As enthusiastic caravanners, we know we don’t need to tell you how a new caravan can change your life, so we’re sure you will join us in congratulating the lucky lady who has won a brand new Elddis.

To celebrate 50 years of Elddis caravans, the company ran a competition to give away a new caravan, searching for a family whose life they believed would be most transformed by winning a new van, of their choice, from the 2015 Elddis range. Several thousand entrants were received, these whittled down carefully to 15, which a panel of experts judged to reveal one winner. Interestingly, on the judging panel were some long-standing Elddis owning couples, Ann and John Harrison, and Anne and George Rickels who have each had the pleasure of over 40 years of touring in Elddis caravans. After all, who better to judge who is going to get the most from this lifestyle than those who’ve been enjoying it for decades?

The deserving winners of this once in a lifetime prize were Louise Sutherland and her sons, four-year old Duncan and two-year old Marcus. Louise lost her husband, Scott, in late 2012. She wrote, “I would love to give them [her sons] a real taste of the outdoor life their father was so passionate about, being a gamekeeper all of his days, and do all the ‘boy’ things he would have just relished teaching his sons, that go so well with camping like catching and cooking their first fish, gathering sticks for a fire, exploring the seashore, spotting wildlife and really just enjoying being in the great outdoors – but with all the luxury of a home from home for mum!”

She also shared her excitement of learning to set up and tow a caravan, building on the trailer towing skills her late husband patiently taught her, allowing her, Duncan and Marcus to explore the Scottish Highlands, not far from their home, before tackling the long drive south to visit her sisters in Cornwall and Devon.

“We are on a high and just can’t stop smiling,” said Louise after being told of her success. “Winning this prize – and we’ve never won anything before – has made our day, made our month, made our year!”

“Our wish was that our Legacy Competition would reveal a person, or family, whose life would be most improved and transformed by winning one of our caravans,” explained Elddis MD Rob Quine. “We believe that in Louise, Duncan and Marcus we have found our family and that our vision for a ‘Legacy’ has been truly fulfilled.”

Practical Caravan’s Group Editor Alastair Clements was also one of the experts on the judging panel. “It was a real pleasure to be involved in the judging for this fantastic competition,” he added. “We couldn’t think of more deserving winners than Louise, Duncan and Marcus. It will be fascinating to see which tourer the family chooses, and we look forward to hearing all about their adventures through the wonderful Scottish landscape in their new van.”

Many congratulations to Louise and her boys, and we wish them years of happy holidays in their new Elddis.