Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Stayed at a good site? Or a really poor one? And what about wild camping? Put your comments here.

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tootsmcfruits
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Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by tootsmcfruits » Tue Mar 14, 2017 4:37 pm

Living in Aberdeen and not being so organised with our gear we decided that our first trip in the Bongo should be to somewhere nearby, and very last minute on a most horrendous night we decided to pick Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park about 20 miles south. Wanting toilets and showers for our first time away, and knowing we had friends coming along in their fully equipped Volkswagen, and just wanting to try it out for a night, we just rocked up with some blankets and duvets and our new blackout front screen covers to the campsite (thanks comfortzleisure!), we were very excited to be using the van for the first night. The excitement was soon knocked out of us by the warden! :evil:

We explained that this was our first night in the van so we could figure out what we'd need to get for it, just wanting to try it out for a night, and she really couldn't have been ruder to us. Kept asking what kind of van it was and I explained it was an MPV and that we were waiting on the conversion. Asked about cooking facilities and we explained we didn't have fixed ones just now until it was converted. She then demanded to look inside the van and said "this is just like sleeping in your car"! She also told us that this type of van did not "meet their criteria" but decided to let us stay "for one night only" due to the bad weather. I would have gone and told her to go and poke her criteria if it hadn't been for the fact our friends were meeting us there and the weather was really really bad. We listened to their dictator rules and drove in and parked.

Our friends in their Volkswagen were also spoken to rudely until our friend asked if we'd all done something to offend the warden and she finally eased off a little.

Despite the weather and rude warden we had a most enjoyable night - albeit very cold (so making thermal screens for the back and waiting til the temperature at night improves a little before our next outing!).

We weren't sure if it's a rule set by the Caravan and Motorhome Club that wee Bongo's don't meet the "criteria" but we won't be staying there again, and will probably avoid that club as well if we can help it. Although don't let me put you off going to Stonehaven - it's a great wee place with a fantastic chipper and ice cream shop, and some lovely walks along the beach, and of course Dunottar Castle! Definitely worth a lookie! But maybe just free camp at the beach side instead of spending a fortune trying to stay in a campsite where we don't fit in!
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by Ian » Tue Mar 14, 2017 4:43 pm

If it is a Caravan & Camping Club site, then it is their rule that campervans must have fixed cooking facilities etc. We avoid them like the plague. Another problem with campsites in Scotland is that although they allow drive-away awnings, they do not allow a tent that is not attached to the side of the van. On at least 2 sites we have been told off by officious wardens about this.
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tootsmcfruits
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by tootsmcfruits » Tue Mar 14, 2017 4:53 pm

Ian wrote:If it is a Caravan & Camping Club site, then it is their rule that campervans must have fixed cooking facilities etc. We avoid them like the plague. Another problem with campsites in Scotland is that although they allow drive-away awnings, they do not allow a tent that is not attached to the side of the van. On at least 2 sites we have been told off by officious wardens about this.
So disappointing - everyone is still paying the same amount of money (or more if you're not part of the club!) so you'd think they'd be happy they had the custom! Seemingly the Stonehaven site can fit 110 caravans or motorhomes and there wasn't more than 10 there...

Just something for me to look out for in the future and not a nice experience for our first time which is sad - but I'm sure things can only get better from here! =D>
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by g8dhe » Tue Mar 14, 2017 4:56 pm

Its a "Caravan Club" or CC site they appear to have renamed the club now to Caravan & Motorhome club according to the web site, and yes they have been known in the past to be a bit stuffy - depends on site and wardens :-(
See here https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

The "Camping & Caravan Club" or C&CC are a different organisation and normally are more relaxed about the facilities you have.
http://campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by Bongolia » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:27 pm

g8dhe wrote:Its a "Caravan Club" or CC site they appear to have renamed the club now to Caravan & Motorhome club according to the web site, and yes they have been known in the past to be a bit stuffy - depends on site and wardens :-(
See here https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

The "Camping & Caravan Club" or C&CC are a different organisation and normally are more relaxed about the facilities you have.
http://campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
/
Yes, we found that out at New Forest Denny Wood a CCC run site. The bag toilet we use was not to their spec so they lent us one that was, rather than sling us off. We were very happy with that even emptied it and washed it out before returning it. :D
The only CCC site I would avoid is Walton on Thames, nasty piece of work jobs worth "lady" warden there.
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by Jillygumbo » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:32 pm

Haven't tried the sites in question but I had absolutely no problem with either Caravan Club sites or Camping & Caravan Club sites when I had my unconverted tintop and quechua base for 11 years! Only issue I ever encountered was at a CL that didn't understand the concept of a driveaway awning!
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tootsmcfruits
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by tootsmcfruits » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:10 am

Ach well... I reckon I'll be body swerving Caravan and Motorhome Club sites for the foreseeable... if they don't like my money I'll take it elsewhere!
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by Bob » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:50 am

I'd be doing the same after that treatment. :evil:
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Re: Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park

Post by Hazzobongo » Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:41 pm

I had the misfortune of living in stoney for ten years when I worked offshore and its main problem is snobs, sure enough its a very pretty area and there are a lot of nice people but I had a few run ins with those who think they're better than the rest of the world, especially the grumpy women whose husbands are offshore oil workers usually in a management bracket of some type.
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