Jun
24
Forget glamping, Lucy Richardson tries the latest style of camping holiday – in a wigwam.
AFTER two ferry crossings, we finally glimpsed the triangular wooden huts that stood out against the skyline like a huge chunks of Toblerone. Our tennight wigwam adventure in Scotland had begun and turned out to be our best-ever family holiday.
The first stop was in Machrihanish, on the Mull of Kintyre. To get there we’d spent a night in a Premier Inn on the mainland at Troon, before catching a boat to Arran. During our morning on the island I stocked up on presents at Arran Aromatics while my husband, Matthew, loaded up the car with beer from Arran Brewery.
From there it was another picturesque trip across the water to Kintyre and then down to Machrihanish, a hamlet famed for its golf club’s first hole – the opening shot is over an inlet of the Atlantic.
There are five wigwams on the site, which shared the spotlessly clean amenities with campers and caravanners. Inside was like a grown-up Wendy house, complete with gingham curtains, or a pint-sized pine Swedish chalet. I loved it.
By day, there was a U-shaped seating area with a coffee table (which turned out to be handy to eat from if it was too wet to use the picnic table outside) and, by night, wooden slats were placed over the table and mattresses put on top to create a big bed for our sleeping bags. All three wigwams we stayed in had a microwave, kettle and fridge, and all were equipped with heaters, making them perfect getaways in any weather.
As we only had one full day at Macrihanish we decided to go as foot passengers on our third Caladonian MacBrayne ferry, this time to Gigha, the most southerly and one of the most beautiful Hebridean islands. We explored its delights by bike – a fantastic experience and the highlight of the holiday for our daughter, Maisy.
Our second stay was at Strathfillan Wigwams, on a working farm in the heart of the West Highlands, between Crianlarich and Tyndrum, and in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. As well as wigwams, the site also has lodges and yurts . It is the perfect base for walkers.
For dinner that first night we decided to sample ostrich sausages and kangaroo steaks, a speciality of The Trading Post farm shop. We cooked them on our camp-fire stoked with logs, kindling and peat and sat outside, soaking up its aroma and delicious heat until late at night.
We made two day trips while we were there, the first to Fort William by train on the West Highland line. The journey takes in the dramatic scenery of the West Highland Way, from breathtaking mountains to the desolate, wild landscape of Rannoch Moor.
We then took our fourth ferry of the week to the Isle of Mull from the harbour town of Oban, known as the seafood capital of Scotland, and where Matthew sampled his first oyster.
Our mission was to visit the colourful town of Tobermory – better known to children as the location for Children’s BBC’s Balamory – and we successfully tracked down the fictional homes of Josie Jump and Miss Hoolie.
We packed up once again and headed south to Tantallon Camping and Caravan Park, in North Berwick, a chic seaside town 20 miles east of Edinburgh.
It was a comfort to discover the layout of our wigwam was the same as our previous two and this one even had a television, much to Matthew’s delight when he realised he could watch Match of the Day.
From the four-star holiday park, we took a short train ride into Edinburgh and had a fabulous day soaking up the atmosphere. It was only a five-minute walk from the site to the beach and Maisy spent two blissful days rounding off the holiday paddling in the sea and digging in the sand.
After previous camping holidays spent under canvas, I can safely say that wigwams are a stress-free all-weather option. They offer the best of both worlds – cooking on a barbecue and snuggling up in a sleeping bag, but in a lockable room and without having to wrestle with tent poles and canvas. But it certainly doesn’t take the spirit out of camping – you still face the dilemma of what to do if you need the loo in the middle of the night – it just makes life easier.
I’d love to have my own chunk of ‘Toblerone’ at the bottom of the garden for when guests come to stay or I want to reminisce about our fun-filled getaway.
Life then would be very sweet.
Where to find them FOR information about wigwams across the UK visit wigwamholidays.com • Machrihanish Wigwams, Machrihanish Camping Park, East Trogidal, Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland. Tel 01586-810366 or visit campkintyre.co.uk • Strathfillan Wigwams, Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Perthshire, Scotland. Tel 01838- 400251 or see sac.ac.uk/wigwams • Tantallon Wigwams, Tantallon Road, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland. Tel 01620-893348 or visit meadowhead.co.uk
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