United Kingdom · best-of list
The 10 Best Outdoor Spots in the United Kingdom
All 10 outdoor spots our route editors picked in the United Kingdom, across 6 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
10 outdoor spots in the United Kingdom, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Aviemore & the Cairngorms 3 picks
Glenmore Forest Park
Aviemore & the Cairngorms · On our Edinburgh & the Cairngorms route
Pine forest around Loch Morlich with waymarked trails, including the walk up to An Lochan Uaine.
Tip: The An Lochan Uaine trail is about 2 hours round trip from the Glenmore visitor centre.
Photo: Graham Robson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Loch an Eilein
Aviemore & the Cairngorms · On our Edinburgh & the Cairngorms route
Loch in Rothiemurchus Forest with a ruined castle on its island and a flat circuit of about 5 km.
Tip: The loop is easy in winter and a good choice when the high ground is closed in.
Photo: Spike · CC BY-SA 4.0
Loch Morlich
Aviemore & the Cairngorms · On our Edinburgh & the Cairngorms route
Loch ringed by Caledonian pine with a sandy beach and a full view of the northern Cairngorms.
Tip: The beach at the east end has the classic view of the snowy corries.
Photo: caroline legg · CC BY 2.0
Bath 2 picks
Bath Skyline
Bath · On our London, the Cotswolds & Bath route
Six-mile National Trust walk through meadows and woods above the city.
Tip: Wear boots; it gets muddy after rain.
Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0
Prior Park Landscape Garden
Bath · On our London, the Cotswolds & Bath route
18th-century garden with a rare Palladian bridge and views over Bath.
Tip: No car park; take the bus or walk up.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Infilms assumed (based on copyright claims) · Public domain
London 2 picks
Hampstead Heath
London · On our London, the Cotswolds & Bath route
Rolling heath with ponds and a city view from Parliament Hill.
Tip: Pair with Kenwood House, free and at the northern edge.
Photo: Dudley Miles · CC BY-SA 3.0
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
London · On our London, the Cotswolds & Bath route
UNESCO-listed gardens with Victorian glasshouses and a treetop walkway.
Tip: Take the District line to Kew Gardens station.
Photo: Karin Langner · Google
Fort William 1 pick
Steall Falls
Fort William · On our Scotland’s Highland Rail Line route
Gorge walk to a 120-m waterfall with a wire bridge across the river.
Tip: 1.5-hour round trip from the end of the Glen Nevis road.
Photo: kenneth fung · Google
Inverness 1 pick
Ness Islands
Inverness · On our Scotland’s Highland Rail Line route
Riverside walk over footbridges to wooded islands in the River Ness.
Tip: Loop from the city centre in about an hour.
Photo: Timothy Titus · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Cotswolds 1 pick
Hidcote
The Cotswolds · On our London, the Cotswolds & Bath route
Arts and Crafts garden of hedged outdoor rooms, at its best in early summer.
Tip: Combine with Chipping Campden, 4 miles away.
Photo: Richard Slessor · CC BY-SA 2.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in the United Kingdom?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 10 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of the United Kingdom has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Aviemore & the Cairngorms has the most (3 of 10), followed by Bath (2) and London (2).
Are any of these free?
7 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Glenmore Forest Park, Bath Skyline, Hampstead Heath, Steall Falls, Ness Islands, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for United Kingdom
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Aviemore & the Cairngorms 3 on this list
- Bath 2 on this list
- London 2 on this list
- Fort William 1 on this list
- Inverness 1 on this list
- The Cotswolds 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.