A trip to Pettycur Bay brought back magical memories of family caravan hols

THERE’S something about staying in a caravan that whisks me right back to my childhood.

The noise of rain on the roof, the slight shake when you run from one end to the other and emptying sand from your shoes after a day at the beach — it’s like a time machine to the past.

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But, while my recent family trip to Pettycur Bay brought back lovely memories, it was also a big step up from my school summer hols in a basic two-berth in Millport.

The vans at the Fife park — which stars in BBC TV show The Bay — are all set on a hillside with stunning views over miles of unspoiled sands, and they are seriously plush.

We had a spacious two-bedroom static caravan with a balcony complete with cosy living room, dining area, a well kitted-out kitchen, handy for those who fancy catering for themselves on a break, and two loos.

The park staff removed the beds in the twin bedroom, on our request, so we could fit in a travel cot. Meanwhile, the master bedroom had one of the comfiest beds I’ve ever slept in as well as a dressing table and en suite complete with a bath.

After we got settled, we headed straight for the nearby Kinghorn Beach. Despite being just a short trek on foot, and being a glorious day, we all but had the place to ourselves and my two-year-old toddler was delighted to be able to whip his shoes and socks off and bolt freely along the long stretch of sand.

Later in the afternoon we tried out Pettycur’s on-site pool. It’s ideal for the whole family with a small swimming area for little ones and a sauna and steam room for the grown ups.

My wee one loved being able to have a splash about. After we got dried up and popped our gladrags on we headed to the site’s Horizons Restaurant, which has an incredible vista across the water.

The quality of the food on offer was top notch, with some of the best fish and chips my husband has ever sampled and plenty of choice for my little boy, who has various allergies to contend with. And I have to make a special mention of the brilliantly friendly staff who made us feel so welcome.

There’s plenty of family fun in the event area, above the eaterie, to keep everyone entertained and we were able to sit back and enjoy a drink while our little lad bopped off his dinner at the kids’ neon disco.

He was even bold enough to ask a little girl to dance — and, when she said no, he moved on to her mum instead.

After a super sleep, day two was all about grub.

We spent the morning and early afternoon back at the beach for a brilliant BBQ, cooking up sausages and kebabs from a local butcher.

GO: PETTYCUR BAY

THE caravan park is just over an hour by car from the central belt.

Stays at Pettycur start from £207 for a three-night weekend stay (Fri to Sun) with seven night week day stays from £397.

Find out more at pettycur.co.uk

And we headed into Burntisland, a lovely wee seaside town packed with cute cafes and independent shops, for a post-lunch treat at Novelli’s.

The artisan ice cream shop has some incredible flavours, and catered for my toddler with a delicious dairy-free chocolate option.

Despite over-indulging, all that fresh air must have made us hungry and we were so impressed with the on-site restaurant, we went back for dinner on the second night.

The following morning we managed another quick pool visit before it was time to check out.

And we headed home full of brilliant memories which I hope my little lad will look back on as fondly as I do of my first caravan hols with my family more than three decades ago.

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