No matter where you are in the UK, thereโs always somewhere close by to go. So if youโre searching for โplaces to visit outdoors near meโ, then boy are you in the right place.
Weโll cover a bit of everything here so thereโs something for everyone. Whether itโs a stroll on a glorious beach or a trek up the highest mountain, weโve got you covered.
Weโll do this by country, so up first we have our homeland โ England.
England Outdoors
England is the largest country in England and thereโs something to do outdoors no matter where you happen to be. Hereโs some of our go to places:
Whitehaven Coastal Walk (Buttermere Valley)
Thereโs nothing better than taking a stroll and looking out to sea. Thatโs exactly what you get on the Whitehaven coastal walk.
Itโs a cliff-top walk that takes you through the harbour and past Whitehavenโs industrial archaeology. Youโll then find yourself joining Wainwrightโs Coast to Coast path for the remainder.
As you follow the route, youโll get the chance to discover wild and secluded beaches as well as other must see places like the Haig Pit, Fleswick Bay and Saltom Pit.
Sharrow Beach (Whitsand Bay)
Whitsand Bay sits on the Rame Peninsula and is home to Sharrow Beach.
Miles and miles of golden sand await you here so itโs certainly a beach loverโs paradise. But make sure youโre ready a slight climb up and down to reach the beach.
Get some height on the cliff tops by following the coast path from here. Thereโs also a small cave to discover that was excavated back in the 1870โs by a local hermit (he was known as โLuggerโ).
Shugborough Estate (Staffordshire)
A picnic in the gardens, fun on the park, a stroll by the canal โ Shugborough Estate has it all.
Itโs a paradise found in Staffordshire and a great way to spend the day outdoors.
Itโs a treasure to see the walled garden (as of writing this, theyโre renovating another section too) and the array of plants and vegetables growing there. The formal gardens are great to see too and well worth the stroll.
Just past the mansion itself and through itโs glorious gardens youโll come across the River Sow and the Black Country Ring section of canal โ both lovely for a walk with nature.
Nene Valley Railway (Peterborough)
A great day out for everyone awaits you at Nene Valley Railway.
Itโs the UKโs leading steam attraction and itโs headquarters is based at Wansford station.
Youโll find a great picnic area here thatโs open all year round. From here, youโll be able to take stunning photos of the trains as they go over the river, bridge and viaduct. In 2002, they opened their playground which the kids will love.
Take a ride on a steam engine and discover the other stations (Overton, Ortone Mere, Yarwell Junction, Peterborough). The surroundings of Neve Valley are beautiful so make sure you spend the day exploring as well as learning about the railways history.
Camping In Northumberland National Park
In order to really get out and explore an area, a few days is always better. Take trip to Northumberland National Park and unpack your tent for a few days of adventure.
Staycations have been on the rise since the pandemic. Thereโs an array of wonderful caravan and camping sites across the area so you can choose where you make your base.
Youโre free to discover the whole area from here including walking routes, dark skies, waterfalls โ thereโs a whole hose of things to do and see for the whole family.
Wales Outdoors
Our favourite place to spend some outdoor time โ Wales. Full of mountains, forests, nature trails and beaches with plenty of places to visit.
Gnoll Estate Country Park (Neath)
In 2010, Gnoll Estate Country Park was voted as the best picnic spot in Wales. If thatโs not a reason so spend a day there, I donโt know what is!
Thereโs lots of wildlife to see on your visit as well as stuff for the entire family to take part in. Marked woodland walks and adventure playgrounds for the kids are just a couple of things to enjoy here.
The formal gardens of Gnoll House are wonderful to look at. Unfortunately, the building itself was demolished in 1957.
Mountain Biking In Snowdonia National Park (Snowdonia)
Snowdonia National Park is our favourite place in Wales. Thereโs just so much to see and do here including the newly discovered infinity pool!
If you love nothing more than jumping on your bike and experiencing the great outdoors, Snowdonia is the place to go.
Hundreds of trails await you and allow you to explore all that this park has to offer. Leisurely rides can be had via forest tracks or head for the downhill sections if youโre chasing the adrenaline!
Climb Mount Snowdon (Snowdonia)
We recently accomplished this (without the little one in tow) for our anniversary where we stayed a couple of nights in Betws-y-Coed.
Any lover of the outdoors needs to accomplish this. Thereโs various routes to choose from but we recommend the Llanberis path โ itโs the longest but also the easiest of all the paths available.
As you hit the heights, take a moment to take in the sights. It was relatively clear on our way back down and we were able to look out pretty much over Snowdonia.
Make sure youโre prepared as some people have been caught out by changing weather. When packing your rucksack, make sure you have extra layers (it can be super cold at the top), fluids and snacks. We recommend a first aid kit too, just in case.
Wild Swimming
We havenโt chosen a specific location for this but most large bodies of water and waterfalls will suffice.
All you need is your swimming gear and you can hop right on in! But when we say the water is cold, we mean really cold.
If thereโs any signs informing you that it is dangerous to swim or even enter the water, please follow the advice and find an alternative.
Scotland Outdoors
Weโre heading all the way north now to Scotland โ another place where the outdoors is spectacular.
An Adventure In The Dark (Galloway Forest Park)
Our first mention that doesnโt take part in the day โ a night time adventure under the stars in Galloway Forest Park.
It happens to be the first park in the UK to be classed as a Dark Sky Park. This means that the sky at night here is exceptionally clear and you can view stars with ease.
Stargazing can be calming yet exhilarating as you stare into the depths of space.
Angus Glens (North East Scotland)
Unspoilt and tranquil โ the Angus Glens offer some of the best walks to be found in Scotland.
Youโll find 10 mountains that exceed 3,000 feet here (also known as โMunrosโ) so mountaineers are in for a treat.
The area is made up of a series of tranquil valleys and majestic landscapes, overlooked by the Grampian Mountains.
Glen Cova is often claimed to be the most beautiful of the Angus Glens where as Glen Isla is the best place to spot Ospreys.
Whale Watching (Scottish Waters)
Itโs becoming increasingly common to see orcas (killer whales) in the waters around Scotland.
Looking out towards the Atlantic Ocean is Loch Gairloch (Wester Ross). This is probably one of the best places to spot a whale in Scotland.
Jump on a boat tour to be in with the chance of spotting porpoises, dolphins, minke whales and maybe even sharks.
Get Out And Explore The Outdoors
Thereโs so much more we could have written but no doubt weโll cover them at some point (if we havenโt already!) on our blog.
We hope to have inspired you to get out and explore the outdoors around you. We know that some of these may be out of reach depending on where you are in the UK, but trust us when we say thereโs always something on your doorstep!
If youโve now found places to visit outdoors near you, drop us a comment below!
