5 Star Stirling Holiday Park gets MSP Visit
MSP Evelyn Tweed marked Scottish Tourism Month in March with a visit (31 March) to a long-established family-run 5 star Stirling holiday park in her constituency. Ms Tweed was welcomed at Keltie Bridge Caravan Park near Callander by its manager Natalie Turner and by Michael Buchanan of the Cambusmore Estate which owns the park.
The MSP was taken on a tour of the extensive grounds of Keltie Bridge, which is this year marking the thirtieth anniversary of operating under its current name as a 5 star Stirling holiday park.
The park, with a top five-star grading from Visit Scotland, is based in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and is just a short stroll from the popular Bracklinn waterfalls – a scenic bonus for guests enjoying a stay at this 5 star Stirling holiday park.
Ms Tweed heard that the park contains one of Scotland’s longest neolithic burial grounds and draws holiday guests from both sides of the Scottish border as well as from overseas.
There are well-spaced pitches for motorhomes and touring caravans as well as tents, and the park also has over 45 privately owned holiday caravans.
These, said Natalie Turner, provide holiday retreats for couples and families which don’t deplete the area’s housing stock or artificially inflate surrounding property prices.
Ms Turner has managed the park for eight years, taking on the reins from her parents David and Aletha Wilson who first came to the park as managers in 2010.
Investing in 5 star Stirling Holiday Park
Michael Buchanan, who is Chief of the Buchanan Clan, said his family had invested heavily in the park over the years to ensure it continued to provide the highest quality standards expected from a 5 star Stirling holiday park.
Recent developments, he told Ms Tweed, included a top-to-toe makeover of its amenity building so that touring guests can enjoy first-class shower, washing, and toilet facilities.
Mr Buchanan said that Keltie Bridge Caravan Park was anticipating another busy year, and that Scottish parks were staging a good recovery from recent downturns in the tourism market.
He said that the traditional good value provided to families by park businesses had ensured the industry remained both resilient and competitive in all economic climates.
However, added Mr Buchanan, uncertainties did remain about the impact of the Westminster government’s inheritance tax and the possibility of a tourism tax in Scotland.
Evelyn Tweed MSP said: “It was a real pleasure to visit Keltie Bridge Caravan Park as Convener of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Tourism during Scottish Tourism Month.
Showcasing the best holiday parks in Stirling
“It was great to see first-hand the outstanding contribution it makes to local tourism and our rural economy. Local businesses like this are the backbone of our visitor sector – offering warm welcomes and a deep-rooted commitment to tourism.
“It’s clear that Natalie and her team, along with the Cambusmore Estate, have created something very special here in the heart of the National Park.
“As we continue to recover and grow our tourism industry, sites like Keltie Bridge play a vital role in showcasing all that Scotland has to offer. I wish them the best of luck for a busy and successful tourist season,” she added.
According to a recent economic survey, said Mr Buchanan, the parks sector generates over £991 million in visitor spending each year in Scotland and supports almost 18,500 FTE jobs.
There is more information on the website of Keltie Bridge Caravan Park, a proud example of a 5 star Stirling holiday park, and the findings of the recent economic survey can be read at www.ukcca.org.uk.
