Best Activity Weekends

Snowdonia and Anglesey pull in weekend visitors from all over Wales and England. They go here to take advantage of the Welsh mountains, rivers, and forests for hiking, biking, and just to relax in the green countryside.

Snowdonia is a dramatic landscape of deep valleys and high mountains. High enough, in fact, to have served as a training camp for Mt. Everest expeditions! At the same time, Mt Snowdon is easy enough to climb most days, though avoid days of cold weather as the slopes and peak are exposed and much colder than the base levels.

Around the Gwynedd area there are four stretches of Heritage Coast: North Anglesey Heritage Coast, Aberffraw Heritage Coast, Holyhead Mountain Heritage Coast and Lleyn Peninsula Heritage Coast. These provide visitors with rugged rocky coastlines and beautiful sea views all year round.

You’ll also encounter many historical sites. This is a part of Wales dotted with old monasteries and abbeys, as well as forts, castles and much older sites as well. In fact, history here begins in pre-historic times, with ancient burial grounds and pagan holy sites aplenty.

If you’re more into historic homes and gardens, these northern parts of Wales will keep you happy. For example, visit Bryn Bras Castle for its stunning gardens and architecture, or Aberconwy House, where you can view exhibits of Roman times in Gwynedd.

All this nature and history adds up to an ideal destination for culture seekers and adrenaline junkies alike. Here are some of our ideas on what to do in Anglesey & Snowdonia.

What activities

Sailing, Canoeing, Power Boating, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Paragliding, Mountain Biking, White Water Rafting, Caving, Horse Riding, Cycling and loads more.

Where to go in Snowdonia & Anglesey

Anglesey Walking Holidays
Trekking, walking and cycling holidays on the Isle of Anglesey, Wicklow, Snowdonia and the North Wales Path.

What You’ll need

Bring outdoors clothing, including warm layers year round. Winter can be taxing, with driving wind and rain, so you’ll appreciate good waterproofs. Summers range from hot to damp, so in any case quick drying fabrics come in handy. Spring and autumn are mixed, so come well prepared. As far as sporting equipment, well, anything goes here so take what you have. Wales is known for hearty foods and good beer and cider, so do make sure to pack your appetite too!

The ancient kingdom of Kernow is the furthest west you can go while remaining in England. Don’t know Kernow? It’s the old English name for today’s Cornwall, a ruggedly beautiful county in England’s Southwest. The county of Cornwall has the longest coast line in Britain, and its history is intimately tied up with the sea along that coast. Anywhere you go in Cornwall, you’ll see how today’s residents live off the sea as fishermen and so on, and also be reminded of the nautical heritage of Cornwall.

Along the coast, you’ll find smugglers’ inns, picturesque and tiny fishing villages, beaches galore placed along bays that once held a vast variety of oceanfaring schooners, gill netters, and small fishing vessels. Even today, fishing is important, but tourism is the bigger catch in today’s net. There’s much here to bring visitors back again and again: The rugged beauty of the cliffs along the north coast, tranquil coves and tree lined creeks on the south coast, and peaceful traditional farmland in between the two.

Cornwall mixes the new and the old as well. You’ll find cutting edge science such as the Eden Project in one spot, avant garde art in a gallery, or you’ll encounter a traditional working farms near ancient villages with Sunday Markets alive and well. Much of the old industry has passed, but there’s a real sense of enthusiasm for the future in Cornwall, with tourism and eco-friendly industries taking over to create a lovely English county to visit.

What activities

Sailing, Canoeing, Power Boating, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Paragliding, Mountain Biking, White Water Rafting, Caving, Horse Riding, Cycling and loads more.

Where to go in Cornwall

Gay Cornwall
Gay Cornwall – the complete online guide to bars, clubs, hotels, social groups, Cornwall Pride and loads more.

Kennack Diving – Learn to dive in Cornwall
Kennack Diving provides a 5 star PADI dive resort in beautiful Cornwall, where you can learn in clear and warm Gulf Stream waters.

Manually Edited Cornish Business Directory With Links, News, Weather and Information For Cornwall UK

What You’ll need

You’ll need swimwear and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Your best sailing clothes could come in handy, as well as a windbreaker as it’ll inevitable pick up during your visit.

Located in England’s West Country, Devon is a large county which is bordered by Cornwall in the west and Dorset and Somerset in the East. One of the things that make Devon unique is the two coastlines: One in the north of Devon, facing the Bristol Channel and Irish Sea, and one to the south, facing the English Channel towards north France.

Devon is home to the amazing moors at Dartmoor, the cities of Exeter, Darthmouth, and Torquay. All great destinations. Off the coast is the wonderful Lundy island. You’ll also be able to visit the Buckfast Abbey, home to the fortified drink Buckfast.

Devon is mainly rural, filled with villages, moors, farmlands, and plentiful opportunities for outdoor sports.

What activities

Sailing, Canoeing, Power Boating, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Paragliding, Mountain Biking, White Water Rafting, Caving, Horse Riding, Cycling and loads more.

Where to go in Devon

Surfing Croyde Bay

The UK’s professional surf centre offering tuition to all abilities and ages all year round.

North Devon Links

An indepth directory of links for travellers and residents in Devon. You can find all things Devon at North Devon UK

Torbay Surfing

Torquay’s, Paignton’s, Brixham’s, Bigbury’s & Bantham’s, Surfing, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Kayaking & SUP Information Website.

Riviera English School

Not only can Riviera English School teach you English, but it’s also unique in owning its own yacht, so you’ll have opportunities to go out on the water on the beautiful Devon coast while learning. Based in Torquay, Devon, Riviera English school is a family owned business since 1996 and has taught thousands of students since – most enroling through recommendations from previous students.

Surfing Croyde Bay with Point Breaks

Learn to surf at some of the UK’s top surfing spots and improve your skills from beginner to competition level. Point Breaks is Croyde Bay’s premier multi-activity watersports school.

What You’ll need

You’ll need swimwear and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Also, you could bring your bike with you and go for a ride around the Devon forests.

More travel information

Devon Holiday Directory – Links to Devon holiday sites including accommodation (self catering, B&B and hotels), attractions, pub and restaurants, activities such as golf, riding and surfing, along with town and village information.

Located in Scotland, Edinburgh is famous for its history and beautiful landscape. Also, in recent years it has became famous for hosting the Edinburgh International Festival, with its world class list of cultural events. Enveloped by rolling hills, lakes and forests, Edinburgh is a city made for adventure. There is plenty to see and do with the perfect balance between all things traditional and contemporary.

What Activities?

Trekking, Cycling, Dry-Slope Skiing, Sailing, Paintballing, Surfing, Windsurfing, Paragliding, Skydiving, Canoeing, Diving, Water Skiing, Snow Sports and loads more.

Where To Go

YellowCraigs Beach (Broad Sands Bay)

A sandy beach with great views to Fife and the lighthouse on Fidra Island. Yellowcraigs is a popular family beach with a barbecue site, nature trail and footpath through the nearby wood and grassland. This is a nice place to go for a walk and enjoy the scenery.

Port Edgar Marina and Sailing School

http://www.portedgar.co.uk/

Port Edgar Marina & Sailing School is major watersports complex and marina situated on the Forth just west of the famous Forth Bridge in South Queensferry, just 10 miles north of Edinburgh. The Marina has 300 serviced berths and is well located for exploring the islands and fishing Harbours of the Firth of Forth under the backdrop of Scotland’s Capital. South Queensferry Bay offers an excellent area for dinghy sailing and the Watersports Centre, offering all kinds of tuition including canoeing, kayaking and dinghy sailing. Also, the nearby Port Edgar Yacht Club has a race every Monday so you can rent a dinghy from the sailing school and join in. So, if you’re interested in watersports there’s plenty for you to do at Port Edgar.

Edinburgh Diving Centre

http://www.edinburghdiving.co.uk/

Edinburgh Diving School (EDC) is Edinburgh’s oldest, most established diving centre and has been running for over 20 years. The Centre has grown in size and reputation and now has a retail outlet, an equipment servicing and testing centre and a training facility. The scuba courses include all equipment hire and all course materials, so there are no hidden costs.

The Edinburgh University Skydiving Club

http://eusdc.eusu.ed.ac.uk/

If you want to throw yourself from a perfectly good plane then this is the club for you. Whether you want to do it as a one off experience or on a regular basis, the club has the course. Firstly, you could choose to take the Tandem course. You have half an hours training and then do a 12000 metre jump attached to an instructor. Freefall lasts around 40 seconds and then there’s a 5 minute canopy ride. Also, you could choose to take the Static Line Square, you’re given a day’s training and then jump alone from 3500 feet. The parachute automatically opens when you exit the plane and then you fly the parachute back to the landing area. Or finally, you could choose to take the Accelerated Freefall course where after several hours of tuition and 8 jumps you are a fully qualified sky diver.

Midlothian Snowsports Centre

Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend, Edinburgh boasts of being Europe’s longest artificial snowsports facility. It is made up of two main slopes, a 20 m learning slope and a jump slope; the slope on the left (made to look like Ireland) is 276 metres and the big slope on the right (made to look like the United Kingdom) is 450 metres. The slopes are used for skiing, snowboarding and snowblading and lessons are available for both adults and children all year round. The runs are made from matting that is available for use all year round; the floodlights allow it to be used in the evenings and a misting system keeps it from getting sticky. Also, the equipment is available to rent in the winter months to use elsewhere. If you like snowsports the Midlothian Snowsports centre is the best place to go in Europe.

Nationwide Paintball – Edinburgh

http://www.nationwidepaintball.co.uk/

Nationwide Paintball’s Edinburgh Paintballing site is located just 15 minutes away from the city centre. The facilities include 6 team huts, changing rooms, toilet facilities and an on site shop. All games are played in a superb woodland setting and there are several different scenarios to act out which are designed to make the experience more exciting. Scenarios include the Pet Rescue, Comms Tower and the Shanty Town. The centre does package deals with lunch included in the price and you’ll play multiple game scenarios throughout the day. This is a great activity to do in groups, so if you and your mates feel like some action packed fun, this is the place to go.

Bonnyrigg Leisure Centre

Bonnyrigg Leisure Centre provides the local community and tourists with an excellent range of facilities including a leisure pool with flume, sauna and spa pool, large multi-use hall, Tonezone, outdoor five-a-side football pitches and soft play area.

Coast 2 Coast Surf School

http://www.c2cadventure.com/

Coast to Coast run 95% of local surf lessons at Belhaven Bay which is about a 40 minute drive away from Edinburgh and is accessible by train from Edinburgh also. They offer a wide range of surfing lessons for adults, children, beginners and professional and the east coast of Scotland provides some fantastic waves. The surf school offer a range of courses including a two hour white water lesson, a sunset course and a surf and yoga course. The lessons can be carried out with a group of up to 15 people, so this would be a nice thing to do with friends.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need to bring swimwear with you and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Also, organise transportation to get around the city before leaving.

Other Useful Links

Itchy Edinburgh

http://www.itchyedinburgh.co.uk/

The Itchy site is a travel guide to all of the major cities in the UK. Itchy Edinburgh provides the user with loads of information about Edinburgh city including restaurants, bars, entertainment, culture, shopping, events and activities. If you are planning to visit Edinburgh this site will prove to be vary helpful when planning your trip.

Edinburgh Online

http://www.edinburghonline.co.uk/

Edinburgh Online is the online guide to Scotland’s capital city. The website has a street index listing hundreds of local streets and roads and also lists thousands of local shops, accommodation, attractions, venues, pubs and clubs. The site also has a Web directory listing essential local websites. This means that it is easy for you to find not only the contact details of places you’d like to visit in the city, but you can also visit their websites to see what they have to offer.

TouristnetUK.com

http://www.touristnetuk.com/sc/edinburgh/index.htm

To make finding a holiday in the UK easier, Touristnet.com broke it up into 10 main regions and provide information about the relevant tourist areas. Their section about Edinburgh provides loads of information about accommodation, attractions, food and drink and attractions in the city. The site is very useful and easy to use and is worth having a look at when planning your holiday.

Other useful travel links

Scotland visitor information from Holiday Scotland – Your guide to Scotland.

The Lake District, Cumbria, is the UK’s largest adventure capital, full of landscapes that offer the opportunity for excitement and exploration. In the Lake District National Park is Scaffel Pike, England’s highest mountain and Wastwater, its deepest Lake, this is the perfect place to create your own adventures. The area is an outdoor haven, and many bring their pet dogs as well, as there are a wide range of dogfriendly hotels, rentals and restaurants around, and that’s leaving out the fantastic nature a dog gets to play in!

What Activities?

Cycling/Mountain Biking, Orienteering, Climbing, High Wire, Paintballing, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Caving Underground, Skiing/Snowboarding, Sailing, Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Waterskiing, Diving, Hang Gliding, Sky Diving, Paragliding and loads more.

Where To Go

The Lake District National Park

http://www.lake-district.gov.uk/

The Lake District National Park is the largest National Park in the UK and it includes Scaffel Pike – England’s highest Mountain and West Water its deepest lake. With over 3500 kilometres of rights of way and 12 of the country’s largest lakes, you can walk, cycle or splash about until you heart’s content and there is something for everyone. You can also hire a boat from The Coniston Boating Centre or check out the playground, gardens and café at The Lake District Visitors Centre. This is the perfect place to visit if you would like to see some beautiful scenery and wildlife whilst having loads of fun. When heading out for outdoor sports, using a van rental company can get you a suitable vehicle.

Holmescales Activity Centre

http://www.holmescales.com/

Holmescales is situated in Kendal, Cumbria and is set in over 30 acres of beautiful Lake District countryside. The centre caters for all sorts of events. There are corporate events such as management training and teambuilding, Special events like hen and stag weekends and there are also family fun packages. There are a host of great activities to choose from, Quad Biking, 4 x 4 off road driving, Paintballing and Archery are just a few of the many activities that the centre has to offer. The Holmescales Activity Centre is pure fun and exhilaration and it provides a unique, unforgettable and memorable outdoor adventure for everyone.

Raw War Paintball – Aspatria

http://www.paintballcumbria.co.uk/

The Raw War Paintball is the Lake District and Cumbria’s largest purpose built Paintballing site and has been established for over 6 years. It has seven imaginatively created, action-packed paintball combat arenas complete with rivers, bridges, towers, forts & villages, old mine works which were made to make the scenarios a lot more interesting and realistic. There are 12 different scenarios which were designed to make the Paintballing experience a lot more exciting with the new No Man’s Land scenario created in 2008. Other scenarios that they have are storm the fort, mission impossible and have no fear and supervision and guidance on how to play are given by the staff. The centre also runs other activities such as clay pigeon shooting, raft building and other team building activities. This would be the perfect place to go for stag and hen parties or if you generally just want to have a day of group fun.

Lakeland Climbing Centre – Kendal

http://www.kendalwall.co.uk/

The Lakeland Climbing Centre has unique indoor and outdoor climbing facilities and offers a wide range of learning programmes for beginners and experienced climbers also. You can take part in beginner’s courses and taster sessions or just climb with an experienced friend. The centre is highly equipped with gritstone and limestone outcrops as well as the other indoor facilities. The main hall has several 10 metre climbing walls, a stalactite, roof area, slabs and the big 18 metre climbing wall. The centre also has 2 Bouldering rooms and a room with specially designed beginner’s walls. If you like taking part in exciting sports, why not spend the day here and bring the kids too.

Keswick Climbing Wall and Activity Centre

http://www.keswickclimbingwall.co.uk/

Based in the heart of the Lake District, Keswick Climbing Wall is more than just a climbing centre. They run outdoor activities in Cumbria and the Lake District of all types; from biking to ghyll scrambling, canoeing to raft building, and of course climbing and abseiling. The centre runs a corporate event designed to encourage team building, enhance communication and develop leadership skills and also caters for individual, group or families, with specific courses to support your needs. Their Multi-activity days (MAD’s) are one of their most popular packages where customers get to take part in 3 or 4 activities all in one day, these activities include abseiling, assault course, canoeing, climbing, mountain biking and raft building. If you’re interested in challenging yourself whilst having loads of fun, look no further.

Kendal Ski Club

http://www.kendalski.co.uk/

Kendal Ski Club is a voluntary skiing organisation which has been up and running for over 20 years. All of the staff, including instructors, are members of the club who work on a voluntary basis because, no matter the level, they all love skiing. Originally, the club was formed with skiing being its only sport but more recently they have embraced snowboarding and they provide lessons for both sports. The club has an artificial slope which is 80 metres long and 35 metres wide as well as two normal flat areas of slope, a quarter pipe, two kickers, waves and three rows of moguls. The lodge provides equipment, toilet facilities, changing facilities and machine dispensers for refreshments. The centre is only open at specific times and dates so check before you visit.

The Low Wood Hotel

The Low Wood Hotel is a four star resort with a great selection of bars and restaurants, a leisure club, beauty salon and water sports centre. Located on a superb lawned shoreline on the edge of Lake Windermere with a fantastic view, this is the ideal venue if you’re looking for a place where you can relax and unwind with everything close by. Also, as the hotel is in the heart of the Lake District, its an ideal place to discover the timeless beauty of the Lakeland landscape.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need all of the outdoor activity gear you own and also, you’ll need to organise transportation to get around organised before you leave.

Other Useful Links

Go Lakes

http://www.golakes.co.uk/

Go Lakes is the official website of Cumbria tourism. On the site you can plan every aspect of your trip to the Lake District. You can choose from a range of hotels, camp sites and self catering cottages to stay at and also, you can choose whet activities you’d like to do, where you want to eat and the attractions you’d like to see. It is an easy website to use and is a useful resource when planning your stay in Cumbria.

The Lakes Guide

http://www.lakedistricts.co.uk/

This site provides an extensive amount of information about the Lake District and acts as a tourists guide to the area. It has information and pictures of the beautiful lakes and mountains which form the national park and there are also various maps to help you find your way around. There are also individual guides to each of the towns and villages that make up the Lake District and suggestions for accommodation. The site also has a directory for the district, listing loads of businesses in the area which range from bus companies to activity centres so no matter what you’re looking for in the Lake District, you can find it on this site.

The Lake District Tourist Guide

http://www.lakedistricttouristguide.com/

This site caters for all tourist needs in the county of Cumbria. It is a comprehensive guide for tourism and leisure activities and the guide is designed to help you choose your destination and plan your activities around it. The aim of the site is to ensure that visitors to the Lake District have the best possible start to their holiday with the help of the wide range of online services that are provided by this user friendly website.

Over 50′s Friends

Dating for the over 50s

Dating, chat, and making new friends for active seniors.