A 100km canoe trail cutting across the Scottish Highlands, linking lochs, canals and some seriously wild scenery. Go full expedition and paddle the lot over 3–5 days, or just dip into a shorter stretch and still come home feeling like you’ve done something properly adventurous (like we did).

📍 Great Glen Canoe Trail
🗺 Runs coast-to-coast from Fort William to Inverness
⏱ From half day to 5+ days
🗓 May to September generally best
🛶 5–100km
👶 Best for 7+ (or younger if confident around water)
🍺 The Eagle Barge Inn - a floating pub on the canal where a pint and a solid feed taste about 10x better after a day paddling

I did this trip with two dad mates and our trio of 7 y/o boys in May 2025. We flew into Inverness, hired a car, and leaned on the incredible Laura at River to Sea Scotland for gear and local knowledge which made everything a damn sight smoother. Message me and i’ll shoot you a discount code if you want to book a trip with Laura.

Launching from Loch Oich we spent 3 days / 2 nights paddling and wild camping, setting up a base camp and heading out on mini expeditions from there: sunken ship, old castle ruins, and even spotted deer marooned on tiny islands.

Evenings were very special with campfires, hearty grub and excessive stone skimming all without a soul in sight…apart from the occasional gatecrashing swarm of 4 million midges.

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A short hike with an absurd return on effort -  multiple waterfalls, a path that literally takes you behind one of them, and more opportunities to get drenched than you can realistically prevent.

📍 Four Waterfalls Walk
⏱ 2–4 hours
🥾 8.8km from Cwm Porth car park / 9km from Gwaun Hepste car park
👶 Best for 4+ ages (younger with carrier)
🍺 Best Pub: The Red Lion - a nearby post-hike boozer banger with very well reviewed grub and a whopper of a beer garden.

This one’s firmly on the hit list for spring, a circular walk through the Brecon Beacons that strings together four proper waterfalls, each with its own personality,  from smaller tucked-away cascades (Sgwd Clun-Gwyn) to the main event (Sgwd yr Eira) where you can walk behind the damned thing like you’re in a low-budget Jurassic Park remake.

I’ve heard it’s not a manicured stroll - there are steep and slippy sections, some steps and the occasional rock scramble. Spring’s the sweet spot because there’s enough water to make the falls come alive without the challenge of winter rain or summer crowds.

I’ll be packing grippy kicks for this one, and a pair of speedos for a cheeky mid-trail rock-hopping plunge.

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A soft-entry adventure for when you want lungfuls of fresh air and caveman TV…without the full logistical circus. Think canvas walls, wood burners, and just enough comfort to keep everyone onside.

📍 Surrey Hills Yurts (1 hr from Central London)
⏱ 1–2 nights (midweek if you can swing it)
👶 Best for All ages
🗓 March to September (yurts have burners, bell tents don’t)
🔗 https://surreyhillsyurts.co.uk/
🍺 Best Pub: Prince of Wales, Westcott

My wife booked this for my 40th and we headed down midweek with the kids - a strong tactical move as we had the whole place to ourselves

The site itself is a 15 acre working farm tucked into the Surrey Hills, with cows, pigs, chickens, and enough open / semi-contained space for kids to disappear into their own little worlds for hours at a time.

We spent most of our time around our gorgeous yurt: cooking in the bush kitchen, playing all manner of ball games, and generally leaning into doing very little, very well.

Joanna, who runs it, is a proper ledgebag who can recommend local hiking trails that suit your crew whilst also serving up coffee & cakey wakey from her cart.

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One of the UK’s best-known trail centres for a reaso, this is a ripper network of waymarked routes winding through the forest that lets you dial things up or down depending on confidence levels. From wobbling around a pump track to full-send forest laps that’ll have everyone sleeping well that night.

📍 Forest of Dean Cycle Centre
🚴‍♂️ Flexible with multiple loop options across downhill & cross country
👶 Best for 3+ (younger for skills area / pump track)
🚐 Logistics: Parking is free for Forestry England members
🗓 Best time: Year-round (quieter midweek, occasionally bonkers at the weekends)
🔗 Full trail maps here: Forest of Dean Cycle Centre trail maps.
🍺 Best pub: The Rising Sun Inn - wash down your wild boar sausages with a Butty Bach with local bands ripping it every Sunday.

The real win here, especially for kids, is how progressive it is. You can start small and build up: pump tracks for confidence, skills areas for practice, mellow trails to find a rhythm, and proper red runs for when they start getting ideas above their station.

Only 10 mins from my doorstep, it’s starting to get a lot of repeat visits. My daughter in particular has been showing early signs of being a pedal-powered flying machine, occasionally tipping into loose unit territory. The recently launched Old Bob’s Trail is her favourite as its a perfect intro to MTB with optional skills areas for practising your off-road skills, with berms, rollers, bridges, boardwalks and rock gardens. 

If you’re not chasing downhills, the Family Cycle Trail is a great place to start; an 18km loop that’s mostly flat, wide, and well-surfaced, taking in lakes, forest tracks and plenty of sit/snack/chill opportunities. 

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A slower, more grounded kind of adventure as you lead or ride your own pony through the fells, following old packhorse routes and seeing the Lakes from a completely different angle.

📍 Fell Pony Adventures (near Windermere)
⏱ Half day to multi-day treks (including wild camping)
🐴 ~6–10 miles depending on route
⚡ Low–Medium effort (more walking than riding on pack pony trips)
👶 Best for 6+
🗓 May to September for overnight trips (day treks run more widely)
🔗 https://fellpony.co.uk/
🍺 Best pub: Hole in t’wall

This one’s been recommended a few times and is firmly on the list.

Fell Pony Adventures run guided treks with native Fell ponies who are engineered for the landscape. Tom offers a range of options that start with half day pony treks where you lead your own steed, right the way up to multi day John Wayne channeling trips where you’ll be riding, wild camping and getting properly amongst it around Winderemere. 

Expect to pay roughly £130–£240 for a day experience, with overnight trips stepping up from there.

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