‘Adventure doesn’t have to be exclusive to intrepid explorers, big budgets or distant lands.’
So say photographers and founders of The Travel Project, Charlie Wild and Jessica Last, who have spent the last three years exploring the British Isles and compiling 52 outdoor activities in a book called Achievable Adventures.
The new guide, Posting gangexplore affordable and affordable activities across the UK that you can get to without having to take a plane.
The couple hope to “change the way people see the UK by showing the possibilities for extraordinary experiences that are right on their doorstep”.
Here, they’ve shared five of their favorite adventures with MailOnline Travel, from one of England’s ‘last bits of wilderness’ to Northern Ireland’s ‘best kept secret’. Which one would you most like to try?
Staying at Gearrannan Black Houses – Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Travel photographers Charlie Wild and Jessica Last shared five of their favorite outdoor adventures with MailOnline Travel. Pictured above are the Gearannan Black Houses in the Outer Hebrides, which they describe as “extraordinary”.
“When it comes to extraordinary places to stay in the UK, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else like it,” the couple say.
Gearrannan Blackhouse Village is a traditional coastal crofting village on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
According to the couple, a visit “promises an adventure like no other.” The book says: “Sleeping in the original thatched, stone-walled dwellings, tucked away on a remote island steeped in history, you’ll feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.”
For more information or to book a cabin stay, visit: www.gearrannan.com.
Fell Pony Trekking – Lake District, England
Charlie and Jessica describe Lake District pony ride as a ‘trip down memory lane’
“This meditative adventure opens your eyes to a simpler, older and altogether wilder version of the UK,” the couple say.
The activity involves walking pack ponies, an ancient breed of horse, through the forests and mountains of the Lake District. Traveling the “centuries-old roads” feels like a “trip back in time,” according to the couple.
It is not a strenuous activity either. According to the couple, it’s the “very definition of a slow adventure,” as your pony keeps up with you.
For more information or to book your outdoor adventure, visit: https://felpony.co.uk/adventures.
Surfing on the Causeway Coast – Northern Ireland
The pair recommend heading to Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast (above) for some surfing. “There is never a need to fight for the waves,” they say
“It’s not the situation that first comes to mind when you think of a UK adventure, but surfing is perhaps Northern Ireland’s best kept secret,” the couple write.
They recommend heading to the Causeway Coast to enjoy the waves. They write: ‘Sitting on your board looking back at the spectacular Northern Ireland coast while waiting for a wave is a great feeling.
“On this stretch of coast alone, you’ll have a wide variety of spots to choose from and never have to fight for waves.”
If you don’t have a surfboard, there are many places that rent equipment. Visit www.troggs.com/pages/surf-hire for more information.
Sailing the Norfolk Marshes – England
On this adventure, you’ll navigate an “untamed network of narrow channels and hidden sandbanks.”
Located off the north Norfolk coast, the marshes are “one of England’s last true wilderness areas”.
According to the couple, the “untamed network of narrow channels and hidden sandbars was once the domain of smugglers.” Now, the only way to navigate it is with local expertise.
The Coastal Exploration Company offers this knowledge and offers boat trips along protected streams.
The couple continues: “On this adventure you will cruise the waters in a lovingly restored classic boat, guided by a skipper who knows this part of England like the back of his hand.”
To book your salt marsh exploration, visit coastal exploration company.co.uk.
Coastal foraging in Pembrokeshire, Wales
For an unusual adventure, the couple suggest sourcing ingredients for a meal on the Pembrokeshire coast.
“If you’re a fan of outdoor cooking, fresh ingredients, and rugged coastal landscapes, then this may be your adventure,” the couple writes.
The activity involves finding your own ingredients along the Pembrokeshire coast, from mussels to plants to crab, and preparing a feast on the spot.
According to the couple, it is an ‘afternoon full of surprises’, which will ‘teach them skills to move forward in future adventures’. They write: ‘You will come away with a whole new appreciation for the richness of the natural world around us.’
For more information or to book a shoreline foraging experience, visit: www.coastalforaging.co.uk/.
Achievable Adventures, written by Charlie Wild and Jessica Last and published by Quadrille Publishing, is available to order on Amazon .
