10 of the best wild winter weekends in the UK

Saunas, seal-watching and spectacular skies feature in our picks of great places for a short break to enjoy winter in the raw. Plus boltholes to cosy up in

A murmuration of starlings is one of winter’s most mesmerising spectacles; thousands of birds, swooping in formation, before communally roosting to stave off the winter. Piers are a favourite place to roost, with up to 50,000 zooming around in the skies above Aberystwyth, best seen on an afternoon stroll along the prom. The town is also home to the National Library of Wales which is well worth a visit, both for its excellent gift shop and the chance to browse a few of the 8 million books and periodicals within its walls. Y Ffarmers, which is a few miles out of town, is excellent for a long lunch, and Gwesty Cymru, on the seafront, has doubles from £140 B&B.

Forcing yourself out of bed before dawn on a cold day isn’t the most appetising prospect, but when the skies are clear, a winter sunrise is the most spectacular you’ll see all year. Cold air holds less water vapour and humidity, meaning the skies are much clearer and the low sun creates an intense angle of light. Few places are more beautiful at dawn than the Hope Valley in the Peak District – particularly when seen from the viewpoint of Mam Tor; its peak is an easy 15-minute walk from the car park. The pretty town of Castleton lies just below, where the Bulls Head has five cosy bedrooms from £115 B&B.

Few things are more invigorating than watching a wind-whipped sea hurl itself on to the beach. Porthleven, on the Atlantic coast, has some of the most spectacular winter seas; in winter 2025, 30ft swells roared on to the three-mile sandy beach. Off season, the town reverts to its original fishing village vibe, but pubs such as the Ship Inn and the Blue Anchor are lively with locals, and warm with blazing fires. The Harbour Inn has doubles from £120 B&B.

From late October until January the beach at Horsey Gap seethes with life, as grey seals heave themselves on to the sand to birth their pups. More than 3,500 were born in 2025-6, and although the beach is closed to the public, there are platforms in the dunes and designated viewing areas just a few minutes’ walk from the car park. Afterwards, stroll back into Horsey village for lunch by the fire at the Nelson Head, and make a weekend of it at Dairy Barns with doubles from £120 B&B.

Think of husky sledding and you’ll no doubt picture teams of dogs racing across the Arctic tundra of Scandinavia, Canada and Greenland. But north Wales? Mynydd Sled Dog Adventures offers a range of husky sledding adventures for novices, albeit with a marked lack of snow, and in a passenger cart rather than a sleigh. But the feeling of exhilaration as you whisk along the forest trails of Bwlch Hafod Einion and across open moorland is the same; with six dogs – a mix of Siberian and Alaskan huskies – controlled by the “musher” at the back of the cart (rides cost from £120pp). Afterwards, warm up with hearty soups and stews at the Crown Inn, 10 minutes’ drive away, and stay at Llwyn Onn, where the spacious doubles cost from £123 B&B.

Seafront saunas have become an increasingly common sight around the UK in the last couple of years, but few can compete with Sea Scrub in Folkestone. New this year, a small area of beachfront has been given over to two wood-fired saunas, a communal cold plunge tank, hot showers and a Japanese cafe – in a nod to a country that shares the Scandinavian fondness for ritual bathing (communal sauna session from £20pp for 40 minutes). Once warmed up, take a stroll around the town; Folkestone has the largest urban outdoor exhibition of contemporary art in the country. Stay at the Relish, a Regency townhouse with doubles from £88 B&B.

Few sights are as mesmerising as the northern lights; undulating waves of colour rolling across the sky, illuminating the darkness. Dunnet Head is the most northerly point on mainland Britain: the unobstructed view from the cliff tops, looking across the Pentland Firth towards Orkney, opens up infinite skies. Pop into the Dunnet Bay Distillery for something warming to have in your hip flask, and if the lights fail to show, by day there’s a chance of seeing dolphins in Dunnet Bay. Stay at Northern Sands, four miles from Dunnet Head, with rooms from £100 B&B.

It might teem with tourists in summer, but in winter the New Forest falls silent and the ponies outnumber visitors once again. Even on a rainy day (and I speak from personal experience) simply standing in the middle of thousands of trees, listening to drops fall on to the leaves, is glorious; an all-encompassing immersion in nature. Brockenhurst’s excellent rail connections mean you can leave the car at home and pick up a rental bike at Cycle Experience, while Cottage Lodge, with doubles from £99 B&B, makes a welcoming base. At night, stroll to Albero for classic Italian dishes made with verve.

If you long to snap on your skis, but the budget won’t stretch to a ski break, the Cairngorm Mountain Resort offers the chance to whisk down a piste or two. There are about 20 miles of piste – including challenging reds and blacks – with lift passes costing a fraction of their Alpine equivalents (adults £39 per day). If snow is thin on the ground, it’s still worth a ride on the Cairngorm Mountain Railway (tickets from £5 in November) for lunch at the Ptarmigan restaurant – the highest in the UK – for hearty dishes including Speyside beef curry and Highland venison chilli. Stay at the Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore, with doubles from £119 B&B.

If the promise of a spectacular dawn won’t lure you out of bed, a winter sunset can be equally unforgettable, particularly at Sandbanks. Here, the low angle of the sun floods the waters of Poole Harbour with intense gold, orange and scarlet reflections, with islands and boat masts silhouetted against the horizon. For a panoramic view, head to nearby Evening Hill, which gives a 180-degree view across the peninsula, then settle in for fish and chips at Rick Stein Sandbanks. The Canford, a short walk from the beach, has double rooms from £132 B&B.