Glamping rocks
Getting back to nature needn’t mean wrestling with tent poles and falling out with loved ones to erect a draughty shelter. SF subscribers are glamping it up in style this month
Black Isle Yurts, Rosemarkie
On arrival at the entrance to the Black Isle Yurts you follow the track and soon you will see the sea. It appears as a vast expanse of blue, way below. The largest garrison in Europe, Fort George, is in the far distance on the opposite shore.
The dramatic entrance is followed by a friendly welcome from Kenneth, who shows you to your yurt and takes time to explain the set-up, which includes a wood-burning stove and gas ring. You also have access to all of the high-tech facilities in the Hub (the barn near to the yurts). As if by magic, the shower is always at the correct temperature, and you can wash your pots and pans with the added bonus of a dramatic view.
With very comfortable beds, luxurious pillows and duvets, the yurts immediately give you a restful, relaxing feel to your holiday break.
The steep cliff path down to the shoreline and beach with rocks and sand is beautiful, alive with plants and lined with bluebells, primroses, oak and hazel trees.
The villages nearby, Cromarty, Rosemarkie and Avoch, have everything you need if you do not wish to cook for yourself, or if you just want an outing to an antiques shop, bookshop, or tearoom. Cromarty has a special charm to it, and has a nice swimming beach if the weather is good. Inverness is close by for those who need a visit to the theatre, cinema or shopping centre.
The forest paths around the field where the yurts are sited provide ideal walks for those with their dogs (and you can let your dog off the lead on the shoreline/beach quite safely).
The yurts have been beautifully made by Jenny, and give the visitor a unique feeling of peace and quietness inside. The are sensibly equipped and the wee wood-burning stove is very efficient. Staying in the yurts is the simple, easy way to get the fresh air and big space feel of camping – without the hassle of bringing all that stuff with you. Prices from £150 for two nights, based on two sharing
Safari Tent at Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping near Hawick Reviewed by the Little family from East Kilbride
How much ‘glam’ is just the right amount when it comes to ‘glamping’? If you’re looking for a true camping experience, but one with some of the effort removed and a little bit more comfort, then Ruberslaw Wild Woods may be right for you.
First, here’s what Ruberslaw doesn’t do: hot tubs; underfloor heating; en-suite toilets; and, indeed, electricity. But isn’t that the point of camping? Why bother transposing your family to a different place just to have the kids in familiar pose huddled over their phones?
While some glamping holidays do provide all these ‘luxuries’, Ruberslaw makes a conscious attempt to make visitors feel like they are on a proper camping holiday, getting away from it all.
The setting, in the beautiful Borders, is a key part of this. While there is a very nice conventional campsite at the heart of the site, the glamping section comprises four safari tents set on the wooded outskirts of the property – the furthest being a 20-minute walk from the centre.
Our tent was Roe Deer Rest, sitting at the very foot of Rubers Law. It had a good-sized double bedroom, plus a smaller bunk bedroom, and a large living area with a well-equipped kitchen nook and two-ring gas camping stove. A gas heater is also supplied, as are paraffin lamps and rechargeable electric heaters and a cooler box.
A bag of logs is also supplied each day for a fire pit, around which the kids loved melting marshmallows. They were a little less enthusiastic about the outdoor composting toilet.
The central Hub has showers, kitchen facilities and a small shop selling mostly local produce. For those who want to use Ruberslaw as a base, the rest of the Borders is within easy reach. Prices from £120 per night (peak season)