8 British & Irish Hotels Offering Adventure Experiences

3 months ago

UK and Ireland hotels where adventure is (near enough) on your doorstep

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If mountain biking, wild swimming and ziplining is more your vibe than lying horizontal in a spa, consider an adventure-led trip this summer. There are plenty of British and Irish hotels offering adventure experiences, from family-friendly outdoor activities to helicopter rides for thrill seekers and nature-based experiences for wellness lovers. Read on for our pick of the best.

8 British & Irish Hotel Stays For Adventure Lovers

Wilderness Reserve – Suffolk, England

Across 8,000 acres of woodland, fields and lake, Wilderness Reserve is a conservation and restoration project as much as anything else, where guests can stay in restored heritage properties from impressive manors to cosy retreats. And while you can disconnect if you wish, you can test your aim with a go at the increasingly popular axe-throwing – think of it as darts for the outdoors and pick up some trick shots – or try your hand at archery tag with the aim of ducking, diving and dodging the other team. Other activities include lake swimming, laser clay shooting, paddleboarding, and learning survival skills. For kids over six years old, treasure hunts, fire lighting and archery await at the Adventure Camp, while you can accompany over-twos on a bear hunt before creating a den.

BOOK IT:

wildernessreserve.com

Another Place – The Lake, Lake District

In the beautiful town of Ullswater in the Lake District, the modern Another Place hotel is a great base to explore the area with water adventures – naturally – one of the big attractions. You can learn to stand-up paddleboard (SUP), go kayaking, or try open-water swimming or wild swimming below a waterfall with Colin Hill, an English Channel solo swimmer and the first UK Male Ice Mile swimmer (that means one mile in under 5°C with no wetsuit). And if you’re a fit and experienced skier, the fell-tops around Raise make for good skiing – it’s a bit of a climb carrying the kit before reaching the button lift but there’s a cosy ski club members’ hut complete with England’s second highest flushing toilet. Nocturnal adventures include a full-moon night swim and stargazing.

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another.place

Celtic Manor – The Usk Valley, South Wales

Set among 2,000 acres of Wales’ Usk Valley, this five-star hotel and 19th-century manor house is home to three championship golf courses, Forum Spa, six restaurants serving everything from gourmet steaks, contemporary Asian and Welsh-inspired food, and a range of rooms and suites with marble bathrooms. It’s also activity central. The treetop adventure is great for different abilities and fear factors: the high ropes course has no fewer than 30 obstacles, bridges and walkways ending with a zipline, while the low ropes course offers the same amount of fun with lower dose of adrenaline just two metres off the ground. Guests can also choose activities such as clay pigeon shooting, archery (including for young kids) and axe-throwing. To enjoy the countryside and tranquillity in the Usk Valley, you can also go fishing, mountain biking and walking from Celtic Manor.

BOOK IT:

celtic-manor.com

Bovey Castle – Devon, England

If you’re an experienced rider, you can saddle up for a couple of days at Bovey Castle with their three-night Saddle, Spa and Castle horse-riding experience – it’s a great way to explore Dartmoor and you can either book three nights’ livery for your own horse or hire horses through Liberty Trails. Through the guided tours, you’ll learn about the area’s habitats, wildlife (Dartmoor is known for its ponies) and history as you ride across this remote, spectacular landscape of rocky tors, rivers and standing stones. Accommodation is in luxury Castle Rooms and other activities at Bovey Castle include falconry, clay pigeon shooting, laser 1 clays, bushcraft and golf.

BOOK IT:

boveycastle.com

Lundies House – Sutherland, Scotland

Adventure is in the DNA at Lundies House. In the village of Tongue overlooking the Kyle of Tongue and mountains, this is hill-walking heaven, including Scotland’s most northerly Munro, Ben Hope. You can take e-bikes along the coast, and the hotel can suggest the best wild swimming spots (wetsuits available). The area is also ideal for surfing, there’s paddleboarding and coasteering nearby, and a wild dipping pool and morning yoga on-site. Rooms and studios are more like sanctuaries, food is locally sourced, and Scandi-Scottish-inspired interiors add calm and colour throughout the 19th-century stone house; part of the WildLand family, Lundies is committed to rewilding and conserving the Scottish Highlands.

BOOK IT:

lundies.scot

a view of the restaurant with a floral mural at Lundies House in the Scottish Highlands

Elephant Rock Hotel – County Antrim, Northern Ireland

This 18-room boutique Victorian terrace hotel on Portrush’s Ramore Head peninsula packs an almighty punch on this spectacular coastline. Gorgeous interiors mix colour, Art Deco vibes and old-school elegance in the rooms, bar and restaurant, but outside, natural treats are in store. Hire an e-bike from the hotel and pedal the coastal road to the Giant’s Causeway and seaside villages such as Portstewart and Ballintoy, or book a guided coastal tour on Revive NI’s stand-up paddleboard journey to find out more about the area. You can also go coasteering, abseiling, canoeing, hiking, rock-climbing and cave diving; there’s no shortage of adrenaline-fuelled options with Portrush as your base. The hotel has also launched its first wellness events, incorporating hiking and cold water swimming.

BOOK IT:

elephantrockhotel.co.uk

Criff Hydro – Perthshire, Scotland

With a mix of cosy rooms, luxury suites, cabins and lodges, this spa hotel and resort caters for a variety of guests across its 900-acre estate. There’s so much adventure, there’s an actual timetable, with activities from high ropes, ziplines and woodland combat (‘paintball without the pain,’ as they call it) to quad-biking, all-terrain EZ raiders and alpaca trekking. There’s plenty of cycling trails for different abilities, and walkers will love hiking parts of the 96-mile West Highland Way. Crieff Hydro has also curated its own walks, categorised into Lovable Locals (easy), Wandering Warriors (hard).

BOOK IT:

crieffhydro.com

Chewton Glen – New Forest, England

Set in 130 acres of Hampshire countryside, the 18th-century Chewton Glen is country sport central. Think clay pigeon shooting, rifle shooting, archery and (of course) axe throwing, or book a falconry experience for an insight into the behaviours and history of these remarkable birds of prey. There are also some 140 miles of gravel tracks through the woodland, perfect for confident mountain bikers (or you can hire e-bikes for a slightly easier ride) plus beautiful forest hikes; you might see wild ponies and free-roaming pigs. Kids aren’t excluded from adventure; there’s sheep walking around the orchard and an activity hamper, which offers 25 experiences from flying a kite and activity eye-spy to card-making and growing a plant, depending on the season.

BOOK IT:

chewtonglen.com

Ashford Castle – County Mayo, Ireland

For over 800 years, Ashford Castle – former home of the Guinness family and now an 83-room luxury hotel – has stood on the shores of Lough Corrib in western Ireland. Beyond fine dining, a spa, cinema and gorgeous grounds, the 350-acre Ashford Estate is an adventure playground with nature walks, golf, tennis and cycling on your doorstep. Country sports are particularly popular: think fishing, falconry, shooting and horse-riding. For something different, explore Lough Corrib with marine guide Frank Costello. He’s lived by the lake all his life and takes guests out on a traditional, handcrafted (by Frank) wooden boat – you can incorporate a fishing trip, too. Alternatively, there’s kayaking and lake cruising with family-run Corrib Cruises from Ashford Castle Pier, near the castle’s front door.

BOOK IT:

ashfordcastle.com

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – London

Inside, it’s all Art Deco touches, glam vibes, and fine dining, but urban adventures are a stroll away from the MO Hyde Park. If you fancy riding, you can arrange a mount with Hyde Park Stables (on one of central London’s last remaining mews with horses) and trot along Rotten Row, which used to be known as ‘The King’s Old Road’, and around the Serpentine lake. For a sky-high ‘high’, you can book a 30-minute helicopter ride over the capital, soaring along the River Thames for aerial views of London’s streets and landmarks such as Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Houses of Parliament. Or keep both feet on the ground and head out of the city for a vineyard tour at the family-run and owned Rathfinny Wine Estate in East Sussex, for a taste of English sparkling wine.

BOOK IT:

mandarinoriental.com

8 British & Irish Hotels Offering Adventure Experiences

8 British & Irish Hotel Stays For Adventure Lovers

Wilderness Reserve – Suffolk, England

Another Place – The Lake, Lake District

Celtic Manor – The Usk Valley, South Wales

Bovey Castle – Devon, England

Lundies House – Sutherland, Scotland

Elephant Rock Hotel – County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Criff Hydro – Perthshire, Scotland

Chewton Glen – New Forest, England

Ashford Castle – County Mayo, Ireland

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – London

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DON'T MISS AN ISSUE

8 British & Irish Hotel Stays For Adventure Lovers

Wilderness Reserve – Suffolk, England

Another Place – The Lake, Lake District

Celtic Manor – The Usk Valley, South Wales

Bovey Castle – Devon, England

Lundies House – Sutherland, Scotland

Elephant Rock Hotel – County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Criff Hydro – Perthshire, Scotland

Chewton Glen – New Forest, England

Ashford Castle – County Mayo, Ireland

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – London

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