Maragowan

We stayed at Maragowan in September, but never used the site facilities, been away a month and have used our own facilities all that time, A more pressing problem is certain pitches getting waterlogged during and after heavy rain. Pitch drainage needs seriously looking at.

Always found the Wardens there friendly and helpful.

Drainage seems a strange suggestion for the Maragowan site when in the winter a large part of it is regularly underwater when the level of the loch rises!  Many of the electrical outlet bollards are raised on concrete plinths to counter the effects.

Agree about the river, just talking about certain hardstandings which after heavy rain get waterlogged, if you have been there after heavy rain you WILL notice which one's  get waterlogged.

The Wardens let you know which pitches are prone to it. 

Like no doubt many others we had great difficulty in booking pitches at various sites once lockdown was eased having to check the availability so it was a tad disappointing to see a site full notice going up on the 14th September where late into the evening and first thing in the morning there were at least 10 spare pitches.

No idea if it's been sorted yet, but when we were there a few years ago they were not able to let all the pitches due to the fact there was not a sufficient power supply to the site. Personally I couldn't see why they couldn't be let as non EHU, but that was what we were told.

I visited the site in the bank holiday weekend October 2020. I didn't find a problem with the whiteboard system. I preferred it to the band system which I used in July in the Lake district. I felt the band's were a risk of cross contamination as you left your band outside on a book to show others you occupied the facilities. However when you came out to collect your band, nine times out of ten I would be left with someone else's or no band at all. If no band the wardens happily replaced the band that has been mistakenly taken out of a plastic box. Have the band's been disinfected before given out? As for showers/toilets I didn't witness a problem, however there is always one. Most people used own facilities, slightly longer walk to COX was a pain only because it was raining in biblical proportions. I just feel people forget that we are going through a pandemic, sadly perceive that the new arrangements are unhelpful. One should remember that other sites have closed shower blocks and other sites have not even opened. It could be worse you could have a ventilator tube down your throat.

I am finding it difficult to see how the bands are any more of a "cross contamination risk" than the act of visiting the facilities in the first place.🤔 Doors, handles, hooks taps and any other surfaces you might come into contact with. On the rare occasion I used the facilities, I of course washed my hands on return to the van and did the band as well. Also of course did them in the facilities but you often had to touch something to get out.

Why club sites were not opened on a "no facs" basis with an appropriate adjustment of fees, I don't know. It would have made management of the whole issue a lot easier and further reduced any risk.

The only losers would be those too squeamish to use their own loo.

The only losers would be those too squeamish to use their own loo.

Plus possibly the club, if the sites didn't fill up to capacity, as they most certainly did with the regime the club put in place. Would you have wanted to take the financial risk?

Just reading some of the reviews over the last couple of months I think there would have been an absolute outcry had the facility blocks not opened. Most of the people writing reviews and who mentioned the facilities don't really understand why the facilities are restricted in the numbers at anyone time!!! As much as I agree that no facilities and a reduction in price would be an attractive option I think the occupancy rates would have been well down. We always use our own facilities.

David

I cannot agree that site occupancy would reduce with no toilet block.

Having just returned from a nearly full Conkers CCC with no toilet block available.It didn’t seem to bother people on that site too much.