The best places for an autumn holiday in the UK

Summer is over. Autumn is in. If you're not heading to sunnier climes, here's where to embrace the chill with an autumnal UK holiday.

Let’s be honest: the UK isn’t made for summer. Everyone gets excited about the two or three sunny weekends we have and then it’s back to thick jumpers and always carrying an umbrella, just in case.

Luckily, the UK is excellent in autumn. There are few better places for crisp countryside walks, hedgerows heavy with berries, fireside pints and cobbles shining in the rain. Here are a few of the UK’s best places to enjoy an autumn holiday, whether you want a relaxing weekend or a half-term break with the kids.

1. For grand estates and dramatic ruins: North Yorkshire

On the edge of the famous Yorkshire Dales is the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Here you’ll find the National Trust’s Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, adding to the area’s embarrassment of picturesque riches with the remains of medieval Fountains Abbey – the country’s largest monastic ruins – set in an unusual 18th-century water garden. To make a day (or more) of it, stroll around the 300 acres of parkland, with ancient trees and around 500 deer of three different varieties. You’ll have your pick of the estate’s miles of walking routes.

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Ripon Cathedral is visible from the parkland, framed nicely by an avenue of venerable lime trees. Beyond this early Gothic building (parts of which date back to the 7th century), the amiable small city of Ripon is worth visiting for its independent shops and markets. Also in the area are the dramatic formations of Brimham Rocks and of course the small matter of the rest of the Yorkshire Dales.

Where to stay: Fountains Abbey has several self-catering properties located within the estate, including cottages and apartments. If you’d prefer to get closer to nature, try one of the area’s many glamping options. Among the best are Little Seed Field, where you can stay in cabins on a dairy farm, with cows grazing in the next field until November, and Strawberry Safari, which has just two high-end shepherd’s huts and runs yoga classes.

READ MORE: Our full guide to the Yorkshire Dales

2. For the island life: Orkney

Off the northern tip of the Scottish mainland is the beautiful, windswept Orkney archipelago. These islands aren’t the sunbathing kind even in midsummer; you should visit instead in autumn, when way up on North Ronaldsay you can hole up at the bird observatory and watch the seasonal migration.

September and October are the best months, for both land and seabirds. There’s not that much else around – a lighthouse (over 100 feet/30m tall, with views to the Shetlands on clear days), a wool mill, some seaweed-chomping sheep and glorious seclusion.

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Where to stay: For the full experience, you can even stay at the bird observatory, a relaxing, friendly and well-priced spot with a good café. For a few more creature comforts, stop off on your way back to civilisation in Kirkwall (Orkney’s capital) to stay at the Lynnfield Hotel. It’s a charming place, near the venerable Highland Park distillery, and there’s North Ronaldsay mutton on the menu in case you’re pining too much for your (even more) isolated island home.

3. For walks under the autumn leaves: Wye Valley 

Easily accessible from Cardiff, the Wye Valley is a perfect spot to enjoy the autumn colour. Hardcore hikers can tackle the 136-mile (220km) Wye Valley Walk, but those after a gentler ramble can still enjoy the six-mile (9.5km) section leading to Tintern Abbey. The ruins, dramatic at any time of year, become even more evocative against the crisp skies and russet-coloured trees of autumn.

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Where to stay: The Hop Garden is a picturesque glamping spot with yurts and cabins, close to the River Wye and right next to a brewery. Though the facilities are all top-notch, it still feels pleasantly rustic to sit by a fire pit with a pint of local ale or cider in the evening. At the other end of the Wye Valley, The Saracens Head makes a stylish and welcoming place to stay at the beauty spot of Symonds Yat. Fans of the Netflix show Sex Education will also be excited to see Dr Jean Milburn’s enviable house perched on the hill, right above the hotel.

READ MORE: The UK's most unusual places to stay

4. For city comforts close to nature: west London 

London may not seem like an obvious choice for a relaxing family break. Base yourself in leafy Richmond or near Hampton Court, though, and you’ll have easy access to natural and historic attractions without sacrificing city convenience – perfect for an October half-term trip.

Richmond Park is even more beautiful than usual in autumn. Not only can you enjoy dramatic views of London through red and gold foliage, but you may well catch the deer rut. The sight of the stags roaring and charging at each other, antlers clashing, is transfixing.

Another great choice for budding naturalists is Kew Gardens, with its enormous and diverse plant collection; on a rainy day opt instead for Hampton Court. Staff will happily share some of its more bizarre and gruesome history with curious kids, who will also love getting lost in the maze.

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Where to stay: If you want to splash out, stay at Richmond’s Petersham Hotel, which has gorgeous views of the Thames. So gorgeous, in fact, that they were once immortalised by Turner. Groups should consider staying in Hampton Court’s Georgian House – surprisingly affordable, brilliantly located and completely unforgettable.

5. For island explorations: County Fermanagh

Known as the lakelands of Northern Ireland, the Fermanagh area is best explored from the water. You could navigate your way by canoe or kayak from the Upper to Lower Lough Erne via the River Erne, wild camping along the way; hire a rowing boat or stand-up paddleboard on one of the lakes to explore the islands; or even holiday on a liveaboard boat.

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Lower Lough Erne is the larger of the two lakes, with well over 100 islands dotted around its waters, some of them home to monastic buildings, mysterious statues or ancient ruins. Upper Lough Erne is much smaller, and dotted around the surrounding area are three National Trust properties with grand estates and plenty of parkland walks. Crom has a whopping 2,000 acres, and is an important wildlife and habitat conservation area.

Between the Upper and Lower lakes is the market town of Enniskillen, on an island in the River Erne. Its historic buildings, independent restaurants and shops make it a comfortable base if you want to split your time between the two lakes.

Where to stay: There are several places to stay on the vast Crom estate, with pitches and glamping pods at Crom Campsite and several self-catering holiday cottages. Alternatively, you could spend your whole trip on the water by hiring a boat through Manor House Marine.

READ MORE: Britain's best places to camp

6. For birds and bards: South Ayrshire

With over 600 acres of parkland, 17 miles (27km) of walking routes and three miles (5km) of beach, you could spend your whole visit to South Ayrshire on the vast estate of Culzean Castle.

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The clifftop castle was built in the 18th century for the Kennedy clan, complete with landscaped gardens and glasshouses for growing fruit and flowers. But it’s the estate’s wilder side that’s most fun – the cliffs and caves of the beach, and the woods and glens of the parkland where you might glimpse some deer and even llamas.

Culzean is also a good bird-watching spot, with waterfowl in the large Swan Pond, and plenty of opportunities to see seabirds along the coast. Looking across the Firth of Clyde, you can see an even better spot: the bird sanctuary of Ailsa Craig, home to gannets and puffins. This uninhabited, dome-shaped island is also one of only two official sources of granite for making curling stones. You can visit on a boat trip from nearby Girvan.

North of Culzean is Alloway, where the National Bard himself was born – Robert Burns. The small cottage where he spent his early years is now part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. With over 5000 items related to the poet in the museum, and plenty of spots featured in Tam o’Shanter around the village, there’s plenty to engage even the most well-read Burns fan.

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Where to stay: There are several self-catering properties in and around the Culzean estate, ideal if you want to spend a few days exploring the expansive parkland and coastline. For something a little more luxurious, stay at the riverside Brig o’Doon in Alloway, just a few minutes’ walk from the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Guests have exclusive fishing rights on the River Doon, and the small hotel is well-known for its high-end cuisine made with local ingredients.

7. For colourful moorland cycles: Powys 

Moorland is impressive, brooding and windswept, sure, but not normally pretty. Come autumn, though, the heather is in full, purple bloom – and the moors of Powys have plenty of hiking- and biking-friendly routes snaking through them from which to admire the flowers.

Rhyader, a bustling small town, makes a good base. Hire a mountain bike or lace up your boots, and head out to one of the nearby stretches of moorland – Bugeilyn and Mynydd Ffoesidoes have an attractive sprinkling of heather, while the 400-odd acres of Gilfach Farm Nature Reserve also have some meadows and forests for variety.

The nearby Elan Valley Trail is another good option, and as it’s part of National Route 81 cyclists will find it easy to navigate; it’s also family-friendly, avoiding busy roads. As well as a few stretches of moorland, you’ll pass some impressive reservoirs and probably spot a few wheeling birds of prey. If you miss the numerous kites, hawks and kestrels in the Elan Valley, though, pop back to Rhyader’s Gigrin Farm red kite centre to be guaranteed a sighting.

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Where to stay: For an unusual back-to-nature stay, spend a night or two at Pantechnicon Powys. This converted truck is in a picturesque spot on a lavender farm, so as well as peace, quiet and beautiful views you can enjoy a surprising range of lavender-based products. There’s also a wild swimming pond nearby. If you don’t fancy self-catering, try Ty Morgans in Rhayader. The stylish rooms are above a bar and bistro, particularly welcome after a day out on the moors.

8. For watery wildlife watching: County Antrim

Antrim has some glorious scenery, such as the famous Giant’s Causeway – much more atmospheric without the summer-holiday crowds. Some of the most glorious sights, though, are offshore.

Catch the Rathlin Island Ferry from Ballycastle, east of the Causeway, to explore small, craggy Rathlin Island. There’s a seal colony, plus good birding opportunities and – if you’re lucky – the chance to spot whales and dolphins from the ferry.

The stretch of sea to the west of Giant’s Causeway, heading along the coast to Portrush, is the best in Northern Ireland for whale-watching boat trips. You’re most likely to see minke whales, plus porpoises and bottlenose dolphins, if you visit in September or October; there have even been some sightings of orcas and humpbacks.

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Where to stay: If you want a secluded, back-to-nature experience then try one of the three cosy hideaways –  the Surfer’s Shack, Pod by the Pond and Causeway Coast Cabin – located in the countryside between Ballycastle and the Giant’s Causeway. Bushmills Inn, just west of the Causeway, is a more luxurious option. It’s a well-designed and welcoming hotel with an excellent restaurant, bar with traditional Irish music, and even a “boutique cinema” with weekly screenings.

READ MORE: These are the most magical places on Earth

Main image: I Wei Huang/Shutterstock