Is there anything in life more pleasant than a picnic? Lovingly packed sandwiches, snacks and drinks, unfurled in a beauty spot and enjoyed al fresco – this is perhaps the quintessential British experience.
Our own backyard is awash with gorgeous picnic locations, from castles and stone circles to lochs and forests, so the next time you're traveling somewhere in the UK why not break the journey with a picnic? Or even make the picnic the destination.
Top 10 picnic spots in the UK
Avebury, Wiltshire
The National Trust say Avebury is their favourite picnic spot – and it's easy to see why. Here you can unfurl the picnic blanket in the middle of a 4,000-year-old stone circle – Europe's largest. Find a spot on the sloped chalky banks that form a ring around it for the best views, and feast on Wiltshire cured ham as you ponder the mystery of why Neolithic people felt the need to build this brooding monument in the first place.
Corfe Castle, Dorset
Ever eaten in a castle? Take your chance at Corfe Castle, where the ruins dominate the Dorset landscape and provide sheltered picnic spots aplenty, from the grassy outer slopes to the shady, thousand-year-old Keep. These majestic ruins are said to be the inspiration for Enid Blyton's Kirren Castle, so be sure to pack lashings of ginger beer.
Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire
Travel back to the 1630s, just a few minutes from the M1, at this recently restored castle. The well set up picnic area has views of the Riding School (inspired by Vienna's) and proper tables at which to feast on local Stilton blue cheese and Bakewell puddings. Walk it all off afterwards with a promenade around the castle walls.
Top Withens, West Yorkshire
Want to work up an appetite before your picnic? Take the steep walk up from the village of Haworth, where the Bronte sisters grew up, to reach the dramatically situated ruined farmhouse atop Haworth Moor – said to be the inspiration for Wuthering Heights. Walk up the slope behind the house for the best views over the dramatic moorland.
Tollymore Forest Park, County Down
Romp through the forest and hop across the Shimna River to find your perfect picnic spot in this vast park at the foot of the Mourne mountains. The ancient trees here provide the perfect shaded canopy for picnicking underneath – take a seat beneath a Tollymore oak, monkey puzzle or redwood, or pick one of the caves and grottos along the river as your dining table.
Kenfig Pool, Bridgend
A quiet spot just off the motorway? It does exist – at Kenfig Pool just one mile from the M4 in Glamorgan. This tranquil area of coastal dunes engulfed the town that once stood here and today provides an unbeatable picnic spot for birdwatchers, overlooking the 70-acre freshwater lake. Munch on Glamorgan veggie sausages or local cheese while you sit quietly, looking out for golden plovers, whooper swans and tufted ducks.
Stenness Loch, Orkney
Isolation leads to self-sufficiency – and fantastic local produce – so head to the Orkney Islands for the best picnic possible. Pick up Orkney smoked salmon or North Ronaldsay lamb, plus Orkney strawberries and local cheese, oatcakes and fudge. Feast on it all at the Stones of Stenness, where the earliest henge monument in the British Isles is surrounded by nothing but grass and water – whichever way you point your picnic rug the view is epic.
Cairnpapple Hill, West Lothian
Want coast to coast views with your sandwiches? At Cairnpapple Hill the view on a good day stretches to Edinburgh and the Scottish east coast beyond in one direction and the peaks of Arran off the west coast in the other. Unfurl the picnic blanket here and you can explore the Central Belt without moving – see if you can spot the Forth Bridge, the Bathgate Hills and Bass Rock.
Arbroath Abbey, Angus
Fancy dining in an abbey? In Arbroath you can unpack your lunch in the centre of a vast 12th-century abbey, its tall sandstone walls glowing pink in the sunshine around you – there are few grander spots for a picnic. Pick up some Arbroath smokies and locally caught seafood first at Stuart's Fresh Fish by the harbour first for a truly local flavour.
Laxey Wheel, Isle of Man
There are now picnic tables where once there was mining machinery at the Laxey Wheel. Climb the wheel itself – the world's largest working waterwheel – to drum up an appetite before walking back through the Glen Mooar valley to see the remains of the lead and zinc mine it was built to serve. The best picnic spots are in the furthest woodland, where industrial noise has long since been replaced by the gurgling water and singing birds.
A picnic doesn't always have to be about packing ahead ... click here to see Enterprise Magazine's Great British BBQ special for more outdoor eating inspiration.
