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Midlothian woman transforms mansion into a magical family escape

Midlothian woman transforms mansion into a magical family escape

Edinburgh Live07-06-2025
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A Midlothian woman has transformed a section of a neglected mansion into a magical workshop for all ages.
Gayanne Potter and her family spent months turning the neglected wing of Vogrie House into a mystical venue after they were offered it by Midlothian Council.
She said: "I wanted to create a space that felt magical and enchanting, somewhere families could enjoy a slower pace for a while and reconnect through different imaginative activities. Take time away from screens, just be swept up in the wonder we've created in the different rooms.
"Magic has no age limit and The Bubbling Toad doesn't either, it's for everyone.'
The wing they painstakingly restored is now home to The Bubbling Toad, an experience like no other where children and adults alike can embrace their magical side as they make potions, create magical crafts in their various workshops and dive into the world of fantasy by following hidden trails in the Fairy Hollow.
(Image: Supplied)
Located in Vogrie Country Park, this handcrafted space also features a 'starlit' library and an 'everchanging' escape room that will be changed every few months.
Having opened on Friday, June 6, their first escape room is Victorian themed. However, during specific holidays, it will be modified to fit the occasion. At Christmas, for example, The Bubbling Toad team will turn their Fairy Hollow into an Elf's Workshop while the escape room becomes Santa's Grotto.
And to top it all off, The Bubbling Toad will also be bookable for parties where children can either let their imagination run free in the Fairy Hollow or let their creativity flow with an exclusive potion making party.
Experiences start from just £8 for children's sessions, with adult experiences and crafting classes starting from £18.
More information on The Bubbling Toad can be found here.
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‘We are insanely competitive': Sarah Vine goes on a trip to a famous detox retreat in Turkey with two of her best friends
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time7 hours ago

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‘We are insanely competitive': Sarah Vine goes on a trip to a famous detox retreat in Turkey with two of her best friends

I've always felt my friend Santa was too good to be true. Tall, blonde, beautiful, slim, elegant, impeccably connected. A bestselling author whose books have sold over six million copies worldwide. Surely there has to be something wrong with her. Well, I'm delighted to say she's not perfect, after all. In fact, she is the reason I'm sitting in the pouring rain drinking watery broth, waiting for some equally watery juice to arrive so I can down another handful of dust in supplement form, before going to sleep at toddler-o-clock out of sheer boredom and hunger. This is her fault. I smile sweetly across the table at her. My other friend Imogen – also blonde, beautiful, slim, bestselling author (note to self: must choose less glamorous/successful friends) – isn't letting on but I'm sure she secretly agrees with me. She's pretending not to miss the fags and vodka, but I know her too well. Santa and Imogen are two of my dearest friends. Imogen and I have been muckers since the early 90s, when she was the rave correspondent for the Independent (yes, really). I met Santa through my ex-husband, Michael Gove, who is great friends with her husband, the historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. The two of them are like night and day: one impeccably clean-living, the other… well, Imogen. We do this thing called 'sofa'. It all started years ago, when Imogen and I were neighbours and both our husbands were out all the time in the evenings (hers is a TV producer, a profession that's even worse for the soul than politics). We used to take turns flopping on each other's sofas, wine glasses at our elbows, the kids in bed, gossiping, setting the world to rights. At some point over the past two decades, Santa was initiated into the coven, and now we meet at least twice a month. This is next-level 'sofa', our first holiday together. 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Wimbledon has had enough of tennis
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