Service stations on A74/M74

[angel3]

Hi, we are touring from the NE coast to the Isle of Arran and were wondering if anyone knows of caravan suitable service stations on the A74/M74 route?
Many thanks

 

[camel]

You have the service area at Gretna and also a little further up you can pull in at The Crawford Hotel in Crawford village with plenty of parking across the road from the Hotel, there's also another service area before you get to the turn off Lesmahagow

 

[Raywood]

Gretna services does have a small caravan parking area and you can usually get in there. We tend to use that to the exclusion of any further North or South but as far as I can remember none above that have one and you are in with the trucks unless they have been updated. As we are heading to or from Glasgow when using the caravan the others are too near for us to use normally.
On the M74, Tebay southbound has a picnic and caravan area but Northbound you are back in with the lorries and there is not a lot of room for them. Gretna is my vote although the Crawford Hotel is an interesting alternative.

 

[Robtel]

As Raywood said, the services at Gretna have a small supposedly caravan only area. From memory I think it holds about 10 caravans but ,to be honest, I stopped using it some years ago as I found I could not depend on getting parked there usually because of transit vans and private cars using it. Perhaps they have tightened up on that though. Can be a busy place as it caters for both Norh and South Traffic.
The ones furthe north than that I don't usually use as they are fairly close to home.
Next service area up from Gretna is Annandale, a relatively new area, again caters for both North and South bound Traffic. Never been in there.
Abbington is next up, again serves Traffic going in both directions. Stopped there once many years back, someone needing the toilet I think although it's only half an hour from home. Seem to recall signage for caravan parking although we were certainly parked next to HGVs, whether they were in the wrong bit or I was I couldn't say now.
There is, or at least was, a service area at Happendon, between junctions 11 and 12. Stopped there once when travelling solo, plenty of parking but certainly at that time the term service area was an exaggeration. More of a filling station, but certainly was plenty of parking area. Again serves north and south bound.
Next is Hamilton, never used it but pass it often and it always seems busy, caravans in with the HGVs. It serves north bound only.

 

[Robtel]

On the M74, Tebay southbound has a picnic and caravan area but Northbound you are back in with the lorries and there is not a lot of room for them. Gretna is my vote although the Crawford Hotel is an interesting alternative.

C'mon Ray, who's moved Tebay north into Scotland?
The last time I stopped there it was definitely on the M6 !
Your description is correct though. My choice of stopping place in that sort of area is Southwaites just south of Carlisle. Not because I think it's a terrific service area but mainly because of distance from home makes it a convenient first or last stop and because in over thirty years I've never failed to find a parking space, albeit in with the HGV.

 

[Raywood]

On the M74, Tebay southbound has a picnic and caravan area but Northbound you are back in with the lorries and there is not a lot of room for them. Gretna is my vote although the Crawford Hotel is an interesting alternative.

C'mon Ray, who's moved Tebay north into Scotland?
The last time I stopped there it was definitely on the M6 !
Your description is correct though. My choice of stopping place in that sort of area is Southwaites just south of Carlisle. Not because I think it's a terrific service area but mainly because of distance from home makes it a convenient first or last stop and because in over thirty years I've never failed to find a parking space, albeit in with the HGV.

Must admit I misread the original post and was looking at the North end of the M6 as well.
We do use Gretna regularly and whilst the odd transit towing something can be found there, solo ones do seem to have gone although that might be famous last words.

 

[Dustydog]

On the M74, Tebay southbound has a picnic and caravan area but Northbound you are back in with the lorries and there is not a lot of room for them. Gretna is my vote although the Crawford Hotel is an interesting alternative.

C'mon Ray, who's moved Tebay north into Scotland?
The last time I stopped there it was definitely on the M6 !
Your description is correct though. My choice of stopping place in that sort of area is Southwaites just south of Carlisle. Not because I think it's a terrific service area but mainly because of distance from home makes it a convenient first or last stop and because in over thirty years I've never failed to find a parking space, albeit in with the HGV.

Must admit I misread the original post and was looking at the North end of the M6 as well.
We do use Gretna regularly and whilst the odd transit towing something can be found there, solo ones do seem to have gone although that might be famous last words.

That said the Full Scottish breakfast at Tebay Northbound takes some beating And yes it's still England but something got mixed up somewhere

 

[Robtel]

Not sure if it's already been posted but the caravan site at Tebay services is apparently being closed this Autumn. Seems Westmorland are going to build offices there. It wasn't the most picturesque of sites but was handy being just off the motorway and accessible from both directions. I used it a few time for an overnight stop when heading to the south coast. Finish work, 2 or 3 hours drive, pitch up for the night then an early start the next morning.