Lochgilphead Caravan Park is staying in the family as Iain and Lesley MacDonald retire after decades of hard work.
Their son Ewen MacDonald and his husband Ian Aitken, who also own Machrihanish Holiday Park in Kintyre, have purchased the Lochgilphead site.
It is quite the homecoming for Ewen, who grew up and attended school in Lochgilphead.
The park was started by Ewen’s namesake and grandfather Ewen MacDonald, who died when Ewen’s father was still a young man.
Iain took the park on and has now retired after 50 years.
It has become an integral part of the community, with the laundrette being well-used by Lochgilphead locals.
Iain and Lesley bought The Royal Hotel in Ardrishaig in the 1990s. They carried out extensive renovations and gave it the new name, The Grey Gull, before later selling it on.
Ewen and Ian are excited to take on the Lochgilphead park. They will be based at Lochgilphead for the next few months to get set up.
In the future they will mainly be based in Machrihanish, overseeing operations at both parks. They do not plan to make any staffing changes in Lochgilphead.
Ian said: “The park is already at a very high standard, so there isn’t too much to do, but what we probably will do is invest in more holiday homes and increase the number of vans available to rent in the park.”
Ewen added: “My dad phoned and told us that they were retiring. They were selling the park and we were given first refusal. We were delighted to take the opportunity.”
They officially took over on November 1, just in time for bonfire night, which is one of the busiest events in the Lochgilphead calendar.
Ewen said: “It’s great to be here and catch up with old friends.”
They plan to encourage new visitors to both Argyll parks.
The businessmen are key players in the local tourist industry, working with the Campbeltown Ferry Committee and Explore Campbeltown.
They recently gained a five-star VisitScotland rating at Machrihanish, which is one of only three parks in Argyll and Bute to achieve the status, and only 27 in Scotland.