Saturday December 6th 2025
Author Sara Starling in the woods at Vogrie Country Park.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson
Something magical has always existed at Vogrie Country Park. Now, that magic has a voice – and children across the UK are listening.
The Bubbling Toad Stories, an audiobook series set entirely within Vogrie Country Park and House in Midlothian, is being compared to The Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh by listeners. What makes it different? The park, the magic, and The Bubbling Toad itself, complete with Potion Room, Fairy Hollow, Lunar Library and Puzzlery escape room all exist in real life.
The stories stand alone, but families can also listen, then visit Vogrie and see the trees, the wildlife and experience the magic of the Potion Room and the places where these stories unfold.
The stories were born from friendship. In 2016, Sara had a worrying dream about someone she’d barely met and reached out to see if she was ok (she wasn’t). That message began an extraordinary nine-year friendship with Gayanne Potter – who, just before Christmas 2024, was handed the keys to Vogrie Country House to run magical experiences for children and families.
When Gayanne told Sara the name of her business, Sara says: “I just knew it needed a back story.”
Between Christmas and New Year 2024, she wrote and recorded the origin story as a gift for Gayanne. The response was tears of joy and an insistence she keep writing. Twenty-three stories later, ten form Volume One of the audiobook.
Parents are reporting children aged 5-8 listening “absolutely riveted” without interruption, then sleeping peacefully. “Other audio books don’t have that same effect – they’re usually left overly-energized,” says mother Audrey K.
The stories – produced with ex-BBC sound designer Leon Ford – feature Scotland’s natural soundscape alongside wildlife characters and tales that gently explore worry, loss, friendship and fear.
“Mesmerising mindful magic,” says mum and business owner Karen Webber. “Modern classics in the making.”
Writer Matthew S adds: “If you’re like me, growing up on Wind in the Willows, The House at Pooh Corner, and other classics, you’re in for a treat. This is truly a classic being born.”
In a world where Future Minds reports more than one in five children have a diagnosable mental health condition, these stories – rooted in a real Scottish country park – offer comfort and magic children can return to, both in audio and in person.
Six-year-old Erin puts it simply: “I’m happy when I listen to the stories. They are like my friends now.”
A special single-story book, designed and illustrated by Andy Greenhouse, will be released soon. Volume One of the audiobook is available now at www.thebubblingtoadstories.com.
The magic lives at Vogrie. And now, everyone can hear it.
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