Lothian Bridge Caravan Park

Lothian Bridge sits on the A7 near Newtongrange with a Victorian railway viaduct arching overhead and riverside walks directly across the road. The 46-pitch site is modest in ambition and honest about it: every pitch has a 16-amp electric hookup, the facilities block is clean and heated, and the laundry room doubles as a dry refuge on a wet Midlothian afternoon.

The Edinburgh access is the headline. Two train stations are within a 20-minute walk, with a return ticket into the city centre at around £7. Bus line 29 runs to the centre in 30-45 minutes. For anyone exploring the capital without the cost or traffic of city accommodation, this is the obvious base. Roslin Chapel, Crichton Castle, and the Scottish Mining Museum are all in the surrounding area for days when Edinburgh can wait.

The owners and warden run a notably warm ship: reviews consistently single out the staff as the site's best feature. Dogs are welcome, there is a kids' play area for families, and the site operates all year round. Tent pitchers should bring long pegs and a mallet: the ground is shallow before it hits hardcore, and soft footwear will find it mossy underfoot.