Greenhillock Glamping & Camping

If the point of camping is to immerse yourself in nature then few places do it better than Greenhillock Glamping. A five-acre site with just 25 pitches and a scattering of beautiful bells, it exudes a wonderfully wild and natural aura yet without simply abandoning you in the hills. In fact, Greenhillock is really a family site – a haven for kids and well equipped with solar showers, toilets, communal cooking and chillout area – yet its sense of nature comes not from feeling isolated in the wilds, but rather from being a part of the natural surroundings.

As a campsite the place is excellent. The pitches are generous and well spaced out and the communal field shelter is perfect if the weather doesn’t play ball. There’s an 'Art Shack' for creative kids, while those seeking comfort can ditch their tent and pluck for one of their three bell pods instead – fully furnished with wooden floors and a private deck area with firepit.

As a place to explore, though, Greenhillock really is something else. Nature trails, some mown narrowly among the long wild grasses, others meandering into surrounding copse, weave and separate through the surroundings, linking back up again like a vast natural maze. Hedgerows and mature trees provide enough fallen branches to set the scene for the next World Den Building Championships and a pond in a quiet corner of the site is set up with wooden board platforms around its edges; purpose built spots from which you can poke and prod with a net and bucket. Insect inspecting is an essential part of any stay here. They even provide some basic scientific equipment to help you out.

The abundance of nature – thanks to more than 25 years of careful cultivation – make it an excellent spot for walking and cycling, with quiet B-roads keeping things safe and sound. More hardy types, though, should hop in the car and head north to the Cairngorms National Park, where formidable mountains offer tougher outdoor trails. The east coast is a similar distance in the opposite direction and a good alternative place to end the day, munching fish and chips along the harbour at Arbroath. Only if your not whiling away the hours around the campfire, that is; the essential ending point for most at Greenhillock.