7 Ways to Find Adventure in the UK

Katherine Sullivan August 18, 2020

By Caroline Bunting-Palmer

Although the UK has opened up from its strictest lockdown, travel to the rest of the world remains uncertain.

This has led a lot of Brits to look closer to home for their travel fix. And after all, the British Isles are a beautiful and diverse place!

From days out to week-long excursions, if you're getting itchy feet for adventure, look no further than our round-up of the most exciting (and socially-distanced) things to do in the UK.

Amble alongside Hadrian's Wall

North England

If the idea of a long walk or bike ride gets you fired up, follow the 84 miles of Hadrian's Wall. The largest Roman artefact in Britain still standing, the best theory for its construction is in helping Roman Britain to defend against the barbarians that lived North of the wall.

The Hadrian's Wall path starts in Wallsend, Newcastle Upon Tyne, at a museum which gives full historical context on the wall. You'll pass through the cities and suburbs of Newcastle and Carlisle, although there's plenty of remote, open countryside and Roman ruins along the way.

The route is relatively easy to navigate, with mud in places but mostly flat landscape. The journey ends in a tiny village called Bowness-on-Solway in the North West.

You may need to book admission to some of the attractions, museums and English Heritage sites along the hike. Further info can be found on the Hadrian's Wall website.

Discover three picturesque waterfalls on the same walk

South West England

If secretive, wild and unspoilt is your type of adventure, a day trip to St Nectans Glen could be perfect.

Wander through grand ancient woodland, accompanied by the rushing current of the winding river. Lush greens, rare plants and mossy undergrowth greet you along the way.

You'll soon reach the first waterfall, a 60-foot spectacular. Step into the shallow pool in front of it, with a pair of wellies on, to feel the cold water on your face.

If you head downwards from this pool, you'll find the second waterfall, which beautifully bifurcates into two separate rushing streams.

Finish your journey at the newly discovered third waterfall, a magical series of smaller cascades totalling 80 foot in length.

For ticket prices and directions to St Nectans Glen, visit the website.

Gaze up at the stars like never before

South West Scotland

The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory is surrounded by some of the darkest skies in the UK, sat on a hill near the remote Loch Doon in Ayr, Scotland. Explore the moon, planets and stars with your own eyes and away from the light pollution that lingers above most of our towns and cities. The observatory is part of the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park; Europe's first.

The observatory has two telescopes, and you can challenge yourself to search for more faint and distant objects in the night sky.

There's also an elevated observation deck for naked-eye viewing of the universe. And at the right time of the year, you can catch the stunning Northern Lights floating across the vista.

Fortunately, as Scottish weather can often get cloudy, the owners built a planetarium, where you can take in immersive views of space from indoors.

You'll need to pre-book your visit here.

Get lost in The Forbidden Corner

North West England

Originally built as a private wooded area in the 70s, The Forbidden Corner is now a public four-acre garden. Areas to discover include a maze, tunnels, paths and passages that lead nowhere, strange statues and sculptures, a giant woodsman, talking mice and a huge pyramid of translucent glass.

Tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales, there's even a lookout point to enjoy the beautiful views of the Coverdale valley.

Tickets must be booked in advance here and entry is through the mouth of a two-eyed tower. You won’t be given a map of the area, but rather a checklist of places to be found.

Take an unforgettable road trip from the Cairngorms

North East Scotland

You'll easily find plenty that suits your own taste of adventure when road tripping in Scotland. The North East 250 traverses 250 miles of beautiful Scottish scenery and can be experienced by car or bike.

To get an idea of where to start, choose one of these itineraries to follow, or mix and match.

Highlights of the route include:

Seeking out a collapsed sea cave at the Bullers of Buchan
Discovering the history of Peterhead Prison, Scotland’s ‘Toughest Jail’
Coastal rowing or sea kayaking at the Cullen Sea School
Zip-wiring in the Cairngorms National Park (Craggan Outdoors)
Sampling Scotch whisky outdoors at the Glenlivet Distillery
Geocaching in Glen Tanar
Exploring the grassy ruins of 13^th century Findlater Castle, which was once taken by Vikings

For full info on what's available to see, visit the website.

Assault-course your way through a mountain

North Wales

Up for a physical and mental challenge? If the rest of this list looks a little tame for you, how about travelling underneath Mount Snowdon, through a series of underground obstacles?

Activities include traversing narrow cliff-face ledges, scaling vertical shafts, zip-lining into darkness, boating across lakes, navigating abysses, climbing waterfalls, abseiling and freefall jumping.

You can even book an adventure that lasts 14 hours and will take you from the deepest publicly-accessible point in the UK up to the top of the mountain.

Get a group together and experience a truly unique day out, in a part of Wales you've probably never seen before.

There's a range of difficulty levels available in Go Below's packages - visit their website for more information.

Sleep somewhere a little unusual

Across the UK

It's not all about daytime exploring - have you considered spending a few nights in alternative, quirky accommodation? In the UK, you can book a sleep in a:

Adventuring outdoors or spending the night in a cosy accommodation demand soft and comfortable clothing.

For when you’re spending all day on your feet make sure you’re wearing the right socks. Cool, comfortable we’ve got a socks to suit your everyday activities.

When it comes to unwinding after a long day out and about, don’t forget to pack your Boody Lounge. Comfy, breathable and thermoregulating loungewear and sleepwear are ideal for allowing your skin to breathe as you unwind and get into bed.

Happy and safe travels from Boody!

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4 Ways Music Can Help You Sleep Better

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10 Benefits Of Yoga

By Katya - Lotus Flower Yoga Yoga can provide you with so many benefits physically, mentally, and emotionally. With a regular yoga practice, you won't just start to feel stronger and more flexible, but you may also start to notice that you feel calmer with a sense of an improved overall wellbeing. In this blog post, you will learn 10 amazing benefits of yoga that you will not want to miss out on. REDUCES STRESS A huge benefit of Yoga is that it is known for reducing stress levels. As we perform yoga poses and connect to our breath through Yoga practice, it directly affects the nervous system, moving us out of fight and flight and into rest and digest, which will encourage the body to relax. As the body moves into the relaxation response controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, many positive things start to happen to the body, such as slowing down the heart rate, increasing the gland function and ultimately encouraging the body and mind to reduce and release stress. IMPROVES BREATHING In a yoga class we work with the body through yoga poses, but we also become more aware of our breathing and perform breathing exercises. Conscious breathing is almost always an essential part of a Yoga practice. Yoga teaches us that our breath is a manifestation of our vital energy and allows us to be in this world. Yoga helps us to understand our breathing and learn about our breath. "Breathing is a direct means of absorbing prana (life force/energy) and the manner in which we breathe sets off pranic vibrations which influence our entire being." swami Muktibodhananda. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE Studies have shown that those who do Yoga practice three times a week, and include breathing and relaxation, have lower blood pressure! "Researchers analysed data from 49 trials with a total of 3,517 participants who were typically middle-aged, overweight women and men who already had high blood pressure or were close to developing the condition [....] When people with high blood pressure did yoga three times a week in sessions that also included breathing and relaxation exercises; they experienced average decreases of 11 mmHG more than control groups in systolic blood pressure and 6 mmHG more in diastolic blood pressure." https://www.reuters.com/ IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY In Yoga, you move your body in a range of motion, which helps to increase flexibility. When we move the body into a Yoga asana, the muscles are either contracting (agonist) or releasing and elongating (antagonist). Every Yoga stretch that you do can increase the range of motion within the muscle fibres and allows them to become more flexible over time. IMPROVES STRENGTH Yoga has the benefits of improving our overall strength. Yoga posture work with different muscle groups can strengthen our resilience. Many poses are active, and require our ability to hold them for several breaths. A regular yoga practice will create strength within the core, legs, arms, shoulders, and many other body areas. ENHANCES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Yoga can help to enhance the immune system. Doing a yoga practice that includes yoga poses, breathing and relaxation will help to move the body out of fight and flight, and into rest and digest, which encourages healing of the body. Stress is known to be one of the culprits of a weakened immune system, so yoga can play a vital role in supporting the immune system and helping overall well-being. "Stress responses increase strain upon the circulatory system due to increased heart rate etc. Stress can also affect the immune system by raising blood pressure." https://www.simplypsychology.org/ HELPS WITH LYMPHATIC SYSTEM DRAINAGE When performing yoga poses with breathing, we are offering the body a cleaning system, a way to move in order to shift the lymphatic system, especially when we include inverted yoga poses. Yoga can help move the lymphatic system to rid of toxins, and eliminate unwanted waste and stresses within the body. When the body and the mind have the right setting to become clear and vibrant, the immunity will become stronger. IMPROVES CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS All Yoga postures require focus as we move in and out of them, which allows the mind to strengthen its concentration and focus levels not only on the mat, but also when we are off the mat. Yoga begins to train the mind to let go of unwanted thoughts, worries and distractions, encouraging us to be in the present moment, the only moment we truly have! HELPS DIGESTION Many of the beautiful poses performed in Yoga benefit the digestive system due to the gentle internal massaging action. As we move into Yoga postures, we encourage the body to open up on a deeper energetic level, stimulating and bringing balance and harmony into the functioning of the organs, meridians and body as a whole. "According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine system which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body" Swami Satyananda Saraswati. INCREASES ENERGY AND VITALITY Yoga postures open the body and release any blocked energy that may be stagnant. As you breathe deeply, you draw pure fresh energy/oxygen/prana into the body; into areas of the body that may feel tight or hold tension. The overall effects of a Yoga practice can have different outcomes which are dependent on the class plan. Despite this, your body will receive more energy and vitality, even if you are feeling very relaxed. If you haven’t started a yoga practice yet, I hope that these benefits will encourage you to try yoga. If you already do yoga you may already be familiar with receiving some of these wonderful physical and mental benefits. Yoga really is a journey and we can start that journey exactly where we are. Author: Katya - www.lotusfloweryoga.co.uk