UK’s Best Camping and Caravan Holiday Spots Revealed
The UK’s Best Camping and Caravan Holiday Spots Revealed, as South West Comes Out On Top For Sleeping Under The Stars
- Annual AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2021 names country’s best camping and caravan destinations
- South West is UK’s camping capital, with Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset coming out on top for Platinum Pennant sites
- Popularity of glamping and eco-tourism grows
25th November 2020. The AA has today named the UK’s best destinations for caravan and camping holidays, with the release of the AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2021 in time for Christmas and holiday planning for next year.
The South West is the camping capital of the UK, with four of the top five counties for campsites in the UK located in the region. Meanwhile, Gwynedd has been revealed as the top spot for Welsh camping, with 22 AA-rated campsites, and, Dumfries & Galloway as Scotland’s top camping destination, with 17 AA-rated sites.
Coming out on top in the UK overall, Cornwall has an incredible 86 campsites included in the AA Caravan & Camping Guide, with 13 of the sites being awarded a Platinum Pennant in recognition of the excellent camping experiences they offer.
Meanwhile, Devon has 59 AA-rated campsites, North Yorkshire has 46, Dorset has 39 and Somerset has 30.
The Top 10 Counties for Camping in the UK according to the AA are:
- Cornwall
- Devon
- North Yorkshire
- Dorset
- Somerset
- Cumbria
- Gwynedd
- Norfolk
- Dumfries & Galloway
- Lancashire
Including over 690 sites, the AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2021 reveals the UK’s top caravan and camping destinations.
Glamping, Eco-Tourism and AA Covid Confident
Catering to the burgeoning popularity of luxury camping, the guide features more than 200 sites offering glamping facilities, including yurts, shepherd’s huts and vintage caravans. It also offers help to holidaymakers looking for environmentally friendly destinations, marking those sites which have been awarded the David Bellamy Conservation Award for supporting local wildlife and helping with sustainable initiatives.
To reassure those planning their holidays during the pandemic, the guide also includes more than 70 sites which the AA has approved as Covid Confident, marking them as following government guidelines.
Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said “In an unprecedented year of challenges for holiday makers and the hospitality industry, we are glad to be able to celebrate the country’s fantastic camping and caravan sites. With international travel restricted, we are seeing more Britons than ever discover the incredible camping destinations the UK has to offer. And as holidaymakers start to turn their thoughts to booking their 2021 breaks, we hope the new Caravan and Camping Guide will prove invaluable in discovering the world-beating camping experiences the UK has to offer.”
Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2021 guide does not feature the traditional Caravan and Camping Award winners, but instead showcases those that have received Platinum Pennant awards, marking them as the very best campsites in the country. Of the 42 sites receiving Platinum Pennants in the guide, 24 were located in the South West, with Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset coming out on top in the UK.
All the destinations featured in the guide have been inspected and rated by AA professional inspectors, grading sites from one to five Pennants, based on their facilities and hospitality. Each entry within the guide includes location, ratings, contact details, directions, prices, opening times, facilities, and a description to help holidaymakers select the right site for their needs.