With the bank holiday weekend rapidly approaching, many of us will be considering a last-minute UK motorhome tour.
To give you a helping hand in picking your staycation destination, we’ve compiled our favourite suggestions from over the past year. Whether you like the sound of an off-grid experience, or prefer the thought of a heritage-themed tour, we have just the ideas for you.
Why not head off on tour this August?
Adult-only campsites
Are you after a camping holiday where you can enjoy some peace and quiet? Well, we could have just the solution. Bryony Symes rounds up six special adult-only sites, each of which offer tranquility and stunning surroundings. Suggestions include the Overbrook Caravan Park – known for its attractive landscapes and floral displays – and Dorset’s Back of Beyond Touring Park, where you’ll be able to relax with 18 acres of woodland and two fishing lakes.
Encounters with wildlife
Who doesn’t love an encounter with wildlife? We share 10 places where you’re bound to spot some wonderful creatures, with options including Kielder Forest in Northumberland. Covering some 250 square miles, you may even get to see a red squirrel if you’re lucky. Another pick is Exmoor in Southwest England, home to some of England’s rarest butterflies and bats, as well as stunning red deer.
Be sure to check our advice to make sure you don’t distress any wildlife around you while on tour too.
History-themed tours
If you love history, why not base your weekend around a heritage-themed getaway? There are so many wonderful places to visit in the UK. To help you narrow it down, we’ve shared 10 top history sites and their nearby campsites. Our suggestions range from York Minster – complete with its stunning vaulted ceiling and medieval stained glass – to the 80-mile Hadrian’s Wall, which has stood since 122AD.
York Minster has stunning vaulted ceilings and stain glass windows
Off-grid touring
Does the idea of an off-grid holiday tick the proverbial box for you? Well, we share five locations that could provide you with tranquility and allow you to soak up your surroundings. Whether it’s a trip steeped in history and culture at Yorkshire’s Rosedale Abbey or a visit to Stonybreck on the Fair Isle – the most remote inhabited island in the UK – there is bound to be an option for you.
If you’re new to the idea, you may want to read our guide on how to go off-grid.
Nature reserves
Nature reserves provide the ideal setting for taking in the wonders of the great outdoors, as our pick of 12 beautiful locations highlights. Feel inspired by locations such as Glen Affric – home to one of the largest ancient Caledonian pine woods in Scotland. Maybe you prefer the sound of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, where you will be able to see the area’s stunning limestone pavement, the product of eroded limestone. One thing’s for sure if you pick one of these – it’s certain to be a scenic green getaway.
Green camping
Maybe you’d like to choose a campsite that does its bit to protect the environment. Here, we’ve rounded up 15 brilliant green sites, ranging from Back of Beyond – a haven for wildlife such as dragonflies, birds, heron and otters – to Whitehill Country Park – nestled within 40 acres of Devon countryside, there is a vast array of wildlife. Wildflowers grow in carefully managed woods, which, in attract insects, bees, small mammals and birds.
And as a bonus…don’t forget our wildlife spotting tips
It can be a truly trip-enhancing experience to come across some beautiful wildlife. It’s all well and good recommending locations you can visit where you can spot wildlife but how do you actually go about finding them? That’s where our Spotting Guides comes in.
In our first part, birdwatcher Mick Statham offers some pointers on where to go to spot some stunning sights. There’s also a butterflies spotting guide that provides tips and advice on taking in some wonderful fluttering sights.
Then, in our second part, we’ve spoken to Butterfly Conservation who share their advice with us, allowing you to identify exactly what butterflies you see.
Happy touring!
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