Inver Coille, Invermoriston, Inverness-shire

Overlooking Loch Ness – though views are splintered by the forest – tents-only Inver Coille is beside the Great Glen Way and popular with walkers and cyclists. There are 20 level pitches, 20 not-so-level pitches and a modern shower and toilet block accompanied by a drying room. Head four miles south to Fort Augustus where there’s an excellent visitors’ centre, a small museum and the scenic ending to the Caledonian Canal, plus tour operators taking you out to search for Nessie.
• Adults £8, children (5-15) £5, 4 and under, free, Inver Coille

Blaenpennal, Aberystwyth

Five miles from Cors Caron national nature reserve and just back from the river Aeron – a great birdwatching location – Aeron View Campsite is a boon for wildlife lovers, not least because of the 30-odd red kites that nest in the neighbouring woodland. Feeding time begins at 4pm daily, when the birds of prey swoop and swirl around a food station at the bottom of the camping meadow. Facilities are excellent, including disabled access and a baby changing room, and dogs are welcome. Campfires are not permitted but there are several barbecues for use.
• Tent for up to 4 people, £16 a night, Aeron View Camping

Bales Ash, near Umberleigh, Devon

Spread across two flat meadows, half an hour from the North Devon coast, Bales Ash Campsite is the antithesis of a holiday park. There are few buildings on site, aside from the shower block and composting toilets, so campers find fun in impromptu football matches, campfire gatherings and stargazing. The owners sell cream teas from the summerhouse outside their home and there are several pubs within walking distance. The beaches of Westward Ho!, Croyde and Woolacombe and the beautiful, wild expanses of Exmoor are half an hour’s drive away.
•Adults £7, children (4-16) £4, 3 and under, free, Bales Ash Campsite

Glendaruel, Argyll

In a hollow at the foot of its eponymous glen, Glendaruel, on the Cowal peninsula, is a relatively small caravan park made to feel smaller by the flanks of giant trees that shelter each side. Tents are pitched in a large meadow, with access to a basic toilet and shower block, a well-equipped campers’ kitchen and a dining shelter. A separate field leaves room for kids to run wild. Though Loch Lomond and The Trossachs national park is just a few miles east, the peninsula itself offers spectacular walking, with paths directly from the campsite.
• Tent for up to four, £24 a night, Glendaruel

Llanychaer, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire

The highest of the 30 grass pitches at this tiered, family-friendly campsite, provides excellent views down the Gwaun valley to the Irish Sea. Though Fishguard Harbour and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path are less than two miles away, the campsite, in the green folds of the Preseli Hills, feels very much in-land. Part garden, part campsite, it is dotted with shrubs and flowerbeds – reflecting how well maintained (albeit basic) the facilities are – and there’s a playground for children. Walk the scenic riverside path to Fishguard where children can go crabbing off the sea wall.
• Tent for up to 2 people from £19 a night, Gwaun Vale Caravan Park

Lewes, East Sussex

In the eastern hills of the South Downs, just outside the cobbled, medieval town of Lewes, Spring Barn Farm is a joy for kids, and perfect for campers who like a good walk. It’s basic – little more than a field with a nearby loo block – but campfires are permitted, the views are fantastic and children love the on-site farm animals and maze. Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleves House are the pamphlet-worthy attractions nearby, but simply exploring the narrow streets of town is enough for many. The south coast is 15 minutes away by car.
• Adults £12, children (2 years and over) £7, Spring Barn Farm

Sithney, Helston, Cornwall

Three flat fields offer ample camping space at this backpackers’ hostel on the south-western tip of Cornwall. A converted farm with a hospitable local owner, the showers, toilets, laundry facilities and fridge-freezer are all in a superbly maintained barn. Pitches are undesignated, so pick your spot, and barbeques are permitted if raised off the grass. There are views across the Lizard peninsula and the sea beyond. Visitors can cycle to Skinners, the local brewery in Porthleven, 2.5 miles away, or head straight to the nearest beach, four miles away.
• £7pppn, no age concessions, Granary Barn Camping

Dunphail, Forres, Moray

The secluded woodland setting of Ace Hideaways’ wild camping pitches come juxtaposed with the adrenalin-pumping thrills of the campsite’s adventure centre next door. In the evenings campfires flicker among the birch and pine trees of the forest, while, during the day, white-water rafting on the river Findhorn, along with kayaking, canyoning and cliff-jumping are all popular activities. Pre-pitched bell tents and a shepherd’s hut are also available, each in their own private clearing, while facilities for all are in wooden camp shelters. Get your bearings at Logie Steading Visitor Centre, two miles away.
• Adults £8 children £4, Ace Hideaways

Sedbergh, Cumbria

The expansion of the Yorkshire Dales is the most recent recognition of the Lune valley’s natural beauty. Now within the national park’s protected boundaries, Holme Open Farm, at the valley head, is a family-friendly, campfire-friendly site with a flat, square camping field and a picnic area by the riverside. The farm has a cafe, playground and signed nature trail or visitors can organise a tour with the farmer for a closer look at the animals. There are footpaths into the Howgill Fells, wild swims in the river Rawthey and pony-trekking from the Stonetrail Riding Centre.
• £5 a tent, £3 per person, Holme Open Farm

Radnage, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Apart from having an excellent pub next door (real ales, beer garden and children welcome), Home Farm makes a fine base for activities such as walking the Ridgeway and exploring the mighty sculptures at Legoland. The flat, trimmed meadow seems tailor-made for camping, sloping away at one end to provide wonderful views of the chalky Chiltern Hills, and facilities, though basic, are well kept. Families, in particular, make up the crowd here, with ample space for children to play games and make friends, retiring around campfires by night.
• Tent for up to 2 people from £18 a night, Home Farm Radnage Caravan and Camping Park

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