Scotland's best campsites crowned as 'one for beach lovers' tops list
Scotland's "best wild(ish) campsites" have been named. Topping the list is a coastal site that was described as "one for beach lovers".
When it comes to camping in Scotland, there are many different options to suit every taste. While some like to stay in campsites or holiday parks with a range of luxuries, others prefer the peace and solitude of wild camping.
On Tuesday, July 29, The Times shared a list of "five of the best wild(ish) campsites in Scotland". The newspaper selected sites around the country that strike a balance between offering important amenities while still feeling like pure camping without the bells and whistles.
The number one campsite on The Times' roundup is the Horgabost Campsite on the Isle of Harris. The site, also known as the Traigh Horgabost Caravan Park, is situated in the village of Horgabost on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides island.
The site, which is located on common grazing land, features grass pitches for motorhomes, campervans, caravans, and tents. All of the pitches are just a couple of minutes walk from the nearby Horgabost Beach.
Among the facilities available at the Horgabost Campsite are toilets, showers, and a wash up area. The site also features a freezer for icepack freezing and a fridge for communal use.
Dogs are welcome at the campsite, though must be kept on a lead at all times. Owners must also clean up after their pets and dispose of waste in a bin.
Meanwhile, there is no Wi-Fi or electric hook up available at the Horgabost Campsite. This makes it well suited to those looking for an experience closer to wild camping.
The Times wrote: "One for beach lovers, this basic campsite on the west coast of Harris overlooks a spectacular sweep of white sand. Toilets, showers and a communal fridge but no wi-fi or electric hook-ups.
"Popular with hikers (the Hebridean Way passes right by), this campsite has one other great selling point; the mobile Saltbox Sauna occasionally popping up right alongside."
Elsewhere, coming in at number two on the newspaper's roundup is the Ruberslaw Camping site in the Scottish Borders. The site is situated within 500 acres of unspoilt landscape in the Teviot Valley's Special Landscape Area.
Both camping and glamping are available at Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping. Guests can choose to set up camp in a historic walled garden, while 'Safari Tents' with various added amenities can also be booked.
The Times stated: "Making the most of 500 leafy acres outside Denholm, Ruberslaw caters to a diverse camping crowd with more conventional tent pitches in an Edwardian walled garden, swish safari tents and forest pitches that feel more like wild camping.
"Well run and quiet (cars are left in the car park), the site revolves around a campers' hub, with a barn-like communal lounge, a small shop, a kitchen area and bathrooms."
As reported by the Daily Record, the Ruberslaw Camping site was recently named the "best campsite in the Scottish Borders". Experts praised its blend of wild-style seclusion and home comforts.
Another "wild(ish)" campsite featured on The Times' list is Glenbrittle Camping on the Isle of Skye. The campsite features more than 35 electric hook-ups and more than 100 tent pitches, while amenities are close by.
Glenbrittle Camping was praised by The Times for its picturesque location and no-bookings policy. The newspaper also singled out the site for its café where visitors can enjoy coffee and pizza.
The full list of "five of the best wild(ish) campsites in Scotland" can be found on The Times website.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Crews 'working tirelessly' to fix storm damaged Scots railway lines
Network Rail said storms can have 'devastating' effects on train lines. Teams are 'working tirelessly' to rectify the damage to railway infrastructure brought by Storm Floris, Network Rail said. Ross Moran, rail director for Network Rail in Scotland, said storms such as Floris can have 'devastating' effects on train lines. On Tuesday, he told the PA news agency: 'The storm has caused really unprecedented challenges and damage to the railway infrastructure. The storm hit Scotland at around 11am on Monday. It was sustained and frequent until about 7.30pm. "It has caused damage to overhead lines, there's been more than 100 trees, as well as sheds and trampolines, blown on to the railway infrastructure." Mr Moran said that storms such as Floris are unusual during the summer and more common in the winter months. He added: 'What that means is we've got trees in full bloom, and therefore they're heavier and when you get wind speeds of over 100mph, the impact can be devastating to the railway infrastructure.' Mr Moran said communities in Inverness, Aberdeen and the far north of Scotland have experienced the worst disruption to railway lines, but added that clean-up crews and engineers are making "good progress". He thanked passengers for their patience while they seek to fix any damage to the lines. He said: "We are making good progress. At the moment there are still power issues, there are significant issues. "But our engineers and track teams are out there working tirelessly, and we expect that we'll continue to make good progress, and we will be able to update passengers as the day progresses." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Mr Moran added: "We are so grateful to the patience of passengers while we've worked through this difficult period, but do take our assurances that we're doing everything we can to get the lines back over and again as soon as possible." Engineers are working to restore power to a total of around 22,000 properties in the north and north-east of Scotland. Work is also under way to clear trees from several railway lines which were blocked by the storm. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it had restored power to 50,000 properties since the onset of the high winds. The company said: "Now the winds have died down and moved into the North Sea, it's become safer for our field teams to get to faults on the network, although strong gusts are still forecast for today and we'll be monitoring the forecast closely. "Our teams worked for as long as the light permitted last night and were deployed again early this morning, with the support of helicopters to assess the network from above. "This has been a particularly damaging storm and we'll be working hard to reconnect customers as safely and quickly as we can – but it will take time." The company, which is the network operator for northern Scotland, said it had organised meal provision in some of the affected communities. ScotRail said some routes in the north are still facing disruption. On Monday night, the Scottish Government's resilience room held an emergency meeting to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities. Ministers including Angela Constance were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, Sepa and transport and utilities companies. Trunk road companies are continuing to remove fallen trees and debris from roads. With winds of up to 90mph in some parts of the country, a significant clear-up job will be required to inspect lines and carry out repair work before it is safe to restore a full service. More wet and windy weather is forecast for late on Wednesday and Thursday, but no Met Office weather warnings are in place for Tuesday. ScotRail is urging customers to check their journey via the app, website or JourneyCheck before they travel. Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone spoke about the storm. He said: "While the system later this week won't carry as many impacts as Storm Floris, a further period of unseasonable wet and windy weather is on the way late on Wednesday and into Thursday for those in north-western parts of the UK. "An area of low pressure from the west will bring some strong winds, especially for those in western parts of Scotland. Gusts over 50mph are possible for a time. Some heavy rain will also accompany the strong winds, with up to 30mm possible."
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Little-known Ryanair bag rule might mean your luggage isn't allowed on the plane
Ryanair has updated its hand luggage policy, with the airline's free 'personal bag' now allowed to be larger than before - but there's a strict rule to look out for Ryanair travellers could see their luggage turned away at the boarding gate, even when they're willing to cough up additional charges for it. The no-frills carrier allows passengers on standard tickets to bring one " personal bag" without cost, provided it meets particular size restrictions. The former measurements were 40x25x20cm, but these have been revised following amendments to EU legislation. Currently, Ryanair's personal bag specifications are 40x30x20cm, with crew members able to utilise bag measuring devices at every gate to verify whether travellers' luggage surpasses this limit. If your bag fails to squeeze into the sizer at the gate, you'll be hit with an extra charge to take it aboard, potentially reaching £70 or 70 euros. In other similar news, a Brit abroad slammed an all-inclusive hotel food asking 'what on earth is this?' The cheapest Ryanair flights are the Basic Fares, which only allow a passenger to bring a personal item (which has to fit under the seat) on board, as well as be assigned a random seat. Although the ticket price is lower compared to other fares, it comes with a lot of restrictions. We've all read or heard stories about passengers getting charged extortionate prices because their personal items were bigger than the allowance. To avoid this from happening, passengers can pay an additional cost to ensure that their journeys are as smooth and as trouble-free as possible. But for those who are budget-conscious and want to save as much as possible, keep an eye out at the gate. A little-known regulation might see your bag refused entry, even when you're prepared to settle the additional costs with airport personnel. This occurs because all Ryanair departure gates function without accepting cash, requiring any gate bag charges to be paid via card, reports the Daily Record. A Ryanair representative stated: "Our bag policy is simple; if it fits in our bag sizer, which is bigger than our agreed dimensions, it gets on free of charge. If it doesn't fit within our sizers, it will get charged for." "There is a very simple solution to this issue, which is that passengers comply with their agreement of the time of booking, and travel with bags that fit or are smaller than our agreed bag dimensions," they added. Travellers lacking a card or who cannot otherwise settle payment for an oversized bag will be barred from bringing the bag onto the plane.
Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Daily Record
BA plane tries to land in Aberdeen amid Storm Floris before returning to London
"I was on this flight with my partner and I have to say I am traumatised! I won't be flying for a very long time." A plane "thudded" off the runway while attempting to land at Aberdeen Airport during Storm Floris before being diverted back to London. British Airways flight BA1314/SHT18A to Aberdeen from Heathrow at 4.05pm was diverted back to the London-based airport after the aircraft failed to land due to Storm Floris. Storm Floris caused widespread disruption across the north-east after an amber weather warning for winds of up to 90mph was issued by Met Office across the entirety of Aberdeenshire. The flight, which left London early at 3.39pm, arrived back at Heathrow at 6pm. The flight map shows the aircraft preparing to land in Aberdeen for around 17 minutes before heading back to London Heathrow. Footage of one of the landing attempts shows the aircraft wobbling after its wheels "thudded" off the runway. Passengers on the flight took to social media to share how scared they were on-board. Laraine Dawson wrote: "We were on this flight, the thud when we hit the runway was awful. Lots of folks were being sick. It was an awful flight - now to try get home." Helen Plumb said: "I was on that flight. It was not a pleasant experience. I'm so glad the pilot decided not to have another attempt at landing, my nerves were shattered already. "I've just arrived this morning via Schipol, nice sunny morning today. The trauma of yesterday is a fading memory." Emma Jay Horne continued: "I was on this flight with my partner and I have to say I am traumatised! I won't be flying for a very long time." Zipps Kennedy said: "I was on this flight, some people were spewing!! I'm still stuck in London waiting for my next flight on friggin Wed at 6pm!!!" Christine McLeod finished: "I was on this horrendous flight. I can do nothing but praise and thank the pilot, the cabin crew who were nothing but amazing." It is understood that British Airways have put on an additional service today to help our customers get to where they need to be. Numerous flights at Aberdeen Airport were cancelled yesterday due to Storm Floris, with Loganair and British Airways among the disrupted airlines. British Airways cancelled its 2.35pm flight to Heathrow, while Loganair's 10.30am Belfast, 2.20pm flight to Kirkwall, 2.45pm departure for Sumburg and 1.10pm Dublin flight were all axed. Aer Lingus also pulled its 4.10pm flight to Dublin. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
