East Lothian

SCOTLAND’S TOP CAMPSITE IN 2025

Posted on July 31, 2025

FIVE-STAR VIEWS TOWARDS the Firth of Forth and Arthur’s Seat from Drummohr Camping and Glamping site.

Drummohr Camping and Glamping Site near Edinburgh has been crowned Scotland’s Camping Site of the Year at the 2025 Scottish Hospitality Awards, adding to a growing list of national accolades. The AA five-star site, located in Musselburgh on the shores of the Firth of Forth, beat strong competition across the country to claim the title at a black-tie ceremony in Glasgow.

It follows two major wins in 2024, including Campsite of the Year in the Camping Awards and top site in Scotland via Pitchup.com. “We’re absolutely delighted,” said site manager Angie Purves. “This reflects our whole team’s passion and dedication to delivering exceptional guest experiences. We also take pride in supporting local attractions and events, offering that extra level of service that makes Drummohr stand out.”

Owned by WCF Ltd, Drummohr features luxury lodges with hot tubs, themed glamping pods, family bothies, and touring pitches—all with electric. The family-and dog-friendly site boasts underfloor heated facilities, scenic dog walks, and excellent transport links into Edinburgh. Drummohr is open year-round and sits close to East Lothian’s beaches, golf courses, and the John Muir Way, making it a prime destination for both relaxation and adventure.

MINISTER VISITS DRUMMOHR CAMPING & GLAMPING

Posted on February 13, 2025

Scotland’s Tourism Minister Richard Lochhead visited Drummohr Camping and Glamping Site in East Lothian last Autumn, celebrating its success as a leader in quality and sustainability within the tourism industry.

Drummohr, located on the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh, was recently named UK Campsite of the Year by Camping magazine and Best Park in Scotland by Pitchup.com. Minister Lochhead toured the 11-acre park, known for its eco-friendly practices and top-tier accommodations, including luxury lodges, glamping pods, and en suite bothies.

Site Manager Angie Purves showcased initiatives such as solar energy generation, EV charging points, and support for local transport links. Biodiversity projects include wildflower gardens, bug hotels, and native flora protection, making the park a haven for wildlife.

During the visit, the Minister planted a cherry blossom tree to commemorate the park’s AA five-star award and honoured a long-standing seasonal guest who recently passed away. Lochhead also met staff, including site wardens and the gardener, who contribute to the park’s environmental goals.

The Minister praised Drummohr’s commitment to sustainability and its role in boosting Scotland’s economy. “Businesses like Drummohr are crucial to Scotland’s high-value tourism sector, contributing to a thriving, sustainable future,” he said.

Angie Purves highlighted the park’s community impact, from supporting local businesses to sourcing products from nearby suppliers. Drummohr, part of the WCF employee-owned group, employs 13 staff and continues to invest in guest satisfaction and sustainability.

Drummohr Camping & Glamping Site
01316 656867
www.drummohr.co.uk

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES

Posted on March 13, 2024

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES

Verdant Leisure offers an award-winning holiday formula...

VERDANT LEISURE expanded in 2002 with two parks in Devon - Golden Coast Leisure Park and Cleavewood Leisure Park, pictured

Creating the perfect environment for customers to relax, enjoy and experience is an award-winning formula for leading holiday park operator Verdant Leisure. Since its foundation in 2010, Verdant Leisure has gone from strength to strength, and now boasts 13 parks within its growing portfolio.

Offering quality self-catering holidays and holiday home ownership in stunning coastal and countryside locations across Scotland and northern England, the Verdant Leisure story began with Thurston Manor Leisure Park in East Lothian and Pease Bay Leisure Park in Berwickshire. Riverside in Northumberland and Viewfield Manor in Ayrshire soon followed in 2011.

County Durham- based Heather View and Kingfisher were acquired in 2016, Coldingham Bay, Berwickshire in 2017, Scoutscroft in Berwickshire, and Queensberry Bay in Dumfriesshire in 2018. Two parks in Perthshire – Erigmore and Ballintuim – joined the group in 2019 and 2022 respectively. Finally, in 2022, Verdant Leisure expanded further south with two Devon-based acquisitions: Golden Coast Leisure Park and Cleavewood Leisure Park.

“Golden Coast is a fantastic, family friendly park in North Devon,” says Verdant Leisure Communications Director, Stacey Hope. “As the newest addition to the Verdant Leisure family, it offers a wide range of accommodation options and a whole host of fun filled facilities. Golden Coast Leisure Park is a great addition to the Verdant Leisure portfolio.”

A WAVE SURFING SIMULATOR is just one of the activities on offer at Golden Coast Leisure Park.

ACTION-PACKED
Situated amidst picturesque countryside, just a couple of miles to the east of the award-winning golden sands of Woolacombe beach, Golden Coast Leisure Park offers guests an action-packed holiday. A huge range of family friendly activities is on offer including indoor and outdoor swimming pools with flumes, a wave surfing simulator, high ropes course, climbing wall, ten pin bowling, fishing lake, arcade, adventure golf facilities, and plenty of places to eat and drink.

For those seeking something more relaxing, the Waves Ceramic Studio is ideal for creative pottery decorating. Verdant Leisure parks offer a wide range of entertainment options. From packed programmes including kids’ clubs with their resident foxes Vinnie and Violet, to visiting acts offering everything from comedy to live singers, there really is something for everyone.

Accommodation at Golden Coast includes a wide range of apartments, houses and villas (including some with hot tubs) to suit all budgets and requirements. Modern and stylish self- the exceptional location, Cleavewood owners can also use all the facilities at Golden Coast and enjoy delicious food and drink at the historic Old Mill pub and restaurant on-park.”

WATER ZORBING at Thurston Manor Leisure Park.

HOME-OWNERS
Verdant Leisure caters to 2,000 holiday home-owners across its parks, and this is an ever-growing sector. Another new holiday home development was recently completed at Thurston Manor Leisure Park in Dunbar, Scotland. Nestled at the foot of the Lammermuir Hills, near the stunning East Lothian coastline, Thurston Manor Leisure Park is set in 176 acres of breathtaking countryside.

This beautiful holiday park is under an hour’s drive from Edinburgh, making this park a top choice for holiday makers wanting to combine a visit to the Scottish capital with the benefit of a home from home woodland retreat. Once a private estate visited by kings, Thurston Manor now offers a superb range of luxury caravan and lodge holiday accommodation, alongside fantastic facilities for all the family, on the historic site of the original 16th century castle whose scenic ruins still stand today.

The Glade development consisting of six lodge pitches and 34 caravan pitches for holiday home-owners has been built on an exclusive area of Thurston Manor, offering fabulous views and a private gated entrance. Facilities on the park include an indoor heated swimming pool, fishing lake, gym, outdoor play parks, games room, arcade, dedicated family room with seasonal entertainment, as well as Hunter’s Bar & Restaurant and Muir’s Pub.

Verdant Leisure, whose Head Office is in Lancaster, say that their mission is “To create the perfect environment for customers to relax, enjoy precious family time and experience a new lifestyle.” They also place considerable importance on creating a more environmentally aware holiday experience.

GOLDEN COAST is a fantastic, family friendly park in North Devon.

GREEN TOURISM
“We’re committed to promoting sustainable tourism and protecting and enhancing our natural environment,” explains Stacey Hope. “We have a dedicated Green Team in place across the business, and each park has its own Green Champion. All of our parks are members of the Green Tourism scheme, and we aim to make all Verdant Leisure parks more environmentally conscious and help our customers to do more whilst visiting our locations.”

As part of their Green Tourism commitment, Verdant Leisure also champions investment and improvement in local communities. The company nominates a different Charity of the Year each year, and raised over £80,000 for Blood Cancer UK in 2022. Additionally, it supports the Wildlife Trusts close to their parks (Durham, Northumberland, Scottish and Devon Wildlife Trusts) by offering holiday guests the option to donate £1 per holiday booking.

As a team that prides itself on the exceptional standards of their parks and the customer experience for all holiday guests, it’s unsurprising that Verdant Leisure’s success has been recognised by a slew of top awards, including most recently, Silver for Best Company for UK Family Holidays and Bronze for Best Company for UK Parks and Lodges Holidays in the British Travel Awards 2023.

Verdant Leisure has also won several accolades for its employee engagement. The business has been voted one of the Best Companies to work for within the entirety of the UK, in the northern region, and in the leisure and hospitality sector several times over. A superb achievement, based on ratings from their own employees. With guest – and employee – satisfaction top of the agenda, continued success seems assured.

Northern Lights

Posted on November 6, 2018

Northern Lights - Title Pic

Northern Lights

Verdant Leisure is on the acquisition trail…

Verdant Leisure’s strapline - Relax, Enjoy, Experience – is key to understanding the company’s focus and why its parks are located where they are. Destination and service are the key pillars of its business strategy to deliver the best possible customer experience. A bespoke holiday park operator, Verdant Leisure offer self-catering holidays and holiday home ownership at eight holiday parks across stunning countryside and coastal locations in Scotland and the north of England. The company was founded in September 2010 following a management buy-in of Dunham Leisure Limited, owners of Pease Bay and Thurston Manor leisure parks in South East Scotland. Verdant went on to purchase Viewfield Manor Leisure Park in Ayrshire in July 2011 and Riverside Leisure Park in Northumberland in 2012. Kingfisher and Heather View holiday parks in Wear Valley and Coldingham Bay and Scoutscroft in Berwickshire were then acquired as part of an ongoing buy-and-build strategy.

When holidaymakers visit any of Verdant Leisure’s holiday parks across Scotland, Northumberland, and County Durham they can expect fantastic on-site facilities, outstanding customer service, excellent holiday accommodation and a superb range of holiday homes for sale.

Northern Lights 2Verdant’s holiday parks provide the perfect environment for families to spend precious time together, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Scoutscroft Leisure Park is located a couple of minutes’ walk ideally located from the breathtaking Coldingham Bay beach. Just under an hour’s drive from Edinburgh and close to the Scottish Borders, the park is ideally located for holidays and weekend retreats for all, with an abundance of attractions. Situated on the Berwickshire Coast, just an hour’s drive from Edinburgh, we then find Coldingham Bay Leisure Park. With 22 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the park offers the peaceful tranquillity of a countryside setting. With the beach and a host of activities and attractions just a stone’s throw away, it is a wonderful holiday retreat.

Nearby, Pease Bay offers an idyllic beachfront location, the perfect place to enjoy time with family and friends. For those seeking a little more adventure, there are great water sport opportunities and a wealth of attractions available in this spectacular corner of Scotland.

TRANQUIL HIDEAWAY

Northern Lights 7Still in Scotland, Thurston Manor is nestled at the foot of the Lammermuir Hills near the stunning East Lothian coastline, amid 176 acres of breathtaking countryside. This beautiful holiday park is under an hour’s drive from Edinburgh so visiting the capital is easily done. Set in the heart of the beautiful Ayrshire countryside, Viewfield Manor provides an ideal base from which to explore the historic attractions, thriving market and seaside towns and world famous sporting locations that Ayrshire has to offer. Viewfield Manor is situated only 20 minutes from Ayr, and with attractions such as Culzean Castle, Kelburn Park, and Irvine, Troon and Ayr beaches all within a 30 minute journey.

Move down to the heart of the stunning Northumberland countryside, Riverside Leisure Park, sits on the edge of the Wooler Water. For those looking for a base to explore all that Northumberland has to offer, or those simply wanting to relax and unwind in a tranquil hideaway, Riverside combines superb facilities with a wonderful woodland setting and an abundance of wildlife to create a truly unique holiday location. Meanwhile, Heather View is the perfect base from which to explore everything that County Durham has to offer. Within a few miles you can be exploring the outstanding Durham Dales or the beautiful Hamsterley Forest with its endless walking, cycling and horse riding routes.

The local area is steeped in history with an abundance of castles and museums to discover. There are so many picture-perfect villages in the region, full of quaint shops and tearooms. Kingfisher Leisure Park is an exclusive holiday home ownership location. Ideally located on the banks of the River Wear, Kingfisher is the perfect base to explore the breath-taking scenery, historic attractions and miles of walking and cycling routes that County Durham has to offer. Onpark facilities include a children’s play area and exclusive fishing rights on a section of the River Wear, making Kingfisher the perfect location for fun-filled family holidays.

VNorthern Lights 8erdant Leisure offers a wide range of holiday options to suit all budgets, whether guests want to buy or rent a holiday home or caravan. The company has invested over £6 million in its portfolio in the last two years and customer service is very much at the heart of the Verdant Leisure ethos. All Verdant Leisure’s holiday park locations have Tripadvisor ratings of 4 out of 5 and Heather View and Coldingham Bay have Facebook review scores of 5 out of 5 and 4.3 out of 5, respectively.

GREEN TOURISM

Recently Verdant Leisure has, this year, been awarded membership into the Green Tourism scheme; the world-leading sustainable certification for the tourism sector. Membership gives Verdant Leisure access to specialist advice and support for its business and recommendations for future improvements. All Verdant’s parks have recently been awarded the Bronze Green Tourism Award and company is looking to improve on this over the next 12 months.

TNorthern Lights 9his year Verdant Leisure is supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust following its success last year in raising money for When You Wish Upon a Star. Verdant Leisure aims to raise £30,000 for the charity by hosting fundraising activities at its head office and charity open days throughout the year at all eight of its parks. The company has also been shortlisted for a total of seven awards in the last 18 months – including both the Lloyd’s Bank Business Awards and the Amazon Growing Business Awards this year. Verdant has also been shortlisted for several customer service awards, in recognition of the hard work put in by the whole team to deliver exceptional customer service at all its park locations. Last month Verdant Leisure celebrated its eighth anniversary and the company is due to announce its ninth holiday park acquisition in the coming weeks. It looks like 2019 will be another pivotal year for the bespoke holiday park operator.

Verdant Leisure
Tel: 03300 535524
www.verdantleisure.co.uk