Top 10 Campsites in the United Kingdom
The UK campsite market is fragmented — no single chain dominates the way ACSI or ADAC does in continental Europe — and quality is correspondingly variable. The reliable filter is the Cool Camping guide (coolcamping.com), which curates small-scale and characterful sites rather than large resort operations. The Camping and Caravanning Club and the Caravan Club maintain their own club site networks. These ten sites represent the best across the island's diverse camping geography.
1. Kelling Heath, Norfolk
In the North Norfolk heathland between Holt and Sheringham, Kelling Heath is a large, well-run touring park in a managed heathland and woodland setting. Electric hookups throughout, full sanitary blocks, motorhome service point, and a network of footpaths directly from the site. The North Norfolk Railway (steam) stops adjacent; the coast with its saltmarsh nature reserves is 5 km north. One of the best-run private sites in eastern England.
2. Polmanter Touring Park, St Ives, Cornwall
On the hill above St Ives with sea views across the bay, Polmanter is the best-positioned touring park on the North Cornwall coast. Electric pitches, good sanitary facilities, a pool, and a cycle path to St Ives town. Cool Camping-listed. The South West Coast Path passes above the site. July and August require booking by March; the site is one of the most sought-after Cornwall positions in the touring park category.
3. Ladram Bay, Devon
On the red Triassic cliffs of East Devon, between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. A cliff-top holiday park with electric pitches, a pool, a beach (accessed by a cliff path), a restaurant, and direct access to the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage shoreline. The red sandstone stacks in the bay are one of Devon's most distinctive coastal features. Motorhome-friendly with a good service point.
4. Boggle Hole, Yorkshire
A Cool Camping favourite: a converted mill and campsite in a steep coastal valley near Robin Hood's Bay on the Yorkshire coast. Tents only in the coastal field; a slight walk down to the YHA building below. The location — a narrow stream valley opening onto a rocky cove — is the reason to go. The Cleveland Way coastal path passes the cliff top. No electric hookups in the tent field; facilities are basic. The experience compensates entirely.
5. Hooks House Farm, Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire
Above Robin Hood's Bay village, a small farm campsite with tent pitches on a headland with North Sea views. Electric pitches available. Cool Camping-listed for its combination of coastal access and simplicity. The walk into Robin Hood's Bay village is 15 minutes downhill; the Whitby Abbey is 10 km north.
6. Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula, Wales
In the valley above Three Cliffs Bay — consistently voted Wales's most beautiful beach — this small campsite has no electric hookups and basic facilities, which is entirely the point. The bay below involves a short walk across dunes and a tidal crossing; the limestone arch and the tidal estuary behind it are extraordinary. Book early; the site accepts limited numbers by design.
7. Beadnell Bay, Northumberland
A large National Trust campsite on the Northumberland coast between Craster and Seahouses, with direct access to the long sweep of Beadnell Bay. Electric and non-electric pitches, sanitary facilities. The Farne Islands seabird and grey seal colonies depart by boat from Seahouses 6 km north; Bamburgh Castle is 10 km beyond. Northumberland's coast is the least-known excellent coastline in England.
8. Loch Ness Shores, Invermoriston, Highland
On the shore of Loch Ness near Invermoriston, with direct water access and mountain forest setting. Electric pitches, a sanitary block, a camp kitchen. The Great Glen Way long distance route passes the site. The Urquhart Castle ruins are 20 km north on the same loch shore. A well-run site in a location that delivers on the Highland promise.
9. Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Highland
A Mountaineering Scotland-referenced site at the foot of the Cuillin Ridge — the most challenging ridge walking in the UK. Basic campsite: grass pitches, a toilet block, cold water, a small shop. The site is operated by the MacLeod Estate. The sea cliffs at Gars-bheinn are a 4-hour walk; the Coire Lagan climbing route starts 30 minutes from the site. For serious hill walkers, this is the most important campsite on Skye.
10. Park Cliffe, Windermere, Cumbria
On the west shore of Windermere in the Lake District, Park Cliffe is the best-positioned touring park in the national park: wooded hillside setting, lake views, electric pitches, a restaurant, and a jetty for the Windermere ferry. Less crowded than the Ambleside-side sites. The Grizedale Forest, Coniston, and the Furness peninsula are accessible as day routes. ACSI CampingCard accepted in low season.
Cool Camping and UK campsite quality
The Cool Camping selection process prioritises setting, character, and the camping experience over facilities breadth. A Cool Camping site may have basic or no electric hookups but will reliably deliver on landscape and atmosphere. For facilities-first touring, the Camping and Caravanning Club Certificated Sites and the Caravan Club network provide consistency. The two approaches serve different needs and both are worth using.
Find UK campsites on the map
The map covers campsite locations across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Use it to identify clusters near the national parks and coastal paths you want to walk.