What do people DO on UK holidays?

[JudgeRindersMinder]

We’re sun worshipers, and go abroad for the sun 2-3 times a year. Except this year!
We have a few days off in September, Thurs-Sun, and wouldn’t mind getting away for at least a couple of nights.

I’ve been looking at nice hotels in various UK locations (ie NOT Premier Inn type places) We aren’t super active people who are into bracing walks in the countryside (both have issues with arthritis 🙄), and if we stay in Scotland, any spas, pools etc are no go.

If you were us, where would you go and would you do?
Budget is fairly healthy, and travel by plane or car isn’t an issue

Healthy budget? If it were me (I also enjoy lounging and reading), I would book a beautiful log cabin somewhere remote with a hot tub and a wood burner or fire pit and take lots of nice wine and new books.

I hope you have some very good weather, it's often fine in September.

We went on loads of UK holidays, there are some beautiful beaches and great places to ear though I don't know what restaurants will be open as things stand. A favourite for us was North Norfolk, seven miles of sandy beach (a good walk from the car park), at Holkham and never crowded. There are others too.

When you are booking there is usually a list of places to go and see in the vicinity.

Somebody earlier mentioned Scarborough and I have recently fancied going there and Filey, I don't know Yorkshire but it looks splendid.

I'm sorry pool and spa are out for you. I would have thought that would be good for arthritis - sorry you have that too.

I hope you find somewhere good and enjoy yourselves.

Lots of places to visit all over the country, some have been mentioned

Choose an attractive city to walk round a little. Bath? York? Chester? Some shops, cafes and pubs should be open. OTOH is it really worth it at the moment? Personally, I'd hang on a bit unless I felt really desperate for a change of scenery.

Lots of folk clearly not reading the OP either. The OP is in Scotland so suggestions of taking the sleeper to Edinburgh, go to Scotland, Cornwall isn't that far away, it's hottest summer on record at the moment.... are all completely irrelevant.

If I had a really healthy budget I’d head to Chewton Glen and stay in one of the treehouses I’d spend my days, swimming, spa and reading

Theme parks

I went to bath last year by myself.

I went to look round the house ThAts open in the terrace, did a walking tour, afternoon tea at the pump house, Roman baths and then the thermae spa was a lovely relaxing weekend.

@Pobblebonk

My question is: What do people DO on sun worshipping holidays? I can't think of anything more excruciatingly dull than lying around sunbathing all day. And if that's all you're going to do, why can't you do it in your back garden or a local park?

This, exactly.

My partner and i have just spent 2 nights in scotland at a lodge with hot tub. Went for walks in the forest and to the nearby village. We also drove 15 mins to Gretna outlet for some shopping and a lovely meal nearby. Once back at the lodge we chilled in the hot tub until after dark.

Oh that's weird. I was reading this thread then had to duck out for half an hour. Came back, refreshed and saw no new messages (I think I was on page 3), then as soon as I posted, I saw that we're now up to p.7 and the Scotland thing has been addressed. Now I look like the fool who tells others to read the OP without rtft myself. Sorry. As you were...

You can definitely fly to Norwich from Scotland - Aberdeen for sure as it was a regular trip for a good few of my colleagues. I’m pretty sure Edinburgh too.

The Broads aren’t far from there - you could rent a car or book a transfer quite easily. And the boats are easy enough to drive, I’ve done it and I’m about as landlocked as they come.

If you like books, visit Hay on Wye, secondhand bookshop capital of the world. Also lovely countryside, kayaking available, and probably a castle or two

Honestly OP, go abroad. I’m like you, a holiday isn’t really a holiday if you have to deal with the same crap weather as at home, and as you live in Scotland and already have easy access to some of the most beautiful places in the UK, there’s not going to be much here for you.

In your position, I’d get a flight to the South of France because then you won’t have to be stuck on a plane for hours with a mask on and there’d be plenty of places for you to read a book in the sunshine.

If you like to just lie in the sun and read, book Bournemouth, Brighton or one of the other Sussex coast resorts as you may well get weather sunny and hot enough to do that.
If the weather fails, there is still a lot to do in the area.

Hot tub cabin. Take a load of booze.

Somewhere pleasant where you can pootle around in the car and stop for a picnic/lunch/take away.

Cotswolds are lovely.

The New Forest has lovely hotels and restaurants, is near the coast (there are uncrowded little beaches) and you could slip over on the ferry to the isle of Wight (book ferry in advance just in case)

Isle of wight is also lovely.

National Gardens scheme has lovely socially distanced gardens to visit and NT and English Heritage have had at least some grounds and properties open.

We have just been away with an air bnb and really enjoyed it, Great Malvern area. We meant to do walking but did more cosy schlepping round the living room relaxing watching the lightning over the hills.We still really enjoyed it!

Lake District or Northumberland - then you're not having to travel too far. You may be lucky with the weather - we've had some glorious holidays in the UK in September and October (but, we're not sun worshippers - rarely go to the beach except to walk along it when we're abroad either, so our idea of a hot day is 24C). There are some lovely hotels and cottages available - you could find somewhere with a view over a lake, maybe somewhere with a terrace.

If you don't want to do anything remotely energetic, you could go to Booth's and stock up on delicious foor and drink, read books and go out for supper.

Or you could fly to the Channel Islands.

Sorry OP but I am in the camp of finding sitting in the sun incredibly dull. I understand the change of scenery and guaranteed good weather, but for us, a holiday (wherever it is)is about exploring the places we visit.
So if I was in Italy with good weather then a vineyard visit (with sampling), a museum/site of historical interest, beaches, forests and good food.
If I were in Scotland then waterfall walks, forests, galleries/museums/castles and any coastal places of interest.
I flatly refuse to do theme parks despite DC - although would do a day out.
Right now we are in a cottage almost in the middle of nowhere. It's so quiet compared to being at home. We are quite near to a few beaches which we may explore later.
But ultimately different people want different things from holidays and this year has meant that a lot of people can't do what they normally would.

Accepting it’s not going to be a sun holiday and there’s no loungers will make a UK holiday more bearable for you. Go with the expectation it’s going to be different and you’ll get some exercise from walking etc. It will do you good!

In your position, I’d get a flight to the South of France not everyone can do the two weeks quarantine, and the SoF is currently riddled with covid, and masks are needed even outside now. Not exactly relaxing, at all, particularly if you end up being one of the poor sods that comes down with it whilst away!! As you won't be insured....so yay great option (not)

Actually, we always go on holiday end September beginning October, usually in the UK, and I couldn't remember a time when we'd had bad weather - just looked back at photos and it was in 2011 in Kent and Sussex where we had the worst weather, other than that, in North of England, Wales, Yorkshire, Cotswolds, Dorset and Norfolk over the past few years the weather has been amazing - warm days, cool nights, blue skies.

In Norfolk I would visit harbours, shops selling garden junk (lobster pots, old flowerpots etc) stately home - Holkham, Fellbrig, go to the auction and market in Fakenham, coastal walk, deli for food for picnic, beach walk, seal trip, Burnham Market, Kings Lynn, lovely pubs for food.

In West Sussex, beach, pub, deli, walk, paddle board, kayak, fishing trip, pub lunch in countryside, market town, walk up at Goodwood, cycling, drive to Rye, visit the Lanes In Brighton, walk the South Downs, visit Arundel.

Another vote for south Devon, if for no other reason than there are direct flights Edinburgh to Exeter, but none Edinburgh to Newquay. Loads of nice beaches, beautiful coastline, stately homes, cream teas, and if it's just you and your husband, you can hold off till early September and come once the schools have gone back.

You could also try the Dorset coast - so beautiful I always suspect it of not being a real place at all, but actually designed by the English tourist board and made from cinema scenery flats! I always think of it as the most quintessentially English of counties (ex-pat East coast Scot now living in exile down sarf ).

Loads of good suggestions made, which I really appreciate... what comes through though is I need to research what’s available in the areas around the nice hotels! I really don’t want to come across as an arsehole, but we have genuinely never done a UK holiday! We both love the sunshine, always have. I can have fairly bad depressive episodes, but I’m like a different person in the sun-I absolutely thrive in it. I’m convince dI was a born 2000 miles too far north!

Bavaria is awesome and lower rates than uk people here are wearing masks etc but are chilled and jolly unlike uk. Lots of lakes and mountains and space. Heaven tbh