CHANNEL ISLANDS
Hilly, green and fringed by some of the
Channel Islands’ most spectacular beaches,
tiny Herm is traffic-free and feels like a step
back in time. Whether you’re a camper,
a beach buff in search of quiet sand and
tropical-looking (but chilly) teal waters,
a birdwatcher, or a historian come to wander
Neolithic tombs, your needs will be met on this
under one square mile island. Herm has worn
many hats through millennia of human
habitation: a home for seafaring hunter-
gatherers and Neolithic farmers, a refuge for
monks, a pirates’ hideaway, a hunting reserve
for the aristocracy, a granite quarry and,
today, Ramsar wildlife refuge. Take the loop
trail round the island to make the most
of it, meandering through pine groves, past
clifftop puffin nesting sites and lingering on
the white-sand sweep of Shell Beach.
F Fast ferries run from St Peter Port, Guernsey
(traveltrident.com).
NORTHUMBERLAND
True wilderness is rare in the UK, which makes
this gloriously remote national park (England’s
least populous) special (pictured bottom).
Darkness adds further to its appeal; the minimal
light pollution saw the International Dark Skies
Association award the area dark-sky status in
- Take in the celestial splendour of
shooting stars, comets and constellations at
around a dozen dedicated stargazing sites in
the national park, or get an even closer look at
the two observatories, Battlesteads Dark Sky
Observatory and nearby Kielder Observatory.
F Transport is limited in this far-flung area;
to do it justice, you’ll need your own wheels
(northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk).
DEVON
Three miles long and half a mile wide, Lundy
(pictured opposite, top left) feels like a glimpse
of England in 1950. There is a population of
28, no cars, a handful of shops and one pub,
the Marisco Tavern. Nature holds sway in this
tiny, idyllic spot: basking sharks cruise the
shoreline; wild ponies, sika deer and Soay
sheep roam free; and vast colonies of seabirds
roost along the rugged coast (the island’s
Viking name, Lund-ey, translates as ‘Island
of Puffins’). Twelve miles off the north Devon
coast, the island was privately owned until
1968, but is now leased by the Landmark Trust.
The fun begins with the two-hour ferry crossing
from Bideford or Ilfracombe on the MS
Oldenburg. Once you’re docked, rangers lead
hiking and snorkelling safaris, or you can hike,
bike and wander at will. Another compelling
draw is the island’s fabulous night skies. Few
places in the British Isles offer such a clear
window onto the wonders of the Milky Way.
F The ferry runs April to October and the
winter-only chopper from Hartland Point from
November to March (landmarktrust.org.uk).
HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS
Even in a part of Scotland as scenic as Argyll,
it’s hard to comprehend the sublime vistas
of Loch Long and its northern horseshoe of
pine-skirted mountains when seen from the
backwoodsy cabins at Ardgartan (pictured
top right). You might gear up for the region’s
most spectacular scramble to the top of the
Cobbler (2,900ft), a distinctive, anvil-shaped
outcrop, or explore the surrounding Argyll
Forest Park and the loch’s western shoreline
by pedal or paddle. Then there’s the
unmissable valley view from the nearby Rest
And Be Thankful, one of the UK’s most stunning
mountain passes. Come evening, soak in a hot
tub while gazing at a veil of stars, or fill up on
tried-and-tested fish ’n’ chips from the local pub.
Skinny dipping? You could give that a go, too.
F Ardgartan Argyll is part-owned by the Forestry
Commission. Its 40 cabins are found 46 miles
northwest of Glasgow (from £530 for three
nights; forestholidays.co.uk).YORKSHIRE
David Hockney fans will recognise the
landscapes of the Yorkshire Wolds: rolling
chalk downs, rich farmland, mighty beech
trees and overgrown country lanes. Lacking
any major tourist attractions, it’s a part of the
country where you can escape the crowds and
enjoy a ramble without meeting another soul.
The Wolds curve in a lazy crescent from the
Humber estuary west of Hull to meet the North
Sea at Flamborough Head. Their lonely allure
is epitomised by the walk between the hamlet
of Thixendale (the location for Hockney’s
most famous series of Wolds paintings) and
the abandoned medieval village of Wharram
Percy, whose ruined church rises above
the grassy outlines of long-gone streets
and cottages. Picturesque beyond words,
the secluded path follows a dry valley in the
chalk, through woods and fields that seem
little changed since the 1960s.
F Thixendale and Wharram Percy lie on minor
roads between Malton and the A166 York–
Drifield road (visithullandeastyorkshire.com).