While the winter very much contains a holiday season all of its own, the season is not the first one we think of to properly holiday within. The summer takes that prize, with many favourite domestic holidays taking the form of seaside visits and summer camping extravaganzas. But some places in the UK cannot be missed in wintertime; what follows are carefully picked three…
The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is the epitome of a sleepy provincial southern English destination, being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the South-West. It is an 800-mile tract of rural land, home to Medieval artefacts and curiosities galore – and a place that very much trucks in the broad concept of ‘Englishness’.
In the winter, the thatched roofs of the various village cottages that stipple the more rural routes around the region become beautifully snow-covered, and in the right conditions, the Cotswolds’ rolling fields appear as something from a Raymond Briggs book. This is an easy, leisurely holiday destination for a family and a magical way to see the festive season through.
Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms National Park encompasses a central swather of the Scottish Highlands and takes the name of the mountain range that stipples its core. The National Park is an all-season winter wonderland, with snow-tipped mountain peaks making for an extremely picturesque landscape. However, the Cairngorms in winter are truly something to behold.
Given its distance and relative remoteness, the Cairngorms National Park is the perfect location for a road trip type of adventure. However, given the potentially ropey nature of the country roads by which the Cairngorms can be accessed, preparations are necessary. Winter tyres are a must to manage the icy conditions of the higher-altitude areas in the National Park, and an emergency kit in the boot is nothing short of essential.
Bannau Brycheiniog
Bannau Brycheiniog is another Great British national park, this time in South Wales. – though, it may be more familiar to you under another name: the Brecon Beacons. The Welsh name for the national park has been chosen as standard, as part of a wider national move to restore Welsh identity to Welsh spaces, and draw attention to the dying Welsh language; Mount Snowdon has received similar treatment, now going by the name Yr Wyddfa.
Name irrespective, Bannau Brycheiniog is a breathtaking place to visit year-round. In the summer, the mountains are stunning, and popular cultural events like the Green Man Festival make the most of the weather and landscapes together. In the winter, though, the mountains and hills take on an entirely different lustre – one that quite simply must be seen to be believed. This is a camping destination above all else, and so the perfect place to enact that mid-winter campfire with a loved one.