After my recent camping trip to north Wales, I decided to do some research on some of the best campsites in the UK for my next holiday. On reading reviews and comparing activities for the kids ect, here are my Top 5 Campsites In The UK For Families.
1. Trellyn Woodland Campsite, Pembrokeshire
Trellyn Woodland Campsite’s location is hard to beat. Not only does it lie within 10 miles of a dozen coves and beaches and barely 100 yards from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path at Abercastle, but you are also within easy striking distance of St David’s, Ramsey Island (ramseyisland.co.uk) and the reconstructed Iron Age hill fort of Castell Henylls (castellhenllys.com). The campsite itself has plenty to keep you occupied, whether it’s stargazing around the campfire or learning how to make fire yourself on one of Trellyn’s three-hour bushcraft courses (from £15 per person). There are just five pitches, each with its own picnic table and campfire, while the Dragon Tipi has a double bed, two futons and a separate campfire kitchen. Upping the glamping stakes, the yurts have oak floors and handcrafted furniture, while the modern and spacious geodomes have panoramic windows and wood-burning stoves.
2. Harvest Moon Holidays, North Berwick
Choose between luxury tree houses and safari tents at Harvest Moon Holidays’ fabulous new glamping site on Lochhouses Farm, adjoining the John Muir Country Park, east of Edinburgh. With sweeping views across sand dunes towards gannet-festooned Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, this is a great spot for free spirited families who love the great outdoors. The big empty beaches are irresistible, whether you’ve brought a bucket and spade or your own horse (£12 per night). Onsite there’s a farm shop, campfire and a kids’ corner with ducks, rabbits, lambs and other cuddlies. Boasting an internal area of 40sq m, the seven safari tents sleep up to eight and feature en suite toilets and hot showers, a fully equipped kitchen with Belfast sink, pine dresser and wood-burning stove, plus a lounge/dining area that opens onto a covered veranda. The seven tree houses are actually cabins on stilts just 2m off the ground, but they are just as stylish and beautifully furnished as the safari tents, with covered walkways connecting the sleeping and living areas. Kids love the integral hammock and swings.
3. Wild Boar Wood Campsite, Sussex
This is not glamping. It’s ‘real camping made easy’. At least that’s how the owners of Wild Boar Wood Campsite, a leafy retreat in West Sussex, prefer to describe their nine fully equipped bell tents. The luxury here is not about hot tubs or feather duvets, but a chance to really get away from it all. Apart from the occasional shrill whistle from the Bluebell Line as it trundles past the edge of the five-acre wood, this is back-to-nature camping, complete with a full cast of wildlife. In fact, the campsite is so secluded that you won’t even be told its exact location until your booking is confirmed. Each of the pre-erected tents is equipped with beds and cooking equipment. The onsite warden ensures everyone’s a happy camper – whether it’s delivering firewood for your barbecue or offering advice on days out. Nearby family-friendly attractions include Bodiam Castle and the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum.
4. Shieling Holidays, Isle Of Mull
With wonderful views over the Sound of Mull and across Loch Linnhe towards Ben Nevis, Shieling Holidays’ grassy campsite on the Isle of Mull is a short stroll from the ferry pier at Craignure. You can watch the CalMac ferry coming and going from Oban and listen out for the whistle of the narrow-gauge steam train that trundles back and forth between Craignure and Torosay Castle. There’s even the possibility of glimpsing seals, porpoises and otters from your tent, although you’ll get a better chance of seeing wildlife, including eagles, on a safari with Island Encounters. Named after the summer cottages of Highland shepherds, white canvas tents known as shielings bring a touch of original glamping to the site with their carpets, wood-burning stoves, real beds (up to six per tent) and self-contained bathrooms and kitchens. All you need to bring is bedding, cooking and eating utensils – or, if you prefer to travel a bit lighter, you can hire them from the campsite.
5. Woodland Tipis and Yurts, Dewchurch
Woodland Tipis and Yurts is located on a farm in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Little Dewchurch, Herefordshire. It has six Mongolian yurts and three traditional Sioux Native American tepees tucked into woods less than a mile from the River Wye. It’s the kind of place where youngsters can run wild with the woodland fairies, building them miniature wigwams of sticks and leaves decorated with petals and feathers. The six-acre ancient woodland is also a den-builder’s paradise. Hop over a stile and you find yourself on a grassy hillside that’s ideal for picnics. Each tepee or yurt sleeps up to six people, has an outdoor fire pit, picnic table and hammock. Inside, there’s a cosy jumble of rugs, sheepskins and mattresses, plus a king-size bed and a wood-burning stove. In addition to the two well-equipped kitchen shelters, there are separate bake houses with traditional earth ovens – perfect for making pizzas.
