United Kingdom adventure travel: Outdoor activities in United Kingdom

Divided into four constituent countries: England; Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland; the UK offers a challenging but rewarding landscape of environmental, cultural and societal variety. Across the United Kingdom adventure travel will always take you near a coast. That’s because despite being connected to mainland Europe by the channel tunnel, which runs into France, it’s surrounde... +Divided into four constituent countries: England; Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland; the UK offers a challenging but rewarding landscape of environmental, cultural and societal variety. Across the United Kingdom adventure travel will always take you near a coast. That’s because despite being connected to mainland Europe by the channel tunnel, which runs into France, it’s surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, North Sea and Irish Sea. Outdoor activities in the United Kingdom are heavily dependant on the weather, which is best described as ‘changeable’.

Northern Ireland offers a more traditional Celtic feel akin to its neighbour the Republic of Ireland. But in boasting four capital cities: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast - alongside other cultural hotbeds such as Liverpool and Manchester - the UK is justifiably a nation held in high cultural esteem throughout Europe.

The smart adventurer must be aware of one important thing: Alongside the rich heritage and regional diversity that has developed from such a unique set up, the initial challenge - before the adrenalin rush - is to get-to-grips with the dialects and national identities across the United Kingdom. But instead of being shy, just embrace the diversity on offer and this will open up the range of cultures and United Kingdom adventure travel opportunities on offer.

Positioned in north-west Europe, the United Kingdom’s seasonal climate is sometimes erratic. Outdoor activities in the United Kingdom are massively varied. There are distinct mountain ranges in Wales and up in Scotland that provide mountaineering, hill walking and technical climbs.

For such a small area you’ve lots of rivers fuelled by the rain, strong winds across the isles that make for ideal kitesurfing and windsurfing and the weather really isn’t as bad as people make out…British Summer Time extends from the end of March through to October, but don’t be completely fooled by the name. The sun-filled months of June to August see the coastal seaside towns saturated with holidaymakers and you can get temperatures well into the 30’s.Contrast this with the bitterly cold but beautiful autumn and spring months of October and March respectively, and you get some idea of the mixture of weather.

Start your United Kingdom adventure travel journey in the north or up in Scotland and you will find a wetter climate - as you will in parts of Wales. This is not totally unique from the generally warmer south, though as you’ll get rain across all the country. There are chances of snow in winter throughout the United Kingdom, just way more likely the higher you are and the only decent snow season is in Scotland.

It would take two weeks to cycle from one end of the country to the other. From the extreme north tip of Scotland at John O’Groats, to the southernmost point of the United Kingdom at Lands End in England, the UK is a total distance of 874 miles by road. With two weeks leaving little time to explore, but what better way to enjoy the UK than to ride its full length.

The sheer magnitude of outdoor activities in United Kingdom leaves few of its counties without recommendation. For those wanting a taste of everything, from the outstanding and incomparable global city of London to the relaxed Scottish Highlands then an extended trip really is the only way to do each destination justice.

From English ale to Scottish malt; from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to Edinburgh’s Comedy Festival; don’t take a United Kingdom adventure travel holiday without embracing the culture of these islands. Whether you want a real tourist style experience visiting London’s Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, or you just want to sit in a traditional English pub having a chat with one man and his dog over a beer. The wealth of experiences and adventures is unrivalled in Europe. One thing is for certain, you’ll never be short of something to keep you occupied! -

experiences

Nottingham Tandem Skydive experience at Langar Airfield, UK

£ 230 for 1 hours

Activities: Skydiving

Destinations: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Find out more

discounts

Evergreen Escapes Discount: 15% off nature walks

$ 159 for

15%

Discount

Save up to £37

Activities: Walking

Destinations: Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, California, Columbia River Gorge, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Mt. Rainier National Park +

Find out more

Flight Culture discount: 10% off paragliding

£ 140 for

10%

Discount

Activities: Paragliding

Destinations: Africa, Andes, Aquitaine, Arcachon Bay, Argentina +

Find out more

Maybe Sailing discount: 5% off tall ship charters

£ 250 for

Discount

Activities: Yacht Charter

Destinations: Arctic, Atlantic Ocean, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Caribbean +

Find out more

View all united-kingdom discounts

companies

The Natural Adventure Company

Activities: Cycling

Destinations: Africa, Albania, Alps, Asia, Belgium +

Find out more

Active Skydiving

Activities: Skydiving

Destinations: California, Europe, North America, Spain, United Kingdom +

Find out more

Skydive Langar

Activities: Skydiving

Destinations: England, Europe, Langar, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire +

Find out more

View all united-kingdom companies

Latest Adventure Articles

Best downhill mountain biking destinations: Top 14 bike parks for MTB trips

Like your riding to be fuelled by gravity with minimal use of pedal power? Then you'll want to visit the best downhill mountain biking...

Activities: Mountain Biking,

Destinations: Alps, Andorra, Are, Asia, Australia +

Find out more

Sailing around England: 7 best places to sail in Southern UK

Sailing articles about tropical destinations are a dime a dozen, but rarely are they about sailing around England. So we've pulled...

Activities: Sailing,

Destinations: Atlantic Ocean, Brighton & Hove, Bristol, Cornwall, East Sussex +

Find out more

Scottish skiing holidays: Top 11 tips to ski Scotland

Scottish skiing holidays are much derided, but when conditions are good they can be very good. So we've pulled together 11 tips to ski...

Activities: Skiing,

Destinations: Aviemore, Ballachulish, Blairgowrie, Braemar, Cairngorm +

Find out more

View all united-kingdom Articles