Pease Bay has become a top destination for surfing

Surfers paradise gets wave reviews.

It’s an area with a growing reputation among surfers.

Fierce tides, stunning scenery and laid-back vibes make East Lothian a Mecca for surf bums.

But if you prefer your creature comforts over the no-nonsense VW campervans you frequently spot here, then have no fear.

A new-wave of luxury caravans, sorry static homes, is slowly taking over the coastline.

In place of chemical toilets and ironing board-like beds normally associated with caravans, there are en suite bathrooms and comfy sofas to relax on while watching plasma TVs. Or so the sales pitch goes.

I was largely unconvinced of the allure of a caravan break sorry there I go again, static home break after a disastrous trip to France in the 1990s.

The details of which are so traumatic I refuse to go over them. Ever again. So it took a hefty whack of my wife’s female persuasion to convince me otherwise.

“You’ll love it,” Katia a frequent caravanner in her youth offered.

Plumping for a summer break in Scotland is a brave, if much cheaper, move than our usual breaks in Europe.

So it was with trepidation I booked up for a three-night’s stay in Verdant Leisure’s holiday resort of Pease Bay, near Dunbar, after Katia’s insistence. It was one I would not regret.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before my family and I had reached a zen-like state of nirvana usually reserved for the surfers we frequently spotted during the trip.

We opted for one of the luxury lodges that overlooked the bay. To buy one isn’t exactly cheap our state-of-the-art static home was for sale at an eye-watering £85,000.

For that price you can expect to buy a two-bedroom flat in most Scottish towns. But to be fair, that was more or less what you got.

Two fair-sized bedrooms, one en suite, a bathroom and an open-plan living room/kitchen. But with one significant extra over a run-of-the-mill Scottish flat breathtaking views over the North Sea.

While the accommodation in Pease Bay may be cutting edge, the holiday park itself is long established, meaning they are no amateurs in organising a fun-packed family stay.

There were surf lessons on the beach for our eldest Saul, 11. And while it’s fair to say he won’t exactly be challenging for surf titles any time soon, they did keep him out of trouble.

And it was Vinnie’s Kids Club for Anna-Teresa, 2. It proved a perfect outlet for her how do I say? toddler enthusiasm.

There was also a family-friendly bar churning out some decent no-nonsense grub at affordable prices.

It was easy to see what keeps visitors coming back. One such couple is Edinburgh grandparents Yvonne and Robert Bell.

Each weekend the pair pack up the car and head here after first buying a caravan as newlyweds 43 years ago.

Although the capital is only an hour’s drive the couple say Pease Bay a world away from the hectic pace of city life.

Despite clocking up around 1,200 short breaks to the beauty spot, they still consider it one of the best locations in the country.

Robert has an even longer association with the site having bought his first caravan there for just £30 as long ago as 1967.

Robert offered: “Our first caravan was a two-bedroom tourer which sat in the middle of the field, long before Pease Bay became the award-winning leisure park it is today.”

Yvonne added: “We do still enjoy travelling abroad, but some of our happiest times over the years have been spent with friends and family at our caravan.

“Our sons played on the beach and the nature trail when they were young and it’s nice to see them enjoying it all over again with their own children.

“It’s a great safe place for kids who enjoy surfing and there’s the beach and the play park.”

The beach is certainly a focal point of Pease Bay and the Blackstock clan spent a happy day building sandcastles and dipping in and out of the unsurprisingly chilly North Sea.

For the less hardy, the nearby Thurston Manor Leisure Park another caravan site just a five-minute drive away, also owned by Verdant lets Pease Bay residents use their indoor heated pool for just a couple of pounds.

It’s not the biggest of pools but has the added bonus of a steam room and sizeable gym for some me-time away from the kids for parents.

If you want to explore further afield, East Links Family Park was a welcome discovery.

Verdant residents get a 20% discount for the family-friendly park. And while it will still set you back almost £50 for a family like mine, it is money well worth spending.

The train safari, animal paddocks, go-karts, trampolines and climbing walls kept the kids and me! entertained for hours.

So it was a somewhat tired family that made the brief drive back to Pease Bay for the final night’s stay.

Our stay was aided by some uncharacteristically fine August weather that made a quick walk along the grounds before setting home to reality all the better.

As we gazed over the bay and the early morning surfers for the last time, we couldn’t help but agree Pease Bay was a swell place for a family holiday.