Planning a UK Trip in Spring: Weather, Events & Best Places to Visit

Spring flips a switch across the UK, and we’re here for the first warm light, the wisteria‑framed streets, and the rush of longer evenings. We pull together clear, local advice from London to the Lake District, the Cotswolds, Devon, and the far north of Scotland so you can plan a smarter, calmer trip.

We kick off in London with Becki from Walks and Devour: cherry blossom in parks, Kew’s treetop walkway, canal strolls from Hackney Wick to King’s Cross, and midweek Borough Market eats. We also flag what visitors often miss - clocks moving forward on the last March weekend, Easter’s shifting dates and school holidays, and the impact of big events like the Boat Race, the London Marathon, and the Chelsea Flower Show - so your itinerary stays nimble and enjoyable.

From there, Asia from Mountain Goat guides us through the Lake District’s daffodil heritage at Rydal and Ullswater, bluebell carpets at Rannerdale, accessible walks such as Orrest Head and Tarn Hows, and a strong local food scene that shines in spring. Lisa at Go Cotswolds leans into gardens like Hidcote and Kiftsgate, village footpaths, and the art of slowing down across 800 square miles of honey‑stone towns - now with new departures from Oxford and blended routes to Stratford‑upon‑Avon. 

In Devon, Alex from Unique Devon Tours paints hedgerows in bloom, Dartmoor foals, coastal colour, and narrow‑lane know‑how that turns single‑track roads into hidden‑gem gateways. And in Scotland’s far north, Sally-Ann from North Coast Explorers maps coastal routes for seals and April puffins, explains variable spring weather and opening times, and shares the joy of big‑sky space before summer crowds.

You’ll get the best weeks to travel, how bank holidays and rail works shape movement, when tours offer the most value, and the routes that make evening light part of the plan. Ready to make the most of March, April, and May across London, the Lakes, the Cotswolds, Devon, and the North Highlands? Follow the show, share this with a spring‑bound friend, and leave a quick review to help more travellers find us.

👉 Full show notes and helpful links at uktravelplanning.com/episode-190

🎧 Listen to next:

• Episode #48 – Visiting the UK in Summer [Everything you need to know]

🎟️ Sponsored by Walks Tours & Devour Tours. Explore London with expert guides, from sightseeing to food tours.

👉 Book London sightseeing tours with Walks
👉 Book London food tours with Devour

Transcript

Welcome And Spring Overview

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Thinking about visiting London and the UK in spring, before you book, there are a few things you really need to know. In this episode, I'll share what to expect, plus insights from local experts across the country to help you plan your trip.

SPEAKER_05 0:12

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK travel planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, from picturesque countryside to seaside towns.

SPEAKER_04 0:42

Before we get started, we'd like to thank our sponsor, Walks and Devour Tours. If you're planning a trip to London, you'll already know the challenge. There's a lot you want to do and only a limited amount of time to fit it all in. That's where the right term makes all the difference because you want experiences that are the best use of your time with more access, less waiting, and a deeper sense of the city. That's why we recommend Walks and Devour Tours. They offer walk-in tours and food tours designed to make your time count, often with early or after hours entry. You'll also be with exceptional local guides who add the stories and context so you leave with a richer understanding of what you're seeing and a trip that feels genuinely memorable. If you're visiting London as a couple with family or you simply prefer a more intimate experience, walks and devour tours also offer private tour options. To learn more, you'll find the link in the show notes. Now let's get into this week's episode. Hi everybody and welcome to this week's edition of the UK Travel Planner Podcast. I'm once again joined by Doug.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Hello!

SPEAKER_04 1:43

Ha ha who, when he found out we're gonna be talking about spring this episode, could not resist joining me, could you?

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Uh no, that's true.

SPEAKER_04 1:50

Uh because we both spring in the UK is an amazing time. Fantastic time. It's a beautiful time uh to visit, and it's a beautiful time if you live in the UK as well. Um so we are joined later on in this episode. Let me just dangle it now with some um some of our experts who live around the UK and they're going to be talking about spring and their various regions. Um, yeah, but I thought we'd talk about first of all when is spring. So I kind of think first, what do you reckon, Doug?

SPEAKER_01 2:19

First of March.

SPEAKER_04 2:20

Yeah, I kind of think first of March to the very end of May. So St.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

David's Day, if you're Welsh.

SPEAKER_04 2:25

Yes, so first of March to I think technically then the first of June becomes uh summer. The summer season. So we're talking about the months of March, April, and May.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 2:36

Um, and actually there's a lot of variation in those months, actually.

Sponsor: Walks & Devour Tours

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Of course, it depends where you are in the UK as well, to be honest, you're when uh weather, you know, spring weather sort of starts.

SPEAKER_04 2:44

Yeah. But yes, and I mean, anyway, we'll talk about British weather, it can be variable throughout anyway. You know, there's no predictions really about what it can be, except you know it's predictably unpredictable, is what we would say, yeah. Okay, so that's when to experience spring, March About me. Um, and then what else happens? Well, we have the daylight is a massive thing, isn't it? Massive, massive, massive thing.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

It really is, particularly if the wind has been long and sort of drawn out and not particularly great. Yeah, the to change the clocks in in spring is a special moment for so many. And unfortunately, I have to mention I've been on night shifts. How many times when they change their clocks?

SPEAKER_04 3:17

Well, it's alright in spring.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Just gonna say, but springtime's fine because you you jump forward an hour between two and three o'clock in the morning, and then I've also been doing night shifts when it's autumn and you've got to do an extra hour.

Defining Spring And Clock Change

SPEAKER_04 3:28

Yeah, but the thing is in the spring, just think you get paid for an hour that didn't exactly exist. So that forwarding of the clocks, it's they spring forward for one hour and it's only the last Saturday going into Sunday of the month. That's right. Of March in March. So that when that happens, everybody in the whole country feels just I don't know, it's just amazing because you know you're gonna get that extra hour daylight, which is fabulous. Um, now I did there's also some things that's really important to know if you're planning to visit the UK in that kind of March, April, May season. And we want to talk about some some things about holidays um and also some of the events that take place that it's really important to know about. So obviously, Easter, the dates change for Easter every year, but Easter is generally the school holidays. So the school holidays will either be at the start or they'll include Easter or the end, depending on when Easter is. But the school holidays in the UK, um, there's two weeks off, and it's usually around that Easter break. So that will impact um if you're planning to visit the UK because it'll be busy. London is always busy during that Easter period because a lot of the European um schools are off, so you'll find a lot of people coming over uh to visit London at that time as well. So that is busier now. May uh does quieten down, yes, but it is worth knowing that there are two public holidays in May.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Yeah, or bank holidays, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 4:50

Bank holidays. So if you hear the word bank holiday, that is kind of what those public holidays are called, and it's because that was a day that the banks used to be off. So that's hence the called bank holidays. So um the first Monday in May is a public holiday, bank holiday, and the last Monday in May is a public holiday, so that's the May the 3rd and May the 25th this year.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

So the late one in May is known as the Spring Bank.

SPEAKER_04 5:19

Exactly, and that usually also uh starts the first week, that one week of holiday that the schools have off. So the schools also have the last week of May off on a holiday, and it's the that Spring Bank holiday is included in that week.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 5:35

So again, if you're planning to go and you want to avoid it when there's lots of kids around or it's school holidays, then your best bet is those first three weeks in May to go. But just bear in mind the 3rd of May is a public holiday. Um, there are some important events worth noting as well, which is the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Universities.

SPEAKER_04 5:53

Yes, yep. That's on April the 4th this year and Saturday, so if you want to see that. Uh the uh London Marathon, which always impacts everybody when they're London, nobody ever remembers it's on when they're visiting from overseas. Um, that's on the 26th of April, and that's on a Sunday. So that's absolutely if you're gonna be in London, check where the route of the London Marathon is and if that's gonna impact getting in and out of London or the areas that you want to visit. Yeah. Um, another one I want to uh another kind of main event that I want to talk about, which I'm very excited because I'm going to it is the Chelsea Flower Show. Yes, yes. Yay! That is um I've never been able to go because when I was in the UK I was teaching and the and it's the week before the school holidays. Yes. So saying the school holidays this year, that 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th of May, it's the week before. So I'm going. So I'm very, very excited.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

And I'm very jealous.

SPEAKER_04 6:44

Yes, I know. Um, I was gonna actually, there's something I was gonna ask you is what when when I think it when we talk about spring, what is it what does you think about when you think about spring dog in the UK?

SPEAKER_01 6:53

Well, other than snow drops, definitely daffodils.

SPEAKER_04 6:56

Yeah, I was gonna say I think that's the first thing that anybody, if you ask them in the well, all lambs, I think of lambs.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Lambs, true.

SPEAKER_04 7:02

Yeah, so I've got a spring.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

I mean it's gardener though, I mean that's yeah, I think that's true. I think of you know uh daffodils and then getting seeds in and starting to plan for the for the uh for the summer that's vegetables and flowers and whatever it may be. Yeah, but you need a lot of early planning springtime.

SPEAKER_04 7:18

Yeah, I think about all the gardens, I think about the daffodils and then the just the tulip tulips coming in as well later.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

But after the daffodils, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:26

But they are still during that springtime, it's absolutely gorgeous, and of course the lambs, you're gonna see lots of lambs already.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Oh, it's lovely, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:32

Um, which is really lovely. So that's kind of typifies spring, and I'm sure um lots of our different destination experts are going to mention those similar things because they just just typify what you're gonna see around in the UK. Doug, I just want to ask you about trains, trains in that spring period. Is anything that you need to share?

School Breaks, Easter And May Bank Holidays

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Yeah, well when there's public holidays or bank holidays in obviously it means a longer weekend, so the railways, um whether it's network rail or any of the individual operators, they tend to use uh that long weekend to take advantage of it so it can mean um timetable changes. Um public holiday Monday usually operates around about a Sunday type timetable, but just be aware that the timetable changes for that weekends when there's a public holiday.

SPEAKER_04 8:20

Okay, cool. Well, that's useful advice. Now, as I say, um spring around the UK can be a little bit different depending on where you are in terms of kind of weather and stuff. Um, but I thought the best way to actually bring that to life for you is to invite a few local experts to share what spring really looks like on the ground. So we're gonna start in London, then we're gonna head out.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Frosty, usually.

SPEAKER_04 8:44

Well, we're then we're we are gonna start in London, we're gonna head out into some very different parts of the UK.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

That's right. I should mention daffodils. There's usually uh the um Facebook and various different um social medias trying to put the first photos on where daffodils have come out, usually appears.

SPEAKER_04 9:04

That's true, that's true. Well, anyway, we're gonna start. Well, thanks, Doug, for coming on this episode. Not a problem. Um, I've now got five different guests to come on and talk about their various areas. So we're gonna start in London, where spring often sets the tone for many visitors' trips.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

That is true.

SPEAKER_04 9:20

So spring looks and feels very different depending on where you are. So to bring this to life, I've invited a few local experts to share what spring really looks like on the ground, starting in London, then heading out into some very different parts of the UK. But let's start first of all with London with uh Becky from Walks and Devauer, um, where spring often sets the tone for many visitors' trips because that's where you start off. So, hello again, lovely to speak to you again, Becky. Hello, nice to be here again. Well, who else could I talk to about spring in London but yourself? So tell me, what is spring like in London? How does the city start to feel as the season gets going?

SPEAKER_03 10:01

Oh, spring is magical in uh in London. Um it's it's like things are slowly coming to life again. So um we have we've emerged from some very short days um for the winter where we've been adjusting to it getting dark at 4 or 5 pm. And um the the blossoms start coming out, so we've got a lot of cherry blossom in London, we've got a lot of orange blossom, lots of beautiful drees start coming to life um in the parks and in local neighbourhoods. Um, daffodils abound everywhere. Um, William Wordsworth's favourite, so you know he would have been very pleased, the poet. Um, and yeah, you just you just see everything emerge, you see the greenery re-emerge, you see the bulbs blooming, um, and the days are starting to get slightly longer. So Londoners are a more out and about into the early evenings after after work, let's say. Um, and on a on a day when you're just starting to feel that first blush of warmth from the sunshine, it really gets you excited for the rest of the season and for the summer as well. It's um we kind of we we all collectively rejoice and go, we've done it, we've made it through another one. Um so yeah, spring's awesome.

London Spring Events And Impacts

SPEAKER_04 11:22

It's like coming out of hibernation, isn't it? It really is. It's like coming out of hibernation. Now, if someone is visiting London for the first time during spring, so March, April, May, uh, which parts of the city or Texas experiences really shine for you? I'm gonna throw one in here of Wisteria in Notting Hill because that is one of my favourites.

SPEAKER_03 11:41

Yes, the wisteria looks gorgeous in Notting Hill and West London, and then you can go on a nice shopping trip around the around Portobello Market. That's lovely. Yes, absolutely. I would say if you're willing to get a little bit out further on the uh west on the district and circle line, um head to Kew, head to Kew Gardens. Um, Kew Gardens is a beautiful place to be in the springtime. Um, they do have their greenhouses, so they do have things that grow uh all year round, but especially when the trees start leaf coming into leaf again, um, there's a beautiful treetop walk that you can do along this wooden walkway that they've done, which is amazing. Um, and it's just a beautiful place to really when the sun peeks out and you, you know, it's bath you're basking in all of this glory around all of these beautiful plants and flora. Um, then yeah, I'd say Q Guns is a good one. For me, also, uh, down by the canal side um is a really nice place to hang out during spring. Um, so uh the the east end of the Grand Union Canal Um is beautiful. You can pop into the sort of very village-like space of Hackney Wick, which is very trendy. Um, you can take in the long boats going down and and up the canal um and uh and just really take in take in the atmosphere. It's a it's a really nice place to be in the springtime. And then if you make it down to the Angel End or King's Cross End, there's a beautiful um open air bookshop um on a barge, which um is great for some secondhand read. So if you don't have any reading material and you want to spend your afternoon in a nice quiet corner reading somewhere in the spring sunshine, then uh then you've got that too.

SPEAKER_04 13:23

Wow, that's lovely. Now, obviously, heading into spring, uh things get busy. So, how what's what's spring like for walks into our tours? What sort of things do you get up to coming into spring?

SPEAKER_03 13:35

Um, so we uh spring, spring's a great time, yes. Coming up to Easter, um things really kick into gear for us and we get we get busier. Um, but it's nice because it's before the summer rush, so you're still able, if you're if you're traveling in the spring, you get the advantage of um, you know, feeling like there's a lot less in the way of crowds. It's still busy and it's still lively and it's still a lot of atmosphere, but you you definitely don't get the same kind of experience as as the summer, which again is lively, but just be prepared for it being a lot busier. You know, July is prime time to be in London and summer is gorgeous, but for spring, um, we are um starting back up our Kensington Palace and afternoon tea tour, where you can really take in the um the beautiful surroundings of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens in the springtime when everything's coming into bloom. Um we're doing our devour tours, so we're doing um Borough Markets, which is lovely in the springtime. On a weekday, um, you get a slightly different uh pace, it's a it's a lot more relaxed. Um, and our London in a day and best of London tours, which um which are great tours that are taking in, you know, really the highlights that you want to see in London, like the Tower of London, like the area of Westminster and the Abbey if you're doing the London in a day tour. Um, so we're very, very busy bees in spring, but we still get to get the sense like we're building up to the summer, and so you get to have a really enjoyable experience if you do come in the spring.

London In Spring With Becky

SPEAKER_04 16:14

So now let's leave the city of London and travel into the English countryside where things feel very different. And our first stop is the lake district, and today we have Asia from Mountain Goat Tours to share all about what to see and do in the lake district in spring.

SPEAKER_07 16:34

Hi Tracy, thank you very much for the invitation to record this UK travel planning um podcast, and today speaking about the lake district in spring. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_04 16:46

So, Asia, tell us what it's like in spring in the lake district, and how does the landscape start to feel as the season arrives?

SPEAKER_07 16:55

So the landscape really does start to change in springtime. So bye bye to winter and hello to the daffodils, the trees regaining their leaves, flowers starting to bloom, and of course, my favourite is the clocks uh uh changing so we get more daylight. There has been some debate as to when spring starts. Some say it's the 1st of March, others say it's a little bit later, around the 20th of March, running all the way through to May or June. Spring in the lake district is uh a little bit quieter than usual times, unless you are visiting during uh Easter holidays. Generally, March and April are much quieter than the high season, but the temperature will still be a little bit cooler. And in early March, you might still spot some of the snow on the higher fells. By March, most of the attractions have reopened if they were closed over the winter, and they might still be offering some slightly discounted prices. One of the great things I love about spring as being a foodie is that the lake district has an abundance of fantastic eateries from cafes to pubs and restaurants, including 15 Michelin stars across three 13 restaurants, which is the most outside of London. And with a new season, brings new produce and high-quality locally sourced food. The Lake District really is a foodies heaven, whatever your budget. Of course, I couldn't talk about spring in the late district without talking about daffodils, which are synonymous with the late district, and famously linked to one of our most loved poets, William Wordsworth. Early spring symbolises the welcome of daffodils across the national park, usually from March onwards until mid-April. As well as daffodils, the lake district is known for its bluebells, usually arrive in the late spring between April and May. Of course, lambs are a lovely sight across the national park during spring as well, and they can be seen in many different locations. There are also many local farms which I now frequent because I have a toddler where you can feed the lambs and uh see them jumping around in the fields. And from May, you'll also see the iconic Herdwick lambs on the fells, which are all black and native to the lake district. It's also a great time to head out uh for a spring walk. There's various different lengths and difficulties. Of course, the Lake District has England's highest mountains, Scarfell Pike, for those more adventurous, but we do have a lot of popular lower level accessible walks, and a great resource is Miles Without Styles, which lists all the routes and accessible routes which can be taken by wheelchair or pram. This includes a popular Oris Headwalk in Windermere or Tarnhouse, which is a circular route near Coniston.

SPEAKER_04 19:51

So Asia, if someone is visiting the Lake District for the first time in spring, which areas or experiences do you recommend?

Lake District In Spring With Asia

SPEAKER_07 19:58

So for anyone visiting the Lake District National Park during spring, some of the places I would uh suggest to visit would be to go and see the spring uh blooms, which are synonymous with the late district, such as the daffodils and the bluebells. So for daffodils, one of the best places to visit would be Rydal, which is just outside of Ambleside. And here you'll find the public wood owned by the National Trust and Dora's Field. Uh, if you visit in the springtime, you'll find uh the first blooms of hundreds of daffodils that were planted by William Wordsworth and his wife in memory of their daughter Dora, hence the name Dora's Field. The field is located next to Rydal Mount, where William Wordsworth lived for most of his life, and it's a fantastic visitor attraction. You can now visit inside, and it's set up as if William Wordsworth was to live there, as well as their gardens, which are also fantastic during the spring and summer. And also in the next village of uh Grassmayer, you'll find the well-known Dove Cottage. This is uh very well known for William Wordsworth, and he lived here for about 14 years of his life. Another hot spot for visiting the daffodils would be Ulswater, which is also the second largest lake in the lake district, particularly Glencoin Bay. This is where William Wordsworth and his sister saw the daffodils on the lake shore, and it inspired William Wordsworth's most famous poem, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, where he describes the host of golden daffodils dancing in the breeze. And whilst you're in Allswater, there's lots to do. You could take a cruise on Allswater. If you're feeling adventurous, you could hike uh up Helvellin, and you can also walk around the whole of Allswater Lake on the Allswater Way. If you're looking for a shorter walk, then Aeroforce is a fantastic short walk which takes you up to a beautiful waterfall. For bluebells, one of the best displays of bluebells in the lake district would be Ranadale Knott, which is near Crummockwater in the Northern Lakes. Nearby is the Quintessential Lake District town of Keswick, which is on the shores of Derwentwater. This is the third largest lake in the lake district. Keswick also has an array of local restaurants, cafes, and pubs, and it also has a local market twice a week, which you'll find on a Thursday and a Saturday. You can visit Keswick on our Ten Lakes tour. We visit here for a lunch stop, so we stay between an hour and an hour and a half, so it gives visitors a great flavour of the uh town. Another one of my favourite spots to visit in the springtime would be Moncaster Castle. So Moncaster Castle has 77 acres of the most tranquil historic gardens in Cumbria. Moncaster Castle is located in the Western Lake District, close to Ravenglass Village, and it's really one of the late district's. Hidden gems. The gardens itself are cultivated areas of lawns and woodlands, and the spring is really the best time to visit Moncaster Castle, particularly May, because this is the bloom of the flowering season. And whilst you're at Moncaster Castle, you can see the wildflowers and the woodlands, and you'll get a surprise of what you can see there as well. We actually visit Moncaster Castle on our Moncaster Castle and Mountain Passes tour. So we spend between two and three hours at Moncaster. We include lunch at the castle in this tour, entry to the castle itself, the gardens, and also the opportunity to see their daily bird of prey show, as well as visiting their medieval weaponry room where you can try archery or axe throwing or crossbows, which is another peak to visit Moncaster Castle. And then another one of my favourite things to do in the national park during spring is go and see the lambs and the sheep, particularly the Herdwick sheep, which are very well known for Beatrix Potter. So Beatrix Potter was a well-respected Herdwick farmer in the Lake District. And when she died, she left 14 of her farms and all her fur flock to the National Trust. One of Beatrix Potter's most famous residence is Hilltop Farm, located just outside Hawkshead. And you can visit Hilltop Farm today and visit. It's set up as if Beatrix Potter had just walked out the door. So it's definitely a location I would suggest to visit. Another of my favourite locations is U Tree Farm. This was also a farm of Beatrix Potter, where she had her flocks of Herdwick sheep. And today you can visit the Herdwick Experience on the farm where you can go and pet and feed the Herdwick sheep and get up close and personal. It's really fantastic for sheep and herdwick lovers. I've done it myself. Yeah, so that's one thing to do in the national park if you're visiting during the spring.

SPEAKER_04 25:12

So, Asia, what does the season bring for Mountain Goat?

SPEAKER_07 25:16

Yeah, so if you don't know who Mountain Goat are, we are a sightseeing tour operator based in the Lake Street National Park, and this year marks our 54th year in operation. We were established in 1972 where we had a small fleet of Ford Transit vehicles. Our inaugural route was connecting two villages over a high mountain pass, Kirkstone Pass, connecting Windermere and Glen Ridden. Today we have a large fleet of Mercedes sprinters and we operate uh scheduled day tours from the Lake District, York, Manchester, Liverpool, and Chester. Here in the Lake District, we have full day and half-day daily tours which depart all year round, every day except Christmas Day, and we have our most popular tour which takes visitors into the Lake District National Park. It gives them a fantastic taster of the Lake District, and you see 10 of the 16 lakes in the national park, including Ulswater, Derwentwater, Grassmere and Rydall, which I've mentioned today. We also have daily departures to visit Beatrix Potter's key locations. As I mentioned, Hilltop Farm is one of those places. And we also have weekly departures to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall, and the Yorkshire Dales as well. So for us, spring brings our start of our summer season, and that's launching on the 21st of March, and it continues all the way through to the end of October, which means we have a full range of our scheduled tours, and of course, our capacity increases. So any vehicles that were put to bed for the winter now get back out into service, so we can offer a range of different services. As I mentioned, we do also have scheduled day tours departing from York, Manchester, Liverpool, and Chester. From York, our visitors can be taken out into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and our most popular tour would be the All Creatures Great and Small tour, as well as into the North York Moors and to Whitby. From Liverpool, Manchester, and Chester, we have tours that take visitors to Snowdonia and North Wales, and as well as a day tour to the Lake District. So it gives visitors a great flavour of the Lake District if they're just visiting those key northern cities for a small amount of time. They can board the bus at nine o'clock in the morning and be back in time for dinner just before 7 pm. And it'll give them a great flavour of the Lake District National Park, and hopefully they'll have the opportunity to come back again in the future and visit and stay in the national park itself.

SPEAKER_04 28:04

Thanks, Asia, for kind of chatting to us about what Mountain Goat offers. And I'll remind uh listeners as well we have a promo code UKTrav10, uh, which will save you 10% if you book a tour with Mountain Goat. And I'll put a link to their website in the show notes for today's episode.

SPEAKER_07 28:21

Thanks for having me today, Tracy. It's been great to chat with you, and hopefully, I've enlightened some of your listeners about what they can do and see in the lake district during spring, and hopefully they'll start planning their visits to Lake District soon. So thank you.

SPEAKER_04 28:36

So from the landscapes of the Lake District, we head down to one of the most quintessential uh English regions, and that is the Cotswolds. And we have little Velisa from Go Cotswolds here to chat all about spring in that quintessential of English locations. Okay, Lisa, it's always fantastic to chat to you all about the Cotswolds and the Cotswolds in spring. Personally, I adore the Cotswolds. My birthday is in spring, so I will be spending the spring weekend on my birthday in the Coxworld. But you rather than me wax lyrical about how much I love the Cotswolds in spring, you can share all about it. So, what changes in the landscape and the atmosphere when when spring starts to arrive in the Coxworld?

SPEAKER_06 29:22

I think probably a lot of wherever you live in the country, people would say a similar thing. It's it's um everything just comes out of hibernation in the spring. Um, I mean, we don't have the kind of endless darkness that perhaps they have in Scandinavia, but we definitely do have dark winters, very little daylight, um, even when it is technically daylight, it's kind of gloomy and grey. Um, and so when you kind of transition out of that into spring, it's like everybody just comes alive, and uh you obviously have the sort of new growth, the green grass turns green again, and the uh flowers bloom and the lambs are skipping about in the fields, and um just for people as well, it's just such a mood lifter. So everyone just feels like they're in a much better mood when spring comes along. I certainly do anyway, but I think collectively as a nation, us Brits probably do have uh seasonally affected disorder because it's just quite grey and dark in the winter. Um, so in the cot swords, particularly, I think that one of the best things about springtime in the cotswolds is the colour and the countryside. Um, flowers everywhere, um in the formal gardens, of course, like places like uh Hidskirt and Cliffsgate and uh Soothee Castle Gardens, High Grove, all those like formal gardens that you can visit are stunning in spring because they really make an effort with their spring planting. Um, but just generally everywhere in the Cotswolds, it's it's colourful. It's um you know, there's uh daffodils and uh the wisteria that grows in on the buildings is is beautiful. Um and it's uh the visitor numbers certainly increase in in the Cotswolds. May, spring, uh sort of May time is uh it's not peak tourist season, but it does get noticeably busier for us for Go Cotswolds. Um, May and June are our busiest times of year, as well as September later in the year as well. Um, and I think it's because typically our typical customers tend to be the people that don't have to travel in the school holidays in the summer. So visiting in the spring and also in the autumn is a really busy time of year for us. So there's kind of a buzz around the Cotswolds villages, it's not super busy like it can get in in some places in the summer, but it's just it's a really nice kind of live feeling.

SPEAKER_04 31:41

It is, it's beautiful, and I'm glad you mentioned the wisteria because that's the first thing that I think about wisteria, and I just oh, it's so beautiful. Um, so if anybody's visiting the Cotswolds for the first time in spring, what sort of experiences or places or sites would you recommend that they include in their itinerary?

SPEAKER_06 31:57

Um, I would definitely say, obviously, apart from coming on a Go Cotswolds tour, uh getting outside, it's it's we've all been stuck indoors all winter and you know hibernating and sheltering from the wind and the rain. And springtime is just the time to kind of get outside, lace up your boots, get out for a walk. You don't have to go on a massive long hike, it doesn't have to be the 102-mile-long Cotswold way, but there are so many beautiful um public footpaths all over the Cotswolds, and it's um a really nice time to explore. Uh, you can walk through fields of new lambs and uh kind of uh blossom trees and and things like that, and it's just really lovely. Um, as I mentioned, the the formal gardens they they obviously do put on good displays uh in spring. Um, Hidcut is my hands down absolute favourite, it just looks stunning. Um, my favourite bit of Hidcut is the magnolia trees, which come out in early spring. Um, so that's uh beautiful and a lovely sight to see. But even just wandering around the villages, uh local residents take quite uh a lot of pride in their gardens and they they planted all their spring bulbs and and the wisteria, yeah. We call it wisteria hysteria in May. It's uh it's very photogenic, um uh yeah, and lots of the kind of Cotswold stone old buildings have this lovely purple wisteria all over the outside, and it just looks lovely.

SPEAKER_04 33:20

It does, it's absolutely gorgeous. Now, what is the best way? And we always talk about this, I guess, when we talk about visiting the Cotswolds, um, because it's a huge area, we've we've discussed that a few times. Um, but what's the best way to experience the Cotswolds without trying to do too much or cover too much ground because it is a large area.

SPEAKER_06 33:39

Yeah, exactly. It's it's over well, around 800 square miles, 2,000 square kilometres of Cotswolds, um, and there are 150 or more towns and villages within in that area. Um, so the best thing to do, as I think I've said this before, is just take it slowly, take it easy. Um, especially if you're visiting from abroad and you've landed in London. London is brilliant, it's got its own magical special energy, it's busy, it's you know, it's pulsing, it's got uh its own kind of characters, but then that's not representative of the whole of England or Britain. So getting outside into the countryside and also is is a really good thing to do, but also slowing down, London is very busy and fast-paced. When you come out into the countryside, it's it's a lot slower paced. So don't rush around trying to do everything, trying to see as much as you possibly can, ticking all the boxes off your bucket list without actually really taking it in. Um, yeah, uh, obviously, a good way to do that is to take some tours with Gay Cotswolds. We have um several different itineraries that you can mix and match over the course of two, three, or four days. Um, and I obviously personally think that that's a really good way to explore the cotswolds. Um, even if you're a driver um and you want to drive around the cotswolds, just take your time, do it slowly, don't rush around trying to do everything at once. Um, but taking a tour or you know, taking public transport even, it's a nice way to sit back. You when you when you're driving, you don't tend to see as much from from the driver's seat. So if taking a tour or you know, exploring in other ways on foot on public transport is a really good way to actually take a lot more in and and appreciate the the pace of life and the beauty of the countryside.

SPEAKER_04 35:26

Absolutely, and the cotworlds is a beautiful, it's a beautiful part of England to do that in. It's just um, you know, I've got some wonderful photos. I love a hidkit and kifskit are absolutely my favorite. I just love both of them, and um I can't think of anything better than in the spring and just wandering around those gardens and uh just enjoying the flowers and they are just so lovely. Now, for you heading into spring, how how do things go for you? Have you got some new things coming this year heading into spring?

Cotswolds In Spring With Lisa

SPEAKER_06 35:54

We do, we do. Um, so for us, we do run all year round our tours, um, but January, February is very, very quiet. We um tend to do just a handful of our best-selling tour, which is the Cotswords in a day tour, which is a wonderful tour any time of year. Um, but in the spring, in fact, um uh we're launching a couple of new tours this month, and we're currently in February. Um, so we're launching two new tours, which we're very excited about, uh, which depart from Oxford. So um all of our up till now, all of our tours have departed from either Stratford-upon-Avon, which is where we live, or from Morton and Marsh, which is in the Cotswolds, and um there's a train station there where people can take the train up from London or Oxford to uh join a tour with us, and that's a very easy thing to do. Um, but we also now have launched a couple of tours which depart directly from Oxford, uh, so that removes one barrier to people perhaps who don't want to take a train out of Oxford, um, and also hopefully we'll capture more people who are staying in Oxford and might not otherwise visit the Cotswolds. Um, so we're really excited about these two new tours. Um, one is a version of our Cotswolds in a day tour, but starts from Oxford, uh, visits some of the highlight villages uh earn a couple of hidden gems as well. Um, and the other is um for the first time we are doing a combination tour of Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon. Um, so we are bringing people at last to our uh to our hometown to let um to allow people to spend time in uh in Shakespeare's town.

SPEAKER_04 37:25

I think that's gonna be um they're both gonna be winners. Absolutely gonna be a real copy. I know they will be, Lisa. And I'm looking forward to hopping on one or two of your tours as always when I'm over in the UK. Um, I love joining in and uh exploring the Cotswolds. I um I'm quite happy to spend as much time as possible in the Cotswolds because it's such a beautiful part of England to visit. So thanks so much for coming on and sharing all about um Spring in the Cotswolds with us. You're welcome. Thank you very much for having me again. Okay, so we are heading further south again, and we're going to the southwest of England and the beautiful county of Devon with Alex from Unique Devon Tours. Hi, Alex, fantastic to have you on the podcast again.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

Hello, Tracy. It's lovely to be back. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04 38:10

Uh, and well, we've got to talk about spring in Devon, don't we, in the southwest and how beautiful it is. So tell us what it's like across Devon, particularly along the coast and obviously in the countryside of Devon too, in spring.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Well, I I feel that uh it's a personal thing, the seasons, and um, you know, I think probably my favourite season is spring, uh, and I'm lucky enough to travel a lot around the world, but uh when I return to Devon and we get to spring, I really can't think of anywhere more beautiful in the world. It's just such a positive time of year. Nature comes to life, the uh the trees are coming into leaf, the flowers, the hedgerows are full of beautiful flowers of all colours, the lambs are being born, the wild Dartmoor ponies are having their foals, and it's just such a positive time of year. The grass looks so lush everywhere, and it's just gorgeous, the evenings are getting longer. So it's a very positive time of year. And along the coast, it just gets more beautiful as the the colours improve and the trees and the bushes and the hedgerows are are in flower. Um and yeah, the weather's improving, uh inland, it's the walks across the fields, the footpaths. It's you're just always blessed by nature coming to its fore. And with it being light until, you know, after nine o'clock, you can have an early dinner and then go out for a beautiful evening walk when nature even more comes to life, you know, the nocturnal animals are appearing. So it's just such a positive time of year. And of course, you've got the summer to look forward to as well, which is you know, so you've got the best time of year for me with so much to look forward to as well.

SPEAKER_04 39:56

Absolutely. Now, if uh if visitors are planning a spring trip to Devon, what is the best way to experience both Devon's coast and countryside?

SPEAKER_00 40:05

Well, I think you know, the obviously I'm going to say the best way to explore it would be with a tour guide. But you know, I'm bound to say that, but there is good reason for it. So uh Devon, one of the things about Devon is uh it's uh it's got this wonderful network of roads and these roads typically are very narrow. So it's not a place you know, you can self-drive here and it's simple enough. But if you really want to get under the surface of this beautiful, diverse county, a tour guide is the answer. You can get to places that you wouldn't find it so easy to get to if you're on your own. If you don't like reversing your car, then I should suggest you stay out of the narrow lanes because they are single track roads, but they're two-way. So there's every chance you might meet a six-ton tractor coming the other way. Um but yeah, I mean, you know, obviously that local knowledge counts for a lot here. And Devon is a place where every day of your life you can discover something new. And it doesn't matter what my guests come to me with, whatever their interests, there's always something for everyone, whether it's literature, nature, landscape, hiking, history, architecture, churches, great food, Devonshire cream teas, and wonderful pub lunches.

SPEAKER_04 41:28

Wow, well, there is so much uh on offer in Devon. And actually, we've just been chatting, and I will I will kind of drop the secret, but um Alex is gonna help uh myself and Doug put together a few days in Devon uh later on this year. So we'll be talking about that and we'll talk about our experience and and chat with uh with Alex afterwards as well. So you can you'll hear more from Alex this year. Now, obviously, um Alex, you're on unique Devon Tours. So going into spring, what what does the season bring for you?

SPEAKER_00 41:57

Uh well, obviously it's one of my busier times of year, which or hopefully it's one of my busier times of year. So uh I should be I should be out and about a lot, sort of from April, May into June. Really busy time of year. Lots of tours, meeting guests from all over the world. Um for me as a photographer, so one of my hobbies is photography. And if you ever wanted any of your listeners ever wanted to follow my unique Devon Tours Facebook page, I share a lot of my photography on there. And uh I shouldn't speak for myself, but uh I do seem to my my followers seem to enjoy what I share. But uh so yeah, the photographic opportunities are exceptional. Um one of my hobbies, not that I get so much time in the spring, but one of my hobbies is metal detecting. So if I have a day off, I might be searching in a field, searching for lost treasure. And one of the things I do sometimes for my guests is I give them a little show and tell of some of my favourite finds. I won't give anything away, but I've got two or three very special treasures that really are museum pieces. Um I love the evenings in the spring because you know, even after a busy day out with guests, I come home, have a bite to eat, and then I can go out for a walk and you know, get that beautiful golden hour with my camera when the sun's going down and the shadows are beautiful, and there's just this lovely haze across the landscape, this green, lush landscape. And also it's a great time to go down to my village green, where we have our village pub. And of course, I do like a pint of cider. Maybe only one if I've got four the next day, but uh that can be a really enjoyable thing. And of course, just around the corner, you've also got the promise of summer. So yeah, it's a very, very positive time of year.

SPEAKER_04 43:48

Yeah, perfect. Well, hopefully, uh myself and Doug and and some of our listeners will be joining you for that pint of cider at some point this year, whether that's in in spring or summer, Alex. It sounds it just sounds so idyllic, and it is beautiful down in Devon. So thanks so much for coming on and sharing about spring in your part of the UK.

SPEAKER_00 44:07

It's a great pleasure, and hopefully I'll get to meet some of your guests. And honestly, four or five days, if you could give me that long to show you around, that's a wonderful time because then I can show you all the different aspects: the coast, the countryside, Dartmoor National Park. I can tell you all about Agatha Christie, the Hound of the Baskervilles, I can take you for the best cream teas, show you lots and lots of thatched cottages, beautiful churches, whatever you want, we've got it here.

SPEAKER_04 44:36

Perfect. Thanks, Alex.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

You're very welcome.

SPEAKER_04 44:40

And finally, we go to the very opposite of the country to Sally Ann from North Coast Explorers in the Far North of Scotland. So, Sally Ann, tell us what is spring like in the far north of Scotland? How does the region start to feel as the season arrives?

SPEAKER_02 44:57

Hello everyone, I'm Sally Ann from North Coast Exploratours, and it's really great to be able to join both you and Tracy on this spring podcast today. One of the things we love most about living in the far north of Scotland is the very noticeable differences that you get between the seasons, and this is partly due to the difference in the number of daylight hours, particularly between summer and winter. But after the darkness of winter, spring brings a really new optimism as the days start to get longer and brighter, and the prospect of spring is probably my favourite time of year. It's almost like our region has been in hibernation and is waking up again. Although, of course, that's not the case, I'm sure you realise that life does continue through the winter for those of us living here. But with the spring, people are out and out and about more, farmers are getting on with their jobs in earnest, and we're quite an agricultural society. The light changes, that's one of the really big things from the oranges of winter to the lighter, brighter yellows and blues of spring and then summer. And also, really noticeably, it's the new life that begins to appear very visibly. And two things we particularly love living up here, which I think are really signs of optimism in the spring, are firstly the amount of lambs you see in the fields being born sometimes, and then especially when they're frolicking in small groups as they get older, which I think always brings a smile to people's faces, and there are a lot of lambs up here. And also, the second thing, something which has surprised me every year, are the colours of the spring flowers, especially the yellow ones, daffodils, primroses, crocuses, uh, cow slips, even they are so bright, and I guess this is probably due to the very clear air that we have up here, and for me they bring such joy after the darker winter months. So, as a whole, the region has a very special buzz about it, I think, as spring arrives, and this reflects the optimism of the season.

SPEAKER_04 47:22

So, if someone is visiting the far north of Scotland for the first time in spring, what are the areas, routes, or experiences that you would recommend they include in their itinerary?

SPEAKER_02 47:32

If you're visiting the North Highlands or the far north of Scotland in spring, we would probably suggest the coastal route is the most rewarding area to visit, any part of it to be honest, during the spring. It's the time when the migratory birds return and there's plenty of seals that can be found around the coast. And at some point in April, it's the time when the puffins return after their winter out at sea. So we know that people are always interested in the puffins. There are certain spots around the coast where you're more likely to see them. No guarantee when in April they'll arrive, but at some point they will, and it is a good time to see them. But of course, a couple of things to be aware of if you're visiting in the spring. Firstly, the weather, isn't that always the case in Scotland? Of course, there's no guarantees at any time of year, but in the spring it's possible to have snow in the morning, but then have blue skies and sunshine in the afternoon. So, all we say really is be prepared with layers of clothing and probably a waterproof coat, but we do say that at all times of year. We did have a tour last April where we had some glorious weather, so you just never know. But secondly, do be aware that some of the tourist attractions and some of the family-run cafes are not open all year. Many open in the spring, possibly at the beginning of April or Easter weekend, depending when that falls. But regardless, um you know, there's always places to go, and the scenery stays the same. And as I said before, I think it's probably one of my favourite times of year. It's generally quieter, of course, in the spring than the summer months up here in terms of tourists. So you've got space to truly breathe and to really soak up uh the views and the space and the big skies and everything else that the North Highlands of Scotland has to offer.

SPEAKER_04 49:46

And finally, Sally Ann, what does the season bring for you guys up in the far north of Scotland?

Devon In Spring With Alex

SPEAKER_02 49:52

And what does spring mean for us, us as a business and individuals? Well, I think probably two things really. First of all, it's a time when we often get out and do some research. Um, we love these quieter months, the spring months, to follow up on desk research, uh book research that Robert tends to do during the winter months. He's always scouring publications for new things to do, new places to visit, new walks, or even viewpoints. And he reads a lot of historic books, which means that he finds things that people in yesteryear have discovered, but actually aren't always in the, in fact, often aren't in the modern tourist books that exist. So we go out and do some research, tramp the hills and search for new roads to drive down. And when we're not doing that, of course, we're preparing for the tours that we have in the coming months. And we already have all the itineraries planned for booked tours, but it's during this time that I spend some time looking at all the finer details, maybe booking lunches, dinners, boat tours, uh, distillery visits, any other places that need to be booked in advance. It's the best time to do it because you know who's going to be opening during the season and when and what hours. So I do a lot of detailed work in the spring in terms of firming up all those last little nitty-gritty bits. And of course, lastly, we have this anticipation of meeting all the new guests for our season ahead, which is always exciting. You know, we love sharing our area, and it's a really um it's a brilliant time actually when you're waiting for it all to start happening again. So if you feel like you might fancy a little bit of the North Highlands and the far north of Scotland in spring, then we'd love to see you. And we do have still have some um availability in April. So if anybody out there wants a last-minute trip, then we'd love to speak to you. But otherwise, I hope you've been um slightly educated, shall we say, on what it's like up here and just some of the reasons that we love it. So thanks for listening to me.

SPEAKER_04 52:24

Thanks again, Sally Ann, for coming on to the podcast and sharing all about spring in your part of the UK. Always lovely to chat. So, what I love about spring travel in the UK is that the season unlocks something different in every part of the country. So, thanks so much to Becky, Asia, Lisa, Alex, and Sally Ann from the NG of London, the countryside and the lake district, the Cotswolds, Coast and Landscapes and Devon and the sense of space and light in the Farn of the Scotland. Spring really is about choosing the experiences that suit your trip. Now, I will link to each of our guests' websites in the show notes at uktravelplanning.com forward slash episode 190. Let us know if spring is in your plans, uh, whether it's this year or next year, let us know via Speakpipe. What are you planning to do? We absolutely love to hear from you. And as always, we would love it if you would leave us a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps others to find our podcast. And if you have friends who are planning to visit the UK in spring, why not forward this episode to them? Anyway, that just leaves me though to say as always, until next week, happy UK travel planning. Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanning.com. If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? We love to hear from you, and you never know, you may receive a shout out in a future episode. But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week, happy UK travel planning.