A campsite fit for a King!

A campsite on the grounds of a fairytale castle has become Ayrshire’s first ever Five Star Touring Park following a grading by VisitScotland.

Culzean Castle Camping and Caravanning Club Site, located on the South Ayrshire Coast, received the award from the national tourism organisation’s Quality Assurance (QA) Scheme in recognition of its exceptional standards. The QA Scheme is a benchmark for quality across the tourism industry and operates across accommodation, visitor attractions and food sectors.

The 90-pitch site, just a short walk from the 18th Century Castle, has always looked after its patrons to a high standard with showers, toilets, a washing up area and a children’s play area among the facilities available.

Having previously held a Four Star grading, the campsite has recently undergone a full refurbishment of the on-site reception and amenity block, encompassing both internal and external remodeling, new entrance barriers, new children’s play area, plus new Ready Camp safari-style glamping tents, which are now available at 45 locations across the UK.

Ready Camp tents are perfect for those looking for a bit of camping luxury. Considered to be the ultimate glamping experience, these tents include full beds, a sofa, dining facilities and a decked terrace.

Open from April to October, the site is an excellent base for exploring Ayrshire’s beautiful coast, the historic town of Ayr and the Burns Heritage Park in Alloway. In order to help visitors make the most of the area’s wonderful tourism offering, the Touring Park is part of an impressive network of VisitScotland Information Partners (VIPs), committed to providing visitors with local information.

Cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, Culzean Castle & Country Park has a Four Star grading from VisitScotland. With its dramatic clifftop setting, captivating history, striking surroundings and neo-classical Georgian style architecture, many consider the castle to be like something from a fairytale.

Bob Hill, Sites Director at The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “We are honoured to accept this award. The holiday site team at Culzean Castle Camping and Caravanning Club Site work tirelessly to deliver great customer service and I am pleased our campsite has been recognised in this way.

“The Club has 18 Club Sites across Scotland, and I hope many more are recognised under the VisitScotland Quality Assurance Scheme.”

Gordon Smith, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “Congratulations to everyone at Culzean Castle, Camping and Caravanning Club Site, on this outstanding achievement. It is a testament to the hard work put in by the whole team here to give visitors the best experience possible.

“Our Quality Assurance Scheme is world-leading and provides a trusted, independent and impartial source of information for visitors. It is about much more than just a star rating – it is about the entire visitor experience and investing in the business to make it as economically sustainable, and profitable, as it can be.”

VisitScotland star awards are indicators of quality and provide reassurance to visitors. The national tourism organisation offers support to businesses to ensure they meet and exceed the high standards expected by visitors.

Launched in May 2016, the VIP programme ties in with VisitScotland’s global Spirit of Scotland campaign and harnesses the local knowledge, warmth and enthusiasm of partners across the country to help visitors receive the warmest of welcomes and make the most of their trip to Scotland.

For more information about Culzean Culzean Castle, Camping and Caravanning Club Site, go to www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/ayrshire/maybole/culzeancastle

For more details about the Quality Assurance Scheme and the VisitScotland Information Partner programme go to www.visitscotland.org