With COVID restrictions eased, but overseas travel still seen as a gamble for many, the UK is the destination for many of us this summer.
According to a recent survey by Visit Britain, London is, maybe unsurprisingly, the most visited place in the UK for those of us looking for an inbound holiday.
However, on their list of Top 10 UK family holiday destinations, Yorkshire is the destination that features the highest, with its main city, York, taking the coveted top spot when travelling with the kids.
A recent YouGov survey also listed York as the most popular city for us to holiday at home with children.
Now, our favourite UK holiday destinations with the kids aren’t based on any surveys or statistics...
These are simply our favourite UK destinations for summer 2021. The places that the Lazy Susan are taking our children or grandchildren this school holidays.
And whilst Yorkshire makes the list, and we all love both York and London, they aren’t in our Top 5!
1. Lake District
Taking our top spot is the Lake District.
A few of the team have been already, with others there as we speak. There’s just so much beauty and so much to do with the kids.
If you want a bit of everything that the Lakes has to offer, then our advice would be to head to Windermere.
There’s everything from water sports, lake cruises and stunning views of fells.
You’ve even got Beatrix Potter's former home, which is truly magical for the little ones.
The gift shops in Ambleside are great if you want to treat them and there’s plenty of relaxed child-friendly places to stay and eat out in Bowness.
A must visit with kids, is the excellent Lakes Aquarium!
2. Scottish Highlands
Next up is the beautiful Scottish Highlands.
Again, just the Lake District, there’s some truly spectacular scenery, and OK, you might get a little bit of rain, but surely that’s part of the adventure?
At Lazy Susan we think the Highlands is the perfect outdoor playground and it’s a wonderful family holiday destination.
In our opinion, when it comes to where to stay, the ski resort town of Aviemore or the surrounding area is our pick.
There's a wide range of accommodation, including resort hotels, holiday parks, self-catering lodges and cottages.
In terms of our must visit when in this neck of the woods, then just south of Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park you’ve got the fab Highland Wildlife Park!
3. Yorkshire Coast
We’ve seen a number of these types of articles lately, from the Guardian newspaper to the likes of Air BnB, and most will include Yorkshire.
However, as we stated in the intro, most will plum for York. And fair enough, it is a truly beautiful city.
However, with the kids, our money is on the East Coast, and Whitby in particular.
For a starter, there are some great beaches that are ideal for paddling in the sea, building sandcastles, kiteboarding and kite surfing with beautiful views from the cliff tops.
There is such a wonderfully wide range of things to do and places to stay that you’re guaranteed a fun-filled family holiday.
Lazy Susan’s must do is to meet up with the Whitby Story-Teller and take one of their spooky Ghost Walks around this historic port.
4. Northumberland
In our number 4 spot is the county of Northumberland.
For many years Northumberland was runner up to Cornwall in the Best UK Holiday County/Destination of the Year category at the British Travel Awards. However, it finally took the top spot a few years ago.
It is a wonderful place to visit and with more than 10 million visitors a year, the travel award has put the county firmly on the UK visitor map.
From coast to countryside, it has it all. There’s some great child-friendly holiday parks, some of the UK’s best beaches, and there’s so much to do with the kids.
In terms of our must do, then it would have to be Alnwick Castle & Alnwick Garden. A great day out for all the family, two for one, the Garden is stunning, and the Castle itself is perfect for any Harry Potter fans!
5. Devon & Cornwall
OK, we’ve cheated with this one a little. It’s essentially two places. But we couldn’t decide between them, and they’re our neighbours, so hey ho.
There’s just so much to see and do in both counties, coupled with some of the most breathtaking scenery that the UK has to offer.
If you get the sunshine, and OK we know that’s always a gamble in the UK, but when we do, who needs to go abroad.
What we love about this part of the country is that it is just so family-friendly. It is geared up for tourists. Many of the hotels, restaurants and visit attractions guarantee a warm welcome and fun for all.
In terms of our must-visits when you’re there... In Cornwall, it would have to the wonderful Eden Project, and in Devon, we would have said the Occombe Farm near Paignton!
