10 of the best UK campsites

Cleadale, Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides

Is this Britain's most scenic campsite? JRR Tolkien certainly thought so. From the grassy vantage point looking seaward to the imposing mountains of Rum, it's not hard for campers to see how the island inspired the Lord of the Rings author's fantasy landscapes. The campsite itself is as wild and wonderful as its setting. The pitches aren't the flattest and the dishwashing sink is outdoors. But if you're the kind of person who likes watching buzzards coast from the cliffs as you wash the pasta from your plate, you'll love the views from Cleadale. They are, quite simply, epic.
Open April-September, from £5 per tent per night

Caolasnacon, Kinlochleven, Argyll

Some Scottish campsites enjoy an epic setting shrouded by mountains, others sit by an ice-blue loch or huddle by a wee burn that ripples through the heart of the site. Nestled on the banks of tranquil Loch Leven, Caolosnacon is one of the Highlands' most idyllic campsites. You can pitch right by the water, making it an ideal spot for canoeing as you can just launch out into Loch Leven. At sundown, gently unwind to a soundtrack of lapping waves punctuated by the odd squeak or squawk from the resident otters and sea eagles.
Open Easter-October, from £10 for a tent and two people

Aberafon, Gyrn Goch, Gwynedd

The Llyn peninsula has no shortage of stunning campsites, but Aberafon is really special. Hugged by the peaks of Snowdonia, this popular site has its own private sandy beach and attracts a mixed crowd of surfers and families wishing to explore a particularly majestic corner of north Wales. Both grassy tiers of the campsite meet the rugged coastline and there is a tiny, partly sandy, wild beach full of rockpools to explore. Braver swimmers might attempt a quick dip – a little wild swimming is all part of Aberafon's package – but there are sandier swimming beaches along the peninsula.
Open Easter-October, from £7.50 adults, £3.50 children

Newgale, Pembrokeshire

It's impossible to ever get weary of the Pembrokeshire coast, with its weathered cliffs, sandy beaches and spectacular views. And right in among all this impressive landscape is Newgale campsite. It's just over the road from a huge surfing and windsurfing beach, and most of the campers are here for that reason. Facilities are basic but the location is first class, and if you don't have any kit, you can hire it from the Newsurf Beach shop next to the site.
Open March to September, from £7 adults, £3 children under 12.

Turner Hall Farm, Seathwaite, Cumbria

Turner Hall Farm is a firm favourite with walkers and climbers, the attraction being its location and outlook. The surrounding fells provide a dramatic backdrop and the boulder-strewn, long-grassed site itself is simply a continuation of this rugged landscape. It's a raw, boulderstrewn, long-grassed site, with private corners for sheltered pitching in among the crags and drystone walls. Weathered and worn, the site merges as one into the rugged fell landscape. It's all pretty low-key for a campsite: just turn up and pitch your tent! But the Newfield Inn is only a short walk from the site – an added bonus.
Open March-November weather permitting, from £6 adults, £2 children

Hooks House Farm, Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire

Hooks House Farm is most definitely a campsite with a view. It sits high up on the hill above town and from its grassy field sloping gently down towards the sea you can watch the tide wash in and out over the whole sweep of shoreline, or gaze across a colourful patchwork of sheep- and cow-dotted fields, woods, rolling hills, and moors. It's also the perfect base for beginning – or ending – the classic coast-to-coast walk across the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the Lake District that finishes on the Cumbrian coast.
Open March-October, from £7 adults, £3 children

Swattesfield, Thornham Magna, Suffolk

Deep in the wilds of north Suffolk, this seven-acre campsite has only been open a few years, with two fields separated by a lake and surrounded by woodland. The position is perfect for bucolic strolls on well-marked paths across the Thornham Estate with its walled gardens. It's a great place to do nothing and get into nature.You can pitch your tent in the bottom field or the woodland beyond, or take up residence in a boutique bell tent or a well-equipped caravan complete with its own outside decking and cooking area. There's even an outdoor pizza oven.
Open Easter-October, pitches from £10

The Secret Campsite, Barcombe, East Sussex

Access to the Secret Campsite is over an ancient brick railway footbridge – countryside foliage has reclaimed the stretch of land once occupied by the rail tracks beneath the bridge, giving the site a particularly wild feel. From this vantage point, it's easy to take in the features of this place: just 15 hugely spacious pitches cut in to the long grass of this secluded meadow – each with a campfire pit – interspersed with a scattering of recently planted saplings and all encircled with a backdrop of ancient oak and hornbeam trees.
Open all year, from £10 adults, £5 children

Pleasant Streams Farm, near St Austell, Cornwall

This site, by a lake in rural Cornwall, is all about simple pleasures. Located in the former mining village of Lower Sticker, it has a summerhouse with books and games for a rainy day, animals galore including pigs, hens, goats and ducks, and a pub just a 10-minute stroll away. "There's very little to do here, no bells and whistles," says Tony Hedges, proprietor of the site with his wife Lesley, but this is a pleasant field in which to pitch a tent. Campfires are encouraged, and often the crackle- pop of wood on the fire is the only noise of the evenings here.
Open Easter-September, from £10 per tent

Troytown Campsite, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly

Barely a mile across, St Agnes is one of the smallest inhabited islands of the Scilly archipelago, and blessed with some fantastic beaches. Its only campsite, Troytown, couldn't be in a more remote or spectacular position, clinging to the western shore of the island. Isolation is its greatest asset – so bring plenty of books to read and don't expect a phone signal. But at least one of life's necessities is available at The Turks Head in Porth Conger, the island's only pub. Perched on the hillside overlooking the bay and the adjacent islet of The Gugh, it might just win the prize for best beer garden view in England.
Open March-October, from £7.50pp

All these sites can be booked via coolcamping.co.uk. Its new book, Cool Camping Britain includes 150 campsites, with reviews, photographs and practical information, and is available from 1 May, priced from £16.95