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Reviews of Sands Caravan And Camping

Campsite Search > UK > Scotland > Highlands > Gairloch > Sands Caravan And Camping > Reviews

Sands Caravan And Camping
Sands Caravan And Camping
Gairloch
Highlands   (Browse area)
IV21 2DL
Tel: 01445 712152
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 Featured Site

Pitches: 250
Open: 29/03/2024 to 27/10/2024
           29/03/2025 to 27/10/2025

Rating: Average Review Score: 9/10 from 155 Reviews
                9/10 from 155 Reviews

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Who's it for
 Families Welcome   Not Members Only   No Rallies   Not Naturist Site 
 Dogs Welcome   No Dogs Allowed   Groups Welcome   Motorbikers Welcome 
Facilities
 Toilet Facilities   Hot Showers   Washing Up   Bathroom 
 Baby Changing Facilities   Laundry On Site   Drinking Water   Disabled Friendly 
 Chemical Disposal   Battery Charging   Gas Exchange   Recycling Facilities 
 Kitchen Facilities   Freezer / Fridge    Motorhome Point   Wifi Access 
 Shop On Site   Bar <5 miles   Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Activities
 Kids Playground   TV Room   Games Room   No Evening Ents 
 Fishing On Site   Wild Swimming On Site   Indoor Pool <5 miles   No Outdoor Pool 
 Horse Riding <5 miles   No Cycle Hire   Golf <5 miles   Tennis <5 miles 
 Beach On Site   Watersports <5 miles   Boat Launch / Mooring On Site 
Other Features
 Sea Views   Working Farm   Campfires Allowed 
 Coastside Pitches   Public Transport <5 miles  Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
 Electric Car Charging Point

Reviews:  155 in total, now showing 71 to 80                 Previous 10          Next 10
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Date of Visit: June 2015 Unit:  Campervan
Reviewer: Walters-world 13 reviews from this member

 This site is wonderful when it is not too full. You can walk over the dunes from the campsite right onto the fabulous beach with the mountains in the distance.

We have been here twice before and like the openness and informality of it. You can pitch where you like ensuring there is a decent amount of space (7m/23ft) between units.

There are 3 toilet/shower blocks on site so you are usually not too far from one. There is a big covered barn like room with bench tables and chairs for campers, where you can use the microwave and hotplate for £1 in the slot meter. There is also a kettle, large fridge, and a freezer for freezer blocks only. The Laundry has excellent washing machines that wash and spin well in a short time and the huge tumble dryers dry quickly so you do not have to spend too much money on them!

I didn't manage to connect to any of the Highland WiFi Hotspots on site, but the normal mobile phone signal was ok.

The large on site shop is well stocked with food and other holiday provisions. There is a new cafe on site but we didn't try it this time. 


Date of Visit: June 2015 Unit:  Campervan
Reviewer: Joanne oxley 10 reviews from this member

 I like the relaxed atmosphere on this site. Many of the pitches are in and amongst the sand dunes so you can find a private little space to yourself. The shop on site was well stocked and appeared reasonably priced. There is a cafe on site that I think is fairly new.

There is a small slipway for boats and kayaks for hire.

A large area/ campers shelter was provided with microwave/ fridge/freezer and sofas.

The facilities were the best we had in the 8 sites we stayed at on our two weeks away.

I find Gairloch itself a little tired. ( we used the butchers but not that impressed ) 


Date of Visit: May 2015 Unit:  Motorhome
Reviewer: Piggle28 23 reviews from this member

 Stayed here for 2 nights. Fabulous views and a stunning beach, no formal layout just park where you want just ensure you leave 7 metres between you and your neighbour. Fantastic showers and toilets and even a bath, although I think it's for the little ones. Large laundry and pot wash. Good playground for children ( although we don't have children) and very peaceful at night. A fab day out is Inverewe Gardens. The site also has The Barn Cafe which does amazing breakfasts, lunches and evening meals and has lovely friendly staff. Can thoroughly recommend. 


Date of Visit: August 2014 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Tentaddict7 18 reviews from this member

 This is actually the second time we have visited this fantastic campsite, we were also there in 2012, and it is not often that we simply have to go back to a site again!

We are also going back for a third time this July. Says it all, really.

The site is situated in a fantastic location, and has all that a camper needs for a wonderful holiday. We found the views and sunsets breathtaking, and the fact that you can step over the dunes to a wonderful and often deserted beach, and even have a campfire on the beach at night as long as you take everything back with you and clear up, just perfect for us.

We have a small boat which we launched from the slipway at the end of the site, and feasted on fresh fish that we caught and barbecued on the beach.

The site does get busy in the Scottish school holidays, and there is a bit of pressure on hook up pitches, but you can usually find one somewhere, a good idea to arrive just after the weekend when some people have left.

The only space restrictions are that you have to pitch 7m away from the next unit, and if you need electric hook up you do need a long lead depending on where the nearest space is to a hook up point.

If you don't need electricity the possibilities are endless, there is always a little nook to be found where you can pitch.

The only downsides are the midges, which can be a pain, and the weather, which can be pretty unpredictable, we had rain and strong winds for the first week, but if you go prepared for anything as we do, this is not a major issue, and we also enjoyed some wonderful sunny weather too.

The facilities at Sands are brilliant, the shower block is always clean and with plenty of hot water and we never had to wait as there are plenty of showers and toilets provided. The campers' kitchen is a wonderful addition, with cooking facilities, fridges, freezers, sockets for charging phones etc, sofas and picnic tables to eat at in bad weather.

The shop is extremely well stocked with a wide range of groceries, camping equipment, kids toys, household bits and pieces, pretty much everything you might need, and I found it to be well priced too.

The laundry facilities are equally reasonable value and clean and efficient.

There is a very good playground for children, but the biggest draw in my view is the space for kids to run about in the dunes and on the beach, a kids' paradise!

We did find the cafe/restaurant very expensive, though, and feel that the site is missing a trick with this, especially for snacks, at £3 for a bacon roll, nothing fancy at all, we felt that it would put people off using it, especially as the shop is so reasonable.

We didn't have a meal at the restaurant partly for that reason, there are other eateries not too far away that offer far better choice and excellent value, the one near the waterfall walk in Gairloch is really good value, as is the Badachro Inn, about 15 minutes drive away.

There is also an excellent Chinese takeaway in the local town, Strath, as well as Strath stores, which is a good general store with a deli and local produce too, a good but rather expensive butcher, and there is also a McColls next to the Chinese, so plenty of choice for groceries and treating yourself! No major supermarkets though unless you want to go to Ullapool or Inverness for the Tesco's there.

The endless supply of wonderful scenery nearby is a huge plus for us when staying at this site, there are some wonderful walks, on some of which you don't meet a soul!

All in all an excellent, atmospheric and friendly site, with all the facilities that couples and families of all ages could want.

Just don't tell everyone! 


Date of Visit: August 2014 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: AD90 4 reviews from this member

 Fantastic Site! Great Views, Great Beaches. Love the idea of 'free choice' pitching - BUT, if you want an EHU, take a Loooong cable. Ablution blocks are modern and clean. Pot wash areas have lots of hot water and the indoor cooking/dining area is a great idea for lightweight campers and rainy days.

My one criticism would be, the WiFi - it's operated by a 3rd party. It's expensive and slow and the HotSpots are more like Micro-Dots.

Oh, and another piece of advice would be a portable toilet for nighttime emergencies - you could be a long way from the toilet block. 

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Date of Visit: August 2014 Unit:  Motorhome
Reviewer: Bev and Nige 7 reviews from this member

 After reading the reviews for Sands Caravan Site we were really looking forward to staying here. We were however left with mixed feelings about the place.

On the positive side: It had a lovely beach location with a river and sand dunes where we enjoyed walking. We also had an enjoyable meal in the gazebo part of the Barn Cafe/Restaurant where we were able to sit and relax with the dog and the girl who served us was very nice and attentive.

The site was good for families with children, although we didn't have any with us so this didn't matter to us.

It had a nice shop with plenty of provisions and the site was clean and tidy.

On the negative side: There was no friendly customer care approach from reception and it had a commercial feel about it.

We were given a map of the site and told to drive round and park where we wanted in the areas pointed out to us.

We had been given no guidance of where there were any free spaces then it was pot luck as to which direction we headed! There were no markings for pitches and there were very few hardstanding 'Super pitches', as they were called, for Motorhomes and they were all taken. It was a free for all and boggy in places. We had already decided we didn't like it.

The site was big and spread out and although some units had plenty of space between them there were others who were inconsiderate and didn't seem to bother how much space they left, so long as they got a sea view!

We had parked on the top which was quite windy but just about the only spot we could find that had an electric hook up point that we had paid for.

When we went to park up we noticed blocks and a table had been left in a space that was clearly someone elses. So, we parked further away, leaving space for the Motorhome to park on their return and leaving the required amount of space between us and them. However, this didn't seem to be of any concern to 2 other Motorhome drivers who duly pitched up, either side of the space, almost making it impossible for the driver of the Motorhome to get in his space when he returned and blocking the parking space at the side of the caravan on the far side.

Not to mention encroaching in our space!

We won't be returning! 


Date of Visit: August 2014 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Petermara 5 reviews from this member

 Excellent facilities. Plenty of space, water points and hook up points. Good idea to let people choose their own pitch.

Good, clean toilets/shower and a good, clean kitchen area. £1 for twenty minutes stove time, the kettle was free.

The one let down was The Barn, the café. I choose to have pasta off the specials board at £ 10. 95. Sounded good. However the garlic bread did not arrive. The sauce was watery and lacked seasoning and the cheese topping was missing. Probably only one mushroom, sliced, was in the dish. Strangely it was served on a plate and not in a bowl. The gp on this dish I think must have been around the 80% region.

Perhaps it would pay for Sands to bring in a consultant chef to show them how things can be improved.

However, eating at The Barn is optional and does not detract from the site. 


Date of Visit: July 2014 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Scotsjamie 1 review from this member

 Just returned from Sands Caravan and Camping, near Gairloch. The site is in a fantastically scenic location, with a beautiful beach on site. It was also really easy to find. The staff at reception and in the shop were very polite and friendly. You choose your own pitch, I had EHU so this does limit you a bit, if you choose to do without there are countless areas to pitch. One thing to bare in mind, if you have EHU a very long cable or extension might be needed, I did not have one but a very kind and friendly couple nearby loaned us there spare one for the duration of our stay. The weather whilst we were there wasn't good and it got quite windy and it also was wet most days, this didn't put off the younger campers using the playground though, which seemed well equipped. The on site shop was surprising, it had a large range of everything you might need, from groceries to alcohol to fishing bits and bobs and the prices were very reasonable, better in my opinion to the shops in the village. The on site cafe does a small takeaway selection in the evening which was reasonably priced and very tasty. There were adequate water points and rubbish bins dotted around. Of the three toilet blocks, the one I mostly used seemed quite modern the other a little dated, I did not use the other one. The dishwashing facilities were fine, I did not use the on site laundry however so can not comment. The showers are a push button type and the water was hot. There is also a half bath which was a nice addition, alongside the usual shaver points and a couple of sockets. The toilet block was never really busy even though the site seemed pretty full and I never had to queue for anything. The park was a little noisy during the day and evening but it was a happy noise of children enjoying there holiday as we were fairly close to the playpark. There was no noise after 10. 30 PM, I think this was down to the campers following the rules rather than the staff having to enforce it. The park grounds were very tidy and practically litter free, as was the beach. Overall I was impressed with the site but there are a few niggles. The gents toilets weren't always that clean, I understand there probably only cleaned once a day and the park was busy so this is probably the reason. Also the site is advertised as having fishing on site but the loch is not that close and its a bit of a trek to get there, once you actually find it as there is no signage. All in all I would recommend the site to anyone planning on visiting the area. 


Date of Visit: July 2014 Unit:  Motorhome
Reviewer: Maggieswesties 4 reviews from this member

 Huge site set behind the sand dunes that lead to a long sandy beach. Although it was peak season and very busy because the site is so large it never felt overcrowded. I parked high up so had a beautiful view but I imagine that it can get very blustery there in less favourable weather. Pitches lower down don't get the views but would be sheltered. Smashing facilities - toilets, showers but also the shop and restaurant on site. Gairloch itself (some 5/6 miles away) is a delightful village with a very good museum and good range of shops. Lots of good walks from the site. After my initial booking-in with site staff when they appeared friendly but very busy, I never saw them again but then I only stayed a few nights. 


Date of Visit: July 2014 Unit:  Tent
Reviewer: Themgs 10 reviews from this member

 This is a large sprawling site with no marked pitches. You take your choice on being in the dunes or having a view. The site is well drained but undulating, and completely flat sites are hard to find. The facilities are very good and cleaned regularly throughout the day, but water stand pipes can be a trek, depending where you camp. We enjoyed our stay of 5 nights, and were made welcome at reception and in the shop (which is quite well stocked). Go prepared for the midge and a minority who like to entwine guy ropes and you will have a great time. 


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Common Questions

Is Sands Caravan And Camping child friendly?  YES, it accepts children & has a playground  View all facilities

Where is the nearest shop to Sands Caravan And Camping?  There is a shop on site  View all facilities

Is Sands Caravan And Camping dog friendly?  YES  View all facilities




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