Having enjoyed wonderful sites at Onich, Brora and Stonehaven I then found myself at Balbirnie Park for three nights. To say that this site is in sharp contrast to those others would be an understatement. Being largely under trees, and we are talking big trees, it is extremely gloomy and damp and, with autumn leaves covering the ground, it is inclined to be grubby as well.

The wardens do their best to clear the leaves, but it is a losing battle; there is more than just leaves as well; trees shed a diversity of detritus in the form of a variety of nuts, seeds, fruits, needles, etc. This is not my ideal at all. I had been here before, a year previous, so you may wonder why I came again! I did too!

On the plus side, the village of Markinch is quite pretty and the locals very friendly. There is a lovely church on the hill-top, good walks, pleasant views and a few essential shops. It is a convenient stop off on the way north or south during a Scottish tour. I also like the proximity of the station for trips to Perth, Dundee, Edinburgh and other places. On my previous visit I also appreciated the 3 Bean coffee shop, just down the road, but, sadly, this time, it was closed. A message in the window suggested a temporary closure, but, looking inside, its closure had a decidedly terminal look to it.

I looked for a pitch in the lower tier section, but the only level one available was under two giant trees. Mind you, few pitches are not under trees. There was heavy rain and after only 48 hours on site my van was filthy with brown streaks and sticky deposits all over. The extra noise of the bigger droplets of water accumulated in the trees was also irritating after a day and night of solid rain. No one can change the weather, and no one can be blamed for it; it is what it is, but given the tree cover, and the consequent mess, it is one good reason not to come here.

I prefer the fully hard cored lower section, where most pitches are separated by borders of shrubbery. On the downside, however, the nearest service point is accessed by a slope that is only just on the right side of what is safely negotiable by ordinary humans; returning with a full aqua roll is a bit of a challenge especially in the wet and with wet leaves in abundance. I am negative about this site and, frankly, I probably won’t come here again. It is a personal choice – the surrounding area makes for a convenient place to stop, especially for a motorhome, but the site itself is gloomy beyond words and keeping equipment and clothing clean is a challenge.

I also wonder if I am the only person who worries a little about the massive trees when the wind gets up. During this trip in Scotland, I saw some huge, uprooted trees; I saw another at Abbey Wood early this year which was a massive eye-opener. I saw root systems in Scotland at least ten feet broad. I hate to think about the prospects if one of those fell on a caravan!

I hope the trees are regularly and expertly surveyed for safety.