Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 30

Come Visit The UK National Parks.

Covering 10% of Britain, our National Parks are worth a visit. Stay a few days in a farmhouse around one of these locations and see the true beauty of this country. I have personally visited 11 of these sites with recommended lodgings from recent visits to some. The dates in brackets are the best times to go for the best views, when everything is in bloom and the lambs are everywhere….

Wales:

Pembrokeshire Coast (April - May)
Stringing along the rugged coastline of this most south-westerly part of Wales, this park encompasses some truly amazing beaches and cliffs. Open to the winds off the Atlantic, this coast is a beauty, and a surfing hot-spot. And with more than 50 castles to it’s name, there will never be a dull moment here.

Brecon Beacons (March - April)
This lushly covered ridge of mountains is very green compared to those in Snowdonia and with plenty of stunning waterfalls. Just as active though, you can pony trek through valleys, go caving into some of Britain’s deepest holes, and find dinosaurs! The Welsh National Cycle Route passes north to south, and you could even hire a narrow boat to cruise down the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.

Snowdonia (May - September)
Containing the highest mountain in Wales and taking up most of north-west Wales to boot, this national park is a favourite for tourists and serious outdoor enthusiasts. With stunning scenery, rocky crags and more activity centres than you can shake a stick at - this is certainly a place worth a visit. In also contains many small, quiet villages, peaceful streams and isolated farmhouses for you to rent.

Scotland:

The Cairngorms (February)
The largest National park in the UK, up in the north of Scotland, and one of Britain’s best mountain ranges, in scale, altitude and sheer wilderness. Chains of mountain peaks covered in snow whenever the weather allows where skiing is common throughout winter and spring.

Stunning wildlife including red squirrels, osprey and wildcats is a main attraction here, as are all types of outdoor sports including mountaineering, dog sledding and water-sports in the many lochs. If you don’t mind basic accommodation and easy access to outdoor sports (including skiing) then I recommend Glenmore Lodge, the closest site to Cairngorm mountain itself - the views at breakfast are wonderful…..

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs (September - October)
This was Scotland’s first national park in 2002, and is 2 adjoining areas that were heavily visited and close to Glasgow. The Loch is the largest single waterway in Britain but motor boats and jet-ski owners can clog it up in summer. The Trossachs on the other hand is a pristine area of beauty between the lowlands and the mountains, with some breath-taking lakes and woodland vistas.

England:

The Peak District (April - May)
This is the busiest national park in the UK and surprisingly the 2nd most visited in the world after mount Fiji!!! However, it is still possible to escape the crowds (seeing that it sprawls into 6 counties in total) and it’s not long before all you can see are the sheep and rolling hills. This area is dotted with limestone caves that you can climb down into, as well as plenty of cycling and walking routes for all abilities.

The Lake District (September - October)
Famous for it’s great lakes, this park - up in the north-west of England - is the largest national park in Britain founded in 1951. It really is a walkers heaven up here! It has a very picturesque landscape, encompassing high mountains, long healthy lakes, undulating fells and steep-sided valleys - and is the home of England’s only golden eagles - and apparently a family of coatis!!

Yorkshire Dales (April - May)
A walking and cycling wonderland awaits you here. With countryside crossed by rugged stone walls and dotted with monastic ruins, and in the north the village of Wensleydale, famous for it’s cheeses. Almost touching the Lake District in the west, this large park traverses hills and valleys (dales) and most of the way across England. It’s very popular with drivers though, so try to avoid the main routes in high season.

North York Moors (August - September)
Wedged on the North Sea coast between Scarborough, Thirsk and Middlesborough, this small park i still a gem - with heather clad moors, isolated villages and lonely farms dotted across it’s depth, it will make for some very enjoyable walks. It has some lovely beaches and sheer cliffs on the coast and a brooding mystical feeling as you cross the high roads inland.

Northumberland (April - May, and September)
This really is a bleak place, one of the last great wildernesses on the border of England and Scotland - with Hadrian’s wall running within its borders. With heather and gorse moors, black grouse and like so many other parks - sheep, you can really find yourself alone here - among the prehistoric remains and fortified houses in a place with very few roads.

Norfolk & Suffolk Broads (April - May)
With it’s vast network of navigable rivers and it’s attraction for wildfowl, this is a birdwatchers dream. Even for those who don’t go to see the birds, the broads really are a peaceful and totally different experience. Forget about trekking in the hills, and just stroll along the rivers or cruise down them in any one of the available boats and barges offered for hire.

Dartmoor (May - June)
A large area of exposed volcanic rock in Devon, south-west England - this park really is rugged. With peaty soil and sparse vegetation gorse and heather are king here - but there are a few woodlands if you know where to look. Grazed by native Dartmoor ponies and sheep this marshy moorland and wild heath is a place where you can drive for miles yet not see another living soul!

Exmoor (September)
This smaller park is perched beside the Bristol Channel in the far west of Somerset. It is famous not only for it’s miles and miles of open moorland and ancient woodlands, but for the Exmoor Ponies that graze the land - perfectly adapted for the wet, desolate hills and valleys of this region. I can recommend the beautiful little Higher Rodhuish Farm for accommodation from a recent personal visit - you can even take your own horse there with you!

New Forest (April - September)
This large national park on the south coast between Bournemouth and Southhampton is a recent addition, only joining the others in March 2005. Like Exmoor and Dartmoor, it is famous for it’s ponies roaming free - although here, they are joined by donkeys, cattle and pigs throughout the year - and you can’t fail to see them as you walk or drive through the park.

With many small villages and activities to participate in, including almost year round camping - the nice weather here can cater for all the family all the time! I can certainly recommend Pickett Hill House for accommodation and the most wonderful host, with tea and cakes on arrival and a fresh local breakfast you’d want to photograph!

More National Parks?
There are stories about possible new areas in Britain that should have or might get national park status, 2 in the running include a large area of The South Downs in Sussex, and maybe the first in Northern Ireland: The Mourne Mountains.
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