Camping: Our Favourite Sites in Britain Time Out, £12.99
Time Out has something of a reputation for cutting-edge guides, thanks to its achingly hip city guides and magazines that focus on entertainment in the world’s top capital cities. It might be a little surprising, then, to come across this, Time Out’s guide to its 100 favourite camp sites in England, Wales and Scotland (Northern Ireland usually gets thrown into the mix, but has been omitted here).
The team of authors appears to have put in the effort. Each entry gets a generous two- to three-page treatment, with pictures of each campsite, and a genuine enthusiasm from the authors for living temporarily outdoors, which means some of the entries do sound spectacular: “Kuggar is a tiny community with a phone box, a pub and one little shop. You will doze off to the sound of sea swell and wake to the sound of birds”; or “With no cars allowed on the island – after all, there are no roads to drive on – the tranquillity and pace of Herm are magical.”
Then there are the entries for campers looking for some adventure – the campsite at Comrie Croft in Scotland sounds particularly thrilling.
Each selection gets directions, both public transport and driving, facilities guides, and food and activities highlights, including a separate entry for “amusing the kids”. The optimism in the book is matched in every picture – you would think that Britain spends 365 days a year in balmy sunshine flicking through these pages – but for the inevitable preparations, help is at hand, with a detailed tent guide and a kit list that beginners will find useful. Perhaps what’s most surprising is the range of facilities on offer, and for those willing to tolerate the weather and brace the odd bit of discomfort, the advantages of getting that bit closer to nature seem deeply attractive.