The stress and hassle of a family holiday abroad is unnecessary, so long as the unpredictable British weather is kind, as Gavin Havery discovers

ON the A69, out of Northumberland, into Cumbria, heading for Scotland, I got my first ‘motorhome wave’, a friendly gesture of acknowledgement of a shared experience between strangers in similar vehicles passing on the highway.

The sun was shining, Abba was playing and it was nice way to start as I had been a bit daunted about taking the family on our first campsite holiday for a few reasons. The children, a four-year-old girl and a boy of three, can be a handful in a house with a garden, so how would they cope cooped up in a room smaller than our kitchen?

Also, I was unsure how I would get on driving such a big vehicle as the Swift Lifestyle 686 is 23ft long and over seven-and-half foot wide, but as I soon found, once you get the hang of the dimensions, that it's relatively easy as they are long and straight, with great tall side mirrors and a camera on the back so you can see what is going on behind you.

Compared to tourer caravan holidays of my childhood, 25 years ago, the interior is like a five star hotel with a double bed across the driver’s cabin, a u-shaped settee area that turns into a double bed with scope for yet another double if you convert the table and chairs in the kitchen area. We didn’t, preferring to keep the end as a bedroom to save faffing about at the end of a busy day.

As well as a spacious fridge freezer, the motorhome was also kitted out with an oven, grill and three burner hob, a microwave and more than enough cupboard space. The chemical cassette toilet was tucked away inside a small room with a powerful shower that used hot water from the tank.

What was most impressive, was the easy-to-grasp control panel that shows levels for fresh and waste water, how much charge the engine and leisure battery have and is also the master switch for lights, inside and out. “Where do you think you are, the Starship Enterprise,” mocked Lis, as I spent rather a bit too much time studying whether was now the right time for a water fill and drain service.

Concerns about the space were groundless as there was so much to do on the three campsites we visited in Dumfries and Galloway, the kids only spent time in the van when it chucked it down one afternoon.

First stop was Southerness Holiday Park, a fun family site run by Parkdean Holidays, about 20 minutes from Dumfries and right on the edge of the surprisingly warm Solway Firth, which had a pool and leisure complex, with organised activities for the youngsters.

Setting off afterwards was also a doddle, compared to tent dwellers and caravanners, who have to wind things up and get hitched and all that palaver, when all we had to do was unhook the electrics, switch off the gas and move any breakables from the side. After 25minutes of happily bumbling west along the A710 at 50mph, we arrived at Kippford Holiday Park, near Dalbeattie, a mile or so from the picturesque little village of Kippford, nestled on a hill below forest.

A mild climate, created by the Gulf Stream, allows this part of Scotland to benefit from the most rich and lush flora and the carefully maintained plants, flowers and bushes made it more like a botanical garden than a campsite, and was easily the prettiest I have ever been to.

At Brighouse Bay, another hour’s drive west, we were pitched right next the children’s play park, alongside the parents of three-year-old twins, who made ideal playmates for our two.

We were also blessed with good weather, so I was able to cook on a barbecue and enjoy a cold beer while watching the little ones having fun together, before taking a stroll to the beach or round the scenic grounds to the golf club swimming pool.

While at our final destination, on the advice of other travellers we made a beeline for the Cream o’ Galloway farm to see how their specialist ice cream is made, sample a few of the 30 varieties and lets the kids play in the impressive outdoor adventure playground.

The beauty of having the motorhome was that we could stop off anywhere, park up usually without a problem, and have access to everything we needed for the kids, such as juice or snacks, or first aid kit for a cut foot at Rockcliffe beach.

This trip has confirmed that as a family we want to go to more campsites around Britain, while the children are young enough to get the most from it, but we reckon a touring caravan is probably more within our budget right now.

Having that said, motorhomes are a delight to drive, far less hassle than towing, and a joy to use so maybe when there is just two of us it could be something we consider in our retirement. Roll on those golden years.

TRAVEL FACTS

- For more information on the motorhome call 0800-026777, log on to marquisleisure.co.uk or email sales@marquismotorhomes.co.uk

- Late summer offer at Southerness Holiday Park, near Dumfries, on the west coast of Scotland: Tent, three nights arriving Friday August 28 is £87 for a standard pitch for up to four people. Tourer, three nights arriving Friday August 28 is £102 for a serviced pitch for up up to four people. For more information about Parkdean Holidays parks log on to www.parkdean.com