Britain's landscapes possess a quiet grandeur that spans a wide variety of terrain. When you venture beyond the motorway service stations and city centres, you discover why poets, painters, and wanderers have found inspiration in these rolling hills and rugged peaks for centuries.
The beauty of experiencing the great outdoors in the UK lies not in conquering dramatic wilderness but in connecting with landscapes shaped by thousands of years of human habitation. From mist-shrouded lakes to windswept moors of endless heather, these destinations offer the kind of restorative experiences that luxury travel at its best should provide.
Each region has developed its own sophisticated infrastructure of country house hotels, award-winning gastropubs, and exclusive outdoor experiences that allow visitors to immerse themselves fully in natural beauty without sacrificing comfort or style. Whether you're seeking gentle rambles through pastoral countryside or challenging hikes across dramatic peaks, here are five of Britain's finest outdoor destinations for you to go and experience the great outdoors.
Wordsworth knew what he was talking about when he called this corner of Cumbria a sanctuary for the soul. One of the most famous national parks in the UK, here sixteen lakes nestle between fells that change character with every shift in weather and light.
Windermere remains the jewel in the crown of the Lake District, offering everything from gentle lake cruises aboard restored Victorian steamers to more adventurous wild swimming. The high fells around Helvellyn and Scafell Pike challenge serious hikers with terrain that rewards effort with panoramic views across to Scotland, while gentler walks around Tarn Hows or through the woodlands of Grizedale Forest suit those who prefer their outdoor adventures seasoned with comfort and accessibility.
The region's network of luxury country house hotels provides perfect bases for exploring landscapes that feel both intimate and epic, where morning mists rise from still waters and afternoon light transforms ordinary hillsides into scenes worthy of the Romantic painters. If you’re looking for some of the best rugged landscapes in the UK, the Lake District is undoubtedly one of the best places to find them.
Wales keeps its most dramatic secrets in Snowdonia, another national park that is loved by walkers, adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts. It’s the perfect place to challenge yourself in the great outdoors, as the area is home to many adventure centres offering everything from privately guided climbing instruction and hiking experiences to mountain biking, kayaking and coasteering.
The region around Snowdon itself offers outdoor experiences ranging from the famous mountain railway to challenging scrambles up Crib Goch, all within landscapes that shift from pastoral Welsh valleys to alpine terrain in the space of a few miles. Luxury accommodations like Pale Hall and Bodysgallen Hall provide the perfect counterpoint to days spent outdoors, where you can return from hiking or to innovative Welsh cuisine that celebrates local ingredients with sophisticated preparation.
The coastal areas around Barmouth and Harlech reveal another side of Snowdonia's character, where golden beaches stretch beneath mountains and luxury holiday cottages offer front-row seats to sunsets over Cardigan Bay. The very best of Wales’ scenery is distilled into one place here, making it an ideal choice to enjoy the breadth of the great outdoors.
The rolling Somerset countryside unfolds like a green tapestry woven from apple orchards, ancient woodlands, and gentle hills. The region's luxury country estates, including magnificent properties like Hestercombe Gardens and Dunster Castle, provide sophisticated bases for exploring incredible southern landscapes, whilst dog-friendly cottages in Somerset provide a cosy base for your whole family to relax.
The Quantock Hills, designated as England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offer some of the country's most rewarding walking, where heather-covered ridges provide views across the Bristol Channel to Wales. Exmoor National Park extends into Somerset's western reaches, creating a landscape where wild ponies roam free across moorland that stretches to dramatic coastal cliffs and hidden valleys where clear streams tumble toward the sea.
What sets Somerset apart is how it rewards slow exploration and mindful experiences of the great outdoors. The best experiences come from meandering along footpaths, discovering farm shops selling world-class cider and cheese, and enjoying locally sourced menus after days spent wandering through some of England's most beautiful countryside.
The Scottish Highlands deliver landscapes on a scale that can make you feel wonderfully insignificant. Ancient mountains rise from mysterious lochs, and the region’s famous weather creates dramatic daily theatre across ever-changing skies.
Scotland is the perfect place for combining luxury and outdoor adventure, staying in one of the area’s beautifully restored castles in between long hikes over the hills. When it comes to walking, the West Highland Way offers one of Britain's most spectacular long-distance routes, passing through landscapes that shift from lowland lochs to Highland peaks.
Loch Katrine and the Trossachs provide gentler Highland experiences, or you can relax and recover from your excursions at nearby luxury spas that offer treatments using local ingredients. The real magic of the Scottish Highlands lies in how they can make even a short visit feel transformative, showcasing scenery that is truly unlike anything else in the UK.
Our final suggestion for where to appreciate the UK’s wonderful landscapes is the Yorkshire Dales National Park. With stone walls stitching together a patchwork quilt of green fields, the landscapes here embody everything wonderful about the English countryside.
Outdoor experiences in the Yorkshire Dales range from gentle village-to-village walks to challenging fell running across some of the country's wildest terrain. Malham Cove's dramatic limestone amphitheatre offers one of Yorkshire's most spectacular geological features, while the gentler landscapes around Grassington and Kettlewell provide perfect settings for leisurely walks punctuated by excellent pub lunches and afternoon teas.
The Three Peaks challenge attracts serious hikers looking to conquer Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough, and Whernside in a single day, but the Dales reward equally those who prefer to take their time as they explore. What makes the Yorkshire Dales special is how it combines traditional ways of life with an infrastructure that allows visitors to experience authentic rural England with whatever level of comfort suits their preferences.
These five regions prove that Britain's landscapes offer far more than pleasant scenery, providing opportunities for genuine outdoor adventure. Each destination has developed its own approach to balancing conservation with access, ensuring that future generations will inherit landscapes as beautiful and unspoiled as those we can explore today.
The secret to experiencing Britain's great outdoors lies in choosing destinations that match your sense of adventure while providing the level of comfort that allows you to fully appreciate the natural world around you. The only question remaining is which of these magnificent landscapes will provide the backdrop for your next outdoor adventure.
