Practical Caravan May 2020

It’s amazing how quickly our Top 100 Sites Guide issue seems to come around each year – it’s perhaps the issue we look forward to most, as for us it marks the true start of the season. This year is no exception, and our site guide is bigger and better than ever before! Regular readers will notice one major difference: not only do we include our fantastic 100 winners, we’ve also featured a directory of hundreds of other sites, listed by region. If you can’t book a pitch at one of our winners – and they’re always popular – you can quickly and easily find somewhere else to stay nearby. So, no matter where you’re planning to tour in the UK, take a look at your guide to discover brilliant…

Where are we? Portsoy, Aberdeenshire Coordinates 57°40’57.4”N 2°41’06.2”W Why tour here? There are few places on these brilliant shores of ours that are as remote and wild as the Scottish Highlands – and they’re just perfect for exploring in your caravan. Stop off at a pretty harbour and take the air, then simply continue on your way – pure perfection. Don’t miss… There are a huge amount of film locations to visit in this area, not least those connected with the recent remake of Whisky Galore! Photographer Andy McCandlish ‘Portsoy is a beautiful little fishing town with a fine old harbour just ripe for exploring’…

Star letter Here is a rather nifty idea that we think might be of some help to other readers. Quilts and mattress/sleeping bags, such as those made by Duvalay, are quite bulky and take up much needed storage space. My wife Jan bought a pack of space-saver bags – when you use the pump supplied or a suitable vacuum cleaner, they reduce the bulk volume by up to 60%. It’s the same principle as leaving a new memory foam mattress on a bed to expand once unpacked! Here is a photo (below) of her efforts. Kev and Jan Reffould MILENCO The contributor of our Star letter wins a pair of Milenco Grand Aero towing mirrors, worth £50. They’re designed to fit all wing mirrors and offer an outstanding view. For…

1 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury Visit Dorset and you can stop to admire our cover star, and the place where that Hovis advert was filmed 2 The Shell Grotto, Margate The walls of this hidden passageway in Kent are just covered with millions of amazing shells, large and small 3 Din Lligwy, Anglesey Fascinating ancient hut circle on a settlement that is thought to date back to before the Iron Age 4 Lansallos, Cornwall Dodge the crowds on the beautiful beach of this Cornish fishing village 5 Secret Bunker, Troywood This two-floor bunker was built to provide a government safe-house in the event of nuclear war 6 Carrick-a-Rede, Co Antrim Visit the Giant’s Causeway and take a stroll over this spectacular bridge 7 St Govan’s Chapel, Pembrokeshire A tiny hermit’s cell…

PET SPECIAL! TOP PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS Hold the camera securely And not just because you don’t want to drop it! Holding your phone using both hands, elbows tucked in against your body, helps reduce camera shake. Alternatively, use a tripod. Avoid the flash Despite advances, the flash built into phones often produces unflattering results. More often, a ‘noisy’ picture is preferable in low light. Tap the lightning bolt symbol and set the flash to Off. Zoom with your feet You can zoom with an ‘unpinch’ gesture, but all that does is crop the photo that’s taken – which you can control better later, using the Photos app’s Crop tool. Instead, simply try to get closer if possible.…

Barbecue accessories You can barbecue like an expert with this 10-piece stainless steel kit from B&Q – all you need to cook up delicious treats. Price £32 Web www.diy.com Dometic CAM200 bike rack camera The CAM200 can be mounted on your fully loaded bike rack, to give a clear view for reversing into the tightest of spots. Price £350 Web www.dometic.com Umbrella Heaven The outside of this folded umbrella becomes the inside when it’s up. Ingenious! Price £14.99 Web umbrellaheaven.com/product/reverse-umbrella-red Keychain charging cable This tidy keychain charging cable is perfect for a power boost while you’re on the go, and it’s compatible with Android and Apple. Price £15 Web uk.wildandwolf.com Citronella candles Citronella candles create a relaxing atmosphere on warm summer evenings spent outdoors, and they help to keep the…