Caravanning in Scotland

There are 297 caravanning sites published on BritStays across Scotland, and they're spread about as widely as you'd expect in a country with this much coast, loch and hill. That's a lot of choice, which is good news — but it also means the deciding factor is rarely "is there a pitch" and more often "is it the right sort of pitch for the sort of week we want".

Where the sites cluster

The biggest concentrations are Ayrshire (29), St Andrews (25), Aberdeenshire (18), then Fife (17) and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs (17), followed by Inverness (16), Stirling (12) and the Scottish Borders (12). Beyond those, listings thin out across Perthshire, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Skye, Orkney, Shetland Islands and the Outer Hebrides — fewer options, but often the ones with the views you came for.

• Coast with things to do: Ayrshire and St Andrews have the density, so you can be fussy about facilities and still find something.
• Lochs and hills: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, Perthshire, Stirling and Inverness put you within reach of Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis and Glencoe.
• Quiet and uncrowded: the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides. Fewer sites, so book earlier rather than later.

What the facility counts actually tell you

Across the 297 sites, the most frequently listed facilities are EV charging nearby (136), being near a bus stop (83), WiFi (63), toilets (58), pet friendly (56), a laundrette (50), disabled access (47) and a restaurant (45). Two things follow from that. First, electric towing and bus-based days out are more workable in Scotland than many people assume. Second, the numbers for toilets, laundrettes and pet policies are well under half the total — not because most sites lack them, but because listings vary in how much detail they carry. Treat the facility list as a starting point and confirm the things you can't do without directly with the site.

Reading the example sites

A handful of listings show the range neatly. Ardmillan Castle Holiday Park in Ayrshire pairs a restaurant and toilets with sea views — the full-service coastal park. Crosbie Towers at West Kilbride has a swimming pool, clubhouse and playground, and Kinloss Park at Aviemore adds a pool, gym and parking: these are the ones to shortlist if rain is a real risk to family morale. Dutch House Caravan Park at Monkton (gym, playground, disabled access) and Lochlands Leisure Park at Forfar (restaurant, cafe, playground) sit in the same bracket.

At the other end, Mossyard Caravan Park in Dumfries and Galloway and Deerness Community Centre Caravan and Camp Site in Orkney carry no listed extras at all, which usually signals a simpler, quieter stay — ideal for couples who'd rather have the view than the clubhouse. Castle Point Caravan and Camping Site in Dumfries and Galloway lists WiFi, useful if someone's working a day. Balnakeil Motorhome Stopover near Inverness lists EV charging nearby and reads as a stopover rather than a week's base. Gilsland Caravan Park at St Andrews lists EV charging and being near a train station, so you could leave the car hitched up and travel by rail. Lauder - Camping and Caravanning Club Site in the Scottish Borders covers toilets, disabled access and WiFi, and Laggan in Ayrshire and Houndridge in the Scottish Borders both list on-site extras — a cafe and gift shop, and a gift shop respectively.

Days out from your pitch

Inland bases open up museum days that work in any weather: the Highland Folk Museum and Am Fasgadh, the Pitlochry & Moulin Heritage Centre and the Clan Donnachaidh Centre in Perthshire, The Scottish Crannog Centre, and Perth Museum, Stanley Mills and William Soutar's House in Fife. For big-landscape days, Glencoe and Ben Nevis reward an early start; Loch Ness and Loch Lomond suit a slower pace. Castle-hunters have Balintore Castle, Fa'side Castle, Almond Castle and Askerton Castle to work into a route.

When to book

School holidays and anything with a pool, clubhouse or playground go first — Crosbie Towers and Kinloss Park are the type to fill early. Island and low-density areas (Orkney, Shetland Islands, Outer Hebrides, Isle of Skye) have fewer sites, so they sell out on supply rather than demand; book these as far ahead as you can and sort ferries at the same time.

Before you confirm: check pet rules in writing if you're bringing a dog, ask about hardstanding and pitch length for larger vans, confirm the EV charger type if you're towing electric, and ask whether facilities such as a restaurant or laundrette run year-round or seasonally.