Okay, so I cheated a bit with this one but there are absolutely no places in this country beginning with 'X', however some of the ones I've been to while camping have, for whatever reason, been (e)xtra special.
The first camp site I went to in 2010 after passing my driving test - just 40 minutes from home, at the end of a private lane, surrounded by trees on three sides with open fields and a river close by. The only sounds were the birds in the trees, the resident ducks quacking and the sheep bleating - even though it was close to a village it was a really peaceful and quiet place.
California in Norfolk - where I had my first proper holiday as an adult when my son was just eight years old. We stayed in a self-catering chalet and loved the area so much we went back twice a year every year until my son was 20. Now I camp each year on the cliff top field just up the lane from the chalet site - I go to sleep at night and wake each morning to the sound of the waves breaking on the beach and seagulls overhead.
Anglesey - where my love of camping was born in 1997. The camp site was only very basic but the location was good and the views were fabulous. I fell in love with the site and the island and camping there became a regular thing - in fact I've camped and travelled round there so many times over the years that the island has almost become my second home. I've no doubt that there are better sites on Anglesey but the one where I camp is the one I'll always return to.
The camp site on the coast in the Scottish Highlands - away from civilisation, backed by hills, where a small river meets the sea and right next to a gorgeous beach with views to die for. It's where I heard a cuckoo for the first time in about fifteen years; the peacefulness was almost tangible and the location was like being on a remote tropical island. It was such a special place that when I left I felt as if I was leaving a little piece of my heart behind.
The little North Wales site I stayed at just recently over Easter - in the Berwyn Mountains, at the end of a farm track almost in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by trees, with nothing but the sound of birdsong, the occasional hoot of a pheasant and the nearby river and waterfall - peace and tranquility guaranteed, and a special little place I'll definitely go back to.
These are just some of the places which are significant to me; there are a few more, and no doubt as my camping life continues and the years pass my list of (e)xtra special places will grow with time.
