02-27T09:05:25.449+00:00

As promised... As soon as our fundraising 'tips' reach £10 we run a 'WHATGOT' eggsperiment. Thanks to generous gifts of various foods, we can put out a wildlife buffet of special fox & badger food, eggs, nuts, fruit and peanut butter.

Tip a pound or more into the fundraiser on our ko-fi.com/Frugaldom page (if you haven't already) to play along and guess 'whatgot' the food from the secret location. Photos of the wildlife buffet will be posted from tonight, exclusively for our supporters. Trail camera is at the ready.

Thank you to all our new supporters and to our campervan visitors who have captured some amazing photographs over the past week, including this fantastic close up (taken from the yard on long lens) of pine marten.

We are enjoying listening to the frog chorus! We have dozens of frogs spawning in the wildlife pond, first spawn spotted on 13/02/26 so let's hope the winter freeze stays to a minimum.

Clan MacBrock has been more active recently, but still no signs of the mama badgers. We hope they have both had cubs and that they will soon bring them to visit us. We plan on getting a few more feeding boxes so we can leave out some extra food that will be safe from mice and birds.

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Google, Ko-fi... Just search for Frugaldom and follow along. Comment, react or share the posts and that also helps support the project.

A Look Ahead at February 2026

2026-01-31T03:50:43.554+00:00

WE ARE OPEN for overnight parking and longer stays for wildlife watchers, hut users, campervans and motorhomes (max 7.5m). The Scottish weather can be rather unpredictable and we are completely off-grid so come prepared. Ensure you have enough fuel, water, power and food to sustain you during your stay. You need to be fully contained with on-board toilet. We have waste emptying facilities but in extremely cold weather, water tanks can freeze so rinsing water isn't always available. There is no fresh water supply on site, our water is rain harvested. No electricity and mobile signal is patchy.

WILDLIFE WATCHING can be done from the comfort of your campervan or motorhome. We have 2 prime parking spots this month, each with opportunities of spotting badgers, foxes or pine martens by night and red squirrel by day. It is highly recommended that you bring binoculars and visitors are welcome to set up trail cameras overlooking the feeding stations. An overnight stop costs £15, or £25 for 2 nights. We are a fully registered and insured site with space for a maximum of 5 vehicles.

RULES are simple. Arrivals between noon and sunset, parked up before dark, departures by 11am. Although well behaved pets are welcome, they cannot be walked outside of the parking area after dark as we have rescue ponies on site that can be easily spooked. We also have goats and cats, plus all the wildlife so please drive slowly and be aware of what is around you. At the moment, the badgers and red squirrels cross the drive so we have a 5mph speed limit. Noise and movements to be kept to a minimum during wildlife watching so no generators, loud music or late night walkabouts. Consider neighbours if there are others sharing the park-up spaces for wildlife watching.

ACCESS TO THE HUTS is by prior arrangement. Members £25, non-members £50 per day/night, subject to availability. This includes parking. Each of the huts has a wildlife feeding station in view and for overnight watchers, small spotlights illuminated the platforms when the sensors are triggered.

THINGS YOU CAN BRING FOR WILDLIFE include fresh eggs, wild bird peanuts, monkey nuts, hazelnuts, peanut butter (100% peanuts) or complete dog biscuits. (If you want to bring treats for the sanctuary ponies, goats or cats, such gifts are always gratefully received.)

NEW FOR 2026 We are planning to introduce basic supplies into our the barn store. Items such as kindling, logs and night blocks, organic toilet fluid, water and some general fundraising items, as Frugaldom is run voluntarily and on a very small scale.

OTHER PLANS we have include fencing work and driveway improvements. We also have a filming day on 17th February as part of a short documentary about the Scottish hutting movement so the huts will not be available on that day. During work, the site will be closed to visitors while the driveway is blocked.

HOW TO BOOK - Mobile signal is intermittent so it is best to either text or WhatsApp to 07795 870688 or email frugaldom@gmail.com If you are booking ahead, we can accept payments via PayPal and balance on arrival. No booking is required for general overnight stops unless you want to guarantee a wildlife watching spot.

HOW TO FIND US - "Frugaldom, Kirkcowan" is pinned on Google maps. We are approximately 5 miles off the main A75. What3Words://photo.regal.fencing will bring you to our main gate. Our postcode is DG80ET but that is shared with several of our neighbours. We are listed on Park4Night and Search for sites.

Frugaldom operates voluntarily and is not for profit. The project is supported by Friends of Frugaldom members. If you would like to join, take a look at our page here. You can choose whichever tier membership suits you best.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I hope you will book a visit to come and see this quirky little off-grid wilderness wonderland for yourself. Don't forget to post us a review after your stay. 😊

January, So Far

2026-01-21T17:00:20.179+00:00

We got off to a great start this year with the arrival of our first red squirrel to the feeding platforms.

The feral cats have been feeling much friendlier and we now have 3 of them coming close enough for furry-friend attention.

We have received numerous gifts and donations of pet food, peanuts, feeding boxes and even a new fairy to add to the fairy garden. Thank you to everyone who has sent gifts and items from our Amazon list.

January has also seen the arrival of a fifth cat, which has now been spotted on the trail cameras several times. 5 cats! It's getting to be like a cat sanctuary around here. 😹

Badgers are still active almost daily despite the torpor state that they are meant to enter during winter.

The foxes and pine martens are also visiting regularly for their share of the tasty snacks we put out for them all.

We had a bit of damage done to the roadside fence - seen here after propping it up to keep ponies off the road. The vehicle was driven off, mess cleared up from road and no notifications given to us so it was like playing detective, putting bits of evidence together to work out how, when and by whom. Powers of deduction are great when you find bits of the vehicle with the make stamped on them. Police were notified, as was the nearby wind farm and an appeal for help that we sent out over our Facebook page was successful. Temporary repairs have been done but the damaged fence needs to be renewed. That's the next job.

Ginger has now gone into his 33rd year. His Cushing's seems to be fairly stable but as any horse person will know, there is no cure. Our ginger geriatric seems happy and is brought out every day for some extra feeding. On cold, wet days, he has his rain sheet as a little added protection from our Scottish winter weather.

The river well and truly burst its banks so the lower wetland turned into what looked like a loch. That will certainly have swept away any cobweb that ventured into 2026! Now it is time to start preparing for the real winter weather.

We hope to get solar panels swapped around about and incorporate some more off-grid power so all three huts have lights and phone charging. There's also a plan to lease out the small hut. These ones looked like a bargain so I've included our affiliate link, just in case anyone else wanted to try similar. Now that our support group members are visiting to photograph wildlife, we thought it best to provide usb charging points for phones and a portable gas stove for making a cuppa during overnight vigils.

We are still open to new members joining the Friends of Frugaldom support group, pricesstart from £5 per month.

Overnight parking for vehicles (max. 7.5m) costs £15 for 1 night, £25 for 2 nights or discounted for longer stays. Booking is advised as we have limited parking. Campervans and motorhomes welcome all year round as we are fully certificated by The Caledonian Touring Club. Waste facilities on site but no other services.

Welcome to 2026

2026-01-03T18:12:06.029+00:00

This past week has been great for our visitors to Frugaldom. The weather stayed fine and dry with just one night of rain that helped replenish the water tanks.

The fox arrived to feast in some dog food - I bought a 12kg bag of complete dog food for under £10 from supermarket so that should last a good few weeks. The badgers occasionally crunch on these biscuits but they seem to be in a state of torpor in this freezing weather, although 4 were spotted by campervan visitors during the week.

The pine martens arrived as usual and are now settled and happy incorporating the new feeding platform into their nightly food patrol. Thanks once again to whoever sent us the new squirrel feeding boxes, which the pine martens happily feast from through the night.

Huge happy surprise to us was witnessing (and photographing) the first red squirrel to arrive at the new platform and snack on peanuts from the feeders. This was a rather monumous event as our long-term tree and hedge planting plans have all been geared towards providing new habitat for red squirrels. We are over the moon that the first one has arrived at the feeders.

This is the third small tortoiseshell butterfly to emerge inside the hut so I'm guessing the log burner is warming them up and waking them from hibernation.

And finally, this was the Wolf suoermoon riding over the Galloway Hills. It was quite a spectacle against the pink sky. It rise quickly and was soon followed by Jupiter. Appreciating nature more and more as the years go by and can't wait to share the wild space we call Frugaldom with more of you in 2026. We can accommodate any camping vehicle up to a maximum vehicle length of 7.5m and for a mere £25 you can stopover and enjoy getting back to nature for 2 nights.

There is always a discount available for longer stays and we will be opening up hut 2 for visitors to enjoy whenever it is available. Overnight parking with all night access to the wildlife hut costs £50 for non-members. If you would like to join us as official Friends of Frugaldom, you can do so at www.ko-fi.com/Frugaldom

Huge thanks to all our existing members, volunteers and those who send anonymous gifts to help us keep all the animals fed.

Happy New Year

2026-01-03T17:46:00.000+00:00

From all the people, pets, ponies and goats at Frugaldom. Thank you for being part of this journey. All the very best for 2026.

Winter Garden Preparations

2025-12-30T19:15:00.875+00:00

The herbery will be getting an overhaul to bring all the strawberries under control. There are numerous raised beds here, all constructed as one of our lockdown projects. Since then, the herbs and sedum have thrived but I haven't had enough time or energy to keep on top of the weeding, thinning and trimming. It is absolutely fabulous to see someone tackling this job, despite the sub-zero temperatures, so I'm looking forward to getting the strawberry and rhubarb beds mulched over and the others topped up with the composted pony manure.

Here are the beds that have been cut back today. The lungwort in the centre is actually flowering. The strawberry plants have never yet died back and have sent out runners in all directions so these will be left until spring then potted on for moving out to our Trading Post at the main gate. I'm still not sure what to plant in the spare beds here as I really don't use many herbs but this also becomes a butterfly and bee garden, so I may introduce some buddleias. There is a patch of rhubarb, which fairs quite well. I can already see it bubbling below the surface of the soil so that will get some straw over it when I'm putting it around the strawberry plants. Aside from that, I can't think of anything else suitable for growing in these herb beds. All suggestions welcome.

Let's Not Forget About Frugal Living

2025-12-29T02:18:44.027+00:00

Let's not forget our roots.

Frugaldom, after all, grew from the concept of frugal living to bring about the freedom to enjoy life. Every year we set ourselves goals and every year we challenge ourselves to overcome any problems and make the most of every opportunity. Frugal living isn't merely penny pinching without reason, it is about wise spending for specific reasons. It should never be mistaken for meanness. Living well within your means can free up income to save for other things and to help others but getting to grips with a new budget can be daunting. For those interested, you can join us in the Moneysavingexpert.com forums and take part in our annual frugal living challenge. Alternatively, you are welcome to just follow along.

2026 Plans

Put more effort into growing fruit & veg

Make better use of space

Strive to make projects cash neutral

Offer more opportunities to others

Stay within budget

Improve existing facilities

Implement a plan for retirement

Win £1million

OK, so that last one is a bit of a stretch of the imagination but it isn't beyond the realms of possibility for anyone holding NS&I Premium Bonds. I'm a big PB fan, despite the negativity expressed by some money gurus. I also save spare change, use a regular saver account, don't have any private pensions and haven't the ability to fill an ISA because my income equates to less than half the 2026 national living wage. 😆 Back to the chance of winning big... If that really did happen, I think my first move would be to hire in help looking after the animals as I've found it almost impossible to find like-minded others who can afford the luxury of volunteering while also being prepared to take charge in my absence. It's 7 days a week all year, every year, so my plans also include trying to get some time away from the project.

Frugaldom in 2026

2025-12-28T01:42:00.000+00:00

What has 2026 got in store for Frugaldom's happy hutters, wildlife watchers and regular visitors?

New Feeding stations for badgers, new platforms for the pine martens and even more photo opportunities for those if you who make use of the huts. This is the pine marten platform at hut 2.

Exciting new opportunities are being created during these murky, dull, winter days of drizzle and fog. Soon, things will become clear when new year rings in a few changes here at Frugaldom.

This is the developing feeding station outside of hut 3. It attracts badgers, pine martens, foxes and a plethora of wild birds. Happy hutters will soon be enjoying all that nature has to offer, experiencing off-grid adventures that will create memories that should last forever.

Pine marten platform can be seen from huts 1 and 2, plus from the yard, so if you are staying in a campervan or motorhome hoping to see these beautiful creatures, ask for the Pine Marten View parking bay.

Members of Clan MacBrock can often be seen clambering around the feeding stations by the yard and outside huts 2 and 3. Campervan and motorhome visitors hoping to watch them can book Badger's Holt parking bay.

Environmental artwork can be seen weathering the storms as the rich green tapestry of the land is rejuvenated by summer sunshine. I promise you all, the sun is shining beyond those imposing grey clouds. The grey will clear and the brightness of stars shining in dark skies will bring crisp, Spring sunshine followed by long summer days. Get ready to be part of what is unfolding.

So many plans are being developed as you read this, most bringing improvements and opportunities to come along and experience Frugaldom for yourselves. There will be special concessions for those who join the Friends of Frugaldom support group.

Nature and wildlife feature strongly in our future plans, alongside the ponies and goats who welcome our visitors.

Being open all year round for happy hutters, wildlife watchers, campervan and motorhome owners offers the opportunity to observe nature and wildlife, even from your park-up spot.

The yard will be having a bit of a makeover to repair some damaged fencing and further improve drainage. We now operate our campervan and motorhome site under certification by the Caledonian Touring Club, which allows stopovers from a single night right up to 4-week stays, subject to availability.

We have some track repairs to be done, improving the access, parking and turning points.

Vincent Van Goat will still be greeting visitors.

We will expect all visitors to respect several new rules that are in place but most of these are for the safety of our sanctuary animals and the resident wildlife that frequents the numerous feeding stations situated around the huts and campervan/motorhome parking area.

The sculpture project has taken on a life of its own with sales of commissioned artworks contributing towards the improvements and development of Frugaldom, enabling the project to be open to all. Look out for updates in the very near future and if you would like to register your interest, show your support or get involved in anything we do here, you can join the Friends of Frugaldom group HERE

Merry Christmas 2025

2025-12-25T10:47:00.000+00:00

Merry Christmas everybody, from all at Frugaldom. We hope you have a great day and can end 2025 on a positive note.

To our money saving, frugal living challenge participants, the 2026 challenge has been opened in the Money Saving Expert forums - I'll look forward to welcoming everyone there to 'play' along.

To our campervanners and motorhomers, the Frugaldom yard is open all year round for stopovers, prices remain at £15 for 1 night, £25 for 2 nights and further discounts available for longer stays up to a maximum 28 days.

To our Friends of Frugaldom members, pony partners, sanctuary supporters, wildlife watchers and volunteers, we couldn't run Frugaldom without you all and are truly grateful for all your help, gifts, donations and support.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.

Pine Marten View

2025-12-02T02:42:00.000+00:00

Badger's Holt and Pine Marten View are small, unique, off-grid campervan park-up spots within Frugaldom in southwest Scotland. The project grew from a lifelong passion for wildlife and quiet, natural places. After several years of watching the lie of the land and planting over 10,000 trees to rewild what had previously been clear felled, we wanted to create a simple, low-impact space where other nature lovers could experience the same sense of closeness to the landscape.

Spending all of our free time here has taught us how much wildlife thrives when the environment is left undisturbed. Our aim is to offer visitors a peaceful place to stay that respects the rhythms of nature, totally off-grid and allowing a maximum of just three campervans at any one time. (The third spot will be named soon.) The highlight for many guests is the chance to see wild badgers and pine martens — an experience that still feels magical, even after years of observing them.

We welcome birdwatchers, photographers, vanlife travellers and anyone seeking a quiet, authentic connection to Scotland’s wildlife. Our approach is simple: provide a safe, secluded place to stay, share what we know about the local animals, and protect the land that makes this place special. If you value nature, tranquillity and respectful travel, you’ll feel at home here.

Frugaldom is also home to several rescued ponies, a couple of goats and a few feral cats who somehow managed to find their way here. You may also spot the bunnies, the occasional deer, red kites, buzzards, hen harriers, barn and tawny owls, woodpeckers and Phillip the pheasant, among other species.

There is also an art in nature project, which now displays around 70 individual sculptures made from wildwood, driftwood, general rubbish and collected beach debris. Most of these environmental artworks, or ecoarts, are home to a variety of small critters. If you are coming to visit, it is highly recommended you bring binoculars and camera.

Text or WhatsApp 07795 870688 to check availability or book. No voice messages please as mobile signal is intermittent and I'm not guaranteed to be able to access voicemail. Alternatively, comment here, email frugaldom@gmail.com or contact us via any of our social media accounts. Just search for @Frugaldom

Winter Wildlife Watching

2025-11-30T23:33:00.001+00:00

Our yard remains open all year round for campervans and motorhomes parking up for a few nights of wildlife watching. Being certified as a 5-van campsite by the Caledonian Touring Club means we can offer some great opportunities for meet-ups, one night stopovers and our wildlife watching events.

We completed the extension of the pine marten feeding platform, as seen in the photo, and it had to be investigated by the cats. The photo shows the confrontation when one of the pine martens arrived before this feral feline left. Check out the video clip of events on the Frugaldom YouTube channel.

SPECIAL OFFERS

Winter weekday stopovers - £10 for 1 night, £15 for 2 nights, £20 for 3 nights, £25 for 4 nights. Eligible for Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Weekend prices £15 for 1 night, £25 for 2 nights, £35 for 3 nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). If you would like to spend a full week, it costs just £60 for off-grid park-up, no services provided. We do have a waste tank for cassette emptying plus grey water disposal via soakaway (no chemicals).

JOIN FRIENDS OF FRUGALDOM

As always, we welcome new members to the project's support group, Friends of Frugaldom. Monthly fees contribute towards feed and care of the resident animals and donations help if you'd prefer not to commit from £5 each month. Find out more about Friends of Frugaldom here.

Winter Preparations and our New Fire Chief

2025-11-14T16:05:33.658+00:00

The snow has reached the Galloway hills a few days earlier this year, with a dusting over the tops of the higher peaks leading up to the Merrick (our highest hill, which officially qualifies as a mountain).

Meanwhile, down here at the low 100m mark, we are trying to weatherproof the essentials before temperatures drop back below zero but we seem to have a new fire marshall.

Minstrel always has to get involved with everything, nowadays. For 3 full years, all we ever caught was a glimpse of her and the other ferals on the trail cams and then one day, just a few months ago, two of the cats befriended us - this one is now like a pampered housecat, greeting all our visitors and following us everywhere.

Yes, Minstrel, we got new buckets and they now hold the water but don't get too used to sampling it from there because it will be replaced by sand once the freezing weather gets here. What else is new at Frugaldom?

A shiny, red triangle has now replaced the old rusty cow bell that once hung on the fence.

New signs are being printed and replaced as and when required - this one needs 'FIRE POINT' written across it, just in case anyone misinterprets the graphics depicting an extinguisher and flames.

Ill leave you all with another cat photo, as Minstrel is obviously guarding the new buckets to protect them from Caramel, Macaroon and Socks. Hopefully, the feral feline friends at Frugaldom will behave while our visiting campervanners prepare for night of pine marten spotting. Our cameras are all at the ready in the hope of a repeat performance from last night, when the piney youngsters had a fun time frolicking at their feeding platform.

Join Friends of Frugaldom to help support the nature & wildlife project and feed the ponies, goats and cats who live here.

Folded Paper Hedgehog

2025-11-09T23:08:45.157+00:00

Thank you! 😊🦔

I just wanted to share a photo of this very cute hedgehog. A lovely friend brought it along at the weekend as a gift. This is creative recycling using old paperback books. This little fellow is finished off with googly eyes and came with his own fancy box as his winter hibernation hideout.

Many thanks to Odette, a good friend, fellow frugaler, Frugaldom supporter and long-term follower of the Frugal living challenge.

For anyone who would like to try making their own hedgehog, it is similar to how we made the Christmas trees some years ago but here is a simple tutorial to watch that shows you how to make a folded paper hedgehog

Have fun! 😊

Homemade Laundry Liquid or Homemade Laundry Gloop

2025-11-09T17:36:38.729+00:00

I made my first batch of this in 2009 after having used soapnuts for some previous years. I haven't bought laundry detergent or fabric softener in a long time (substitute a cup of white vinegar for fabric conditioner) so it now amounts to a saving of several £s per week for this household, an extra £150+ into the savings pot over the year, or else used for other things.

Frugal Laundry Detergent

1 Bar of soap, grated (or 8 tblsp soap flakes)

1 cup of washing soda

5 litres water (up to 7 can be used)

A few drops of essential oil

I don't have any essential oils to hand but I added a good squirt of lemon juice. I would normally use a natural extracts soap that contained lavender and tea tree oil but for this simple batch, I'm just using supermarket fragrance free, which cost £1.20 for four bars.

Grate the soap. Boil some water in a big stock pot, or similar, dissolve the soda crystals and grated soap in it and keep stirring until it resembles wallpaper paste consistency. Add your essential oil of choice, if needed, then dilute your hot mix to at least 5 litres, stirring the mix over the heat. (I make mine up to 7 litres.) It takes a bit of time to fully dissolve the soap and washing soda, but make sure it's all gone before you dilute, cool and decant the liquid. Make sure you use a wide top storage container. I store mine in a large lidded bucket so it can be scooped out and thinned down if necessary. I use a ladel to fill a plastic laundry ball and then that goes in the machine but it is equally alright to add it into the machine drawer.

As with all washing machines, you'll still need to give your machine a boil wash cycle every few months to ensure all the hoses stay clear of soap residue.

This homemade laundry cleaner works equally well as a hand wash for you ultra frugalites who live without the modern convenience of an automatic washing machine or a twin tub. I have used it often in a hand or foot operated washer.

I used to make 2 lots of detergent at a time, one with a few drops of blue dye in it to help 'whiten' whites but no longer wear white - working outdoors in all weathers with animals doesn't invite white.

That's it - homemade Laundry liquid is simple to make, inexpensive and has no added nasties. You can even thin the gloop down further and add extra lemon juice to make your own washing up liquid or dish soap. It's frugally versatile.

One important thing to remember - just because it has been made in your largest soup pan and stirred with a wooden spoon does not mean you should taste it. Trust me when I say that this is an easy mistake to make!

Where can you photograph pine martens?

2025-11-06T16:26:32.672+00:00

Where can you photograph pine martens? Frugaldom in southwest Scotland, that's where. We have a feeding station that is in view of the yard so you can park with a direct view of the platform. We can accommodate vehicles up to 7.5m in length and if you are fully self-sufficient, you can stay overnight or even make the Frugaldom campervan site your longer term base. It costs £15 for 1 night, £25 for 2 nights, £75 for a full week. No campervan? No problem! You can park your car or bike and hire a hut for £50 overnight.

At this time of year, we are photographing and filming at least 5 individual pine martens coming to visit the feeding platform, where we leave them fresh eggs and peanuts. If you are coming to visit, we can recommend fresh eggs, peanuts, monkey nuts and crunchy peanut butter of the 100% peanuts, unsweetened varieties. (Aldi does a reasonably priced one.)

We restock the peanut box regularly - this one is a standard squirrel feeding box and seems to work well, once the pineys worked out how to open it. This year's babies still sometimes forget and bite the lid but they soon work out the top opening hatch. We still aren't sure if there were 2 or 3 kits born here this year, it is difficult to distinguish who is who when they seldom face the camera.

This is 'Comma'. He has been coming to the feeders for quite some time. We often caught him on camera at the feeder, in the yard and on the hut deckings throughout 2024. A definite male who has been seen with one of the females.

We can identify him as 'Comma' by his bib markings - this was him about to run up the tree last night, where we have a small den box.

This is one of the kits born earlier this year. We don't know which are males and which are females yet but there appears to be at least 3 youngsters 2 are very alike but their bib markings are on opposite sides - almost mirror images of one another.

Two of the three youngsters we have identified - regular visitors to the feeding platform in the tree. The one nearest the peanut box is simply named 'Splodge' because if the big brown splodge on his bib.

Our visiting campervanners and motorhomes love parking up and watching the pine martens and badgers from their vehicles. If you don't have a camper, fear not... We have overnight parking space for cars and bikes, plus cosy huts where you can hunker down for a camp-out overnight to enjoy wildlife watching.

Frugaldom is run voluntarily as a social enterprise so all income contributes towards the project, it's animal residents (ponies, goats and barn cats) and the wildlife.

A Recycling and Repurposing Project - Garden of Oddities

2025-11-03T16:53:21.331+00:00

The garden of Oddities is a space cleared at Frugaldom where Harvey is putting together a series of what can only be described as 'oddities'. Everything being used is junk or beach foraged debris, even the sign - which I love! 😊

If anyone can remember the tin man and his dog from some years ago, they are here, slouched on their skewiffy broken bench, along with the deep sea diver (or spaceman), the lobster creek ponies and the latest creations made from all the old Welly boots.

The feral but no-longer-feral cats were curious as to what was going on here, with one of them staying to oversee proceedings. Added to this collection of Oddities, we now have Dunlop and Wellington, the two rubber dogs, and Hunter, the horse on which cat is sat. 😆

Frugal art is economical and environmentally friendly in as much as it is keeping rubbish from being burned, buried or binned. We call it ecoarts and it has its own Facebook page - check out Ecoarts here

Thank You for Helping

2025-11-02T20:49:45.578+00:00

Feeding all the animals that stay at, or frequent, Frugaldom would not be possible without our supporters. Our recent request for help brought enough extra pennies to cover the cost of several packs of cat food and a couple of tubs of peanut butter.

We were also donated a total of 50kg of peanuts - something we get through a lot of, especially when supplementing the diets of so many badgers, pine martens and wild birds. One kind motorhome booking sent us 2 x 12.5kg of wild bird mix while another page follower and supporter sent 150 suet balls along with peanuts.

When we put out food for the badgers, they are often accompanied by their friends, the foxes, o we also put out dog food, which is enjoyed by both. We have had a couple of bags donated over the year but also add a big bag in when supermarket shopping. As a special treat for all, there's usually a couple of kilos of chicken drumsticks thrown in. Surprisingly, these can work out better value for money than some of the sachets of wet cat or dog food.

I sometimes think our feral feline friends and frequent visiting wildlife are better fed than us! Frugal living is the only way we can keep up with the costs involved in running such a project as Frugaldom (hence the name) and without the fabulous help of funds raised from followers and members of our 'Friends of Frugaldom' support group, we would definitely not be able to support all the animals and wildlife.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

Anyone is welcome to come along and see what we do here. We have space for up to 5 campervans or 3 motorhomes, with our yard fully certified by the Caledonian Touring Club and insured for use throughout the year. This allows us to offer overnight stops as well as longer stays, offering discounts to make longer stays more affordable to all. We also have off-grid cabins for wildlife watchers. Non-members can park their vehicles overnight in the yard and hire a hut for £50 but these are not holiday lodges or cabins, there are no services provided. It is very much a case of bring everything you need, as though camping, and leave no trace. No smoking or vaping and no pets in the huts. Friends of Frugaldom wildlife watchers have access to the huts while visiting Frugaldom.

If you have visited Frugaldom, please consider leaving us a review on any of the following:

Searchforsires (Frugaldom)

Park4Night (Frugaldom)

Google page (Frugaldom, Kirkcowan)

Facebook (@Frugaldom)

For 2026, I hope to link Frugaldom to TripAdvisor

Autumn in the Aire

2025-10-20T16:04:00.000+01:00

Autumn is certainly in the air, with our park-up area looking a little sparse around the edges. The trees are casting their leaves in rustling showers and the colour palette of Frugaldom has become one of bronze, yellows, reds and golds. There is still a little bit of green to be seen but most of the flowers have gone.

The scarlet dogwoods add a splash of colour by the edge of the paddock and by the side of the drive so we will soon be cutting these back to replant those red stems elsewhere. Come along and help, if you can.

The willows have become wispy, waving in the wind and ready to be cut down for replanting elsewhere. Willows and dogwoods are fantastic for this very reason - harvesting their stems, or coppicing them, produces an abundance of new planting material every year.

The beech tree is turning golden and is currently the location of many bird visits as the goldcrests and other small birds pick at the bugs and buds. The hazel and oak trees are frequented by the jays who come to feast on the nuts and acorns.

The ground beneath the trees is carpeted in crispy leaves, often disturbed by scratching birds and snuggling badgers. You can tell the year is winding down, which means we need to step up the feeding to supplement the diets of all the creatures who live here. We now have regular badger buffets and tree picnics for the pine martens. The most fantastic thing about nature is that it surrounds us and can be enjoyed by all for free. Catching glimpses of badgers and pine martens or the occasional red squirrel is a gift to be enjoyed by all. Feed them and they will come.

If you would like to help us feed the animal inhabitants of Frugaldom then you can simply contribute a few pounds via PayPal to frugaldom@gmail.com

Thank you for reading the Frugaldom blog

Thank you for sharing the Frugaldom posts

Thank you for supporting Frugaldom

Who Needs Therapy When There's Wildlife to Watch

2025-10-17T03:06:00.001+01:00

We have had several great nights of wildlife watching and a 100% success rate, so far, with our visitors seeing the badgers. I like to think of our wildlife watching as frugal fun. Getting out into nature and observing wildlife can be free, if you take the time to learn a little about the environment and the habitats in which the wild birds and animals live.

It may surprise many to know that foxes and badgers can happily co-exist within the same area, feeding together and even sharing the same sett and den locations. Often, the badgers arrive along with the foxes and share the dog biscuits and peanuts we put out to supplement their diets.

Here at Frugaldom, we have regular visits prom the pine martens, who are always wary of the foxes and badgers but will often stand their ground, watching from the safety of their favourite tree. Their tree has a feeding platform that sees an assortment of birds and even mice visiting for snacks.

One if the more colourful visitors is the greater spotted Woodpecker. Seen here is a male bird, easily identified by his bright red patch behind his head. Everything loves peanuts, even the fox eats them. So, too, will the goats and ponies, given half the chance of finding them. 😆

Nature can be all the therapy you need. Fresh air, a little bit of comfort and some time to relax, unwind, de-stress and recharge can reap huge health benefits. Simple living, simple pleasures, simple solutions... It costs from as little as £5 per month to join 'Friends of Frugaldom' and enjoy access anytime to what we consider to be a wildlife wonderland. Overnight parking costs £15 for campervans or motorhomes up to 7.5m

Check out our other pages for more photos and updates by searching for @Frugaldom

We are located in southwest Scotland, between Newton Stewart and Stranraer, just 5 miles off the main A75 near Kirkcowan. Email frugaldom@gmail.com for further details or to book a wildlife watch.

Frugaldom Availability

2025-10-14T20:16:00.000+01:00

As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, we are preparing for the inevitable lack of time to get everything done that needs to be done. One thing that is ready, however, is our yard; it is open all year round for visiting campervans and motorhomes (max 7.5m). If you have a self-contained vehicle, can do the whole off-grid thing and can bring your own water, then you're welcome to come along anytime. We have a sliding scale for pricing your stays...

£15 for 1 night

£25 for 2 nights

£35 for 3 nights

£45 for 4 nights

£55 for 5 nights

£65 for 6 nights

£75 for 7 nights

Under our new licensing by the Caledonian Touring Club, visitors are welcome to stay for up to 28 days. We have basic waste disposal for water and toilet cassettes, rain harvested rinsing water and two cosy huts that can be hired out by the day or night for wildlife watching. (£50)

We have availability from 17th October for all dates but make sure you check availability prior to arrival. Email frugaldom@gmail.com or else message via any of our social media pages - just search for @frugaldom

Alternatively, you can text or WhatsApp 07795870688. No calls or voice messages please as signal is intermittent here and we work outdoors every day.

Where Can I See Pine Martens in Scotland?

2025-09-25T16:43:00.001+01:00

The question, "Where can I see pine martens in Scotland?" is one I have seen often asked in forums or social media groups. The following is my answer, along with evidence... Right here at Frugaldom is where you can see pine martens in Scotland. We have huts that can be used as hides plus overnight parking for those who want to visit and park up in a campervan or motorhome (max. 7.5m).

Contrary to common belief, pine martens can be seen at all hours of day and night, unlike their larger mustelid cousins, the badgers. The latter seldom put in an appearance before sunset.

This year, we noted at least two kits visiting the spruce tree feeding platform along with one or other of their parents, most likely to be mum.

Frugaldom is set within its own private wilderness that has been intentionally rewilded over the past decade. This 5 hectare site sees near nightly visits from pine martens and badgers, as well as offering the possibility of spotting buzzards, owls, hen harriers, red kites, kestrels, sparrowhawks and countless small birds.

The jays can often be heard in the surrounding woodlands and at the feeding stations. Their raucous calls are unmistakable.

By night, with the help of infra red trail cameras, we document the comings and goings of our resident pine martens, badgers and foxes.

For those choosing to spend a night in an off-grid observation hut, the pine martens and the badgers are likely to come close enough to photograph through the windows. On occasion, sightings have been much closer than expected. 😆

From the campervan park-up site, you can see the spruce tree platform, which is great for anyone with the right camera equipment or for those happy just to quietly observe from a distance.

This particular photo was taken through the window on my mobile phone when one of the more senior pine martens came bounding along the decking to help himself to peanuts.

I can never guarantee anyone will spot and photograph a pine marten here at Frugaldom but our corner of Dumfries & Galloway in southwest Scotland has a thriving and growing population - some of them have chosen to revisit our land regularly.

Campervan and motorhome parking costs £15 for 1 night, £25 for 2 nights, £75 for a full week. Overnight, exclusive use of a hut costs £50 and each has it's own log burner, ensuring convenient use throughout the year. To check availability, please text or WhatsApp 07795870688 or email frugaldom@gmail.com

If you would like to support this wildlife project, you can join Friends of Frugaldom from as little as £5 per month.

See www.ko-fi.com/Frugaldom for further details, to subscribe or to donate.

If you have read this far, thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog post. You can like, follow and/or share your favourite posts, of which, there are many. 😊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

About Frugaldom

2025-09-22T21:03:00.000+01:00

These past few weeks since reopening our yard to campervans and motorhomes have been interesting. Our speciality, if you care to call it that, is providing opportunities for our visitors to watch the wildlife at the various feeding stations.

The badgers, now known as 'Clan MacBrock', are firm favourites with everyone, especially with so many of our visitors never having seen live badgers before coming to Frugaldom. Our resident badgers are very shy, nocturnal creatures but they occasionally put in an appearance before dark. By using trail cameras, we can see where they go and at what time.

The pine martens are also highly prized for photo opportunities and, to everyone's delight, they have been arriving at all hours, including the middle of the day. Our current motorhomers parked up in the yard have managed to get some great photos of pine marten in a nearby tree at the peanut feeder.

As many of you will know, we also have the huts at Frugaldom, where our supporters can camp out to watch the wildlife. Sometimes, however, I do wonder who is watching who.

As autumn approaches, we are introducing more opportunities for our supporters to come along and share this patch of wilderness.

Thetr is still plenty to see if you live wildlife and nature. There's park-up space for campervans and motorhomes (max 7.5m) and woodland huts as hides and for a spot of overnight camping. The huts are ideal for artists, writers, photographers and for anyone looking to escape for a bit of down time to recharge. Hut 3 makes a fabulous reading room while hut 2 is more spacious for enjoying the company of friends or fellow wildlife enthusiasts.

As well as wildlife and nature conservation, we provide sanctuary to ponies, goats and feral cats.

We are not a charity nor are we a company, we are a social enterprise being run voluntarily to offer fellow frugalers and followers of Frugaldom the chance to experience a totally off-grid, low impact lifestyle where nature and the environment play primary roles.

While here, you can take a walk into the secret garden and explore art in nature.

To join Friends of Frugaldom and support this project, you can sign up via our page at www.ko-fi.com/Frugaldom Membership costs from just £5 per month and all monies raised contribute towards feeding and caring for the animals and wildlife that live here.

Cabin Camping for Wildlife Watching

2025-09-16T20:00:00.000+01:00

Cabin based wildlife watching just got so much better at Frugaldom. We now have hut 3, which can snugly accommodate singles or couples, available to members and non-members alike.

Hut 3 benefits from some beautiful sunrise views over the marshes and fields towards the Galloway Hills.

The unicorn sculpture is located to the front of this little cabin, alongside the track leading to the pine marten's tree.

The views of the Galloway Hills change with the seasons and the weather but this is the view from the covered decking.

Often, flocks of birds descend on the surrounding willows. Today's visitors were long-tailed tits and redpolls. Apologies for the bad photo quality but all I had was my mobile phone when the birds arrived.

Having taken delivery of another load of wood chippings and some rather interesting logs yesterday, we were able to begin making a few improvements to the feeding station in front of this hut.

The feeding station is a favourite spot for badgers, pine martens and foxes so you are almost guaranteed to see something if you are sitting quietly of an evening.

Members of the Clan MacBrock are busying themselves about the place regularly, out and about from sunset munching happily on peanuts, snuffling for worms and even coming onto the hut decking, helping themselves to the cat food.

We usually leave a fresh egg out for the pine martens but the badgers often get there first. Pine martens, however, also love peanuts.

Tonight, Tuesday 16th September, 2025, the cameras have been set in the hope of bringing you a snapshot of the wildlife. For nature enthusiasts, urban escapes, wildlife watchers and those interested in disconnecting to recharge, this hut retreat could provide you with the ultimate, minimal impact experience of a lifetime. If you value unique stays over luxury services, Frugaldom is a must-see.

Not only do we offer friendly cabin camping opportunities, we also have over 60 installations of environmental artworks, all created from locally collected driftwood, wildwood and beach-combed 'junk'. See how many you can spot while here.

FACILITIES

Hut 3 can accommodate single adventurers or couples looking to escape and get back to nature. The huts are totally off-grid so you will need to bring your camping gear. There is a site toilet and the only available water is harvested from the roof. Minimal lighting is from solar and heating is by means if a small log burner.

PRICES

£50 per night includes vehicle parking nearby. No pets, no smoking, no vaping in the huts.

BOOKING

Please text or WhatsApp 07795870688 or email frugaldom@gmail.com to check availability.

Frugal and Free

2025-09-11T14:49:00.000+01:00

FREEBIES!

But what does one do with such frugal gifts? Some may say this is mere waste and, in a way, it is. Someone, somewhere paid a company to remove a dangerous tree and clip back a hedge then remove all this 'waste' so everything went through a big chipping machine and loaded onto a lorry. From there, it is 'disposed of appropriately and legally'.

Frugaldom is on the disposal list. We recycle chipped up trees and logs into mulch, compost and wildlife habitats that become homes or feeding stations to a plethora of critters and beasties.

Log piles make fabulous critter dens and feeding areas for wildlife. For our visitors stopping overnight, these areas also make great photo points when spotting the foxes, badgers or pine martens.

We often set out trail cameras and we supplement the feed of our visiting wildlife. Food for the animals is our biggest expense so we love when visitors arrive bearing gifts of peanuts, monkey nuts, fresh eggs, suet blocks and crunchy peanut butter (100% peanuts).

We also recycle any pallets we are given. Most get used for fencing or for floating footpaths over the marshy areas but we also built a small hide for summer use by the river.

As well as all of this, the donated logs, tree chippings and pallets can be incorporated into Frugaldom's art in nature project. Harvey is in charge of that, creating all the wildwood and driftwood sculptures, making art from beach trash and dreaming up all manner of woodland creatures that can now be found here.

Currently, the installation known as 'The Four Horses if Frugaldom' is being moved from its previous location in the goat enclosure to be set up by the main driveway into the project. Truth, Honesty, Integrity and Respect will soon be in place, seen taking their leap of faith over nature's obstacles. Ecoarts play a huge part of what we do here, both telling a story and raising awareness, as well as helping raise much needed funds to help us keep going.

But back to the free tree chippings...

Thanks to the chippings, we can mulch the footpaths that run between the cabins and around the wildlife feeding stations. Hut 2 is the current focus as we top up the paths around it, following in the footsteps of the deer, foxes, badgers and pine martens who frequently visit.

Frugal living isn't for everyone and nor is the whole off-grid experience but our aim is to make such experiences affordable and accessible to all. Nature and wildlife lovers, especially, are being offered memberships to our support group known as FRIENDS OF FRUGALDOM. In turn, this tiny bit income helps us cover costs of feeding the rescued, retired and rehomed animals we have here while offering members the chance to visit and stay.

Another fundraising feature we have is "Badger's Holt", a super corner of Frugaldom that permits campervans, motorhomes or even small caravans to park up and watch the wildlife while here. Stays can range from one day/night up to 28 days with pricing to suit any budget.

Frugaldom is also home to several feral cats, two of which can often be spotted roaming around the barn, hay shelters and feed rooms. Seen here is Caramel but we also have Macaroon, Minstrel, Socks and, on occasion, Commander.

All in all, Frugaldom is about frugality and the freedom to enjoy nature. Whether you are cabin camping, campervanning or motorhoming, we have an option that should suit every budget

Please contact me (Susan) if you have any questions or if you would like to help out here. Frugaldom is unfunded and run voluntarily as a social enterprise. We are neither a business nor are we a charity, we are simply two people spending our income on creating a magical little wilderness that can be enjoyed by all.