Great Outdoors

For a relatively small and populous nation, we still have a masses of wild and unspoilt countryside. From the rolling hills of England's Lake District to the dramatic splendour of the Scottish Highlands and Welsh mountain ranges such as Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, there is something to suit every taste. Whether it's adventure holidays, hiking, mountain biking, white water rafting, fishing, rock climbing or just a good walk you're after, get out and enjoy the great British outdoors!

Camden & Regent's Park

London NW London Camden & Regent's Park

Regent's Park, London Zoo, Camden Market - one of London's hippest spotsCamden Attractions Photos

The Lake District is England's most well known national park, made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. Go boating on Windermere after Swallows and Amazons, try Kendal Mint Cake or just soak up the specatcular scenery around Derwent Water, Ullswater, Ambleside, Keswick or Penrith. Also in the northwest,

The Pennines are the traditional dividing line between Yorkshire and Lanacashire and the Pennine Way is one of the UK's favourite walks, traversing 270 miles of moorland, canals and countrysde from the Peak District to the Scottish Borders. The northerly Pennines give way to the North Durham Moors; Northumberland and the North York Moors are less explored and if you're lucky you can go all day without seeing another soul.

Although the West Country is better known for its pretty villages and quiet coves, the wild open spaces of Exmoor and Dartmoor are breathtaking places to roam, while the New Forest on the Dorset coast is famous for its wild ponies. There is excellent mountain biking, pony riding and other activities.

If it's glorious scenery you are after then Scotland embodies it - sweeping glacial valleys, snow capped peaks, wild heather, the wind, emptiness, the Scottish Highlands are as dramatic as anywhere in the world. There is fantastic walking and hiking, but Glen Coe and Fort William are particularly good and of course there is Ben Nevis, The UK's highest mountain, to climb! The Cairngorms are also popular for climbing and walking while Aviemore offers the best skiing and snowboarding in winter as well as good walking/ hiking in summer.

The Scottish Islands are perfect for nature lovers, walkers and archaologists alike, from the far flung Shetland and Orkney Isles with their ancient stone circles, bird life and seals, to the western isles such as the Hebrides. Climb the Paps of Jura or the Cuillin Mountains in Skye for the more adventurous.

In Wales, climb Snowdon or explore some of the other excellent hiking trails of The Snowdonia National Park. Further south, the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains are also wonderful places to explore. The Pembrokeshire National Park is the only coastal park in the UK and has some of the most dramatic cliffs and wildlife. It is a great place to come birdwatching seal spotting or dolphin watching.