The 10 best British holidays for people who hate the heat

Telegraph

23-06-2025

This summer is starting to swelter. And there may be more extreme heat to come. According to a Met Office study published in June 2025, there's a rapidly increasing likelihood of record UK temperatures being hit.
'The chance of exceeding 40C is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the Sixties,' says Dr Gillian Kay, Met Office senior scientist. 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising.'
Perhaps unsurprisingly, as the weather keeps getting hotter, so internet searches for 'coolcations' have also rapidly increased – up 300 per cent year-on-year. Destinations with brisker climes – Canada, Scandinavia, Iceland, the Alps – are trending. But there are ways to avoid the heat at home too. You just need to pick the right activity and the right accommodation in the right place.
If you want to survive your staycation sweat-free, here are a few cool ideas.
1. Shoot the sea breeze on the Shetland Islands
Summers on Britain's most northerly outpost are short, cool and breezy – ideal for the heat-averse, and for exploring the archipelago on foot. A wealth of wildlife likes to over-summer here too, so look for whales and dolphins as you stroll at Sumburgh Head, spot great skuas on the cliffs as you round the Ness of Hillswick, and see puffins up close on the isles of Yell and Unst – as far north as it's possible to go.
Ramble Worldwide (01707 331133; rambleworldwide) offers a seven-night guided Shetland trip from £2,009 per person, half board, including flights from Glasgow; departing July 5, August 9 and September 6 and 20 2025.
2. Take the posh plunge in Shropshire
What's cooler than staying in a stately home? Especially one with its own Georgian plunge pool. Salwey Lodge, near Ludlow, was built in the 1740s and has remained in the Salwey family ever since. Now it welcomes guests. Sleep in one of the four elegant bedrooms, share field-to-fork feasts in the dining room, explore the extensive grounds and dip in the 18th-century baths. There are also wonderful walks from the door, including into Mortimer Forest, a 1,000-hectare green space, perfect for forest bathing in the shade.
Salwey Lodge (07766 545515; thesalweylodge) offers a two-night Ludlow Weekend package from £290 per person, full board.
3. Mix hills, vales and waves in Pembrokeshire
North Pembrokeshire receives fewer visitors than the south, and offers many ways to escape the heat. Head to genteel Newport and stay at Y Sied – the cottage's thick stone walls should keep temperatures down. There are good spots nearby for sea dips: Newport Sands, Aberfforest, Pwllgwaelod. You can also take breezy walks in the Preseli Hills, which rise behind; perhaps seek shade beneath the 5,500-year-old dolmen of Pentre Ifan. Then explore hidden-away, fern-frilled Rosebush Quarry – one of Wales's best wild-swimming spots.
Coastal Cottages (01437 765765; coastalcottages) offers a week at Y Sied, sleeping two, from £719.
The Forest of Bowland may only be eight per cent trees, but it's still a good place to escape the heat. Orchard Glamping, set on a forest-edge farm, is a good-value, nature-immersed base. Head off on moorland and riverside walks into the National Landscape, or head to Wyresdale Park where a huge lake offers paddleboard hire and regular wild swimming sessions (£5.50). For a quirkier kind of cool, go to the Flower Bowl activity centre, home to England's only curling rink (taster session £22; theflowerbowl).
Orchard Glamping (07725 185366; orchardglamping) offers pods, sleeping up to 6, from £200 for two nights.
5. Drink yourself chilled in East Sussex
There's nothing more refreshing on a sweltering day than a chilled glass of something delicious, sipped amid the countryside from which it was made. The new Rother Wine Triangle trail links seven vineyards in the Rother Valley, between Rye, Hastings and Flimwell, all of which offer tours and tastings, and most of which offer accommodation overlooking the grapes (sussexwinelands). Alternatively, disappear into the nearby woods of Glottenham Castle estate: book Rosetti, a glade-tucked cabin with pre-Raphaelite styling, an outdoor shower and a tree growing through its middle.
Canopy & Stars (0117 204 7830; canopyandstars) offers four-night stays at Rosetti, sleeping five, from £435.
6. Cool down on the coast in County Down
Northern Ireland doesn't tend to get that hot. And even if it does, you'll get sea breezes from all sides at St John's Point lighthouse. Stay at one of the two 1830s keepers' cottages that sit beneath the beacon on this wave-surrounded headland, then visit Strangford Lough, the largest sea lough in the British Isles, where you can walk woodland and coastal paths, and explore by kayak or canoe – paddle over to the Boretree Islands to look for basking seals.
Irish Landmark (00353 1 670 4733; irishlandmark) offers two nights at the St John's Point cottages, sleeping four, from £386.
7. Find calm on the canal in Staffordshire
The Shropshire Union Canal is a cool corridor of green and blue space, stretching from Chester to the edges of Wolverhampton. It's a rural waterway, fringed by farmland, woodland and quiet countryside, offering an escape from both the heat and the modern world. Hire a boat from the historic market town of Brewood for a gentle journey to Market Drayton and back via deep cuttings, arched bridges, pretty villages, a handful of locks and towpath pubs before mooring up at Gnosall's Boat Inn for a refreshing pint.
Drifters (0344 984 0322; drifters) offers a four-night August break aboard Sir Ulfius, sleeping four, from £1,097.
8. Live it up with the oaks in Devon
For shadiness at its most English, head to Chevithorne Barton estate. This ancient patch, between Exmoor and the Blackdown Hills, is home to the UK's biggest collection of oaks, as well as a walled garden, bright summer borders and other rare trees. Visit on a free open day (July 7 to 13; August 4 to 8 2025) or, better yet, stay on site in the most tasteful of treehouses. Verte is a RIBA award-winning build of wood and glass where you can row on private lakes and live stylishly amid the trees.
Unique Homestays (01637 881183; uniquehomestays) offers a week at Verte, sleeping 10, from £3,795.
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park is an untamed vastness, with miles of rivers, swathes of woodland and 22 lochs. A great way to explore is by hiking the 48km Great Trossachs Path, from Inversnaid to Callander. For the coolest take on the route, join a hike-swim trip that combines walks via waterfalls, RSPB reserves and lofty Munros with refreshing dips – a coach can help with your technique or you can simply float and enjoy the views.
Responsible Travel (01273 823700; responsibletravel) offers a five-day guided Trossachs trip from £995 per person, B&B, including lunches, excluding flights; departing July 17 2025.
10. Embrace the cold in North Yorkshire
Without the Gulf Stream to warm it, Britain's North Sea coast offers a brisker seaside break than the west. For a very cool break, stay at Saltmoore which, opened in 2024, sits on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Its Sanctuary Spa offers a wealth of wellness, from a Brass Monkey ice bath to a cryotherapy chamber. It's only a 10-minute walk to Sandsend beach, a sweeping strand with views to Whitby Abbey, bracing swimming and good surf – you can hire surf boards, kayaks and paddleboards (whitbysurf).