Inspiration
Christmas Markets In North Wales | 2016
It’s hard to believe that we are only 6 weekends away from Christmas making it time to start putting things in the diary. In my experience, there is nothing better than a Christmas Market to get you into the spirit of things – with all that great food, mulled wine, local crafts and music, you cannot fail to get into the festive swing. Here are my Top Christmas Markets in North Wales | 2016: LLANDUDNO CHRISTMAS FAYRE 17TH – 20TH NOVEMBER With 165 stalls, this is one of the bigger markets . A Dickensian theme runs throughout the 4-day event held in this quintessential Victorian seaside town. Lots of local crafts, food and drink. ABERSOCH CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL 25th – 26th NOVEMBER This fair takes place throughout the village of Abersoch and has become quite a big event in the calendar. A very family orientated weekend makes this a really great event. PORTMEIRION FOOD…
ART GALLERIES IN NORTH WALES
There are some great art galleries in the area and so if art is your ‘thing’, you won’t be disappointed, but likewise, as the winter months settle in, you might just want some inspiration to do something that doesn’t involve the great outdoors. Here are our favorite art galleries in North Wales… PLAS GYLN Y WEDDW | LLANBEDROG This impressive grade II Gothic Victorian Mansion is the perfect place to view some of Wales’ best art. The gallery was originally established in 1896 to showcase the art collection of the Jones-Parry family of the Mandryn estate. There are now over 80 artists exhibited at the gallery. MOSTYN | LLANDUDNO Wales’ leading gallery of contemporary art. The turn of the century galleries at MOSTYN are integrated alongside recently expanded new spaces, in a stunning design by architect Dominic Williams. Six galleries showcase the best of contemporary art, displaying a wide range of…
Top 10 | Things To Do This Half Term In Snowdonia
With the choice of things to do in the area, sometimes is hard to know what to do. To help you make the most of your half term, here are our Top 10 | Things To Do This Half Term In Snowdonia: 1. VISIT A SPOOKY CASTLE As Halloween falls over this half term, you can rest assured that the Castles will be putting on lots of spooky entertainment. For a guide as to what’s happening at those closest; Harlech, Criccieth, Caernarfon, and Conwy, check out the CADW website for more details. 2. COED Y BRENIN If you want to get te kids out in the fresh air, COED Y BRENIN is perfect. Mountain biking trails catering for all ages and abilities makes this, in my opinion, one of the best activities the area has to offer. If you don’t have your bikes with you, you can hire on site. There is a…
Top 5 | Holiday Cottages for Half Term
Half term is nearly upon us and if you haven’t made plans yet, you just might want to consider coming to Snowdonia. There is so much to do here from adventure activities like canyoning, gorge walking, surfing, zip lines and climbing to visiting the castles, panning for gold, and learning about King Arthur and Merlin. Last but not least, our beautiful beaches, lakes, and mountains offer days out that will provide you with memories for life. To tempt you a little more, here are our Top 5 | Holiday Cottages for Half Term… NANT SLEEPS 3 | FARM STAY | WIFI | NEAR BEACH | NEAR PUB | REAL FIRE Nant, which means brook or spring in welsh and refers to the small brook that runs past this cottage, is a two bedroom self-catering barn conversion in Dyffryn Ardudwy. Perfect if you are a small group and ideally located to make of the most of…
Historic Houses of Snowdonia
Snowdonia is home to some beautiful houses. Ambling around, taking in the incredible interiors, stunning gardens and histories are always a great way to while away an afternoon and the tales of romance, bribery and smuggling of contraband are just an added bonus! If you are looking for something different to do while you are here or the weather is getting in the way of your outdoor activities, why not take a day out and visit some of these beautiful homes. Here are four of our favourite historic houses of Snowdonia… PENRYN CASTLE | BANGOR Home to Dawkins – Pennant’s, this mock castle in Norman style is so impressive with its abundance of intricate plaster and stone carving; especially the stone staircase which is breathtaking. Queen Victoria is one of the more notable guests and the slate bed which was commissioned for her stay in 1859 is still in situ. A walled garden, extensive formal…
Barmouth Walking Festival 2016
From 17th – 26th September, The Barmouth Walking Festival 2016 is back in town. Always very popular with nearly 40 walks to choose from and a good selection of evening entertainment, this year looks set to be as good as ever… Set on the coast of Snowdonia, Barmouth is perfectly placed to experience the Mawddach Estuary, Rhinog Mountains and the Cadr Idris range. The festival was set up to help those wanting to explore the area in the company of experienced and knowledgable guides. Walks are graded depending on their difficulty, varying between A++ for experienced walkers, A-Hard, B-Moderate and C easier, ensuring there is something for everyone. There are varying options available; 1 walk costs £8.50, but if you want to fully immerse yourself into the week, there are various packages available. A number of evening events put on are a great way to meet other walkers and locals who are always keen to tell…
Top 10 Landscape Photography Locations in Eryri (Snowdonia)
If you want to get to grips with landscape photography, there is no better place than Eryri (Snowdonia). Top 10 Landscape Photography Locations In Eryri…
Snowdonia Giving... Giving Back To Snowdonia
With over 6 million visitors to Snowdonia National Park every year, it naturally takes its toll on the Snowdonia landscape, especially the foot paths, rivers and mountains. 350,000 people climb Snowdon every year alone. Snowdonia Giving is a new scheme set up to work with the local communities, organisations, businesses and individuals to protect the Snowdonia National Park both now and in the future – it is a way to easily donate a small amount of money to help save Snowdonia; every penny counts and used towards the following: Practical conservation which involves the clearing of litter, maintaining foot paths and improving habitats for wildlife. Campaigning to protect the cultural heritage and inappropriate development. Support for the young people of the area, promoting traditional skills. Here at Dioni, we are very supportive of Snowdonia Giving and have set up a facility for you to voluntarily donate £1 to Snowdonia Giving when you book a holiday cottage…
What To Do with a Moody Teenager This Summer In Snowdonia
Anyone with teenage children will know the gruelling performance one has to go through when entertaining a ‘teenager’ on holiday. Even though the days of your child enjoying or even wanting to do what you planned are a far distant memory, all is not lost… I am not suggesting the daily fight of getting them up and out will go, but from personal experience, this list of what to do with a moody teenager this summer in Snowdonia has been a life saver… CLIMB A MOUNTAIN This will be met with untold amount of complaining. However, just choose one of the bigger peaks so it’s a challenge and something they will remember with pride. After the first mile of moaning, they soon get into it and when you reach the more challenging aspects of the summits, they will come into their own. ZIPLINING Zip World have the fastest zip line in the world and…
What Happens To The Wool When The Sheep Are Sheared?!
I went to see a friend at the weekend and whilst having a cup of tea was entertained by the sheep being sheared in the ‘back garden’. It it did make me chuckle seeing a ‘mobile hairdressers’ set up in the field for the sheep and made me think about “what happens to the wool when the sheep are sheared?”… STAGE 1 | SHEARING Sheep shearing is an important and social time in the farming calendar. Here in Snowdonia, the farms still join forces to help one another to shear the flocks. When it comes to the art of shearing, it is preferable to get the fleece off all off in one piece. It makes for a much easier job when sorting at the mills as different parts of the fleece are used for different products e.g. clothing, carpets, blankets etc. STAGE 2 | SCOURING Scouring is the the technical term for…
Wine and Beer Tours Snowdonia Style
There are a number of really good home grown beers, wines and spirits here in Snowdonia. Many of the breweries, vineyards and distilleries do tour and tasting sessions. The tours are a great way to sample and enjoy these local drinks aswell as getting to see where and how they are made. So why not try the wine and beer tours Snowdonia Style….. BRAGDY BREWERY CONWY Launched 13 years ago, they are the first ever brewery in Conwy. Specialising in cask & bottle conditioned ales, they have a wide variety of beer including seasonal varieties like Beachcomber Blonde and Hoppy Christmas along with a new range which has take inspiration from the USA. You can be a brewer for the day by shadowing one of the team and see how its done or you can design your own beer; great for a group of people up to 8 – you get 6 cases of your…
Snowdonia Style Adventure | Sailing
Sailing in the North Wales doesn’t get as much of the lime light as other adventure activities, but with all of our beautiful coastline and the abundance of lakes it’s a pretty good place to learn and a great activity for the whole family to get involved in. Here are our top 5 places you can learn to sail. PLAS MENAI | CAERNARFON Located in-between Bangor and Caernarfon, Plas Menai is the National Outdoor Centre for Wales. They offer both beginner and intermediate sailing courses on the sheltered coastal waters of the Menai Strait. Under the guidance of their highly qualified instructors, all the courses are run to the guidelines of the RYA. BALA SAILING CLUB | BALA Situated at the Bala sailing club on Llyn Tegid and surrounded by the Snowdonia mountains, this is a stunning place to learn to sail. They offer both level 1 and 2 RYA courses which take place…
North Wales Mini Festivals
Though out the summer, North Wales plays host to a number of big music festivals. There are however, some smaller, lesser known ones that are just as much fun and definitely worth a visit. Here are some North Wales Mini Festivals that you might not have heard about taking place over the summer: ROCK ARDUDWY: 10 – 11th June This is the second year that Rock Ardudwy is happening and this time is taking place over 2 days. Starting on the Friday, the entertainment takes place in Harlech Castle itself with a folk inspired evening along with a couple of key local talents. Saturday sees the event move to downtown Harlech by the leisure centre and from 2pm-12pm, there will be local bands, food and drink stalls as well as entertainment for the children. CRICCIETH FESTIVAL: 18 – 25th June This week long festival is set throughout the beautiful seaside town of Criccieth; home…
Top 5 Snowdonia Seafood Dining Experiences
Being so close to the coast, we do seafood very well in Snowdonia and I’m not talking fish and chips. I’m talking about hidden gems of restaurants that offer incredible seafood in fantastic locations… here are our top 5 Snowdonia seafood dining experiences: TWNTI SEAFOOD, PWLLHELI Based in-between Pwllheli and Abersoch, this converted barn, off the beaten track really does have a reputation for excellent seafood. It has been running for over 26 years and is a real favourite with those who know of it. DYLANS, CRICCIETH Following on from its success in Menai Bridge, Dylans opened up their second location in the Maes-Y Mor on the beach fronton Criccieth. A fabulous environment with an extensive fish menu alongside pizza, burgers and pasta. They have a separate bar there too if you just fancy a drink overlooking the sea. MARRAM GRASS, ANGLESEY Having received great reviews in the national press and Julia Bradbury…
Snowdonia Style Adventure | Canyoning
As its not a run of the mill activity, the sport of canyoning is a mystery to some. For those not in the know, it is when you work your way down natural gorges / canyons (areas of water erosion between 2 mountains) using walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling) and swimming. The Snowdonia landscape is perfect for this sport due to the number of canyons that have been created over the years. Don’t worry, you won’t be tackling anything in the relms of The Grand Canyon, but you will be challenged, have a lot of fun and introduced to some of the most beautiful areas of Snowdonia that can’t be accessed just by foot. So what to expect? Once you are suited and booted it’s really a case of finding an entry point and making your way down the river using a combination of the skills mentioned above. There will be jumps ranging from 5ft…
Best Beach Bar in the World | Ty - Coch Inn
Some of the best places to visit are those off the beaten track and The Ty-Coch Inn in the tiny fishing village of Porthdinllaen on the Llyn Peninsula is no exception. To get there you either have to arrive by water on boat or jet ski or walk for 20 minutes down from the golf course or across from Nefyn beach….is it the best beach bar in the world? When you get to Porthdinllaen you know you are somewhere special; the village is set in a hidden cove on the beach and the Ty Coch Inn is at the heart of it all. The pub is uber relaxed and you almost feel overdressed by even wearing shoes. It’s a popular place during the summer and they cater for that; lots of outside table space and pergolas and of course the famous wall on which you can sit and enjoy the view. The food is good pub…
Top 5 Unique Snowdonia Shopping Experiences
Mooching around the shops of small towns and villages is very much part of a holiday. For one, you have the time to enjoy a bit of leisurely retail therapy and secondly, it is a rare chance to see a high street of independent shops. In Snowdonia of course, we like to do things a little differently and that goes for our shopping experiences too; some are off the beaten track, some are treasure troves you didn’t know existed and some are, well in the cattle market….. here are our top 5 unique Snowdonia shopping experiences…. CAE DU DESIGNS | HARLECH This is one of the best treasure troves you will ever find and once you’ve been introduced, you will be back time and time again. People come here year on year to stock up on material for home furnishings. There is a lovely cafe next door to deposit your ‘other half’ giving you plenty…
Swimming Snowdonia | Wild Swimming At Its Best
There has been a lot of coverage about wild swimming in the Snowdonia mountains of late, and the film Blue Hue produced by Natasha Brooks has certainly helped. The film was winner of the Women in Mountain Adventure film competition 2015, the Spirit Of Adventure film award 2015 and gained international recognition when selected for the Banff Mountain Film Festival tour 2016. We are very lucky here with so many beautiful swimming spots to choose from. Accomplishing a wild swim is invigorating, satisfying as well as peaceful and calming; I have never met a person yet who wishes they hadn’t done one! If entering into the realms of wild swimming peaks your interest, here are 5 top spots that will certainly give you a taster of wild swimming at its best: WATKINS PATH WATERFALL An extended series of pools and falls starting close to the Snowdon Watkins path. It’s used a lot by walkers coming…
Niki Pilkington | An Artists Profile
Niki Pilkington is an Welsh born illustrator currently living in New York. Her work is described as highly charged, trend inspired fashion portraits which has gained her a client list which includes TOPSHOP, Ted Baker, Sir Paul McCartney & MTV. Using her mother tongue, Welsh in her work, she is well known for combining her love of phrases, idioms and beautiful quotes into her pieces – it’s great to see the welsh language incorporated into a high fashion, modern environment – and even more so on an international stage. Her original works tend to be found on the walls of private collectors homes, but the good new is that prints are also sold through galleries and on line including the gallery at Plas Glyn y Weddw . Being a local girl to the area from Morfa Nefyn, we asked her where was her favourite place to visit and favorite place to eat in Snowdonia. Beddgelert was…
Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen - The Welsh Valentines Day
Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen (pronounced Doo-In-Wen) is the Welsh Valentines day and celebrated on the 25th January. Santes Dwynen is the Welsh saint of love and her story is steeped in Celtic folklore… She was the daughter of the king Brychan Brycheiniog and one of 24 siblings all of whom were blessed with beauty; Dwynen however was the most beautiful. During a banquet at court, Dwynwen and a young prince, Maelon Drafodrill, met and fell in love. The following day Maelon rushed to ask Brychan for his daughters hand in marriage, but alas she was betrothed to another. Maelon left the court distraught without even saying goodbye to Dwynwen. Heartbroken, Dwynwen fled to the forest where she prayed to God, asking him to rid her of her love for Maelon. When she eventually fell asleep, Dwynwen had the strangest dream. Maelon was walking towards her through the trees when an angel, sent by God, came down from…
