Surfing

 

Surfing is a popular pastime throughout the UK from the coasts of Scotland right down to the South west of England in the infamous counties of Cornwall and Devon. It is a sport loved by many from the experienced hard core surfer that not only enjoys the sport as a hobby but enjoys competing, right down to the young child having lessons on their summer holidays. With so many places across the UK to enjoy surfing you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a self-catering country cottage holiday location. Some of the most well known destinations to enjoy surfing include, Newquay in Cornwall, Croyde in Devon, Inner Hebrides in Scotland, Whitesands in Wales and Mullaghmore in Sligo, Ireland but there are also plenty of other exciting places for you to stay and enjoy great surfing.

Scotland

Home to golden secluded beaches, beautiful, clean, clear waters and isolated locations Scotland makes a wonderful place to enjoy surfing and that what makes it one of Europe's top destinations for the sport. As it is surrounded by Atlantic and North sea swells all through the year, it is almost guaranteed that whenever you visit you will experience some pretty amazing waves. A visit to the Outer and Inner Hebrides will provide you with a fantastic surfing experience in one of the best surfing destinations in the UK, consistent surf, clear safe waters and stunning white sand beaches will make your country cottage holiday extra special, as well as your surfing. The sunny mild climate of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides and waves for all abilities make this area also a fantastic location for a surfing holiday. There is also the opportunity to have lessons whilst you visit the area and hire equipment if you don't have your own.

To experience some world-class surfing you will have to travel north to Thurso which not only attracts a great number of visitors throughout the year but also hosts some of the most prestigious contents in the UK and Europe. The area is home to a rugged shoreline which helps to produce huge, fast and powerful breaks making this a location not for the unexperienced or faint hearted, the swells have even been compared to those in Hawaii.

Wales

Scattered with reefs, beautiful beaches, and a fabulous 750 mile coastline it should come as no surprise that Wales would make a fantastic destination for a surfing holiday with a cosy country cottage thrown in. Catering for beginners right through to the most experienced, Wales has a beach or a swell to suit everyone. Receive expert tuition, group lessons or go at it alone, you will still have a fantastic time hitting the waves on the Welsh coast. For people just starting out it is important to find beaches that are both clean and safe, therefore some of the beaches suitable for beginners include Llangennith on the Gower Peninsula, Borth on the mid wales coast and Whitesands in Pembrokeshire. More confident surfers should make their way to Hells Mouth in Porth Neigwl, Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsular or Marloes in Pembrokeshire. Finally the expert surfers among you need to visit Freshwater west in Pembrokeshire, Severn Bore on the River Severn or Whitesands in Pembrokeshire. The majority of the beaches suitable for surfing can also provide board and wet suit hire as well as great personal tuition or group lessons.

England

As mentioned before some of the top surfing spots to be found in England are located in the south and south west. Watergate Bay in Cornwall is a well known and popular choice boasting two miles of beach at low tide and less popularity than Newquay so it doesn't get crowded until high tide. Also within the county of Cornwall you can find intermediate surfer's Sennen Cove with one of the most consistent breaks in Britain, because of its exposed location Sennen is home to some terrific waves and is known to still have surf when the rest of the area is flat.

Ireland

Ireland is home to roughly 3,500 miles of coastline with plenty of beautiful beaches that are perfect for enjoying many watersports, but here the most popular is surfing. Even though the weather and beach lifestyle is absent, Ireland has still become a great place to enjoy surfing. To begin with Bundoran is regarded as the mecca of surfing in Ireland, lying on the rugged north west coastline the town has an extensive sea front, plenty of surf schools, fantastic festivals and has even been the host of the Quiksilver World masters competition in 2001. The perfect location for any ability from the early beginner to the experienced surfer Bundoran and Donegal Bay boast great surfing conditions, as well as Tullan Strand.

Another interesting spot to enjoy a good surf is Archill Island in county Mayo, Keel Strand is considered one of the best surfing spots in Ireland and the area offers fantastic medium sized waves throughout the year. With a beach facing almost every direction Archill can provide for any wind direction or swell and you will definitely experience a new kind of surfing here. County Mayo is also a beautiful county to explore whilst on your country cottage surfing holiday.

County Waterford is widely regarded as a popular area of Ireland to surf, Tramore has great opportunities for the beginner and first time surfer. With much slower forming waves this beach is perfect for getting your technique perfect and practicing those moves. There is also a 3 mile stretch of south facing beach which is suitable for the more advanced surfer, home to the continuous challenge of changing beach break waves. Bunmahon also offers some more challenges for the experienced surfer.

 

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