Glamping site of the year award
A second Arran campsite was among the winners in the recent AA Caravan and Camping Awards 2018.
Runach Arainn in Kilmory was named glamping site of the year, the second Arran campsite to win an award, after Seal Shore won small campsite of the year, as reported in last week’s Banner.
Brexit and the fall in the value of the pound are said to have helped contribute to the rise of glamping and luxury options available, helping to ensure these camping and caravanning sites remain firm family favourites for holiday destinations. More and more sites now provide the likes of luxury yurts and huts, in addition to the more traditional family holiday options.
Superb
The judges said: ‘Runach Arainn, Gaelic for “Secret Arran”, lives up to its name – three superb Scottish-made, 20ft-diameter yurts hidden away in a quiet and beautiful part of the Isle of Arran, just a 15-minute walk from a lovely beach on the southern shore of this magical island. Access is via a quiet lane, which is a riot of wild flowers and flowering hawthorn in spring, providing the perfect introduction to Runach Arainn.
‘It’s a successful delivery of glamping style. The very high quality and spacious yurts have furnishings and fittings that create the rustic romance of camping, while the private bathrooms add creature comfort that is an essential component of a truly exceptional glamping experience.
‘Fire pits and outdoor cooking facilities enhance rustic charm and appeal of the place.
‘The yurts sit within a developing forest garden that the owners have created, and the purchase of neighbouring woodland has further expanded and improved this true rural idyll. With chickens, geese, ducks and now beehives in the new wooded area, this is a true return to nature that’s very much in tune with yurt living.’
Owner Pippa Downing said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to have won this award and to have two winners on Arran covering camping and glamping is just brilliant.’
All winners will feature in the 50th anniversary edition of the AA Caravanning and Camping Guide.
In another win for Arran, Cruickshanks Boutique B&B in Whiting Bay has been awarded 5 AA gold stars for its ‘amazing hospitality’.