A farm diversification project has made a list of the UK’s top campsites.
Hensol Estate Holidays began welcoming campers to the west side of Loch Ken nearly three years ago.
Run by the Bell family, who also farm beef and sheep at Hensol, it was named in a list of the UK’s top 30 campsites to visit by The Independent newspaper.
Andrew Bell said: “It originally started during Covid – everyone was looking for accommodation in the UK.
“I knew down at Hensol, we had water frontage on three sides. It was the ideal location and that’s why we set it up.
“There’s nothing else on our side of the loch – the eastern side is already quite developed but on our side it’s still only ourselves.
“We spread everyone out in the campsite, it’s not where everyone is sitting with pitch numbers, we allow everybody to choose where they pitch.
“We feel like we’ve got a product that people really enjoy because we’re working as much as we can with the environment and nature.”
The Bells moved to Hensol from the Scottish Borders in 2012.
As well as space for campers and caravans, the site also has pods, with cottages also used for holiday accommodation.
And its location beside Loch Ken and Woodhall Loch also make it ideal for water sports.
Mr Bell feels not being focussed solely on the farming side of the business is vital.
He said: “With beef and sheep farms, diversification is essential with the way things have gone.
“A chance to diversify makes such a big difference to the whole farming system.”
Galloway Forest Park and the stargazing opportunities offered by the dark skies make Hensol popular with visitors.
But local businesses also benefit from tourists, with Hensol being in huge demand on booking site pitchup.com.
Mr Bell added: “In the pods we have a package with leaflets from tourist information where people can choose to go.
“With us, they tend to go away and use whatever tourist attractions they choose to go – down to Kirkcudbright, to Ernespie Farm Park, Cream O’Galloway, all those sort of things get used by people from the campsite.”
