Relax! With a Spa Mini Break in our peaceful surroundings ...

Queensberry Bay Holiday Park, Powfoot, Annan, Dumfriesshire DG12 5PN, Scotland [MAP]

Tel: 01461 700205

Touring & Camping

Questions about Camping and Touring at Queensberry Bay Holiday Park ...

Touring and Camping Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) ... we've set out the questions we're asked most often – and our replies:

No Minimum Stay

Maximum Stay, 14 nights

1. What are your showers like?

Cathy says: They really are superb – and I’m not just saying that because I work here! I used to camp with my two lads and the showers were often a nightmare – I have " fond" memories are of cold, damp, echoing, cobwebby spaces, dodgy lighting, hard toilet paper (if any) and a waste bin overflowing with paper towels.

The showers at Queensberry Bay are fully refurbished, modern self-contained units. I couldn't believe it when I first started working here. Do you know we even put in unlimited soap, shampoo/conditioner and body lotion? And there's piped music in the background for those rather more personal moments (it's a woman thing).

See also the independent and unsolicited (!) comments under testimonials.

2. Do you charge for showers?

Joanne says: Why do I always get the questions about money?? Yes - we charge 20p for a 1 minute shower. £1 buys a 6 minute shower. As Cathy says, we also include unlimited amounts of shampoo, soap and body lotion.

These charges have been kept the same for 4 years as much as anything to show that this is a token charge and not some hidden money grabbing exercise. We charge for two reasons:

We were struggling to control water misuse. We all have a duty to conserve the earth's resources, and guests leaving showers running all day was not helping - the charge opens and closes and valve that restricts water flow. There is also an added benefit that guests don't stand in the shower for hours on end - which means we don't generally get queues for showers (unless we are really, really busy and everyone arrives at once .)
We pay a small fortune each year in water rates and heat and light charges. This charge goes some small way towards them.

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3. Do you take tents?

Lauren says: Yes – we do still take tents as well as touring caravans, camper vans and mobile homes. A number of parks have given up on tents because they can be noisier (campers spend more time in the open air and the "walls" of their unit are thinner) and self sufficient – they bring stuff with them and don’t support our shop. We still welcome tents but we do have limits on size and party numbers the same as we do on the park as a whole.

Cathy says: We don’t have any non electric pitches though.

Lauren says: Yes we do – but we've only got 2 non electric pitches.

Cathy says: I thought we'd stopped. Do you know – one day off and the world changes!

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4. Why is there a length restriction?

Nicola says: I live in the local village and know that Queensberry Bay has been around for more than 30 years. Longer than I have!

Cathy says: Kids!! Things have changed over the years - touring vans are much bigger now and some tents are the size of small villages! Newer parks are built to handle the bigger units.

Bigger vans means heavier vans – and our Shoreside pitches on reclaimed land were not built for them. No one seems to know the weight of their caravan (we have asked) and so we use the length as a guide.

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5. Why do you restrict associated parties?

Cathy says: You know, it doesn't matter what we do, whenever we take a group of people we get grief. Yes, we're always told this group will be different, and yes, we're always accused of discrimination (not sure what against, like) – but the fact remains that whenever we give someone the benefit of the doubt it turns round and bites us on the bum. ("as it were" – Joanne)

So, if you want to come in a group of three or more parties – please don't.

You'll ruin it for our other guests and owners who have come for peace and quiet, and that will ruin it for me when we get complaints.

Lauren says: And then we'll get in trouble again for taking the booking in the first place. And you'll be asked to leave.

So - for our sake – restrict your groups to just 2 parties! We just can't cope with the stress of anything else!

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6. Why do you only allow 4 guests per unit?

Lauren says: Cathys' got it about right there. Whenever we take bigger groups we get noise and complaints. So we set the limit at 4. That limit applies to letting too.

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7. I travel alone – do I get a discount?

Nicola says: Yes - our published prices are for a touring caravan, one car and two adults (or in the case of a camper van, for the camper van and two adults). Adults are charged at £3 each, so if you're travelling alone you’ll pay £3 per night less. Our booking system works this out for us so we don't even have to try!

Lauren says: If you're asking for a quote though do make sure you tell us you're travelling alone – otherwise the system doesn't know to deduct the charge.

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8. Why can’t I bring my works van?

Cathy says: I've lost count of how many times I've had this debate with guests. Guests bring works vans to the park and then argue point blank that the transit they're driving is a car. Excuse me!?

Joanne says: Going back to basics, our licence is for a holiday park and not a residential park. A van (even without sign writing) is classed as a works vehicle. As a holiday park our guests must be holiday makers and not workers – so we can't take works vehicles either.

Cathy says: I used to work in the tax office – so next time someone tries to argue that a double cab pick up is a car I'll point them to the Vat rules. That'll sort it!

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9. Are you adult only?

Joanne says: No we're not adult only. John and I did seriously consider going adult only some years back (after one truly horrendous bank holiday when a gang of kids literally ran riot) but so many of our regular families pleaded with us to rethink that we went to a sort of halfway house where we have adult only areas but well behaved children and parents are welcome on certain pitches. This means that our guests know they'll be in an area that suits them (adult only or family). It also means that badly behaved families are asked to leave. End of. By badly behaved we mean of course antisocial – upsetting their neighbours, wildlife, pets corner or the team.

Cathy says: All kids love the sea - I remember some very happy splashing around at the water's edge. But the sad fact is that although kids have stayed the same, parents no longer take the same responsibility – and that causes problems for us and for other guests.

Lauren says: No we're not adult only. But there's nothing here to entertain youngsters or teenagers. Pets corner and the rock pools on the shore are the best we can do really.

Joanne says: There are lots of better family parks than us – and we tend to recommend Hoddom Castle (www.hoddomcastle.co.uk) or Bruce's Cave (www.brucescave.co.uk) for anyone looking for a family orientated park.

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10. Is there a discount for repeat bookings?

Lauren says: I only joined in 2010 but I do know a bit about this. We're really hot on loyalty at Queensberry Bay and have loyalty schemes for everything – spa, letting, touring, shop etc.

Nicola says: We used to have a more complicated touring loyalty scheme but it was a nightmare to get right on our booking system.

Lauren says: So that’s why in 2011 we simplified it down so that everyone is entitled to a 10% touring discount after their first visit.

Cathy says: We are supposed to give out a voucher on check out but we do forget sometimes. Oh, and Joanne says I have to add – "terms and conditions apply please ask for details."

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11. Do you offer a special deal for pensioners?

Pam says: You know what? Every now and then this comes up at our staff meetings and we have a vote, and every time so far we've decided that our prices are very reasonable and if we give a special discount for pensioners, what about single mums or unemployed or anyone else ?

Nicola says: Our ages range from 19 to 72 so the vote is fair.

Pam says: So no we don't give a special deal as we wouldn't know where to draw the line– but we do give a great service and a great deal – especially for our loyalty customers.

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12. Can I have a pup tent?

Nicola says: we do take pup tents if you’re a hiker.

Lauren says: If you actually mean can you have a pup tent as well as your caravan or camper, then the answer is yes - but it has to be on a separate pitch and paid at the normal price and you can’t have a child in there alone.

Pam says: All units on the park have to be spaced a certain distance apart and we aren't able to override that. Nor are we able to let children stay in a unit alone and unsupervised.

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13. Can I have an awning?

Cathy says: Of course – although like most parks there is a charge. But you need to remember a couple of things. First, we're on the shore in Scotland and it can be windy. Second, your awning and guy ropes have to be within your own pitch, not straddling your neighbour's space. And you can't use the awning as extra sleeping space – your van or camper is for that.

Lauren says: The wind can be a problem so what we do is take payment at the start of your stay for the awning and then refund on check out if you haven’t used it.

Cathy says: We used to do it the other way round but you wouldn't believe how many tried it on. So now you pay at the start and get it back if you decide the weather's not right for you.

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14. Can I bring my pet?

John says: This is a fantastic place for dogs and some guests bring cats as well. There's smells forever more along the shore and loads of space for them to run across the sands.

Joanne says: Some parks get a bit hung up on walking areas and leads. What we say is that so long as your dog is under control, not left alone in your unit and you clean up after it we won't have a problem. See our Pet Friendly Policy here.

Cathy says: Our own dogs, Wombat the mongrel and Maddie and Millie the Labradors are very quick to learn who'll feed them – you'll find them following John around the park. Maddie and Millie are often to be found sitting in the tractor.

Lauren says: I didn't know until recently that when John replaced the tractor he insisted on one that could accommodate those two!

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15. Which is Best - Shoreside, Fieldside or Kiddies Corner?

Nicola says: It depends on what you're looking for ... Shoreside pitches are pricier - but you get terrific views, a huge space and water and electric hook up included. Families are welcome on pitches 1 and 2.

Lauren says: Of course Fieldside pitches are for adults only so they're not an option for families. They're a bit more sheltered and tend to be quieter than Shoreside, set at the back of the park. They have electric hook up included and a central water tap.

Cathy says: Shoreside touring pitches are open to the sea and can be windy.

Lauren says: You know, some guests complain about the wind. I’m never sure which bit of "we're on the coast in Scotland" they don’t understand. We even had one woman who complained that she got her feet wet on the beach ...

Nicola says: Kiddies Corner is the family alternative to a Fieldside pitch – it's safer with less traffic and close to our small football field. Electric hook up is included in the price and there's a central water tap nearby.

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16. Can I put my tent on Shoreside?

Nicola says: Campers tend to have trouble on Shoreside with tents because Shoreside is the closest we have to hard standing and because it can get windy. As Cathy says, some guests don't see the link between Shoreside and wind and then of course it's our fault.

Cathy says: Some campers do manage it though and have a great time there - it seems to depend on the quality of the pegs they use and to some extent on whether the guests are new to camping or not. They also need to watch sizes though - we can't take huge tents on Shoreside because you have to be self contained within your pitch including guy lines.

Nicola says: The best thing is to ask us at booking.

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17. Can I have a non-electric pitch on Shoreside?

Cathy says: One thing that amazed me when I first came to work here was that some guests (a small minority but you do tend to remember them - or at least I do!) would try anything to get a free night or a free something or other. I lost count of how many times people would book a non electric pitch on Shoreside and then use the electric "because it was there." It was soul destroying for all of us. I even started an electric surveillance operation where I would leap out from behind the bollards and catch people at it.

But John and Joanne felt that was a bit too scary ...

Lauren says: It's not an issue now though because all our pitches have electric hook up and we can't turn off electric on our hook ups. So you'll be charged the inclusive price.

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18. How big are your touring pitches?

John says: Our park's set out over 17 acres and we have an extra 15 acres behind the Fieldside area which we use just now for our pets corner. Unlike other parks we don't cram our pitches together. I used to be a farmer and I'd love to squeeze more in – but Joanne and the ladies won't let me!

So our touring pitches are a minimum of 10 metres deep by 7 metres wide – or 32 feet by 22 feet in old money.

In addition, in recent years we've actually REDUCED our touring pitch numbers but kept the same space. Joanne says this was "part of our ongoing programme of improving your touring experience with us."

I say we made the pitches bigger so you had more space to park up in.

Simples!

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19. Do you offer seasonal touring pitches?

Lauren says: We can offer our guests both full year and part year seasonal touring places on specific pitches. The full year seasonal tourers have the cheapest rate and are given a licence similar to that of an older static unit (annual).

Cathy says: We do have a waiting list for full year seasonal touring pitches though and the best thing is really to come on as a part year first.

Lauren says: Yeah - I've never understood the people that apply to be a full year seasonal when they've never even been here. What's that about?

Nicola says: You'll never know - but we do always recommend at least a short stay here first. It's a heck of a commitment otherwise on both sides!

>> Find out more about our Seasonal Touring Pitches

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Our Pitches: The location of all of our Touring Pitches can be found on the Touring & Caravan Park site plan ( Adobe PDF, 420kb)