where would you go on holiday in the UK and why?

[spacepyramid]

We're thinking about having our main holiday in the UK next year for a change but have no idea where to go.

We'd like:

on the coast.
not in Scotland (midges!)
not in a built up area
not particularly touristy - we don't want somewhere like Blackpool

We don't really know the country that well so are struggling to work out what we'd like. We like lovely scenery and beaches but not beach holidays to build sandcastles.

Achiltibuie on West coast of Scotland!

I agree you get everything in the Lake District, although the weather can be unpredictable.
Yeah, that's true, don't go expecting on tap sun. Most probably be chucking it down
Still a lovely place though! Take a raincoat and a brolly just in case and enjoy lol

I suspect the pp was aware of where Skye is - she was pointing out that even in some west coast places there aren't many midges. The coast near Nairn (north - does that count as west or east?) is beautiful. But so are many other places of course.

Someone mentioned Keilder. It’s fab but I’m sorry to say the Scottish midges have made it there now : ( so probably not a place to go in midgy season.

although I had in my head the gingerbread shop would be a little bigger than it was. I expected a tour etc but then saw its about a meter2 lol

It's teeny tiny, we were queuing out the door! About 3 people in the shop at once. No tour. Still worth it for the gingerbread and the gingerbread type jars of brandy butter though

West Wales, Ceredigion is lovely.

Someone asked about the Hebrides, I don't know what they're like in high summer for midges but they're lovely in May - and that's a great time for seeing wildlife but not midges.

We took our teenager to Mull one May half term, she liked it so much she wanted to go back the next year too.

Dorset

Cornwall

Lake District

North Norfolk (Cromer for the fresh crab!). Welsh Borders for lovely country. Northumberland for the country, castles, Alnwick bookshop and beaches.

Devon. God's own county (when he made Yorkshire he was just practicing).

@spacepyramid I’m Scotland born and bred and visit Skye four times a year so I think I know where it is. You have misunderstood my post. I was stating that one can’t dismiss the whole of Scotland for what is an issue for a small part of the west coast. Then I meant that even in the west coast I haven’t been particularly bothered midges most years.

We’ve been to Oban twice in August. Stunning scenery and great food. We never noticed midges, bothering us!

We went to the Outer Hebrides one August and there weren't any midges to be seen. Coastal and windy areas are much less likely to have them.

Much of the Lake District suffers from the same tourism issues as Cornwall sadly and Windermere is particularly awful in the summer when it's heaving with visitors. Generally, I've found that the harder somewhere is to get to in the Lakes, the nicer it is, so the Western and Northern lakes are so much quieter. Ennerdale for example.

Northumberland - I've been there before and visited a lot of national trust places. Stayed in a lovely cottage that used to be a railway station. The train still went past but didn't stop. It was lovely.

So many castles and coastal walks, we were out every single day and for most of the day. We went In August and the weather wasn't horrible. Jeans and a big fluffy jumper and maybe a rain mac

Definitely recommend. One day we drove to the border of Scotland and went to a lovely honey farm. Then walked over a bridge to Scotland stayed for a minute or two then walked back to the car 😂

Lulworth Cove in Dorset; beaches in North Devon (eg Croyde); the rock pools around Westward Ho, South Devon; Shoreham-by-sea, W.Sussex