Green award for Argyll holiday park hitting half-century

As a West Highlands holiday park prepares to mark its golden anniversary in 2018, the family owners have been praised for achieving the gold standard in countryside care.

Resipole Farm Holiday Park in Argyll will now be celebrating its 50-year milestone with the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

The world-famous botanist said that the Sinclair family have shown themselves to be true friends of wildlife and the natural world with their many green initiatives.

Managed today by Rory Sinclair and his partner Karin, it was Rory’s grandfather Archie who first started welcoming camping guests on his farm in the early 1950s.

Resipole’s picture-postcard setting on the banks of Loch Sunart quickly gained it popularity among couples and families seeking an idyllic location for their Scottish holiday.

In 1968 it was officially designated as a holiday park, and since then the family has invested much time and energy into caring for the grounds and creating new facilities.

Their reward has been to see a year-on-year increase in visitor numbers from the UK and overseas, and both regional and national awards for the park’s high standards.

As well as pitches for campers, touring caravans and motorhomes, Resipole also provides luxury timber lodges and holiday caravans for hire, and glamping pods.

Rory, who runs the park alongside his parents Peter and Joke and his aunt Fiona, said the family has always tried to ensure that Resipole remains a haven for wildlife.

Deer, red squirrels, badgers, and a myriad of bird species are drawn to the 15-acre grounds which includes an ancient woodland with a nature discovery trail.

In addition, the Sinclairs have planted hundreds of native trees and shrubs which provide valuable nesting and breeding habitats as well as food resources.

David Bellamy highlighted the abundance of high nectar-bearing wild flowers on the park which attract many different types of butterfly as well as honey bees and other pollinators.

Professor Bellamy praised too the absence of harmful chemical fertilisers on the park, and the use of water from its own bore-hole which is shared with neighbours.

His award also applauded the park’s shielded illumination to minimise light pollution, and provide the best view of the night sky in which the Northern Lights can sometimes be seen.

According to Rory, Resipole has always had a special appeal to lovers of natural beauty who value away-from-it-all stays in tranquil and unspoilt surroundings:

“Even though our family has been here for many decades, we still feel very privileged to be able to live and work in the beautiful part of the West Highlands,” he said.

“Perhaps because of our farming background, we’ve always been concerned to manage Resipole in a sustainable way, and it’s great to be doing so with the support of David Bellamy.

“We are all looking forward to our fiftieth celebrations next year, and welcoming back many of our loyal guests, some of who first visited as children and now have their own families,” added Rory.

There is more information about the park on its website at www.resipole.co.uk