Top 10 picnic spots for a motorcycle ride-out

by Frazer Ansell
July 7, 2017

The days are long and the sun is warm so now is the perfect time for a motorcycle ride-out and a picnic at one of the UK’s most picturesque locations.

But with so many beautiful places to pick from, where to go?

The team at Bikesure, the freethinking insurance broker, has come up with their very own top ten motorcycle ride-outs to scenic UK destinations for the summer of 2017.

They are all perfect spots where you can really kick back and enjoy the view this summer.

And you will find they are just as good if you are a biker hiker who wants to get out there and explore what our glorious coast and countryside has to offer.

Mind you, before you head off, make sure your motorcycle has had a good service and that your Bikesure breakdown insurance is up to date.

Once that’s all sorted crack on, make the sandwiches, pack the top box and set the satnav for a great trip!

The Bikesure top 10 motorcycle ride-outs for a scenic picnic

Kymin Hill near in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire is a great place to sit and while away the hours. There are spectacular views of the Welsh countryside and far-off mountains, picturesque pleasure grounds and beautiful woodland walks to keep you entertained.

Some of the most stunning sights the United Kingdom has to offer are in Scotland. There are countless lochs and mountains, including Loch Katrine, where you can lay out a picnic blanket, look over the water, and take in the magnificent landscape. And for a great view of the mountain Ben Lawers, which stands at a staggering 4,000ft, ride a little farther to GlenOgle and from there it’s just a short walk for the best view of the mountain.

If you fancy a picnic sitting alongside the river then the Crook O’Lune in Lancashire is a great option. You can sit by the river Lune with a view up the valley looking out over the majestic plateau of Ingleborough.

Nature reserves and other areas of outstanding natural beauty are to be found all over the country. Butser Hill National Nature Reserve in Hampshire, for example has 1,400 acres of open woodland and downland. Butser Hill is the highest point of the area so the perfect location for al fresco lunch and enjoying the surrounding landscape.

Rhossili Bay on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula near Swansea is within another area of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is well worth a motorcycle ride-out. The views from the headland and the Down are panoramic. The Bay beat Spain’s Costa del Sol and the picturesque Greek Islands to be voted the best beach in Europe 2017 by Suitcase Magazine.

Brownsea Island in Dorset is located dramatically within Poole Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world. The National Trust-owned beauty spot affords spectacular views across the harbour itself and across to the Purbeck Hills. It is a unique haven for wildlife, such as the rare red squirrel and a wide variety of birds, including dunlin, kingfishers, common and sandwich terns and oystercatchers.

It’s a quirk of geography that Hunstanton on the east coast of Norfolk actually enjoys a west facing beach. “Sunny Hunny”, as it is occasionally known, makes a great spot to relax with a cool box and a drink of something chilled. With its trademark red and white striped cliffs to your back and The Wash in front of you, there is always plenty to see.

Another great sun and sand trap for a motorcycle ride-out is Woolacombe Beach on Devon’s north coast. With three miles of inviting golden sand, it has been voted “best beach in the UK” two years running on TripAdvisor. With lifeguards on hand it’s good for paddling, swimming and surfing and while you are drying off there are rock pools and sand dunes to explore.

Also in Devon and a little more rugged is Hound Tor on Dartmoor. The jumble of boulders that make up Hound Tor provide one of the most easily accessible and panoramic viewpoints in Dartmoor. The inspiration for Conan Doyle’s, The Hound of the Baskervilles, the tor is an easy half-mile walk from its car park along grassy paths and dells. At the top, you can see the rocky peaks of several other tors, as well as Widecombe-in-the-Moor and Bowerman’s Nose. To the southeast of the tor are the remains of a medieval village.

And for our final destination on a motorcycle ride-out, take in the view of Wasdale Head from Wastwater in the Lake District, which has just been named a World Heritage site. In 2007 it was voted Britain’s Favourite View. Among its visitors was one William Wordsworth, the 18th century romantic poet who famously and lyrically commented on Wasdale’s “long, stern and desolate” aspect. England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, lurks in the distance. Too, much lunch? Perhaps tackle that on another motorcycle ride-out!