HARRIET EVANS, AUTHOR
Where is it?
Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway.
Why do you go there?
My partner's family shares a caravan in a beautiful spot just down the road. It's in an ancient estate by Cardoness Castle on the sea overlooking Fleet Bay, with caravans dotted throughout the estate, and any number of hidden coves and rocks to climb.
How often do you go?
Once a year, usually May or summer school holidays. We live in Bath, so it's not exactly round the corner, and other people use it throughout the year.
How did you discover it?
Chris, my partner, first went when he was six weeks old. His parents were living in Glasgow and knew other families who had caravans on the coast there. So, they took the plunge and bought one themselves. They've been going every year since.
What's your favourite memory?
The mobile signal is better now but for years it wasn't great. I really liked that. You are present with your children in a way you aren't at home.
The shop in the old stables sells sweets so every morning we walk or scoot through the park. It's about a mile. My children love it and it's quite often when I have the best chats with them. Not doing anything, just walking and talking through this gorgeous scenery.
Who do you take?
My partner and our two girls, who are nine and five. Sometimes assorted family members join us up there which is great.
READ MORE: Author Doug Johnstone on the joys of his favourite seaside spot
What do you take?
Rainy day stuff, because if the sun's shining, you're on the beach all day. Puzzles, cocoa for post-swim warmth, waterproofs, bed socks. And lots of books. We leave them behind for others to read, but we always go to the Mill on the Fleet bookshop and come home with far more books than we brought.
What do you leave behind?
Everyday life. You arrive and everything that's in your head seems to sort of melt away. It's a caravan, so there's the novelty factor too; it's not like your house.
The first caravan they had didn't have a loo, but these days they have all sorts. There are some extremely luxurious properties on the site – nicer than my house.
Sum it up in five words.
Beautiful. Calming. Remote. Friendly. Magical.
READ MORE: Thriller writer Shari Lapena on the off-the-beaten track beauty of rural Ontario
What travel spot is on your post-lockdown wish list?
Anywhere. New York, Spain and Italy are all places I'd love to go back to. I read loads of history during lockdown and want to visit Austria and Switzerland and Germany to see some ancient schlosses.
Most of all I want to go to France. I have this huge longing to sit in a sun-baked ancient square and just gorge myself on Brie and red wine.
The Beloved Girls by Harriet Evans is published by Headline, priced £14.99
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