Argyll Holidays provides lodges for coronavirus key workers

Argyll Holidays – one of Scotland's most picturesque holiday home parks – is providing free holiday homes to front-line workers battling the coronavirus crisis.

Hunters Quay Holiday Village on the shores of Holy Loch, near Dunoon, is currently closed to visitors, but has opened  to provide accommodation for key NHS staff and members of the armed forces.

They are being provided with self-catering accommodation to avoid them having to make long journeys to where their skills are most needed.

The family-run business which owns the park, Argyll Holidays, has waived all charges for the holiday homes, which can cost more than £1,000 a week to rent in summer.

Ambulance drivers, hospital workers and military personnel can now return each evening to the comfort of their own secluded space with their own kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.

Keith Campbell, a member of the family who founded Argyll Holidays over 50 years ago, said his company's eight parks would normally now be a hive of activity. "We closed the gates to all of our parks at the start of the outbreak and are missing the buzz of families coming to have a great time on holiday," he said. "Our parks have always played a big part in their local communities, and we are keen to carry on reaching out despite the UK-wide lockdown.

"We hope to be welcoming front-line workers on our other parks, and our family has been very touched by the many messages of support we've received from our regular visitors.

"Now we're greatly looking forward to welcoming them back when we receive the green light to re-open once again," added Keith.

With almost 300 staff Argyll Holidays is one of the largest private employers in the region, and is based at the Campbell family's farm in Lochgoilhead where their first park opened in 1968.