Ard na Mara

The sea is close enough here that you wake to the sound of gulls and salt air through the window — Ard na Mara sits right on the edge of things, where Scotland meets the Atlantic.

This is a small, personal setup offering both guest house rooms and camping pods, so it suits couples after a proper bed and a cooked breakfast as much as it does campers wanting four walls and a bit more shelter than canvas. It's open all year, which makes it a decent winter bolthole when the coast gets moody and magnificent. Dogs are welcome by arrangement, so worth asking ahead if you're bringing one.

Facilities aren't detailed, so expect a straightforward, no-frills stay — this is more about location than luxury. Campfires are a check-on-arrival situation, likely depending on weather and where you're pitched. The vibe feels quiet and low-key, the sort of place you come to walk the coast, watch the weather roll in, and fall asleep to the wind in the eaves.