National Parks in the UK: 5 Spots to Drive on a Hire Car

 

Great Britain is a country of colorful valleys, heather slopes, thickets, mountains, and lakes. It’s in the United Kingdom that the mysterious Loch Ness is located and many national reserves and parks have been created.

Whether you're in London, Glasgow, or Edinburgh, hire a car and explore some of the UK's exciting parks. We have prepared a list of the most worthwhile places, as well as tell you how to get there by car. 

Northumberland National Park

Northumberland National Park is located in the county of the same name in the northeast of the UK, bordering on one side with England, on the other with Scotland. The easiest way to get to the park is from Edinburgh. If you hire a car, you will have to drive about 63 miles southwest of the city.

The most famous landmark of the park is Hadrian's Wall, which divides the park in half. Hadrian's Wall is a system of fortifications built sometime by the ancient Romans - it was a kind of border that separated the Roman possessions from the barbarian ones. The wall stretches 120 km from the Irish to the North Sea. Today, many objects of that time have survived in these places: these are forts, fortresses, and the ruins of monasteries. All these architectural sights are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Overall, Northumberland Park is great for hiking, and you can also go mountain biking, rock climbing or horse riding. There are several tourist centers in the park, and you can also book an overnight stay in advance.

Lake District

The Lake District is considered to be of the most visited national parks in Great Britain, and all because of its picturesque landscapes. Much of the Lake District is located in a deep valley surrounded by mountain ranges. There are many lakes in the valleys, including the largest in England. Further, in the foothill area, woodlands begin, and the higher you go to the mountains, the more severe the territory becomes – it’s covered with heather wastelands and ends with mountain peaks. Incidentally, in the Lake District, you’ll see the tallest mountain in England, Scafell Pike.

The main routes of the park are developed taking into account the visit to the water area. Here you can go hiking, canoeing, and rock climbing. You can also explore the park by mountain bike or hire a car.

Loch Lomond and Trossachs

Loch Lomond and Trossachs Park is another great family-friendly destination in Scotland. In order to get there, pick up 9 seater hire in Glasgow and hit the road. The whole route will take no more than 40 minutes, and then you will plunge into an amazing natural park where the northern nature of the region with its reservoirs, forests, heather fields and valleys spreads in all its beauty and grandeur. 

The main attractions of the park are the lakes that are located here, including the largest Lake Loch Lomond, and the smaller, but no less famous - Loch Ness, where the Loch Ness monster is rumored to live. In fact, the existence of the monster has never been proven, but the site has become a popular tourist attraction thanks to this story.

Activities in the park include hiking, cycling, horse riding, and rock climbing. The opportunity to play golf can be considered an exotic pastime because the relief of the park includes vast fields. You can stay in the national park for a few days: there are special places for camping here, so it's hard to find the best place for a weekend in Scotland. 

Snowdonia

Snowdonia is one of the first national parks to be established in Great Britain. It got its name from the highest Welsh mountain - Snowdon. The park is located on the territory of modern Wales, but the best way to get there is by hire car from Liverpool. 

So, what is Snowdonia? Snowdonia is an endlessly mountainous area with many peaks and is perhaps the most popular destination for climbers. But, of course, there will be something to do here for tourists who are not familiar with climbing. There are many hiking and cycling routes developed in the park. In addition, you can get to the top of Snowdon without sports skills, since there’s a funicular.

Brecon Beacons

Another national park in Wales is the Brecon Beacons, famous for its mountain ranges. You can there in a hire car from Cardiff. In addition to the mountains themselves, the park is known for its karst caves, waterfalls, starfalls, and the ruins of ancient temples, fortresses and monasteries. Notable in this regard is the town of Brecon itself, which has preserved the flavor of the Middle Ages in its architecture. 

Henrhyd is considered to be one of the highest waterfalls in the park - its height is about 27 meters. Moreover, the sky above the park is incredibly clean and unpolluted by industrial waste, so it’s believed that here in the park you can watch magnificent starfalls every night. 

The UK’s national parks have preserved the unique nature of the region in an almost untouched form, so no matter what park you choose for your trip in a hire car, you will discover the true beauty of Great Britain everywhere. In addition, a visit to one of the national parks is a great idea to diversify your leisure time, replacing urban landscapes with natural scenery.