7. Pembrokeshire, Wales
Best for wildlife-watching and coastal walks
Love wildlife and looking to travel
in the UK this summer? Tucked in the most south-westerly corner of
Wales,
Pembrokeshire is one of the very best places to visit in June.
At this time of the year, the internationally renowned Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is especially rewarding to walk. Covering some 186 miles, this is the UK’s only coastal National Park.
June is also a great time to visit Pembrokeshire to see spectacular wildlife. For example, Skomer Island is blessed with an abundance of iconic Atlantic puffins — an estimated 6000 breeding pairs, no less. You can see them up close from April until August.
Skomer and Skokholm Island are also home to the world’s biggest colony of Manx shearwaters, with an estimated 350,000 of them.
You'll want to watch out for grey seals, too, with Ramsey Island being one of the best places to see grey seals in Britain. Take a boat trip to watch them basking on the rocks as you circle Ramsey’s rugged caves and gorges. Ramsey is also ideal for spotting seabirds, peregrines and dolphins.
Meanwhile, granite Grassholm hosts the UK’s third-largest Atlantic gannet colony. Being a protected RSPB reserve, you can’t land, but boat trips offers excellent opportunities to see them. Females lay a solitary egg in April, and chicks hatch in late-May/early June.
Where to stay
- Best for coastal views: Roch Castle. A 12th-century stunner on a rocky outcrop overlooking St Brides Bay.
- Best for foodies: The Grove. An 18th-century country house surrounded by meadows.
- Best for families: Timber Hill Self Catering Cedar Lodges. Spacious, scenic and close to beaches.