Hillside Auckengill Campsite

View prices & book 9.2 163 reviews
Hillside pitches
Hillside pitches
The pitches
Pitches
Camping field
View to the sea
View from site
View to the sea from the pitches
Track to the pitches
1/63
The pitches
Pitches
Camping field

  • Small, peaceful tourer site with sea views at Auckengill in Caithness
  • On the North Coast 500 driving route; John O’Groats 10 minutes’ drive
  • Grass pitches surrounded by grazing animals; pub five minutes’ drive
With spectacular views over Caithness farmland to the North Sea, Hillside Auckengill Campsite is a peaceful spot to park up for the night when you’re heading around north Scotland on the NC500. It’s also a handy base if you’ve got an early-morning start for the Orkney Islands, as it’s only 15 minutes’ drive from Gills Bay ferry port. And thanks to its location in the rural village of Auckengill, 10 minutes’ drive from John O’Groats and five minutes from the sea, the site also makes a convenient spot for hanging around and exploring Caithness in more depth. It’s a breeze to get to as well, being easily accessed from the A99 trunk road. The handful of grass pitches here are surrounded by fields full of livestock and have access to a single bathroom containing a toilet and shower. There are plenty of local walks direct from the grass pitches for hikers and dog-walkers – you might like to follow sections of the fairly strenuous John O’Groats Trail (five minutes’ walk) or simply amble down to Keiss Beach (an hour). Foodwise, barbecues are permitted on site, but if you fancy a change of scenery, head to the pub in Keiss (five minutes’ drive) for some wholesome grub. Restock with supplies at the supermarkets in Wick (20 minutes).

Site type

Motorhome pitches 10
Touring caravan pitches 10
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • There is no reception on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.2

Overall rating from 163 Pitchup.com customers

  • 66%
    10
  • 7%
    9
  • 15%
    8
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    7
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    6
  • 1%
    5
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 7
PeacefulRemote location

94% would recommend this site to a friend

91% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a small, peaceful campsite offering stunning views and a tranquil atmosphere, ideal for NC500 travellers. Pitches are level and serviced, with a very clean and well-equipped toilet/shower facility. Owners are frequently praised for their exceptional friendliness and helpfulness. While some noted the limited number of shower/toilet units and the exposed, windy location, the site is generally well-maintained and offers good value.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 17
Arrival date (latest first)

Lovely small site. Comfortable shower and…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
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Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
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Anonymous

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Lovely small site. Comfortable shower and toilet building. Friendly hosts.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious layout for my campervan with…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
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Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
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Anthony M.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Spacious layout for my campervan with ehu and level.Friendly welcome by lady

Disliked Limited toilet only one causing waiting outside but clean .

Recommend to friends Visit again

I would stay there again

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
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Anonymous

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Total peace, Basic but everything u need

Disliked Only one shower and toilet unsure if this would be issue if site was busy

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic site, level pitch facilities are amazing

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
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Michael F.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Very friendly host, large pitch, very clean and well equipped shower, water lovely and hot. Definitely worth the the money

Disliked We stayed in low season would probably benefit from more shower facilities when in high season

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely campsite! Had everything we needed,…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Lovely campsite! Had everything we needed, was the perfect pit stop for our NC500 journey. Highly reccomend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

A wee Gem

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Lorna S.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked The site was on a hillside with amazing views. Was greeted by owner who lives next to Site. Very friendly and I honestly can’t fault the site - it was immaculate. Would definitely recommend

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location was great - great views…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Location was great - great views - owners very helpful

Disliked There is only 1 toilet/shower and when there are about 8 campers/ motoring (so probably 20 people) can be very frustrating queuing up for the toilet or shower in the freezing cold.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clear instructions from the host, very…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
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Anonymous

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Clear instructions from the host, very friendly when we were greeted on arrival. Facilities explained clearly and water/electricity all in working order. The toilet/shower was very welcome and very clean and well equipped. Lovely small and clean site, signposted and value for money.

Disliked If the site was busy I think it would be difficult as there is only one toilet, however when we stayed in December there were only 2 vans on site so was not a problem for us.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Host's communication and flexibility in accommodating…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
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Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
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Graham D.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked Host's communication and flexibility in accommodating our changing travel plans.
The toilet and shower was immaculately clean.

Disliked Lighting. This site has an lot of very bright lights around the site which is a great shame as it is situated in the most amazing dark sky area. The lighting is so bright it literally dazzled us and sadly completely washed out the night sky so it was impossible to observer the northern lights that were displaying that night.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect to explore the area. Still open in November!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
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Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
David R.

Fully-serviced hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked The location was tranquil and feels wild. Facilities were spotless and heated - a delight in November! - and the site was nicely laid out, with well-drained hard surface bays, each with electric hook-up. Its a dark-sky area so the views at night are of stars and boat-lights at sea. Its the only site open in November in this part of the NC500 that I could find, making it especially useful.
The owner is very pleasant and helpful. Lots to see and do in the immediate area if you enjoy coastal walks and watching wildlife - there were seals on the beach a few miles away.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Golf nearby Sailing nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Drainage hook-up points for tourers Water hook-up points for tourers

Location

Hillside Auckengill Campsite

Auckengill

Wick

Caithness

Scotland

KW1 4XP

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

58.57135°N
3.09278°W

Nearest transport

Rail
9 mi Wick Rail Station
13.6 mi Georgemas Junction Rail Station
15.8 mi Thurso Rail Station
Ferry
5.1 mi John O' Groats Ferry Terminal
5.3 mi Gills Bay Ferry Terminal
12.4 mi Burwick Sth Ronaldsay Orkney Ferry Terminal
Airport
8.2 mi Wick Airport
27.3 mi Kirkwall (Orkney) Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

To learn more about Caithness heritage, pay a visit to Nybster Broch (five minutes’ drive), the circular ruins of a former Iron Age settlement with a 19th-century tower covered in gargoyles built into it. Just down the road, the Caithness Broch Centre (also five minutes) displays Viking and Pictish artefacts found in local brochs, including pottery and gaming tokens. Have a nose around the dramatic clifftop ruins of Bucholie (five minutes) and Old Keiss castles (10 minutes), or for a regal day out, tour the sumptuous apartments and neatly planted walled gardens at the 16th-century Castle of Mey (25 minutes’ drive), once the home of HM, The Queen Mother. Head to John O’Groats (10 minutes) for beer and whisky tastings or to pick up pretty souvenirs in the art gallery. To admire the wild Caithness coastline from the sea, join a boat cruise from Wick (20 minutes) and get up close to caves and jagged sea stacks while looking out for puffin colonies tucked into the cliffs and seals basking on the rocks.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Dunnet 9.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Thurso 15.5 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

The Castle & Gardens of Mey 6.6 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

The Stacks of Duncansby 5.5 mi

Noss Head and Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles 6.7 mi

Staxigoe to Noss Head 8 mi

Dwarwick to Castletown 10.4 mi

Brough Harbour – Marry Geo - Remains of Castle – Kerry Geo 10.4 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Caithness?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Hillside Auckengill Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Hillside Auckengill Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Hillside Auckengill Campsite? To learn more about Caithness heritage, pay a visit to Nybster Broch (five minutes’ drive), the circular ruins of a former Iron Age settlement with a 19th-century tower covered in gargoyles built … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hillside Auckengill Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.

    Please telephone the site 30 minutes before arrival.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hillside Auckengill Campsite? From £29 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.