Cycling UK Forum

A bit gobsmacked to discover none of the so-called/listed/icon-ed campsites in Banchory (bar one at Strachan/Feuchside) take tents anymore.
A sniffy wifie from one of the (Caravanning Club owned, now) campsites insisted I could NEVER have camped in a tent at the site in question (untrue) and was as I said sniffy and uppity with me.

I know the campsite at Strachan remains an option though it would be an additional detour to my jaunt but mainly because I want to be in phone reach of home plus able to go to an event at the Woodend Barn/eat at the Bistro (maybe) and not 5 miles out of town on a dark, unlit road if I ventured back into Banchory.
This is a training trip for my Belgium tour plus practising leaving the lad home alone with the dogs. So <15 miles from home.
There is also a site at Maryculter (the same detour issues and "pub/in town" issues apply) but more than that I was even more gobsmacked to find a 1-2 person tent, 1 adult, cyclist would pay £25 a night pitch there in late September/October; I am afraid I nearly swore in shock with the call centre person who answered their enquiiries line, located somewhere the other end of these nations than Deeside.

Apparently £25 would be the price of any tent, it seems (I hope it would not be more for each individual - for all it would seem it had a swimming pool.

Caledonia64 wrote:There is also a site at Maryculter (the same detour issues and "pub/in town" issues apply) but more than that I was even more gobsmacked to find a 1-2 person tent, 1 adult, cyclist would pay £25 a night pitch there in late September/October; I am afraid I nearly swore in shock with the call centre person who answered their enquiiries line

That will be the Deeside Holiday Park then?
I think the name gives away the identity of the normal customers, with "tent" meaning something with several rooms to walk about in, and the price per pitch set accordingly. If you get through to staff on site, you can discuss meaningfully, but you've no chance if the calls are going to a call centre, or it's online only.

It was OK price-wise when I stayed there a few years back (late train for the following morning's ferry to Shetland, June 2007), but I just turned up un-booked and asked. I expect they were well aware that I'd have just turned round and gone away if they'd asked for too much, not that I said anything to suggest it.
The only problem was missing the last food orders at the adjacent pub, 'cos the train was late.

As for Banchory, I'd never bother to detour even half a mile for a Caravan and Motorhome Club site. Maybe it was still a private caravan site when you were there before?
The other club, the Camping and Caravanning Club, is much better. They have a "backpacker" rate that applies to cyclists too, around £8-£12, and also undertake not to turn you away if the site is otherwise full. Unfortunately they don't have any sites in that area.

C&CC have a listed site https://www.feughsidecaravanpark.co.uk/camping-pitch/ as closest to Banchory £12/ night for backpackers

You could probably wild camp in or near Banchory fairly unobtrusively and still be near 'facilities'?

Paulatic wrote:C&CC have a listed site https://www.feughsidecaravanpark.co.uk/camping-pitch/ as closest to Banchory £12/ night for backpackers

Aye... I had seen that one, but it is a bittie far out for going into something of an evening at Banchory (at the Woodend Barn), plus ...phone reception if I am leaving my son alone for the first time overnight... I sall think on it and go there maybe next year.

feefee8 wrote:You could probably wild camp in or near Banchory fairly unobtrusively and still be near 'facilities'?

I think that might be another option, once I have left my son alone at the weekend a couple of times (the first few times I want to be within phone reception and at a definitive location so friends/my son know where I am if somehting goes amiss).