The UK’s Best Regions for Remote Working at Campsites
Which regions are home to the most connected campsites with the best amenities for remote working in the UK?
In recent years, the concept of working remotely has become normalised all over the world, and the UK is no exception. However, remote working shouldn’t just mean being confined to your makeshift home office, and thanks to the UK’s most-connected campsites, many digital nomads have been able to swap the office desk for the great outdoors.
Digital nomads are people who choose to work remotely using digital technology while travelling to new places and taking in the world around them. They are becoming increasingly commonplace in the 21st century; in fact, UK Google searches for ‘digital nomads’ have increased by 67% between 2018 and 2021. In 2018, the average Google searches were just over 26 per week, compared to 2021 where there were just over 44 average Google searches per week, according to Google Trends search data.
Going camping does not mean we have to forfeit our favourite creature comforts, such as internet connection and mobile signal. Today’s campsites are more connected than ever, with many offering electric hook-ups and wifi – opening up avenues for those more inclined towards a life on the move.
That’s why we have revealed the regions with the most connected campsites and even glamping spots for remote working, to help keep all those home comforts close while away.
Not only have we unzipped the most connected regions for remote working, but we have delved even deeper into data to reveal the best UK regions for digital nomads, the best locations for longer outdoor stays, the best staycation spots for good weather, and the cheapest regions for life on the move.
So, if you’re longing for views beyond your desktop screensaver, and are considering the life of a digital nomad, look no further…
The Most Connected Regions for Remote Working at Campsites
Whether you’re a stock trader who needs to stay in touch with the latest market swings or a social media influencer with an Instagram profile you simply have to keep updated, in the modern day, it's perfectly possible to go camping and still keep a connection to the outside world.
Our data reveals that South West England is home to the best-connected campsites for remote working in the UK, with the region securing a total score of 71.6 out of 110. With camping in Cornwall being such a popular holiday choice, this result will surprise few. It even has some of the cheapest prices per night for a campsite or glamping spot (£18.32) of anywhere in the UK. What’s more, South West England also scored 14.7/20 for the number of campsites in the region that offer electric hook-ups, putting it in the top 4 regions out of the seed list of 20.
South Scotland came in at second place for its high number of well-connected campsites, with the region scoring 71.1/110. The region, which includes Berwickshire, Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders, is home to the cheapest outdoor accommodation prices in Scotland, with costs averaging £18.11 per night per person. What’s more, South Scotland scored 9/10 when it came to campsites having an on-site cafe, meaning you won’t be short for a bite to eat if you’re not up for cooking.
Although Edinburgh and the Lothians don't score strongly in the wifi department, this is still considered a great region for the avid smartphone hot-spotter. This is what makes it the third best region for remote working at campsites in the UK, receiving a total score of 68.4/110 thanks to high-scoring amenities such as on-site cafes, nearby takeaways and shower facilities.
In fact, this region scored full marks when it came to campsites providing shower facilities, with a glowing ranking of 10/10.
Other great camping destinations for people who want to stay connected and continue to work remotely while camping can be found in South Wales – which ranks fourth with a 66.3 score – and West Wales – which also has a score of 66.3.
Campers in South Wales can enjoy some of the warmest temperatures on average in the UK at 15.84 degrees when looking at the yearly average, while those staying in West Wales have the luxury of being able to take an after-work stroll on the beach, scoring 10/10 for closeness to the coast.
Surprisingly, city-dwellers in England’s capital city, London, don’t have to travel too far if they want to swap their office for the outdoors, since London ranks as the sixth most-connected campsite region with a total score of 63.7.
Find campsites in South West England
The Best Regions for Digital Nomads
Data reveals that West Wales is officially the best region for digital nomads in the UK, with the region scoring 16.8 out of 20 for connectivity. West Wales is blessed with a wealth of wifi signal, resulting in a wonderful wifi rating of 6.8 out of 10. Elsewhere, the region scored 10/10 when it came to electrical hook-ups, offering total peace of mind for digital nomads.
The second-best UK region for digital nomads is London, with the region receiving a total score of 15.3 out of 20. The wifi strength in London is anything but middle-of-the-road, with the region receiving a staggering wifi rating of 10 out of 10.
Digital nomads may also want to consider a camping trip to the West Midlands, which ranks third with an impressive score of 14.7.
The South West boasts the second-highest number of campsites with electric hook-ups (scoring 9.5/10), plus it has an impressive wifi rating of 5.3 out of 10. Overall, the region came in at fourth, scoring 14.7.
In fifth place is the East Midlands. The region scored 13.2 in the digital nomad category, due to a 9 in the electric hook-ups rating and a 4.2 wifi rating.
It’s a close contest for sixth place, with the North West and Mid Wales both scoring 12.6 overall.
North East England, Tayside, Central and Fife, and Yorkshire and the Humber all scored a respectable 10/20, proving that digital nomads are not short of locations to explore.
The Best Remote Living Locations for Longer Stays
Living and working remotely comes with a number of benefits, from higher productivity to greater flexibility surrounding your work-life balance. But, while camping and glamping can help you stay connected with the world around you, some of us also want to stay connected to our worlds of work.
Data reveals that the best location in the UK for a longer outdoor stay is South Scotland, with the region drumming up an impressive 33.2 out of 40 score in our ‘longer stays’ category. Camping and glamping prices in this region are the cheapest in the whole of Scotland, at just £18.11 per person, per night on average – a promising result for anyone looking to camp or glamp in Scotland.
South Scotland also scores highly in each of the café and communal rooms departments. An almost-perfect score of 9/10 for communal rooms, on-site cafés and shower facilities proves that South Scotland is worthy of its first-place spot.
The second-best region for remote holidaying in the UK is Edinburgh and the Lothians, which receives a category score of 29.5 out of 40. However, with an average price of £22.80 per person per night, this region only came 17th in the seed list of 20 regions when it came to the cheapest places to stay.
Third place goes to East England for a category score of 24.2 out of 40. Prices are very affordable at campsites and glampsites in East England, with costs averaging around £20.56 per person, per night. The region also received an impressive score for its number of on-site cafés and communal rooms: 7.9 for cafés and 7.4 for communal rooms.
The fourth spot goes to Aberdeen and the North East, which scores 24.2 as a remote living location for a longer stay. The region scores handsomely when it comes to cafés (10.0) but ranks poorly when it comes to the number of sites with communal rooms (3.2). However, thanks to a ranking of 8.4 out of 10 for shower facilities, this region holds its fourth place firmly.
Finally, the region vying for fifth place is the East Midlands, scoring 24.2 as a longer stay remote living location. The East Midlands scores an almost perfect ten (9.5) when it comes to price per person per night, along with a respectable 6.8/10 when it comes to cafés on-site.
Find campsites in South Scotland
The Best Staycation Spots For Good Weather
The one worry that we all have before setting off on a UK-based holiday is the weather. After all, annual rainfall in some regions of the UK did reach as high as 1,460.7mm in 2021. However, some of the UK’s most popular staycation spots see more sun than you may think.
Data shows that South Wales gets better weather on average than any other UK holiday region. The average maximum temperature across the year in South Wales is 15.8 degrees celsius, earning the region a ‘weather stations’ category score of 10 out of 10 and a first-place finish as the UK’s sunniest staycation spot. This temperature may not seem that high, but it is definitely impressive for the UK!
The second-best staycation spot for good weather in the UK is South West England, with the region hitting an average maximum temperature of 14.57 degrees across the year to receive a weather stations category score of 9.47.
The third-best staycation spot for good weather in the UK is East England, reaching an average maximum temperature of 13.77 degrees and awarding it a weather stations category score of 8.95.
Other superb staycation spots where you have the best chances of catching some good weather include London, which ranks fourth with a 7.89 weather stations score for the region’s average maximum temperature of 13.62 degrees. There’s also South East England, which clinches fifth place with a 7.89 weather stations score as a result of the region’s average maximum temperature of 13.62 degrees.
The Cheapest Regions For Life On The Move
A huge factor when we are choosing a campsite or glampsite is the cost – because nobody wants to take a break if doing so breaks the bank. But in which UK regions can you find the cheapest average prices of camping and glamping spots?
Data reveals that the cheapest pitch prices in the UK can be found in Northern Ireland, where the region’s average price of camping and glamping spots is just £15.69 per night per person, resulting in a perfect category score of 10 out of 10.
Not only are the prices in Northern Ireland incredibly affordable, but a trip or a long-duration stay in this country offers the added bonus of visiting unique tourist spots such as the Giant’s Causeway and filming locations from HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Surprisingly, all three top regions from our seed list offer very similar prices, with second-placed East Midlands coming in at £15.73 per person, per night, giving it a score of 9.5 overall. West Wales is in third place, with similarly low prices of £15.87 per person, per night, giving this region a very respectable score of 9/10 overall.
Find campsites in Northern Ireland
Methodology:
The Most Connected Regions for Remote Working at Campsites
Using internal data from Pitchup.com, we took a seed list of all bookable UK campsites and split these by region, analysing these data points:
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Number of campsites with electric hookups
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Average per night, per person cost (based on all pitch types – camping, touring, glamping and caravans)
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Distance from each campsite to its nearest train station
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Number of campsites with an on-site shop
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Number of campsites with an on-site café
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Number of campsites listed with ‘spectacular scenery’
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Distance from each campsite to its nearest beach
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Number of campsites with shower facilities
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Number of campsites with a communal rooms
We also gathered weather station data from the Met Office, finding the average maximum temperature for every month and giving each region an overall average yearly temperature score. We then placed these into an index scoring system where each region was scored out of a total of 110 points.
The Best Regions for Digital Nomads
Using wifi connectivity ratings sourced from customer reviews and data on the number of campsites with electricity hook-ups from Pitchup.com, we scored each region out of a possible 20 points to reveal which were most suitable for digital nomads.
The Best Remote Living Locations For Longer Stays
Taking the average camping and glamping pitch per night price, the on-site café, shower and communal rooms data, we scored each region out of 40 to reveal the best region where remote workers could comfortably stay longer at an affordable rate.
The Best Staycation Spots For Good Weather
Taking all available historical weather data from the Met Office, we revealed which regions had the highest average maximum temperature across the year, using the average maximum temperature of every month.
The Cheapest Regions For Life On The Move
For remote workers who wish to travel about while they work, we have taken the average camping, touring and glamping price per night across all regions to reveal which ones have the cheapest sites.