UK's top caravan park opens next year

Britain's northernmost caravan park will open next April thanks to a grant from HIE Shetland.

The Unst Youth Centre Trust, which runs the successful Gardiesfauld Youth Hostel, in Uyeasound, on the island of Unst, has been awarded £44,525 to create a six berth caravan park inside the hostel's walled garden.

The grant allows the trust to fulfil a long held ambition to provide visiting caravans with a tarmac area that offers full facilities, including electricity, water and drainage in a place of outstanding beauty and lively culture.

The new caravan park will create more work and job security for the five part time staff currently employed at Gardiesfauld, at a time when jobs are at a premium on the island.

Trust secretary Alison Hunter said: "There are a growing number of people visiting Shetland with caravans, and to have a dedicated area for them on Unst is going to be wonderful."

The number of tourists visiting Britain's most northerly isle has steadily grown in recent years, partly helped by the former RAF Saxa Vord base being converted into a visitor centre with accommodation.

The youth hostel is certainly experiencing a continuous growth in trade, with almost 1500 people spending the night there in 2005, increasing to more than 1800 in 2006.

Last year 22 caravans came to stay in the youth hostel's grounds, and the trust believes the new site with dedicated facilities will see numbers multiply.

"As a trust we are absolutely thrilled that we have been offered funding to go ahead with this. It's something we have been wanting to do for years, but could not figure out how to pay for it," Mrs Hunter said.

The Unst site will enhance the existing network of caravan parks in Shetland, at Levenwick, Eshaness and Lerwick. The nearby island of Fetlar can also accommodate caravans on its campsite at The Garths.

Fiona Stirling, HIE Shetland's Unst Response Team leader, said: "We are extremely pleased to be able to help the Unst Youth Centre Trust with this grant.

"The trust already works hard to provide excellent visitor accommodation at Gardiesfauld hostel, and these new facilities will help diversify the range of places to stay in Unst and encourage new visitors.

"More people will stay longer on the island to enjoy the growing range of attractions and that should have a knock on benefit for the rest of Unst."