Inspiration
Festival No 6 Countdown...
“Welcome to a festival like no other, a bespoke banquet of music, arts and culture in the most stunning festival setting in the world.” It’s in the Daily Mail’s top 10 UK Festivals as well as being voted Best Festival and Most Unique Festival Site in 2014 and its 4th year is set to be better than the last. Portmierion is a very magical place in its own right, but with Festival No 6 in town that magic goes to another level. Belle and Sebastian, James Bay and Grace Jones are included in a lineup of over 500 music artists. Festival goers can also enjoy a ‘conversation with Steve Coogan’ or a Q&A session with award winning director Asif Kapadia and producer Mark Ronson following a screening of their award winning film ‘Amy’. Illuminated bands, parades and carnivals fill this most inspiring of venues with life and colour. Secret raves, pop up parties, foraging expeditions, children’s storytelling and stand up paddle boarding means…
Whitewater Rafting In Snowdonia
Whitewater rafting comes up on many a bucket list and many of us think that in order to do experience it properly, we have to go far flung places across the world. Not the case. The National White Water Centre, located here in Snowdonia, is the only commercially rafted stretch of water in the UK. A mix of natural resources and dam controlled rapids, make it one of the best places in the world to enjoy the sport. Depending on what you are looking for in your whitewater experience, its all covered here…. the Tryweryn river mixes the intensity of an Olympic-grade whitewater course with a gentle journey through the Snowdonia National Park. The grade 3-4 rapids on the upper Tryweryn will offer you the full thrill of whitewater, but if admiring the beauty of the area is more you’re thing, you might be tempted by the grade 2-3 rapids on the lower part. However, if…
New Quadcopter Footage Shows Snowdonia At its Very Best
We’ve all heard that Snowdonia is a stunning part of the world, but its not until you actually see it can you believe how mesmerisingly beautiful the area is…. So Gwion has been out making use of his quadcopter to show some of our properties in all their glory. Where photos simply cannot capture the true beauty of the sweeping mountains and landscape, it is now possible to see the real Snowdonia with the use of Gwion’s new toy! New Quadcopter Footage Shows Snowdonia At its Very Best…enjoy! https://youtu.be/fhbW_suMfkM
5 Family Walks For The Easter Holidays
Walking in Snowdonia is a must when visiting, but not all of us are up for the full mountain experience, especially with children in tow. So we have put together 5 family walks for the Easter holidays that offer beautiful views along with a mix of terrain suitable for all ages and abilities….. BARMOUTH The Panorama Walk: This Barmouth classic that boasts 3 different walks; short (1.7Km), medium (7.1Km) and long (10.2Km). The views are totally breath taking when you look down the Mawddach Estuary from the gardens. You might want to take a picnic to sit and eat here as there is a bench for the adults and great stones that look like chairs for the kids! DOLGELLAU The Precipice Walk A 3 mile walk through the Nannau estate offers great views down the Mawddach Estuary and the principal mountain ranges of Snowdonia; there is not much climbing or descending involved and it is an…
Top 10 Things a Kid should do before they are 11
So the National Trust launched a campaign last Autumn to encourage our ‘cotton wool’ kids out into the great outdoors by listing 50 things a child should do before they are 11 – all back to basics, simple fun with not an electronic gadget in sight – we LOVE this! EVERYTHING on the list can be done in Snowdonia, so if your coming to stay with us this year with younger ones in tow, make the most of it and get them ticking things off the list. To get you started, here are our top 10 things a kid should do before they are 11 that we think are unique to Snowdonia and can be done in that extra special way, creating those memories for life: 1 – SKIM A STONE – whether its by the sea or on the lakes, its so satisfying when you finally get the stone to jump (for adults too!). 2…
5 Favourite Star Gazing Spots In North Wales
The wonder of the night sky has inspired countless generations, poets, scientists and dreamers. Today this natural resource is threatened by the careless use of artificial light and so the International Dark-Sky Association works to protect and preserve the night sky for future generations. Much of Mid and North Wales is prime dark sky territory and with this in mind, Snowdonia is currently bidding for Dark Skies Status with the which would further protect its beautiful landscape offering some of the worlds best stargazing. If you are here over the winter period, you will have plenty of opportunity to see the night skies in all their glory; with less day light hours in an area with little light pollution, it’s a great opportunity to get to know the dark side – see the milky way, ponder Orion’s belt and of course make a wish upon a shooting star. So wrap up warm, fill the flask with…
Foodie Gifts From North Wales....
Its no secret that being a foodie these days is up there in the cool stakes…….garlic mayonnaise is now commonly referred to as aoli, chilli jam goes with everything and salad creme is definitely something you eat in secret! North Wales is home to many small, artisan food brands that are fast becoming popular and we love them not only because they put us on that ‘cool’ foodie map, but they also taste delicious! So if you’re looking to give your friends and family something different for Christmas that also tick the useful box, look no further as here is a list of the best foodie gifts from North Wales …. The Snowdonia Cheese Company: With names like the Little Black Bomber, Green Thunder and Red Devil , the cheese board has gone up a few notches from a simple offering of cheddar and red leicester. Beautifully packaged in colourful waxes, these cheeses will be a…
Top 5 Mountain Biking in North Wales
Nothing comes close to the feel of a rugged tread plunging into the fresh soil of an undiscovered path, rushing through undergrowth, scaling up a rocky trail and emerging, triumphant, to be greeted by a breathtaking vista of endless coastlines and rugged, forested mountains – unless you have found your way to cosy pub at the end of it all as well, of course. With some of the world’s most beautiful untouched territory at hand, the North Wales has just about everything that an avid mountain biking enthusiast can possibly thirst for – and we’ve got five fantastic routes that you’ll just have to put on that 2014 itinerary. Coed y Brenin Meaning “King’s Wood” in Welsh, this spectacular piece of land rolls out in true Welsh regal style, imposing and supernatural in its scale and presence. Part of Snowdonia National Park, it features several single-track courses as well as a dual-slalom course, and is a…
Self Catering Barn Near Pwllheli, Llyn Peninsula - Bryncaled Diary
“Despite the inclement weather we all had a fabulous break in a delightful, well appointed cottage. It was close to all amenities and yet remote enough for peace and tranquility. Facilities were spot on, in fact we enjoyed it so much, we considered taking a few extra days onto our fortnight’s holiday, but unfortunately it was booked. It was our granddaughters 1st holiday, 1st time at the beach, 1st tooth, and 1st paddle in the sea, many other 1sts – so memorable we will have to do it again very shortly. Cannot recommend it highly enough.” – Alan Jones, Shropshire As it was such a lovely day, we decided we would spend our first day in Aberdaron so the girls could enjoy the beach. The village of Aberdaron, not too far from where we were staying could only be described as one of the most idyllic little seaside villages we’ve ever come across. Set right next…
Cycling Holiday in North Wales
If, like me, you’ve been inspired by team GB’s performance in the velodrom during the London Olympics, you might want to consider bringing your bikes along when you next visit North Wales. Here’s a couple of places for you to consider. Coed Y Brennin Probably the best mountain biking centre in the UK. Miles and miles of rugged trails with fantastic names like ‘Beast of Brennin’, ‘Dragons Back’ and ‘Minour Tour’. The trails are colour coded according to difficulty similar to ski slopes. So all abilities can be confident of having a great time. All the trails start and finish from the new eco visitor centre just south of Trawsfynydd on the A470. There’s a nice café there, a well stocked spares shop, bike wash facilities and shower cubicles. Bikes can also be hired from the very nice people at Beics Brennin. Mawddach Trail The Mawddach Trail is the perfect choice for a family outing out…
