Photo by: Claire Bell
Colourful flowers in bloom, the smell of sizzling BBQs in the air, and village fairs popping up throughout the countryside – there’s nothing quite like summer in the UK.
At this time of year, the Great British countryside is bursting into life and nature is everywhere. As part of our RSPB partnership, we have been inviting you to send in your summer wildlife photographs.
In this guide, we’ve put together a few of our favourite places to visit in the UK countryside and featured a selection of your amazing photos. Check them out below.
Read on to begin planning an adventure-packed summer or click the button below for cottage inspiration.
Summer cottages
Our top rural picks for the summer:
Peak District
Visit the UK's first national park
Covering more than 550 square miles of rural beauty with glassy reservoirs, twisting cycleways and sky-scraping mountain summits, the Peak District is one of the most enchanting places in the UK.
Nilpa Shah’s photograph above of blue sky and green hills is a perfect snapshot of this destination. Designated Britain’s first-ever national park back in 1951, the Peak District is one of the best rural places to visit in the UK and continues to set the standard for iconic British scenery.
Photo by: Nilpa Shah
Peak District cottages
Dartmoor National Park
Meet ponies and enjoy a river paddle
You’ll be swept away by the far-reaching views on offer at Dartmoor National Park, a region with miles of wild gorse and pink heather interspersed with granite formations to discover on your Devon summer adventures.
Dartmoor is home to ancient heritage sites (like the old clapper bridge pictured above), walking trails that pass by hilly tors and magical waterfalls, and a host of village pubs where you can share a crisp, cold beer. Look out for the famous Dartmoor ponies as you explore this epic landscape.
Photo by: Joby
Dartmoor cottages
Dorset
See fields full of sunflowers
While Dorset is famed for the iconic limestone arches and fossil-filled cliffs of the Jurassic Coast, in the summer the wonderful Dorset countryside bursts into life!
Head to The Dorset Sunflower Trail to see towering sunflowers in bloom, meet the immense colony of mute swans and this year’s cygnets at Abbotsbury Swannery, or stretch your legs on a summer hike along the Lawrence of Arabia Trail to Cloud Hill.
Photo by: Sam Hussey Photography
Dorset cottages
Shropshire
Climb The Wrekin for views to the horizon
Idyllic Shropshire is the place to go for picture-perfect country scenery and a host of heritage – with Bronze Age settlements, Tudor architecture and, with its location bordering Wales, as many as 16 castles to discover on days out.
For outdoor adventure, the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers up walking trails and picnic spots aplenty. The Wrekin (pictured above) is a wonderful place to visit in the UK countryside with views for miles if you can climb all the way to the summit.
Photo by: Mairi Mackenzie
Shropshire cottages
Northumberland
Get lost and enjoy holiday solitude
In the summer, some popular corners of the UK can get pretty busy and if you prefer peace and solitude the vast Northumberland landscape is the place for you. Make a beeline for Kielder Forest Park or coastal Druridge Bay Country Park, two of the lesser-known but best countryside places to visit in the UK.
Visit Kielder Observatory on a clear summer night, stroll the banks of Kielder Reservoir or enjoy a waterfall walk to Hindhope Linn. Meanwhile, Druridge Bay by the sea is dotted with smaller nature reserves including Ladyburn Lake (pictured above), Druridge Pools and Cresswell.
Photo by: Samantha Dell
Northumberland cottages
The Scottish Highlands
Walk amongst the Three Sisters of Glencoe
The romantic highlands of Scotland are made up of miles and miles of countryside side but with a multitude of habitats and scenery to see. From the summits of towering Munros to the depths of enchanting lochs, there’s no shortage of things to do in summer in the Highlands.
Narrow down your travels with a visit to scenic Glencoe Valley in the West Highlands. You could go hiking around the Three Sisters of Glencoe, shown in the image above, learn about the Glencoe Massacre at the local visitor centre, before venturing into Fort William for hearty pub grub.
Photo by: Gillian McDonald
Highlands cottages
Bodmin Moor
Catch the sunset from one of Bodmin's many tors
Bodmin is known for its great walks so pack up some snacks, pull on your boots and grab your sunhat, and get to know this scenic Cornwall destination.
Rough Tor, Brown Willy and Hawks Tor in the north of Bodmin Moor are all worth a climb if you’re keen for a short hiking challenge or, on a gentler route, discover delightful Golitha Falls in the south. Colliford Lake and Siblyback Lake offer lakeside trails while there’s a host of Bronze Age sites across the landscape to see including Hurler’s Stone Circle, Trippet Stone Circle and King Arthur's Hall.
Photo by: Abi Rolfe
Bodmin cottages
Cotswolds
Snap a photo of picture-postcard Bibury
When it comes to the British countryside, no one could forget the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; a region known for its charm and elegance. The distinctive honey-hued cottages stand alongside lush farmland and winding rivers, with plenty of summertime picnic spots, creating scenes that look like they belong in a children’s picture book!
We highly recommend a visit to Bibury village on the River Coln, captured in Julianne Joyce’s photograph above and home to classic Cotswolds architecture.
Photo by: Julianne Joyce
Cotswolds cottages
Sussex
Enjoy lakeside strolls or discover Winnie-the-Pooh's home
Idyllic Sussex boasts olde-world charm with village fetes, tea rooms and glorious gardens open throughout the warmer months, all wonderful activities that encapsulate the rural English summertime.
Escape to Leonardslee Gardens (pictured above) for the lakes, wine tasting and children’s events, or step inside Ashdown Forest, the 6,500-acre forest that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.
Photo by: Claire Plumb
Sussex cottages
Yorkshire
Visit elegant gardens and magnificent manors
You may expect us to dive right into the beauty of the fantastic Yorkshire Dales, but there’s another national park in Yorkshire we’d rather draw your attention to – the North York Moors are a lesser-known gem and provide bucolic scenes of ancient abbeys, purple moors and family attractions ideal for those summer days.
Lose yourself in the Howardian Hills, home of Castle Howard, or trek to the coast on the Cleveland Way. Above, @WellHelloSally has captured the gardens at Sledmere, a country house, farm park and gardens south of the North York Moors just waiting to be explored.
Photo by: @WellHelloSally
Yorkshire cottages
Explore the UK countryside this summer
This is our pick of the best places to stay in the countryside over summer, but there are many fantastic destinations across the UK to seek out so don’t stop here.
Get inspired by browsing through our summer cottages collection and pick out the perfect place for your next getaway.
Summer cottages