getaway

UK city with island walks and gorgeous nature named best winter getaway

The city has cosy cabins, scenic walks and the chance to explore connected islands.

If you’re on the hunt for a snug winter weekend escape, the UK offers an abundance of options. With so many stunning locations to choose from, it can be quite the task to decide.

From vibrant cities to ancient woodlands and charming villages, the UK is brimming with beautiful spots. However, one location has been singled out as the ideal winter retreat.

The team at Go Outdoors have recently unveiled their top choices for a winter escapade, and the favourite is a delightful blend of urban and rural attractions that cater to all tastes.

Using data on snowfall, woodland walks, cosy pubs with log fires, and cabins, they’ve ranked the top UK adventure destinations – and the Scottish city of Inverness has emerged as the champion.

Boasting over 200 winter cabins and a wealth of breathtaking walking trails, it’s not hard to see why Inverness clinched the top spot.

One of the most favoured walks is the Inverness Castle and River Circular, which guides you on a stunning 4.5km journey through some of Scotland’s most majestic landscapes, reports the Express.

During your hour-and-a-half stroll, you’ll also pass by the iconic Inverness Castle, nestled in the city centre.

Inverness even provides the opportunity for island hopping – without ever having to leave the city.

The Ness Islands are a chain of islands in the river, all interconnected by beautiful Victorian-era footbridges.

You can start on one side of the riverbank and end up on the other, meandering through the islands and spotting sculptures along the way. It’s the perfect way to spend a wintry day exploring.

Though Inverness is a small city that’s easy to navigate, it also serves as an excellent base for exploring the wider Highlands.

Just beyond the city limits, you’ll find the renowned Loch Ness, home to its elusive, legendary creature – perhaps you’ll be the lucky one to spot her.

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Port of Dover Christmas getaway delays due to IT issues in Calais

Stuart Maisnerand

Simon Jones,South East

Gareth Fuller/PA Media Queues of traffic daytime on the road into the port of DoverGareth Fuller/PA Media

Queues of up to an hour formed at the entrance to the Port of Dover

Long queues of travellers formed earlier at the Port of Dover, which have been blamed on IT issues at French border controls.

The delays, which lasted into the afternoon, were described as “absolute chaos” by one traveller, and images of the port showed a long line of vehicles queuing at a standstill.

Eurotunnel was also experiencing lengthy delays at its Folkestone terminal on Saturday – at the start of a weekend which is expected to see the Christmas getaway reach its peak.

The Port of Dover reported that traffic was free-flowing just before 15:00 GMT, after several hours of delays.

The port is expected to see about 30,000 cars pass through it until Sunday.

One traveller had posted earlier on X: “Horrible experience at Port of Dover this morning. Absolute chaos.

“Traffic at a standstill for an hour. Worst start to holiday imaginable. Just missed our boat. Still stuck. Kids in car.”

One local resident told the BBC the town was “proper rammed”.

Gareth Fuller/PA Media Queues daytime of lorries and cars on M20 in Kent Gareth Fuller/PA Media

Holiday and freight traffic queue on M20 to use the Channel Tunnel

The port advised passengers not to arrive more than two hours before their sailing.

It said if customers do miss their scheduled sailing due to the wait times, their ferry operator will place them on the next available crossing.

Long queues were also seen on the roads leading into Dover.

A port spokesperson asked all port-bound traffic to remain on main roads “to allow the Dover community to travel to festive events and finish their Christmas shopping in the town”.

Eurotunnel said it had a waiting time of two and a half hours for cars and 60 minutes for freight at its Folkestone terminal due to “high demand”.

Meanwhile, public transport operators had experienced problems reaching the port.

Bus company Stagecoach said in a statement: “Due to heavy traffic at the docks the service will be unable to serve Eastern Docks at the moment.”

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