How To Make The Most Of Your Holiday: 10 things to do on your Staycation
2020 has undoubtedly been a year to remember, and as we are getting used to staying closer to home, travelling looks like it is going to be a little different now and in the near future. With that in mind, it is very likely that many more people will be opting for a staycation this winter and next year. The staycation is a way of experiencing somewhere new, without having to jump on an international flight. It’s slow travel, relaxation, and making the most out of what we have on our UK doorstep.
For us, that means days basking under the Scottish Isle sun, nights out in dusk-scattered beer gardens, and evenings under the Milky Way (Wrapped up in a woollen blanket). The time we have off is time to be treasured. It’s the way amazing memories are made. Whether with the family, on a couple’s trip, or travelling solo, every second should count.
Staycationing opens the doors to a myriad of cherishable opportunities all available on the British Isles. From windsurfing to hiking, lazy days at the beach to pony trekking, there are a vast array of ways to make the most of your holiday. There is something to do for everyone. We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 favourites for you to try, whatever the time of year or weather;
Giving a new experience a go
Discover by hike
Exploring by bike
Joining in with local cultures and events
Eating Out
Rainy Day Activities (Hopefully there won’t be many)
Meeting new people and making new friends
Visiting one of many tourist attractions
Relaxing (It’s time to just stop.)
A good, old fashioned, movie night.
Trying Something New
Blackhouse Watersports surf lesson
In our opinion, there has never been a better time to try something new. The future waits for no one, and a staycation in a beautiful destination is as good an opportunity as any to throw yourself (and maybe the family too) into new experiences and lessons that you might not get the chance to at home.
Water sports are very popular at the moment and accessible in many areas of the UK. On the Isle of Tiree alone, there’s the opportunity to learn to: surf, kiteboarding, windsurf and SUP. And if you already have the skills, you can hire all the gear you need or take things to the next level with lessons. Start your holiday a surfing amateur and leave addicted to watching the rippling sapphire waves arching across the bay. With the right wetsuit, the right teacher and glorious weather, what will start as fun and laughter will lead into a passion for the Atlantic Ocean.
And trying something new shouldn’t just be left to the kids, either. We are big advocates for adults playing too. Just because we’re a little older, it doesn’t mean we lose our thirst for adventure and silliness. Whether it’s sailing, surfing, biking, hiking, fishing or something entirely different, trying a new activity is guaranteed to create memories you will never forget.
Exploring on Foot
Recently we wrote an article on the benefits of slow travel, and walking is one of the slowest travels of all. Rather than taking the car out, why not hike to your destination? You’ll see more along the way (and be more inclined to stop for cake breaks too. Everybody likes a cake break.)
In Scotland, members of the public have a ‘right to roam’, meaning if you’re staycationing north of the border then you can explore on foot pretty much wherever you like. With rolling hills, quaint and quiet villages and rocky beach inlets, Scotland (And particularly the Hebrides) has everything you could want for a day of exploring the wilderness.
Whilst it is a little weather dependent, this is still one of my favourite ways to get about when I am on holiday. On holiday, nothing is worth rushing for, and walking keeps me in a perfectly calm and relaxed frame of mind.
Joining in With Local Cultures
A different pace of life, new food and wild and wonderful music. The cultures around the UK are vast and ever changing. For such a small island(s), life is different from one town to the next. For your staycation this year, why not immerse yourself in the local scene?
In Scotland, and especially on the Isle of Tiree, folk music has always played a big part of traditional life. From lilting soft tones, to untameable reels and heavy drums, a live band or pub session is one of the best ways to soak up the atmosphere.
You can also visit community shops, fairs, markets, and local museums as a fantastic way to better understand and appreciate your destination. There are dishes to try, restaurants to visits, and communities to experience that you otherwise wouldn’t. It’s a good idea to look ahead to see if any events are happening in the local area, before travelling for your staycation. That way you will have an early idea of how best to get involved.
Eating Out (And In)
Now restaurants and cafés have tentatively reopened, what better way to support small business than by treating yourself to a meal out? Whether it is breakfast, lunch, coffee and cake, or dinner, investing in a meal makes any holiday feel all the more luxurious.
I have a soft spot for traditional Scottish meals and can’t consider a holiday a holiday without having at least some vegetarian haggis – but if that is not for you, there is also salmon and seafood to whet your taste buds.
The meal becomes more of an event than the everyday, a clear distinction between being at home and travelling somewhere new. If you are looking for a more relaxed way to spend an evening, but are still wanting to get out and about, then a restaurant may be the perfect place to put your feet up (just don’t forget your face mask).
Rainy Day Activities
Hopefully, you won’t need any rainy-day activities. Here on the Isle of Tiree, we experience the most sun year-round than anywhere else in the UK. In the month of May alone, we average around 220 hours of warm sunshine and clear skies. Rain is rare, so the paint-by-numbers and board games often stay firmly in the side cabinet.
That being said, no matter where you are in the world you always run the risk of being caught out by summer showers. If that is the case, there are plenty of ways you can keep yourself (and others) entertained with a few indoor activities. These are also a fantastic way to bond with the family, or partners, and I very fondly remember many an afternoon spent on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, hot chocolate wrapped in small hands and shrieks of laughter and monopoly betrayals.
Visiting a café for lunch can rarely be turned down, and a slow morning to the soundtrack of the soft patter of raindrops on the roof is a delightful way to wind down after months of hard work. A hot breakfast, an even hotter shower, and then a trip out to a museum or gift shop. Rainy weather brings the opportunity for a slow day, a more mindful chance to appreciate all your surroundings (Both man-made or natural). It’s a chance to check in with those you have journeyed with, and to appreciate the simplicity of fun and each other’s company.
Exploring By Two Wheels
Second only to walking, hiring a bike and cycling is one of the many great pleasures that can be found when exploring a staycation destination. To move through the landscape at speed, to be able to travel further without relying on a car, and purely for the fun they bring, hiring a bike (Or bringing your own) is one of my favourite staycation activities. Most areas in the UK now offer bike hire. The Isle of Tiree is home to Tiree Fitness, and with very flat roads, gently rolling green hills, views of the sea in all directions, and the occasional cake break café, it is one of the best places (in our opinion) in Scotland to find your two-wheeled legs.
Making New Friends
One of the very best moments of any holiday, as a child, was meeting the ‘people next door’. The other visitors to your destination, who came from wonderous and far off homes.
For me personally, I will always remember a girl from Edinburgh I met when I was 11. Our strong accents clashed harshly, and sometimes we both talked so fast we couldn’t understand each other. As friends, we were perfectly matched in daring and mischief. We spent our two weeks together running riot over the hills, returning to our cottages with muddy clothes and twig-scratched legs. She was exciting, she played curling and, yet after our staycation, I never saw her again.
As an adult, similar experiences whilst listening to live bands, or chatting in coffee shops, come to mind. People are placed in our lives on these holidays, people who we could never otherwise have met. They shape our memories and provide us with excitement and stories that we will remember for a lifetime. One of the joys of any staycation is the cacophony of people you meet on the way, and any day spent nurturing and enjoying that is guaranteed to be a good one.
Visiting a Tourist Attraction
Broch at Vaul, Isle of Tiree
The brown sign dotted roadsides have always been a trigger for excitement for us. An indication that something interesting lay just over the horizon, tourist attractions can be anything from a distillery to a particularly scenic and well-loved coastal cove.
Whilst not all attractions will be family friendly, or as fun for adults as they are for children, a little research before a staycation can go a long way. With castles and museums, royal halls and hilltop sculptures, there is always more than meets the eye to a destination and a day trip to a locally infamous tourist site is a memory little-missed.
Movie Night with The Family
Personally, one of the many joys of any holiday is the time it gives me with my family. Whereas at home we are all often busy, on vacation we all stop. This means that evenings are free, and a fantastic opportunity to appreciate each other’s company once again.
Whilst there are often arguments over which film to put on, and how the popcorn should be flavoured, once the film starts then all becomes quiet. A shared pastime, one that harks back to long summer evenings as children and fond memories of coke floats and Pixar shorts. A movie night is fun, relaxed, and whilst it is often quieter than evenings out for food, it still creates memories to take away and treasure.
Taking the Time to Stop and Chill Out
Crossapol Beach, Isle of Tiree
A staycation, like any vacation, is a chance to unwind from work and to recover from day to day life. No matter where you are, or what you are doing, we believe it is always worth stopping from time to time – just to check in, to appreciate your surroundings, and to give yourself a little breathing space.
In a similar process to mindfulness, taking the time to chill out will help you become more in touch with the world around you. Picture the crystal-clear waters and sparkling sand of a Tiree beach on a summer’s day, feel the warmth of the suns glow against your closed eyelids. In the background, the breaking waves whisper their stories of the Atlantic Ocean. Occasionally, a lilting birdsong interrupts the quiet afternoon.
And there is nowhere to be, no rush to leave, you can stay there for as long as you like.
Just for a moment, the world stops.
The list of things to do on your staycation is truly never ending. There are places to see, people to meet. On Tiree alone, there are too many beaches to visit all in one holiday. This list of ten is only the beginning. From exploring castles, to two-wheeled adventures, to live music and new sports, a staycation is a wonderous and exciting way to create memories that will last a lifetime.