Working with Clayton Caravan Park

When it comes to childhood memories, especially of holidays, many of us can reflect on happy days spent in caravans. The appeal was down to the ‘home from home’, but also the freedom we enjoyed, the friends we made and the familiarity of returning to a place we loved.

Memories such as these are being created every day of every year at Clayton Caravan Park, near St Andrews, where ambitious expansion plans are well underway to build the business, and allow more families to switch off and enjoy life in first-class surroundings.

Run by Andrew Kennedy, Director, and his team of 30 staff, the park really is a family affair. The business was previously run by Andrew’s parents, Colin & Dotty Kennedy and, prior to that, his grandparents, who founded Clayton Caravan Park in 1966.

Set amongst 100 acres of the beautiful Eden Valley in rural North East Fife, the park is ideally situated for exploring the local area, just a few minutes’ drive from historic St Andrews and the stunning Fife coastline. Boasting a five star rating from VisitScotland, the quiet tranquil setting offers the perfect location to relax and unwind, whether it’s the height of Summer or Christmas Day!

At present, the park, which has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, accommodates 550 caravans, with plans in place to increase to 650 pitches, positioning Clayton as one of the largest, privately owned holiday parks in Scotland. The first phase of the 20 acre expansion plan will be complete in August, with an increase of 81 fully-serviced pitches. Enjoying the same five star facilities as the rest of the site, with piped gas, large parking and decking areas and fibre optic internet connection, the pitches enjoy spectacular views down the Eden Estuary.

Clayton offers a wide range of new and pre-owned holiday homes and lodges for sale and hire. New and pre-owned residential park homes are also available and the touring park offers 30 pitches on a seasonal basis.

Andrew said, “We have invested heavily in the site within the last five years, with much more to come. As well as becoming a much larger site, we have made significant improvements to our leisure facilities, having redeveloped the restaurant, bar, shop and indoor play areas.

Supporting them in their development is EQ Chartered Accountants, who Andrew approached 18 months ago, with the initial aim of restructuring the business from a partnership to a limited company.

Andrew added, “The business was expanding quickly and we needed a larger, professional team to support our long-term business goals as well as handle the day-to-day compliance work. On the recommendation of other local businesses and family friends, we approached EQ.

“To be honest, it was a thought to start again with a new firm of accountants, however, EQ have unrivalled experience in the leisure park sector and took the pressure off us from day one. They really understand how caravan parks work, the pitch fees, other income streams and so on, so we could hit the ground running. I have to say that we were all pleasantly surprised by how smooth the transition was. Eighteen months on, they are making a huge difference to the way the business operates and, as well as helping us plan for the future and where the business might take us longer term, the Leisure team is always ‘on call’ when we have an inquiry, and is consistently approachable and professional.”

Head of EQ Leisure, David Morrison commented, “Working with the Kennedy family has been a great pleasure for EQ. Our team has assisted in the smooth succession of the business to Andrew and it is now set up to accommodate the growth expected to be secured from the new development. Exciting times ahead.”

Of course, the park’s location undoubtedly boosts its appeal but Andrew refuses to rest on his laurels, investing heavily in customer satisfaction.

He added “During the Easter and Summer holidays, when we are at full capacity, the park can welcome up to 2,000 visitors each day and it’s essential that we are geared up to cope with these numbers, and their expectations. We are always striving for the very best customer service to ensure that holiday home owners enjoy their time here. We do most of our sales business through word of mouth and some of our customers have been with us for over 30 years, so it is vital to get the customer experience right.

“There will always be challenges but the sector is currently enjoying a resurgence. The growing trend of “Staycation” in recent years has seen demand for private holiday home ownership increase significantly in the UK. Despite seemingly endless political uncertainty, the holiday parks sector has remained incredibly resilient and many businesses have reported increased trade as more individuals choose to holiday at home due to the weaker pound and travel safety concerns. “

For more information on Clayton Caravan Park visit www.clayton-caravan-park.com. If you are looking for advice or further information on how we can help you, speak to one of our dedicated Leisure team today.