Where to book your summer staycation
With the news that it is “far too early” for Britons to think about booking summer holidays, came the realisation that this year will likely be another where “vacation” becomes “staycation”. While the pre-pandemic holiday was all about Easy Jetting your way out of Britain to bask in the continental sun, this summer will mean a different sort of holiday – one we should embrace with open (vitamin-D deficient) arms. It’s time to swap tapas for fish ‘n’ chips, a mojito for a lager, and a sunlounger for a deckchair.
So, what are you waiting for? Get ahead of the curve and book a holiday in these green and pleasant lands before a week in a seaside cottage costs you more than a month in Cape Cod used to.
Scotland – for an experience rich in culture and heritage
Where to stay: Edinburgh or the Highlands
What to do: Revel in the Fringe Festival, Climb Arthur’s Seat, Visit Cawdor Castle
When to book for: August 2021
If you’d prefer a short-break, head up to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival (currently still going ahead). The festival is unquestionably the biggest arts festival in the world, where you can experience over 3,000 shows from a variety of genres including comedy, politics, opera and jazz, poetry, burlesque – something for all ages and appetites. As well as the Fringe, Edinburgh is not short of things to do: Hike up Arthur’s Seat, see works by Titian and Vermeer at the Scottish National Galleries, get lost in the Camera Obscura or take a trip down to Leith for some mouth-watering seafood. The city is also host to various quirky bars (Panda & Sons) and atmospheric pubs (Wally Dug, Starbar, Brass Monkey). The best of the lot is The Sheep Heid Inn, a perfectly placed pub for a Sunday lunch after a walk-up Arthur’s Seat.
If you’re looking for venture further north, take the Caledonian Sleeper up to Inverness, the heart of the Scottish Highlands and a jumping off point for exploring. Loch Ness is a 30-minute drive away. Cawdor Castle is also worth a visit; the 15th century castle was the Thane of Cawdor’s home, made famous by his mention in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Or if you’re dying to get away from the crowds, escape up to Glen Affric and feel instantaneously invigorated by the theatrical scenery.
North Wales – for an outdoorsy experience steeped in history
Where to stay: Portmeirion, Anglesey
What to do: Go on a long hike in Snowdonia, visit Portmeirion village, see Conwy Castle, spend the day at a beach in Anglesey
When to book for: July 2021
If you’re up for a challenge, Snowdonia National Park offers some of the best outdoor experiences. Get your adrenalin pumping and try the walk from Ogwen to High Carneddau, or the riverside walk that follows the River Gamelan from Ganllwyd up to the wild Rhaeadr Ddu falls. For a taste of medieval history, take the route that passes the lake Llyn Ogwen, allegedly this is where the sword of King Arthur lies.
If you’re after a seaside holiday, head for Anglesey, a flat island off the northeast coast of Wales. Tackle Anglesey’s open waters and go kayaking or splash the cash on the Michelin starred restaurant, the Sosban & Old Butchers, which prides itself on a dining experience a “little different to most”. The island is not only an “area of outstanding natural beauty”, but is also steeped in history, with burial mounds from the Neolithic and Bronze age. Anglesey is also home to the longest place name in Europe: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch – try that for size at your next game of Scrabble.
West Cornwall: for culture by the sea
Where to stay: St Ives, Penzance
What to do: See the art at Tate St Ives/ Go to Marazion Beach. See a play at the Minack Theatre
When to book for: June 2021
If you are staying near St Ives, make sure to get your cultural fix by visiting the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Tate St Ives. The philistines can drop on down to The Porthmeor Beach Café for a glass of chilled wine and some freshly caught crab. Visiting St Ives in June is better if you are crowd-fearing. July and August bring with them swarms of people who descend on the small seaside resort in their masses. Plus, if you time it just right, you may catch a glimpse of the new POTUS boogie-boarding on Porthminster beach, or maybe not, when he visits for the G7 meeting.
Penzance is an excellent place to base yourself to explore much of what West Cornwall has to offer. A visit to Trengwainton Garden and Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens will satisfy any green thumbs whilst foodies can indulge in some fresh mackerel at The Shore. For theatre-lovers, the Minack Theatre is extraordinary. The open-air theatre is built on a cliff which is as theatrical as the many plays, musicals and operas staged there each summer. Penzance is also a close drive to the infamous St Michael’s Mount – an excellent spot for a day at Marazion beach.
Cotswolds – for a romantic weekend getaway with gastro pub-grub
Where to stay: Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, The Slaughters
What to do: Walk around Westonbirt Arboretum, stroll Stow Market Square, spot a giraffe at Cotswold Wildlife Park, have a pint at Britain’s oldest pub
When to book for: June 2021 (lavender season at its best)
Choose the costa-del-Cotswolds for a sentimentally sugar-sweet weekend in another “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”, full of honey-coloured stone cottages and enchanting lanes. Wish you were on safari? Head to the Cotswold Wildlife Park to spot a lion or two. Wish you were Instagramming pictures from a beach? Bibury is the most “Instagrammable” village in the country. Wish you were eating spaghetti in Piazza San Marco? Visit Bourton-On-The Water, otherwise known as the Venice of the Cotswolds, for a romantic set of pubs and tea rooms. Wish you were celebrity-spotting in Ibiza? Head to Daylesford to rub shoulders with the Beckham’s at the vegetable aisle.
The Cotswolds is also home to some of the best pubs and boasts Britain’s oldest pub, The Porch House, in Stow-on-the-Wold. Or if you’re looking for a contemporary twist on British classics, head for The Churchill Arms and try their smoked haddock soufflé or for something more daring, The Chequers serves devilled kidneys. If you have more cash to splash, The Wild Rabbit is for you, try out imaginative dishes like their slow-cooked pig cheek with smoked eel salad.
North Devon – for a quintessential seaside holiday.
Where to stay: Ilfracombe, Woolacombe, Clovelly
What to do: Ilfracombe’s Afternoon Tea, Surfing at Woolacombe Beach, Horse Trekking on Exmoor
When to book for: July 2021
If you after a proper British seaside holiday, Ilfracombe should be on the top of your list. Make time to visit St Nicholas’s Chapel on Lantern Hill to see the Damien Hirst statue that towers over the harbour, the tallest statue not just in Devon but all of the UK. The “gastronomical capital of North Devon” offers everything from traditional teas and scones at Nelly May’s Parlour, (cream followed by jam – obviously) to a Michelin dining experience at Thomas Carr at the Olive Room. To burn off all the cream teas, head toward the award-winning Woolacombe Beach to try your hand at surfing.
A visit to Clovelly should be on your North Devon bucket list. This ancient, fishing village is one of the most famous and unusual villages in the world. Clinging to a 400-foot cliff, Clovelly is home to whitewashed flower-strewn cottages that sit either side of a cobbled street that leads down to the ancient fishing harbour. The streets are vehicle-free, and the only means of transport are donkeys, available for children to ride in the summer. Clovelly also has many literary and artist connections; Charles Kingsley lived there, Charles Dickens wrote about it, and Turner painted it – an aesthete’s paradise. Clovelly also hosts annual festivals throughout the summer months, such as the “Seaweed Festival” in June, “Maritime Festival” in July and the “Lobster and Crab Feast” in September.
To top it all off, Exmoor National Park is unmissable; the park is rich in “hidden haunts, deep valley, ancient oak woodland’ if that wasn’t enough it also has ‘England’s highest sea-cliffs, sparkling rivers and waterfalls.’ – need we say more?
There are endless places to visit; we are spoilt for choice. So, why don’t you use this time of national restrictions for national discovery? You never know what you could discover in your very own backyard.