The Guardian's travel readers have compiled their favourite autumn days out in the UK, and the list reads like a map of everywhere the season looks best — Scottish lochs, Northumberland woodland, Welsh steam railways and a surprising corner of Birmingham.
The winning tip comes from north Wales: a ride on the Llangollen Railway, where a steam train trundles along the River Dee through the valley in full orange-and-gold colour. Travellers start in Llangollen with a hot drink, ride the heritage line as the leaves blur past the window, then browse the town's small shops afterwards.
Scotland features twice. At Loch Lomond, one reader recommends a walk from Balmaha along the West Highland Way — all russet hills and fast-changing weather — ideally rounded off with a dram if you're not driving. Further south, Glentress Forest in the Scottish Borders offers walking and mountain-bike trails through copper and gold, with views over the Tweed valley, a cafe for warming up, and the town of Peebles nearby for riverside wandering and independent shops. It's all under an hour from Edinburgh.
Northumberland earns two entries. The National Trust's Cragside estate spreads 1,000 acres of mixed woodland that turn red and orange against the mist, wrapped around an extraordinary Victorian house that ran on hydroelectric power and was packed with gadgets in its day. Along the same lines, Hadrian's Wall from Steel Rigg rewards walkers with copper moorland and huge views — you only pay for parking, and shorter out-and-back sections make it manageable without losing the drama. Bring a flask and waterproofs.
Elsewhere in England, the options are pleasingly varied. In Cornwall, the cliff path between Godrevy and Portreath serves up wild autumn seas and burnt-orange sunsets. The Peak District's Longshaw estate has fungi-filled woods and twisted oaks in Padley Gorge that look best on misty mornings, plus a free social walk every Wednesday. Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire claims one of Europe's longest double tree avenues — 1,296 limes stretching three miles — alongside a walled kitchen garden with a huge apple collection and highly rated apple juice. In Lancashire, the wooded valley of the River Roddlesworth near the West Pennine Moors mixes autumn colour with the ruins of Hollinshead Hall, pubs at Ryal Fold and Abbey Village, and four buses a day from Blackburn.
Closer to a city, Winterbourne House and Garden — an Arts and Crafts gem at Birmingham University in Edgbaston — turns golden in early autumn, with herons at the reservoir, tame robins by the walled garden and a bookshop, with Harborne next door for lunch.
Why it matters: autumn is the sweet spot for UK trips — fewer crowds, cheap midweek stays and scenery that peaks for a few short weeks between late September and early November. Most of these outings cost little beyond parking or a train ticket, and several pair well with a city base like Edinburgh, Manchester or Birmingham. Pack layers; the weather will change its mind.
