Incleboro Fields closing early from 2026
Typical of the camc to announce, with fanfare, that some sites are going to be opening for longer, but then fail to publicise that others that are being closed early.
That is the case at Incleboro Fields, which from 2026 will no longer be open throughout October. I'm sure many members who regularly visit the site right up to the end of October will be very disappointed.
Can anyone shed any light on why this has been done. Is because the pitches are mainly grass? That hasn't been an issue for as long as I can remember. Is to do with costs? Probably, but having 6 wardens present when half the site is already closed off won't help.
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My thoughts are saving money re staff, running costs and possible being a grass only site but have noticed that the Devon and Cornwall sites quite a few are having a much shorter season next year and some that were open until November now closing in early September. Have noticed that some sites will have less staff on again cost cutting.
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I wouldn't think anyone on here would know why it's being closed early.
But when the club does do these things it's usually a decision based on a few year's data such as site occupancy. If the site was very popular in October then it wouldn't be closing early? Also having grass pitches doesn't help either.
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Tend to agree with Cornersteady's comments. Only a couple of miles down the road is Seacroft which has many hardstanding pitches, including some serviced pitches and is probably the choice of many members later in the season as it was with us when we toured. I could be wrong but I seem to recall that the NT has some influence about what happens to Incleboro Fields which might have prevented the site pitches being updated? Just a personal choice, having been to both several times we found Seacroft much more convenient, mind you latterly we were not as fit as we once were that probably explains our choice of the Cromer site.
David
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I’m not sure occupancy will always be the driving factor. We have been to Altnaharra twice in September (mid and late) and both times it has been busy. This year apparently September has been one of there most popular months with much better occupancy than August. Yet if we wanted to do the same next year we couldn’t, as the last night is the 6th of September.
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I tend to equate things to the number crunching that happens on supermarket shelves. For Club it will be based on occupancy of pitches for a site v running costs. If these aren’t being met, then it’s a catch 22 situation. Close early and condense usage into a shorter period, which is a useful option if there is another Club Site close by, as there is with IF and Cromer, plus a few others. But then Members start to think, hang on, I really loved that site at X time of the year, for Y reason, and might look elsewhere, or simply not go. (Don’t shop at supermarket Z because it no longer stocks items you loved) Balancing a business doesn’t pander as well to minority choices, it relies upon bread and butter sales from those who spend the most and visit most frequently. Sad, but now the hard choice.
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It's interesting to note that if one looks at the occupancy for September 2026 there's plenty of pitches except for the service pitch with awning that is already full on 19 days with 9 days of lows.
Yes I know this will change (probably upwards) and we don't know what the occupancy is on other pitches but it does show to me, again, what people opt to go for and will pay an extra £6.90 per night.
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@Hja Have you seen the AGM answer given as to why Altnahara is closing early? I think the second paragraph is quite clear as to the possible reasons?
The same sort of thing must apply at Incleboro Fields @Crepello
The Club is committed to operating its entire campsite network in the most efficient and financially viable way. This is crucial for keeping our prices as competitive as possible for all members across the network. To achieve this, we must dynamically assess the optimal season length and operating model for every site each season, as often demand levels and cost levels can change.
Unfortunately, our Altnaharra site continues to face challenges in achieving financial viability, primarily due to its limited number of pitches and the overall low member usage, even during periods that seem busy like September. To sustain the site's presence on our network and contribute to its viability, we have made necessary adjustments to the season length and operating model for 2026 in order to reduce the cost base.
We understand that changes to season dates, and subsequent booking cancellations, can unfortunately impact a small number of members. Decisions of this nature are taken with significant lead time, in this case, announcements were made 8 months in advance of the affected bookings to allow members sufficient time to find alternative arrangements.
In exceptional circumstances that require booking adjustments, our site teams are responsible for managing these changes. They are best placed to handle the bookings on-site and communicate directly with affected members.
We hope this explanation provides clarity on the reasons behind the decision regarding the 2026 season length at Altnaharra Lairg Club Campsite, which is aimed at ensuring the financially sustainable operation of our sites for the benefit of all members, and our apologies for the inconvenience caused in relation to your cancelled bookings.
(response from the Club’s Director of Sites and Accommodation)0
