THE UK’S BEST 72- HR ADVENTURES
BREXIT MAY HAVE PUT A DAMPENER ON YOUR CITY BREAK PLANS, BUT THE SMART TRAVELLER KNOWS THAT BRITAIN PROVIDES STIMULATION TO RIVAL ANY EUROPEAN ESCAPADE. THIS IS YOUR GUIDE TO THE MOST INTREPID LONG WEEKEND SON HOMES OIL
Swim the Channel, climb the Old Man of Hoy and more supreme home-soil challenges
For Shakespeare it was a “sceptred isle”.
For the Romans, planning their invasion circa AD 50, Britain was “the northern limit of our inhabited world” and “the home of men who are complete savages and lead a miserable existence because of the cold”. Whether you subscribe to Shakespeare’s romantic outlook or Rome’s less favourable verdict, recent events on the political stage mean that we are going to be spending a lot more time looking in the collective mirror in the near future.
Along with terror attacks, failed coups and petulant air traffic controllers, our decision to leave the European Union has plunged the UK travel sector into despair. Over the summer, shares in travel agents Thomas Cook plummeted 19%, while Easyjet revealed that it had been forced to figure in additional costs of £40m – all of which will inevitably be passed on to you, the customer. Factor in sterling’s capitulation against the euro and suddenly last-minute continental escapes lose some of their lustre.
For now at least, Europe’s loss has been the UK’S gain. According to Visitengland, 5.1 million Brits opted to holiday in the UK this August Bank Holiday weekend, while Cornwall in particular enjoyed a bumper summer. In total, 3.7 million holidaymakers generated tourist revenue of £503 million. But, contrary to postcard clichés, holidaying in Britain needn’t mean joining the bucket-and-spade brigade in a quarter-mile queue for a 99 Flake. Look further than the usual tourist traps to the oft-ignored reaches of our nation and you’ll see that – from exacting climbs to punishing swims – there are myriad adventures awaiting the man seeking to challenge himself to more than a San Sebastian pintxos crawl. Best of all, with a little will and determination – along with our expert advice on what to pack and how best to prepare – all can be achieved over the course of 72 hours away from work.
Each weekend excursion has been designed to test you to your very limits. Each is worth boasting about come Monday morning. Just please don’t call it a ‘staycation’.