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Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
The UK's most picturesque biking spots named ahead of Bike Week 2025
Ahead of Bike Week on June 9, new research has revealed the UK's most picturesque cycling routes. In the UK there are countless beautiful bike trails to explore, bringing plenty of opportunities to snap those visually appealing photos for your Instagram. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As such, the experts at GO Outdoors have revealed the most beautiful and Instagrammable bike trails in the UK. Natalie Wolfenden, Content Manager and outdoor specialist at GO Outdoors, commented: 'As the warmer weather approaches, people will be getting outdoors more and on biking or hiking trails to explore the natural beauty of the UK. But, it is essential to make sure you are properly prepared before you endeavour into the wilderness of the UK on your bike. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Ensure that your bike is in full working condition. This includes ensuring your tyres are pumped to the correct pressure, which is usually written on the sidewall of your tyres. There may be a recommended range to adjust for different conditions. You should check your brakes are in working order as well, and it may be a good idea to pack repair kits for your tyres, just in case. Tell us your news 'You may also want to research the bike trail you'll be travelling along before heading out to make sure there are no potentially unpleasant surprises. There are sites, such as All Trails, that give each trail a difficulty rating, estimated completion time and best starting point to help you choose the optimum route along the trail.' The most beautiful bike trails in the UK: Rank Route Name Location Total Number of Reviews TripAdvisor Reviews that Mention "Beautiful" Percentage of Reviews that Mention "Beautiful" 1 Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Brecon Beacons, Wales 536 150 28.0% 2 Kielder Water & Forest Park Kielder, England 778 217 27.9% 3 Beddgelert Forest Beddgelert, Wales 70 19 27.1% 4 Manifold Way Hulme End, England 98 26 26.5% 5 Great Stour Way Canterbury, England 89 20 22.5% 6 Tarka Trail North Devon, England 253 55 21.7% 7 The River Avon Trail Stratford-upon-Avon, England 393 83 21.1% 8 Kinnoull Hill Perth, Scotland 310 63 20.3% 9 The Granite Way Okehampton, England 249 50 20.1% 10 Drakes Trail Plymouth, England 51 10 19.6% 11 The Camel Trail Wadebridge, England 641 115 17.9% 12 Longdendale Trail Glossop, England 74 12 16.2% 13 Tissington Trail Peak District, England 478 70 14.6% 14 Exe Trail Exmouth, England 82 12 14.6% 15 Grizedale Forest Hawkshead, Lake District, England 995 133 13.4% Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, Brecon Beacons Percentage of Reviews that Mention "beautiful": 28.0% Of the most popular bike trails in the UK, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal trail is the one with the highest proportion of reviews including the word 'beautiful'. Of the 536 reviews for this trail on TripAdvisor, 28% of them mentioned how beautiful the sights along the trail are. One such reviewer commented, 'The canal and surrounding countryside was beautiful' and another on the 'beautiful surrounding countryside and wildlife' the trail provides. Kielder Water & Forest Park, Kielder Percentage of Reviews that Mention "beautiful": 27.9% Praised for its beauty by 27.9% of the 778 reviews on TripAdvisor, in second place for the most beautiful bike trail in the UK, we have the Kielder Water and Forest Park trail. Home to northern Europe's largest man-made lake and England's largest forest, reviewers said, 'The walks are just beautiful, it is so scenic', and another commented on the 'Beautiful views of the water and spotted an osprey catching a fish'. Beddgelert Forest, Beddgelert Percentage of Reviews that Mention "beautiful": 27.1% Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And in third place for the most beautiful bike trails in the UK, we have the Beddgelert Forest trail. One of the more remote and less known trails, it has 70 reviews on TripAdvisor, but of those reviews, over one in four (27%) of them mention the beauty of this trail. One reviewer commented that it is a 'beautiful place, great for de-stressing', and another of the 'views of forest fauna and the essential mountains'. The most Instagrammable bike trails in the UK: Rank Route Name Location Number of Instagram Posts 1 Tarka Trail North Devon, England 18,045 2 Grizedale Forest Hawkshead, Lake District, England 17,648 3 Tissington Trail Peak District, England 11,443 4 Kinnoull Hill Perth, Scotland 8,909 5 Antur Stiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog, Snowdonia-Eryi, Wales 7,743 6 Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Brecon Beacons, Wales 4,734 7 Strawberry Line Cheddar, Somerset, England 4,586 8 Cuckoo Trail Polegate, East Sussex, England 3,780 9 Hicks Lodge Ashby-de-la-Zouch, England 3,034 10 Longdendale Trail Glossop, England 2,095 11 Beddgelert Forest Beddgelert, Wales 1,881 12 Kielder Water & Forest Park Kielder, England 1,705 13 Drakes Trail Plymouth, England 1,596 14 Alvaston Park Alvaston, Derbyshire, England 1,482 15 Crab & Winkle Way Whitstable, England 1,377 Tarka Trail Number of Instagram Posts: 18,045 Among the most popular bike trails in the UK, the Tarka Trail comes out as the one with the most Instagram posts. The trail runs from Braunton to Meeth down in Devon, and there are currently 18,045 posts on the social media site. There's a vast array of pictures of people biking and the gorgeous views of the river along the trail, as well as old railway infrastructure for those interested in trains. Grizedale Forest Number of Instagram Posts: 17,648 Grizedale Forest comes in second place for popular UK bike trails with the most Instagram posts. The trail is in the heart of the Lake District, near Hawkshead, and has 17,648 posts on Instagram. Many of these posts show off the unique and wondrous sites along the trail, including the musical tree in which you can wind a key inserted into it, and a melody is played. Tissington Trail Number of Instagram Posts: 11,443 And in third place, we have Tissington Trail, a popular cycling route in the Peak District. This trail appears in 11,443 posts for #tissingtontrail on Instagram, which displays yet another vast array of people's images showcasing the cycling route and the beauty you can find along it, including vast fields of wildflowers and oftentimes sheep.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Peak District walks with 'breathtaking scenery' among UK's must-visit valley trails
Two walking routes in the Peak District have been named among the UK's must-visit valley walks. Outdoor experts at GO Outdoors have revealed the top 10 UK valleys to visit this summer, using AllTrails reviews and Google search data to come up with the list. Dovedale Stepping Stones Circular in Dovedale and Castleton and Cave Dale in Cave Dale have been named among the must-visit valleys for this summer. See what GO Outdoors had to say about each walking route. GO Outdoors considered a few factors when coming up with its ranking, including the number of reviews on AllTrails and the rating given on the walking site (scored out of five), trail distance (km) and an overall score out of 10. Dovedale Stepping Stones Circular is a 5km route and has 403 AllTrails reviews and a rating of 4.6. Its overall score from GO Outdoors is 7.2. The Castleton and Cave Dale walk is slightly longer at 5.5km and it has 469 AllTrails reviews with a rating of 4.4. Its overall score issued by GO Outdoors is 5.97. Located near Ashbourne, AllTrails says the Dovedale Stepping Stones Circular route is 'moderately challenging' and takes an hour and 32 minutes to complete, on average. It added: 'Parking is free in a lay-by, followed by a small walk down the road before getting into the fields to start. 'The path leads across stepping stones over River Dove, then up the steep hill of Thorpe Cloud to a beautiful viewpoint. The river can be tough to cross certain times of year, so come prepared.' The Castleton and Cave Dale walk is an 'out-and-back' route near Castleton and takes an average of one hour and 56 minutes to complete. All Trails said ramblers can expect 'breaktaking scenery' when looking at the limestone cliffs. It added: 'This is a lovely trail exploring Castleton and taking you through the beautiful limestone valley of Cave Dale in the Peak District National Park.' Sam Chadwick, blog author and outdoor enthusiast at GO Outdoors, said: 'When visiting valleys, it is best to wear comfortable and supportive footwear as there is often uneven terrain. Recommended reading: 5 circular walks you can do near Bolton this spring including 'beautiful' route Peak District walk with nearby pubs named best UK hike from a train station Best spots to watch the sunset and catch 'stunning' views in the Peak District 'On more difficult hikes, such as Coire Gabhail, it may be a good idea to take supportive equipment such as walking poles. 'This will help you stay steady on your feet and make the experience of tougher hikes more enjoyable. 'It is always important to check how you feel throughout any walk. If you feel out of breath, or that a walk is too hard, turn back.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lake District named as most filmed national park in the UK according to new research
THE Lake District has been named as the most filmed national park in the UK, according to new research from an outdoor expert company. New research has revealed the most filmed national parks in the UK and Lake District ranks top. Th outdoor experts at GO Outdoors looked into the most searched UK national parks, national landscapes, forests, and historic houses to reveal which outdoor spots have featured in the most movies and TV series. The research revealed that the Lake District had featured in 77 movies and 17 TV series. The Lake District's striking landscapes have served as perfect backdrops for a variety of iconic scenes across film and TV, making it the UK's most featured national park. One of the most memorable sets in the Lake District is Peter Rabbit (2018), starring James Corden. Windermere's charming village location provided a picturesque setting for Peter and his friends' mischievous antics. The national park also played an important role in The Witcher (2019). The fantasy series captures the wild landscapes of the Lake District, with visitors able to follow in Geralt's footsteps over the rolling hills, look up at the towering trees and maybe even master the rugged mountains where he faced dangerous creatures.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Chauffeur expands business with luxury BMW
A chauffeur who has worked for sporting legends and rock stars is expanding his business. Steve Rogers, who started CLASS Executive Cars in Romsey two years ago, has seen a surge in demand from the corporate sector, hospitality events, and social engagements. To meet this increased demand, the company has added a luxurious BMW 7 Series to its fleet. Newly refurbished GO Outdoors store opens in Southampton Mr Rogers said: "There's no doubt that the unpredictability of public transport together with our clients' priorities of safety, reliability, and confidentiality, has led to an increase in bookings. "I think the key to our success is that we offer a service where our clients can concentrate on their engagements while we handle the logistics. "The new vehicle gives us much more flexibility." Mr Rogers, who has more than 40 years of experience, has worked with major cruise companies and operates locally, nationally, and internationally. He aims to fill a gap in the market for people who need a reliable and cost-effective driver for business and social engagements. The company offers a range of premium chauffeur services for both private individuals and corporate clients. These include a VIP door-to-door service for busy executives, corporate hospitality, and special events, as well as airport and cruise transfers. They also provide a fully qualified and experienced driver for clients who want to use their own car. Mr Rogers has had a stellar career, having been a police-trained driver with some fascinating assignments at home and abroad. Last year, he drove international rock artists like Green Day and Nile Rodgers and regularly meets leaders of industry as their private jets land at Farnborough Airport. In 2022, he chauffeured senior UEFA officials in England for the UEFA Women's Championship, which saw the Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley. In 2021, he was a driver for, among others, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, who were playing the Laver Cup at the O2 in London.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Yahoo
Coastal location makes shock appearance in 'best UK holiday spots' list
Scarborough, on the North Yorkshire coast, has been named the second-best UK holiday destination by GO Outdoors. The ranking, which takes into account factors such as accommodation, activities, local transport, weather, and overall popularity, saw Scarborough achieve an impressive holiday score of 9.48 out of 10. A key highlight of Scarborough's appeal is its affordability. With an average price of just £65 per night for a "value" hotel, visitors can enjoy a cost-effective yet high-quality stay. The Black Swan Hotel, for example, offers convenient amenities such as express check-ins and check-outs, free Wi-Fi, and a family-friendly garden. For those seeking a more luxurious experience, the Victorian-style Weston Hotel and the elegant Wrea Head Hall provide a charming and historic stay with breathtaking views of the Yorkshire countryside. Scarborough's popularity continues to soar, with the town being searched 25,180 times for holiday getaways between April 2023 and March 2024. Social media platforms have also played a role in promoting its picturesque scenery, with 604 combined hashtagged posts on TikTok and Instagram featuring the town's iconic locations. Stunning images of the golden beaches, the medieval Scarborough Castle, and the serene coastal views have captivated travellers from across the UK and beyond. One of Scarborough's most attractive features is the variety of activities it offers. With 12.2 activities per square kilometre, according to the data, there is something for everyone. Recommended reading: Work to start on new Darlington garden village with 2,000 homes in 'coming weeks' Tributes to 'beloved son' and 'friend to all', 25, after fatal crash with BMW Giant 15-metre tower play attraction being installed at County Durham park Visitors can explore Peasholm Park, a peaceful haven with a beautiful lake, or immerse themselves in marine life at the Sea Life Scarborough Aquarium. The Rotunda Museum, showcasing fascinating geological exhibits, is another must-visit attraction. A spokesperson from GO Outdoors commented on Scarborough's ranking, saying, "Scarborough has long been a favourite seaside destination, and its blend of affordability, charm, and variety of attractions makes it a standout location for 2024. "Whether you're looking for a relaxing coastal retreat or a fun-filled adventure, Scarborough has something for everyone." It added: "The town's historic charm, beautiful beaches, and diverse activities make it an unbeatable staycation spot. It's no surprise that so many people are turning to Scarborough for their UK holidays this year."
