logo
Family-run caravan park near Edinburgh named best in Scotland

Family-run caravan park near Edinburgh named best in Scotland

The National6 hours ago

Linwater Caravan Park, located in the village of Newbridge, 12 miles west of the Scottish capital, was named Best Caravan Park at the Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025, as well as receiving a runner-up position in the Hospitality Champion of the Year category.
The family firm, which was founded in 1998 by the Guinan family, was recognised for its customer service and continuous investment in the park's facilities, along with its commitment to providing a consistently high-quality experience for guests.
Open all year round, the holiday park offers holidaymakers pitches for caravans, motorhomes, campervans, and tents, alongside a range of self-catering holiday lodges and static caravans.
READ MORE: Fraudster jailed for 3 years over £550K Scottish tea scam
The site also boasts a fully equipped camper's kitchen, an onsite shop, a dog walking area, and a playpark.
Linwater owner Katie Guinan said she is 'incredibly grateful' to her loyal guests and is looking forward to the future of the park.
She said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for a second year. To be recognised again by the Scottish Hospitality Awards is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing how many amazing parks we were up against.
'We're also hugely proud to have been named runners-up for the overall Hospitality Champion of the Year.
'This recognition is a true testament to the dedication and resilience of our small team, who continue to go above and beyond— especially at a time when rising business costs, including increases in employer National Insurance, have made things more challenging than ever.
'Their hard work, positivity, and commitment to providing the best guest experience is what keeps Linwater special.'
She added: 'We're incredibly grateful to our loyal guests for their continued support, and we look forward to building on this success together.'
In March, Linwater Caravan Park was named in this year's Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards – with the accolade given based on consistently high reviews on the travel site.
The park previously announced it is set to unveil a new static caravan terrace after pouring £200,000 into the project.
The family said it will transform a previously unused area into a 'stunning accommodation space,' featuring two new luxury lodges and six brand-new static caravans.
A spokesperson for The Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025 added: 'We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and businesses across Scotland's hospitality sector.
'The winners and the shortlisted nominees reflect the very best of the industry—those who go above and beyond to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. Congratulations to all on their remarkable achievements.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sarwar dodges question on potential welfare reform revolt
Sarwar dodges question on potential welfare reform revolt

Western Telegraph

time30 minutes ago

  • Western Telegraph

Sarwar dodges question on potential welfare reform revolt

Around 120 Labour MPs – including a reported 12 from Scotland – have put their names to an amendment which would block the welfare reform Bill. But on Wednesday, Mr Sarwar refused to say if he supported the reforms or the rebellion against them. When asked if he supports the Scottish MPs seeking to block the Bill at a live taping of the Holyrood Sources podcast in Edinburgh, the Scottish Labour leader said: 'My position has been quite consistent on the welfare reforms, which is I support the principle of reform. 'We have to look at the structural challenges that exist in our welfare system, even with the changes currently being proposed.' Mr Sarwar said there were 'many positives' in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, but added that there were 'still conversations to be had' about potential changes. Pushed again on whether he supports the rebellion, Mr Sarwar said: 'Conversations are ongoing, as you would expect. 'People are legitimately voicing their concerns, having those conversations.' Pressed again on his view on the potential revolt, Mr Sarwar added: 'We have to support the principle of reform. 'What those reforms look like has to be balanced and has to be fair.' Mr Sarwar stressed that he believed the best way out of poverty was through work, but said those who cannot work should be supported. The most controversial part of the plans will see the eligibility of the personal independence payment (Pip) in England and Wales be reduced in a bid to save £5 billion. Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner suggested that ministers were considering potential concessions to Labour MPs to stave off a rebellion. 'Those discussions are ongoing around making sure that the welfare reforms that we're bringing in support people into work who need that, and we're putting a huge amount of investment into doing that, but also protecting the most vulnerable,' she said in an interview with ITV's Peston programme.

Scammer dubbed ‘Tetley Tam' jailed for £500k ‘Scottish' tea swindle
Scammer dubbed ‘Tetley Tam' jailed for £500k ‘Scottish' tea swindle

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Scammer dubbed ‘Tetley Tam' jailed for £500k ‘Scottish' tea swindle

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TEA scammer dubbed Tetley Tam was jailed for 3½ years - as he apologised in court for bringing shame on the cuppa industry. Fraudster Thomas Robinson, 55, tricked luxury hotels and stores into buying 'Scottish-grown tea' that was actually from abroad. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Thomas Robinson (AKA Tetley Tam) was jailed for his £500k tea scam Credit: Central Scotland News Agency 5 DG6J3N THE DORCHESTER Credit: Alamy 5 EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM – 2021/07/13: The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Credit: Getty 5 J2Y1FB Cup of tea Teapot Tea Pot Refreshing Refreshment Crockery Stimulant Beverage British Credit: Alamy 5 Bundles and piles of UK sterling banknotes Credit: Getty The conman -who appeared in BBC podcasts about his bogus venture - fleeced customers of more than £500k as part of the tea leaf scam. He said he is wracked with guilt over his five-year scam of buying cheap foreign tea and selling it at a premium as 'Scottish'. Robinson, 55 — who asked clients to call him Mr Tea — told a sentencing hearing he is plagued with remorse about the 'reputational damage' he caused to genuine tea growers here. He said: 'I've had time to wrestle with this over sleepless nights, coming to realise how wrong and stupid I've been. 'The stigma of misleading others — I should have been much more transparent and owned up to the situation.' We told how Robinson told customers his cuppa leaves had been grown on his Perthshire estate. But he was importing them at a fraction of the cost he charged. Speaking at Stirling Sheriff Court via a video link from HMP Low Moss, where he was remanded last month, Robinson pleaded to be spared a jail term. He said: 'I go to church, I'm perfectly aware that a sin is not only to do something, but also not to do the right thing. 'The shame of that hangs over me every morning, every time I wake up in my cell. Shameless moment crook counts £30k in cash he swindled from vulnerable pensioners 'I solemnly hope my actions have not detracted from the success which can be achieved for people who want to grow tea in Scotland. "I can only offer my sincere apologies if my actions have besmirched that capability.' Robinson's victims between 2014 and 2019 included Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel, the Dorchester Hotel in London and top end store Fortnum & Mason. Trading as the Wee Tea Plantation, the crook also flogged 22,000 £3 plants from Italy to Scots growers for £12.50 each. His scam echoes that of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses who filled bottles with tap water and sold them as a premium product called 'Peckham Spring'. Robinson, also known as Tam O'Braan and Thomas O'Brien, was rumbled by Food Standards Scotland investigators. And Perth and Kinross Council checked if he had a food processing licence. Lead investigator Stuart Wilson said: 'He'd created such a story that people were taken along. 'Once we started digging into it, it was quite clear that not only could the quantity of tea not be grown but the plants he sold couldn't have been grown either in the quantities claimed.' Balmoral general manager Andrew McPherson said: 'To have been deceived in such a calculated manner left us all profoundly disappointed and embarrassed.' Fantasist Robinson, who said he got Scottish Government support for his 'scheme', even claimed one of his brands was 'the Queen's favourite'. Jailing him for three-and-a-half years, Sheriff Keith O'Mahony said: 'By any measure these convictions must be regarded as significant. People were convinced on false pretences to hand over significant sums of money.' Rob McNaughton, of the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit, said: 'The custodial sentence reflects the scale and impact of Mr Robinson's deception.'

Reeves budget tax raid forces Halfords to shutter sites despite the business seeing a 11% rise in profits
Reeves budget tax raid forces Halfords to shutter sites despite the business seeing a 11% rise in profits

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Reeves budget tax raid forces Halfords to shutter sites despite the business seeing a 11% rise in profits

Halfords has revealed plans to close a number of garages as it grapples with Rachel Reeves' tax hikes. The group said that after 'increased labour costs introduced by last year's Budget', it had decided to shut some underperforming sites. It is the latest evidence of the damage to jobs being caused by the Chancellor's £25billion raid on employer National Insurance, which came alongside a hike in the minimum wage. Halfords had previously said the changes would add £23million to its wage bill. Its announcement yesterday came as it reported an 11 per cent rise in profits to £38million for the year to March 28, but warned of a tough consumer outlook as households worry about their jobs. Halfords did not say how many garages it would axe, but it has already announced the closure of sites in Berwick, Northumberland, and in Broughty Ferry in Scotland. It said most staff would be redeployed nearby, but warned 'further steps to optimise our garage estate' were to come. Halfords sells bicycles and car accessories at its 373 stores and has more than 540 garages providing car repairs and MOTs. Sales rose 2.5 per cent to £1.72billion for the year. The autocentres business saw like-for-like growth of 3.7 per cent, while retail sales were up 2.1 per cent. Halfords said a warm spring and a late Easter helped it keep momentum into the start of the new financial year, with its cycling business performing 'very strongly'. But chief executive Henry Birch, who took over in April, said he was 'cautious' on the outlook given global uncertainty and how it is affecting 'the way our customers feel about spending their money'. He added: 'While inflation appears to be moderating and interest rates are falling, the negative outlook for employment and the impact of geopolitical instability continue to weigh on confidence.' Halfords said £33million of rising costs were offset by making savings worth around £35million. It improved profitability through improving buying operations and higher prices. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said that while Halfords was trying to shift further into motoring services, it was 'still at the mercy of consumer confidence for a big chunk of its business'. The cautious outlook for consumer spending 'means Halfords is going to be pedalling hard uphill to make further progress this year'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store