Campsites with a view

We might not always have the weather, but at least the views are guaranteed. There are thousands of spots in Britain and Ireland where you can just sit and take it all in, from Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to quiet woods , rugged coastlines to tranquil lakes . Even a typical summer’s day (lashing it down) is no problem when you’re stamping along the coast in Galway or looking around a castle in Scotland. And if the weather’s good, fishing on a quiet lake with no-one else about, hiking up a hill to look over a valley or looking along miles of unspoilt coastline are some of the best holiday experiences you can have. Who needs Majorca?

If you’re looking for a campsite according to whether it has a good view, you can of course filter this through Pitchup.com’s search. Just look for sites with spectacular scenery – we have around 400 listed, with dozens bookable online. And if you’re in need of some inspiration, here are five to get you started, whether you want to go jet-skiing, relax with the kids or sit around a communal campfire .

• Eyemouth Holiday Park, Berwickshire : Eyemouth is on a headland looking over a wide sweep of beach and with coastal views to St Abbs Head. There are pitches for motorhomes and touring caravans as well as caravans for hire, and the site has an all-weather sports court and a bar. The park is a short walk from the fishing port of Eyemouth, where you can have a free session in the indoor pool or see cabaret at weekends in the Driftwood Complex. Berwick-on-Tweed is eight miles away, with a museum, art gallery and castle if you want to get out of the pool or bar and be cultural. Eyemouth Holiday Park is open from 1 April – 31 October in 2011.

• Wimbleball Lake Campsite, Somerset : Wimbleball Lake Campsite is in the Exmoor hills with panoramic views over Wimbleball Lake and a short distance away from beaches and seaside villages along the coast. The lake is available for fishing, sailing, kayaking and windsurfing and there are plenty of walking and cycling trails for wildlife spotting. The Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is within 15 miles and the National Trust’s Dunster Castle is eight miles away. The site has motorhome, touring and tent pitches and is open from 7 March – 31 October in 2011.

• Thistledown, Stroud : Relax and look across the Cotswold Hills at this site, where you can camp in an orchard or a lower pasture surrounded by woodland. There are pitches for tents only and each of the three different site has a fire pit. Woodchester Park is just half a mile away for a day’s hiking and looking for deer or foxes, or try Selsley Common two miles away, Newark Park five miles away or a pint at the nearby Good Pub Guide pub Ram.

• Tattershall Lakes Country Park, Lincolnshire : Tattershall is set among parkland, woodland and lakes, between the Fens and the Wolds in the middle of Lincolnshire, so there’s plenty of scenery if you just want to sit and relax. If you’re feeling more active, there’s loads of stuff to do on the lakes here, including a dedicated lake for jet-skiing and another for water-skiing and wakeboarding. If relaxing in water is more your thing, there are hot tubs and a spa, and of course a bar so your other half can dutifully fetch you champagne as you lie and soak. Tattershall Lakes has pitches for tents, motorhomes and tourers, and caravans and lodges for hire. It’s open from April to November.

• North Morte Farm Caravan and Camping Park, Devon : This is a family run campsite set in some of the most scenic countryside in Devon and a few hundred yards from Rockham beach. It’s also close to Woolacombe beach which is a good surfing spot. The site has direct access to the coast path and is five minutes’ walk away from Mortehoe village. North Morte has pitches for tents, motorhomes and touring caravans as well as caravans for hire. It’s open from April until the end of October.

There are literally hundreds more campsites around the country with stunning views, so if you know of one please add it below!