6 Best Places to Relax in the UK and Ireland

There’s no denying this is a busy world. That our lives are busy, that the streets are busy, and that our never-ending schedules are too. There are a lot of statistics out there about the stresses we experience every day – as many as 1 in 5 UK adults have needed to take time off work due to stress in the last year.*

And with National Relaxation Day being this Thursday 15th of August, it’s bringing this upsetting statistic to mind. We all know it's important to schedule in downtime, but some people are better at it than others, and everybody has a different idea of what ‘relaxation’ means. For us, travel helps us relax. Getting to explore new places and meet new people every day, to take a moment and breathe in the fresh beach air on a Scottish island, to wander streets of a quiet English village, to laugh with locals at an Irish pub... travel is a great way to press pause on whatever it is that’s stressing you. 

With that in mind, we wanted to run you through some of our favourite places to help you de-stress, depending on what it is that calms and reinvigorates you.  

*Statistics taken from Mental Health UK. 

Coming up in this blog:

• Beaches of Bute

• Hay-on-Wye

• Speyside Region

• The Lake District

• Edinburgh Fringe Festival

• Dingle Peninsula

If Beaches Help You Relax... 

Where: Isle of Bute, Scotland 
What: Squidging your toes in the sand 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: it baffles us that people don’t consider the UK as their beach holiday destination. Have you been here? Have you seen what we’re blessed with? Now, that’s not to say some of our beaches are exactly what you’re picturing – slippery stones instead of sand, whiplashing wind instead of basking sun. But if you time it right (and you know where to go), you’ll find that the UK has some of the most incredible beaches waiting for you. 

From Luskentyre Beach in the Outer Hebrides to the stunning beaches in Tenby, Wales, it’s hard to pick just one in the UK. Please don’t make us.  

In saying that, we have a soft spot for the beaches on the Isle of Bute. Tucked away in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, many people often overlook the islands that aren’t Skye. While we understand the obsession with Skye (trust us, we completely understand), we absolutely adore Skye’s little siblings, including the beautiful island of Bute. 

If you’re visiting Edinburgh or Glasgow in particular, you’ll find this lovely island very accessible, even for a day trip. With a simple ferry ride, you’ll find yourself wandering along the palm tree promenade that is the village of Rothesay. And while there are castles, stately homes, and shops for you to enjoy, we can’t get over Bute’s beaches. 

Its delightfully sandy coastline is a haven for anyone who loves walking, cycling, fishing, or wildlife spotting. If walking along a beach and squidging your toes in the sand (or bravely taking a dip) is your idea of the perfect day, then perhaps this is your sign to put the to-do list down and get yourself over to Bute for your most important task of all: to relax. 

How to Get to Bute 

The easiest way to get to Bute is from Glasgow. If you’re driving, it will take about 1.5 hours (plus the ferry ride). To get there via public transport, you’ll need to get a bus or train down to Weymyss Bay Station, and hop on the ferry. 

One of the least-stressful ways (see what we did there?) to get there is to join us on our day tour to Bute from Glasgow. 

If Cute Villages Help You Relax... 

Where: Hay-on-Wye, Wales 
What: Disappearing into a fictional world 

Hay-on-Wye isn’t fictional, but many of the worlds within it are. Wondering what on earth we mean? Hay-on-Wye is known as the 'world’s first book town’. With over twenty bookshops packed among the quaint streets, book lovers flock here to experience the indulgence of visiting bookstore after bookstore (without judgement). 

And it’s not just swanky new bookstores you’re in for. Many of the shops are rickety old things, with lopsided stairs, and piles of antiquated and second-hand books stacked along slanting corridors. The aroma of dusty tomes lingers in the air around you, so charming and inviting that you may never want to leave.

So, if wandering aisle after aisle of towering books is a favourite pastime of yours, then this little Welsh town that borders England and Wales cannot be overlooked. It’s the perfect place to step away from reality for a bit and lose yourself in a fantastical cave of bookish wonders. If reading is one way you love to relax, then disappearing into a book in Hay-on-Wye might just be what you need.

How to Get to Hay-on-Wye 

Hay-on-Wye hugs the border between England and Wales, so there are several cities you can leave from to reach this town. Bristol, for example, is a great hub from which to explore both England and Wales, and you can reach Hay-on-Wye relatively easily by car (taking about 2 hours). Public transport will be a bit harder from Bristol, taking about 4.5 hours each way. But if you’re in Bristol, we run a multi-day tour that visits the wonderous town of Hay-on-Wye.  

If Whisky Helps You Relax... 

Where: Speyside, Scotland 
What: Understanding the deep meaning of our famous Scottish saying: ‘Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky’. 

Meandering through Speyside, whether on foot or by vehicle, truly is a cure. For what, you ask? For your spirit, because it’s within this region of Scotland that another spirit lives true – the spirit of Scottish Whisky.  

Speyside is one of Scotland’s whisky hubs, with some 50+ distilleries for you to indulge in. From Glenfiddich to Glenlivet, Cardhu to Macallan, the choice is almost overwhelming. But the second you taste that iconic kick of Scottish Whisky, you’ll start to feel yourself relax because nothing warms the cockles of your heart the way whisky does. 

You came here to experience Scotland and whisky, didn’t you? So, you’d best indulge while you’re here. And whisky goes very well with a Scottish landscape. Each new dram can bring a new flavour, the notes and tones of each whisky changing depending on the water source that breathed life to it.

And with each new flavour of whisky, you’re getting to know our country a wee bit better. Because that’s where whisky comes from – our land. 

And no matter how tough life gets, you can always remember our saying: ‘Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky’... because, without the rain, there would be no whisky. 

How to Get to Speyside

The region of Speyside is as beautiful as it is wild. Depending on where exactly you want to visit, you can reach Speyside in around 3 – 3.5 hours from Edinburgh by car. Alternatively, you can head to the city of Aberdeen and drive just over 1.5 hours to places like Cardhu Distillery. Public transport isn’t the easiest for exploring Speyside, so we recommend driving yourself or you could join us on our tours from Aberdeen or Edinburgh.

If Nature Helps You Relax... 

Where: Lake District, England 
What: Pretend you’re in a Potter novel 

We’re not talking about Harry Potter, though England is the land of Hogwarts. No, we’re talking about the woman who created one of our childhood’s most beloved companions: Peter Rabbit. Author, illustrator, conservationist – Beatrix Potter was passionate about the world that she lived in, England’s most beloved national park, the Lake District. 

It’s sometimes strange to imagine the author of children’s novels as children themselves, but it was a little Beatrix Potter who frequented the Lake District with her family on holiday. Tucked up at the base of a Bramley apple tree, wiggling her toes in the cool blades of grass around her, perhaps this is when she spotted her first rabbit dashing across the landscape... and an idea came to mind. 

It’s nice to imagine, isn’t it? 

Beatrix Potter was so in love with the Lake District that she devoted her life to preserving its beauty... and that beauty waits for you. Perhaps you’ll find the same kind of love that she did. Perhaps you’ll find peace or be inspired or simply take a few days to switch off and breathe in the freshness breezing off Lake Windermere. 

How to Get to the Lake District 

You can visit the Lake District from several cities including Edinburgh, but Manchester will be the easiest. It’s only a 1.5-hour drive from Manchester city, or about a 2.5-hour train ride to Lake Windermere. You can also join us on our day tour to the Windermere and the Lake District from Manchester. 

If People Help You Relax... 

Where: Edinburgh, Scotland 
What: Indulge in the hype of summer 

You may have already heard of Edinburgh’s festival that happens every year in August. The Fringe Festival is the world’s biggest art festival and, for one month, tens of thousands of people flock to Edinburgh’s cobbled streets looking to laugh, to be inspired, and to have a wee bit of fun. 

For some, the Fringe is the opposite of what they’d call ‘relaxing’. But for others, especially those of us who are extroverted, the Fringe is a fantastically invigorating experience. From laughing at comedy shows to cringing at the daring talents of a circus, from musical numbers to odd retellings of history, the Fringe is a month-long celebration of creativity and community. And for some, it’s the perfect place to reinvigorate oneself.  

The Fringe runs from the 2nd to 26th of August this year so make sure you get yourself over to the haunting capital of Scotland if this sounds like the perfect way for you to relax. 

How to Get to the Fringe 

Edinburgh will be your home and base for the duration of the Fringe – or you can stay in nearby towns or cities like Glasgow. The Fringe is everywhere in Edinburgh – and we do mean everywhere. Keep your eyes peeled for the hundreds of Fringe Venues scattered about the city, from halls to churches, pubs to street corners.  

If Scenic Drives Help You Relax... 

Where: Dingle Peninsula, Ireland 
What: Coasting along to your favourite soundtrack 

If you’ve ever wanted to coast along a gently winding road with emerald hills on one side and glistening blue on the other, with some of your favourite music pulsing through the stereo, enhancing the whole experience so you feel as if you’ve slipped into somewhere like Middle Earth... then allow us to introduce to you Dingle Pensinula.  

You may never have considered it before but why would you want to miss out on 6,000 years of history reflected in a landscape straight out of a fantasy book? Prehistoric sites peppering the sides of jagged peaks. Beaches tucked away in beautiful alcoves. Lively towns where the hardware store is also the pub, and a friendly dolphin is the local mascot. That’s Dingle Peninsula.  

And when you’re there, it’s easy to feel as if you’re separated from the rest of the world – in the best way possible. The only to-do list you need to worry about here is your travel to-do list, and you’ll soon realise that Dingle Peninsula is the perfect place to tempt you into never leaving.   

How to Get to Dingle Peninsula 

We’ll use Dingle Town as the point of reference for this guide, as the peninsula itself is wide and varied with hundreds of things to see. The easiest way to get there is to get yourself to the town of Killarney in Ireland and from there it’s just over an hour’s drive in the car, or you can get a bus which takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes – maybe you’ll see something spectacular along the way. And if you’re a fan of buses but want something a little nicer, you can join us on our mini-coach tours to Dingle Peninsula. 

A key to relaxing is this: find something or somewhere that invigorates your soul. It doesn’t have to be flashy; it doesn’t have to be big. It can be the gardens of a quiet little church in that village you sometimes drive through on the way to work. It can be sitting on a bench, gelato in hand, listening to the waves caress the docks of a vibrant seaside town. It can be escaping into a book you’ve read a dozen times before.  

And if you’re not sure what will work for you, a good place to start – no a great way to start – is by stepping outside of your day-to-day and seeing if you stumble across something special in a place you never knew existed until now.