Inspiration
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…
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…
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…
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…
What To Do With All The Blackberries....
If you are lucky enough to be with us in sunny Snowdonia this September, you will find it hard to miss all the blackberries – the crop is good and there’s plenty for everyone. So what to do with all the blackberries? You could go all nouveau cuisine and spend hours boiling and reducing for some fan dangled jus or if you’re on holiday, a good old traditional Welsh blackberry pie or a Welsh blackberry pudding could be your preferred option – they are simple, quick and absolutely delicious. Welsh Blackberry Pie: Take an oven proof plate and roll enough short crust pastry to cover to the edges. Put 400g of your freshly picked blackberries over the pastry and sprinkle 200g of granulated sugar over the berries. Roll out the remaining pastry to cover the blackberries, using a fork to crimp the edges of the pastry together, trimming the edges as you go along. Prick the…
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…
