Outdoor sports are synonymous with the British and Scottish ways of life. No suprise there—with a climate like this, you have to move fast to keep warm! But there's something in the land itself that draws Brits outside; most of it, of course, is wide open and green. Yet it's also compact, meaning adventure is never more than a short hop away.

Once in the countryside, you'll find endless opportunities for exploration. Ride horseback through the Welsh hills or the rugged wilds of Scotland; follow in the wizard Merlin's footsteps through the mist-shrouded mountains of Snowdonia; or just cycle gently from pub to pub through the quiet Cotswold Hills. You'll become enamored with the countryside that was home to Shakespeare, Austen, and Hardy.

Then get off the beaten path; you'll get beyond the stodgy stereotype and (perhaps) come to understand the British finely-tuned sense of the ridiculous. Bog Snorkelling and the Real Ale Wobble sound like Monty Python skits and do, in fact, involve extreme silliness. But no matter which adventures you choose, you'll take part amid some of the world's most spectacular forest and mountain scenery.

England Adventures Explore Scotland - Highlands hiking and countryside bike rides Top Europe Trips - Walk through Tuscan hilltowns or bike through Provence