Happiness is… a Bank Holiday under canvas

FORGET fancy hotels, luxury spas and 130 threadcount sheets. If you really want a happy Bank Holiday, try sleeping under canvas.

Research suggests that Scots who shun five star accommodation to go camping in the countryside are happier with their lives. The studies found that 92 per cent of adult campers in Scotland said that camping can make you happier - and not just for the time you're boiling the billycan and sitting outside on collapsable chairs.

The research also discovered that 68 per cent of Scots who camp are satisfied with their quality of life compared with 60 per cent of non-campers, while only 22 per cent of campers feel stressed on an average day compared with 31 per cent of non-campers.

Over 60 research studies were reviewed by academics at Liverpool John Moores University as well as an online survey which concluded that people who camp have closer family relationships, are healthier, less stressed and are more socially-connected than those who don't.

Dr Kaye Richards, senior lecturer in outdoor education at Liverpool John Moores University and chartered psychologist of the British Psychological Society, who led the research team, said: "It seems that something transformational often happens when we camp that doesn't happen when we just go for a walk, a bike ride or a day out. A greater immersion in nature, which we get by being there at dusk to see or experience the sun setting and at dawn to see the sun rise, is something that differentiates camping from what others are saying about the benefits of doing other activities in nature."

"Camping should be an important consideration in the current climate, where we understand mental health, family cohesion and connection with nature to be key influences on an individual's wellbeing and quality of life."

The message already appears to be getting through. The Camping and Caravanning Club has reported a rise in advance bookings this year of 25 per cent for the next month at its 109 sites compared with this time last year.

Matthew Eastlake, of the Camping and Caravanning Club, said: "We think camping is about a truer kind of wealth. It's not about how much you've got materialistically; it's about how happy you feel."

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 5.43 million camping trips were made in the UK last year, 29 per cent up on the year before. For the first time, this number overtook visits to bed and breakfast accommodation, which attracted 4.98 million stays.The research also showed that 85 per cent of children who camp feel their parents are less stressed when they go camping, while six in ten people agree that camping is accessible to everyone regardless of income. A further 79 per cent of campers say they believe it can make you healthier and over a third think it should be prescribed on the NHS.