Helicopter hotel lands in Britain

They have a reputation as being noisy, environmentally damaging and the preserve of the super-rich, but holidaying by helicopter needn’t be any of those things.

A resourceful family from Thornhill, Stirling have transformed a former Royal Navy Sea King helicopter into a remarkable holiday home that sleeps a family of five (2 adults and 3 children) with a double and a triple bed as well as single bed in the tail.

The helicopter hotel room features a mini kitchen, a shower room and panoramic views from the cockpit over the Carse of Stirling. More info at helicopterglamping.com

The Sea King helicopter weighs in at 6,387kg and has been a workhorse for all three services in a variety of roles. Retired Sea King helicopters are regularly sold by the Ministry of Defence. Those stripped of their engines and avionics sell for between £7,000 and £20,000.

Glamping offers the chance to discover the pleasures of local produce, simple regional cuisine and a slower pace of life. It's also an excuse to spend the night somewhere unusual; as well as the usual yurts, pods and frontiers-style tents, there are tree houses, boats and even helicopters from which to choose. No surprise then that glamorous camping continues to increase in popularity.

Sawday's is a family-run travel business that specialises in environmentally-friendly holidays. It's Canopy & Stars website specialises in unusual alternatives to conventional camping such as tree houses, yurts and caravans.

While eco-aware travellers have the opportunity to offset the emissions from air travel, staying at home means the carbon footprint attributable to long-haul air travel is bypassed. And with one return flight from London to California creating a warming effect equivalent to 3 tons of carbon dioxide per person (roughly one third of the annual carbon footprint of the average European), the environmental savings from a so-called staycation are significant.

https://youtu.be/8DFkkkVMMPE

Unlike conventional camping, which can be a rather austere affair, those wishing to spend time under canvas today have the choice of spacious tepees, yurts and tree houses that boast running water and flushing loos.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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