Auchenlarie Holiday Park Reviews
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Auchenlarie Holiday Park offers a scenic seaside getaway, 20 minutes from Castle Douglas. Enjoy amazing sea views and access to a private cove beach. There are a great range of facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, restaurant/takeaway, bar, live entertainment, arcade, shop, indoor soft play, gym and multiple play areas. Serviced grass pitches welcome tents and tourers, each with electric, water and a TV point. Dogs are welcome too!
99 reviews
82%
would recommend
Perfect
Recommends site
Laura H
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0
Brilliant stay, no 2p machines! That was my 10yr olds negative but the park made up for it. Everything clean and the team were amazing. Easy to get to and very relaxing. Is close to the main road so some traffic noise, but that was quiet compared to the noise of the crows. Would I return? Absolutely, it was perfect for us.
Camping trip
Recommends site
Gary M
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0
We were very pleased with the quality of our pitch, the location of the camp and the cleanliness of the facilities. We had two observations, in the restaurant we were very surprised to have to pay for our meal and award a tip at the point of ordering the food - rewarding service before you have had it! Secondly, having brought a dog of our own which we kept under control, we were surprised at the number of people on the camp who let their dogs run free, especially with other dogs and children running around and cars driving around the camp. On leaving the camp, I had to break hard in my motorhome to avoid a dog that ran out into the road.
Recent stay
Recommends site
Joanne S
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0
Great site and facilities with friendly staff. Service slow in the Tide restaurant, but food was good though. Amazing takeaway pizza at Tides takeaway.
Nice site, except for the toilet seats!
Recommends site
Martin J
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Great location next to a lovely beach. Toilets were clean, but lots had broken toilet seats, no idea why the site hasn't replaced them with something fit for purpose. Lorries on A75 were quite noisy as were the crows.
Oh the crows
Graham S
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We've just returned from a stay here and, overall, it was a brilliant trip with plenty to love - especially if you're travelling with kids or in a group. This site is genuinely geared towards families and offers something for all ages. Whether you've got toddlers wanting to run wild, teens needing space to roam, or adults in desperate need of a peaceful cuppa (or something stronger), you'll find it here. There are multiple well-equipped playgrounds dotted across the site, giving little ones ample places to burn off energy (and giving parents a fighting chance of a quiet evening). The beach access is a huge bonus - private, easy to get to, and perfect for rock pooling, paddling, or just sitting and pretending you're not constantly being asked for snacks. The staff? Excellent. Every single one we met was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. You get the sense that they care about the site and its visitors, which makes a huge difference. We had a hard-standing pitch again and, like last time, it was well laid out with plenty of space between you and your neighbours. You're not crammed in like sardines, which is always appreciated - especially if, like us, you travel with a child who thinks a scooter is a perfectly acceptable mode of transport at 7am. Now, as great as the site is, there are a couple of things worth mentioning - and these might be deal-breakers if you're a light sleeper or someone who values the soothing silence of the countryside. Spoiler alert: you won't find it here. First up: the A75. It runs near the site, and by "near" I mean close enough that you'll become intimately familiar with the comings and goings of the entire HGV community of Scotland. Day and night, lorries thunder past with a dedication that's almost impressive. It's like a trucker relay race that never ends. If you're used to rural peace and quiet, it's a bit of a shock. The sound doesn't completely ruin things during the day - especially if you're out and about - but at night, unless you can sleep through a freight train, you're going to notice it. Pack earplugs or embrace your new hobby of lorry-spotting by sound alone. And then there's the crows. Oh, the crows. Now, I appreciate wildlife as much as the next person, but this felt less like a charming encounter with nature and more like a full-blown feathered uprising. From the moment the sky starts to lighten, the crows begin their relentless squawking - and they do not let up. They're like tiny, winged drill sergeants who've just discovered surround sound. They appear to take turns shouting at each other from various trees, rooftops, and possibly your dreams. They do quiet down for a few hours - presumably to regroup and plan their next vocal assault - before starting up again in the early hours. It's bizarrely impressive and deeply annoying in equal measure. Finally, while the family vibe was mostly lovely, it would've been helpful to have a set noise curfew. We had a few nights where music from nearby pitches went on well past midnight - including one session that sounded suspiciously like a mini rave. Now, we've all been young once, and a bit of holiday fun is to be expected, but when you've got little ones who are struggling to get to sleep, it can be a bit of a challenge. Some clear guidelines about quiet hours would go a long way to keeping everyone happy - both the party people and the sleep-deprived parents. All that said, we still had a great time. The site is genuinely one of the best set-ups we've visited for families - it's clean, spacious, and clearly run with care. There's a lot to enjoy, and if you're a heavy sleeper or don't mind a bit of background noise, the A75 and crows might not bother you too much. But if you're looking for peace, quiet, and the soothing sounds of the countryside, be warned: you're more likely to get lorry engines, midnight basslines, and a crow-led chorus at sunrise.
Happy holidays
Recommends site
Isabel C
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Lovely site, great facilities and great staff. The restaurant serve first class meals, superb. Would recommend this site, 5 stars.
Nice clean site
Recommends site
John H
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Stunning views a bit hilly if you struggle to wail but overall a cracking site.
Great site
Recommends site
Allison L
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0
We stayed for 2 nights. The site was nice and tidy the grass areas were all well kept. The toilet block was cleaned regularly. The showers were a bit cool but still managed to have a shower, probably my fault as there was hot water in the sink. The cove/beach area was stunning. Everyone was so friendly and was a very dog friendly site. The shop was well stocked and reasonably priced. Looking forward to coming back soon.
A site to behold!
Recommends site
Lynda S
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0
A lovely site with amazing views. We requested a quiet pitch and it was just that. Handstand was shillies and not tarmac/concrete. Site very hilly, so those with mobility issues could struggle to access the shop or amenities, however it was fine for us. There is a lack of bins I noticed and there was quite a lot of litter around but this is the fault of the campers and not the site, as it is the individual's responsibility to clean up. More bins might trigger people to use them though. Toilets and showers very hot inside but the actual shower was icy cold and didn't get hot (might've been just the one we used but it wasn't pleasant). Sports bar was great, the takeaway food was delicious and good portion size - great extensive menu. We didn't use the restaurant or the entertainment room as we had a dog with us. The shop was well stocked and again, prices fair. Beach inaccessible unless you have good footwear and fitness - very rocky and stony - steep footpath. Our pitch was 060 and away from play parks and traffic. We did notice the sites in the 50's were underneath the woods and the noise from the crows was constant and very noisy. I could imagine them keeping people awake.
Great holiday park
Recommends site
Stephen O
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First time there and would definitely recommend it to others. Everything was spotless, the views were amazing and the campsite was so quiet.
Weekend visit
Recommends site
Peter R
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0
Some of the pitches are not level so be mindful. I know the whole site is on a slope but this could cause problems for motorhomes. Problems with the electric on the entire site, as it kept cutting out on numerous occasions, which was inconvenient.
Amazing campsite
Recommends site
Emma Louise L
0
0
We had a great time here. All the facilities we needed and great location for family cycling trip. Visited 4 of 7 parks and cycled their green routes. On-site play areas were great for little one - couldn't get him away. Definitely come here again.
Nice holiday park but needs improvement
Michelle S
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0
We stayed at Auchenlarie for 4 nights over Easter. When we arrived, the serviced grass pitch we paid for wasn't that. It had been worn down and wasn't suitable to pitch a tent (as we later discovered, it could be used by tourers too). However, Craig was incredibly helpful in helping us find an alternative pitch, which was lucky with how busy the park was. The toilets/showers blocks were okay, but very cold with something different broken in each of them. Using the toilet and/or shower wasn't an enjoyable experience. We looked forward to using the swimming pool with our 15 month old, but upon getting in to the pool, we discovered the water was freezing cold. We spoke to someone after who confirmed the pool boiler had been broken since October and that they had sent out an email at the start of season, but we didn't see this as we had booked for this stay only and weren't told when we made the booking for the swim. The pool was actually currently being 'heated' from a nearby static caravan's boiler! We dined at the restaurant, which was nice and the staff were super nice and very accommodating! The drinks were quite pricey and it wasn't great to have to pay for food and drinks before they arrived, whilst being prompted for an automatic tip (tip before actual service of food/drinks doesn't make sense!) Otherwise, the park has lovely sea views and any service we received during our stay was great!
First time in motorhome
Recommends site
Abigail M
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0
Overall, we had a great stay. In a fantastic location overlooking the sea, plus great facilities and entertainment for the kids. My only reason for marking less stars is for the inconsistency with the cleanliness of the shower facilities. The newer blocks were spotlessly clean, heated and well looked after, although there was limited space in the shower cubicles. The older block, whilst provided more room, were not clean, dirty floors and spiders and cobwebs. There were also broken shower heads.
Gorgeous views, mostly good pitches
Recommends site
Jade A
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0
Had a terrible start to our stay, with winds getting near 35mph and causing our tent to partially collapse as we were in what felt like the windiest spot on site. I'd avoid 28G and 29G if possible as they're in the shade, get the shape wind and have the most midges. However, we were then allowed to move on Sat morning. I didn't find the staff very helpful at all to be honest, especially as they said we couldn't take a certain pitch as it'd been booked online but no one ever turned up? Pitch 8 was good although on a slope, which is tricky when you're in a tent and cant level it out. Taps on the pitch very helpful. Facilities clean, although almost all the toilet seats aren't attached properly. My husband said the men's were fully removed one day. One toilet block has very short motion sensor lights and temperamental hot water. The other block was lovely and warm with good water. Good size shower cubicles too and 2 washing up stations. Pitches would be safer for young kids if they had a fence up separating from the road and to stop some of the wind, as pitch 8 and 7 are directly at the bottom of a large open hill but this isn't a huge issue. The beach is all shell, so a bit sharp but lovely none-the-less. Fabulous rock pools! And only 30 mins from Galloway Forest Park which is great to explore with kids and a dog. We would definitely return here but will choose our pitch so we don't end up on 28G again.
Great stay
Recommends site
Lindsay J
0
1
Great place. Fantastic facilities. Take away pizza was amazing and chippy looked great too. Arcade games were a lot more extensive than I expected. We took our bikes as it would be quite a lot of walking. The hill to the leisure complex is quite steep, so be prepared for a good little workout! We'll definitely be back!
Lovely place, would go again
Recommends site
Leah D
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Had a great time, would definitely be back and would recommend x
Happy camper
Recommends site
Alexander C
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A good experience. The only issue was the Wi-Fi. Without a further purchase, I could book online for the leisure facilities or keep connection. Continued to reboot. I was told they were with 02, which is a good provider, but it had several issues which we overcame. £18 charge to keep connected and thought this was strange. It was normally not a problem where we were situated. Overall it was good.
Site review
Recommends site
Ashley I
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0
Our first time camping in a hired campervan. The site sits in the coast with a beautiful beach. The site is immaculately clean and tidy, there a lots of facilities including a large on site shop, food and entertainment options along with a sports bar, we did not use these facilities but they looked comprehensive. My only slight criticism is that our pitch was near the main road A75 which is noisy at night, but I would stay again as the site is very good.
Lovely park
Recommends site
Fiona G
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0
Really nice park with a lovely beach, made better with the hot weather we had. Only slight criticism is that the toilets and showers could have been cleaned more often and there were limited vegetarian options at the restaurant, which we felt was also on the pricey side for basic dishes. Communication with the park was very good and the pitch was great. The sports bar was great and we enjoyed the beer garden and excellent service - especially nice that the barman brought all dogs water dishes over on such a hot day. All staff at the park were very helpful. We would definitely go again but avoid the restaurant and cook in our van instead.
Location
Recommends site
Tam W
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Pretty laid back, friendly and outgoing. Answered questions when asked.
Nice stay
Recommends site
Martin William T
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Nice site in a great location with very good facilities. Pitch was good and level, but had dificulty hammering in pegs to hold awning up. Not enough toilets, showers for amount of campers.
Very good value for money, would definitely go back again
Recommends site
Geoff R
1
0
Location was ideal with lots of play areas around the site for the kids. Shop and restaurant were reasonably priced. Swimming pool, amusement arcade, soft play area, pool table, entertainment - bingo on a night and activities for kids on a daytime. Staff were very friendly. Showers and toilets were cleaned and restocked daily. Only downside was that the camping pitches were close to the main road, which gets very busy on a night with lorries going past frequently, but after the first night we got used to it. Also had a beach close by, which was lovely.
Very noisy site
Andrew T
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0
Very noisy site due to proximity to A75. With a continuous stream of HGV's trundling past yards from my tent. Some of the drivers found it amusing to blast their horn at 3am also. I left early due to lack of sleep. The site itself was quite good with decent amenities and entertainment. It was quite cramped for tents with pitches too close together. Altogether, it is not a place I would want to return to.
Fab facilities
Recommends site
Danielle E
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0
Great place to visit with kids. Swimming pool and play park facilities were great. Every single member of staff we encountered was really helpful and very welcoming! We used the takeaway one evening and the restaurant one lunch time and were really impressed with the food and service. Pizza was delicious!