Most people stop at the National Trust of Scotland centre and walk up the hill behind it for the view of Loch Shiel, the 1745 Monument and the railway viaduct, have a cup of tea and move on. No problem with that but if you want to spend a little more time in this beautful area and get away from the "crowds", take the forest trail on the left after crossing the road towards the monument. After 30 minutes along a well signposted path you are at the top of "Loch view" with a beautiful view of Loch Shiel all to yourself. Stunning in the sunshine!

www.nts.org.uk/Property/Glenfinnan-Monument
www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/ScotlandHighlandNoForestGlenfinnanPinewoodGlenfinnanCarParkGlenfinnanPinewoodTrail
Glenfinnan, Highland, Fort William PH37 4LT
+44(0)844 493 2100
Google map: bit.ly/P9Grh3

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Boutique B&B, superb breakfasts, wonderful dinners.
Sean and Suzanne are charming hosts, and Sean's culinary expertise is well up there with the likes of Nutter and Oliver.

www.ramseyhouse.co.uk/
Lower Moor, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, SA62 6RP
+44(0)1437 720321
Google map: bit.ly/NLbizw

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The highest inn in Cumbria with stunning views over the Lakes - and very haunted!

www.kirkstonepassinn.com/
Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 9LQ
+44(0)15394 33888
Google map: bit.ly/OzIqOX

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Historic pub with good home cooked food - their buttered chicken curry is to die for.

Lowside, Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere LA23 3DH
+44(0)15394 43488
Google map: bit.ly/Oxfy6m

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The Black Bull Inn is located in the heart of Conniston. While this does mean it is on the main junction in the village (but what does 'busy' in the Lake District really mean?), you can happily watch the world, and their dog, go by in the sun-trap beer garden, get a bit more cosy in one of the many rooms inside, or grab a seat at the bar.
The Black Bull does good grub, but the reason you should stop off here is for the beers - as the Conniston Brewing Company brews next door (spy their hydrometers and tanks from the car park if you are a real real ale fan) and so they serve lots of their beers on tap or by the bottle.
We were luckily enough to stop for a pint the day after their Barley Wine had been crowned Champion Beer at the GBBF.

www.blackbullconiston.co.uk/
1 Yewdale Road, Coniston, Cumbria LA21 8DU, United Kingdom
+44(0)15394 41335
Google map: bit.ly/PQej3r

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Lovely tranquil setting with an idyllic garden facing the mountain of Melbreak. Off the main tourist track but still very busy in the early evening, although you can get away from the hustle and bustle in the cosy dining room. The food is freshly cooked mainly from local ingredients, from steak and ale pie (small portions available) to pork tenderloin and fillet steak. The pub has its own brewery, now based in Hawkshead, producing a range of very drinkable ales, including the long-established Melbreak Bitter, Langdale and Esthwaite Bitters and the award-winning Loweswater Gold. There are many walks surrounding the Buttermere Valley and the Honister Rambler bus service is very useful if you only want to walk in one direction. Less-crowded walks are possible in the Loweswater Fells and on Melbreak and the smaller Hen Comb, or even just along the shores of Loweswater or Crummock Water. Comfortable rooms each with their own individual characteristics and good views.

kirkstile.com
Cockermouth, Loweswater, Cumbria CA13 0RU
+44(0)1900 85219

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On a recent visit to Keswick, I discovered a delicious solution to the often difficult problem of dining out while traveling with children. I found a courtyard tucked behind a pub (Kings Arms), a sports bar (Casa's Bar) and a pizzeria (LB's Pizza House) that was perfect for family dining. With the courtyard setting, we could dine outdoors, catch a favorite sport on TV, and enjoy a mix of food and beverage from any or all of these three establishments. Our goal that evening was to watch the gold medal Women's football match of the summer Olympics, and the bar tender from Casa's accommodated us by finding the game on the television set near our table. Along with pints of ale and cider carried out from the bar for refreshment, we ate some of the best pizza I've ever had, a thin and crispy, spicy hot Diavolo that had been stonebaked in a wood fired oven (with margherita pizza for the kids, of course.) The meal was so delicious we ordered another pizza and had a second round of drinks to take us through the second half of the football match. My only regret at the end of the evening was that we were far too full to finish the feast with a sticky toffee pudding.

23 Main Street Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5BL
+44(0)800 840 1241
Google map: bit.ly/OIytx8

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This stylish and ambient looking bar and bistro has a 'happy two hours' each evening from 5-7pm. As Keswick is heaving at this time booking a night in advance is recommended. The decor is tasteful, modern, spacious and the food arrives freshly cooked carried by staff that look as though coming to work is a pleasure. My starter was a large plate of garlic mushrooms swimming in their own creamy sauce accompanied by freshly made bread and butter. At only £3 it brought a large smile to my face. There was a reasonable selection of main courses so my husband enjoyed the fish and chips (a mere £6) and I enthusiastically consumed the vegetable risotto with accompanying salad. The carefully selected vegetables were roasted to perfection and tasted divine(again only £6) There was a varied selection of beers and wines- including the locally produced 'Cockerhoop'- you will be if you eat here!

25 Station Street, Keswick
+44(0)17687 74080
Google map: bit.ly/Nw9lwG

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The Masons Arms is a what people hope for in a Lake District inn, it’s a quaint old building full of character with dining available in lots of nooks and crannies. They sell an excellent range of beers and offer a full menu with lots of traditional favourites alongside some more unusual options such as ale and cheddar rarebit. In good weather the great range of light bites make it the ideal place to stop for lunch; sit outside on the terrace with the birds singing and take in the fantastic views over the valley.

www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk/
Strawberry Bank, Cartmell Fell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6NW
+44(0)15395 68486
Google map: bit.ly/SMfuFM

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The Brown Horse is situated in the heart of the Lake District, but slightly off the beaten track in an unspoilt area with great views over rolling fields. The inn has a welcoming rustic atmosphere with wooden beams, a flagged floor and a real open fire. Much of the delicious food is grown onsite or sourced locally, with regional specialties such as Cumberland sausage and Lakeland lamb on the menu. Wash your meal down with a pint of real ale; the pub brews its own and has a great selection on tap.

www.thebrownhorseinn.co.uk
Winster, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3NR
+44(0)15394 43443
Google map: bit.ly/PrCVmX

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Guardian-reading canines (news-hounds?) should trot down to the Dog and Gun in Keswick. This old-fashioned and busy pub has an in-house menu for dogs which includes a mouth-watering range of treats and chews at reasonable prices (biscuits 5p) plus FREE DRINKS(non-alcoholic). Tell your human to try the real ales and the delicious homemade goulash. The portions are so large that dogs will get lots of tasty-bites. Slide your spare change into the cracks in the walls to support mountain rescue. A perfect ending to a day on the Fells.

2 Lake Road, Keswick, CA12 5BT
+44(0)17687 73463
Google map: bit.ly/MXyLBL

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The Sawrey Hotel on the road between Hawkshead and the car ferry across Windermere re-emerged from a makeover recently as the Cuckoo Brow Inn. Food is served every day from noon until 9pm and is excellent. They pride themselves on sourcing as much as possible from within a 20 mile radius - and with good local beers to boot. They genuinely welcome walkers, cyclists, wet dogs and noisy children - we often eat there with our muddy Springer after walks across the local fells without feeling like social lepers. In our view, best enjoyed when it's cold outside with a roaring fire blazing in the hearth in the centre of the bar - so July or August then.

www.cuckoobrow.co.uk/
Far Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LK
+44(0)15394 43425
Google map: bit.ly/SNdCep

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This is a truly welcoming pub – we’ve visited in autumn when the open fires provided much needed warmth after a day on the fells. Our last visit was earlier this summer, when the splendid garden proved a sun trap (yes we were there on one of the few days the sun shone this summer.) The bar area is made up of three small, cosy rooms and there is a good choice of refreshment – in both food and drink.

www.themortalman.co.uk
Troutbeck, Cumbria, LA23 1PL
+44(0)15394 33193
Google map: bit.ly/NTVwYO

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Traditional country hotel offering the best of Cumbrian Hospitality. Excellent breakfast, good beer, comfortable accommodation and luxurious toiletries. We were made extremely welcome and the food was perfect.

www.the-royal-dockray.co.uk
Dockray, Matterdale, Penrith, CA11 0JY
+44(0)17684 82356
Google map: bit.ly/NTVIar

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If you like a middle-of-nowhere, cosy, traditional Lakeland pub with good food - this is it.
If you like a fell-side pub with comfy rooms and a view - this is it.
If you'd like to sip a local beer in the open air, overlooking the damson-laden Lyth Valley ... you've guessed it.

www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk/
Strawberry Bank, Cartmel Fell, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6NW
+44(0)15395 68486
Google map: bit.ly/RnvpZC

www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk/

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Beach wheelchairs to borrow free of charge around the Kent coast supplied by a local charity - beach within reach. Fantastic idea, great for us as our son Dylan uses a chair and the beach is usually a nightmare! Available (check first in case this changes) West Bay, Viking Bay, Margate main sands and Ramsgate main sands.

+44(0)1843 296111 for further information.

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Many visitors will have visited the Lake District without ever passing through, or stopping in, the lovely Lyth Valley. They're missing out on a treat, especially in spring when the many damson trees are in blossom. It's close to Kendal and yet off the usual routes, but the quality of the food at the Punch Bowl at Crosthwaite is, on its own, reason enough to visit. A traditional Lakes building with stylish and welcoming interiors, and an interesting menu with excellent food, it's one of my favourite places to eat - and was as good as ever on my visit last week.

www.the-punchbowl.co.uk/
Crosthwaite, Lyth Valley, Cumbria LA8 8HR
+44(0)15395 68237
Google map: bit.ly/U58kdR

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For those whose appetites don't stretch to a full meal, there can be no finer pub in Lakeland than the Golden Rule. Beautifully unchanged in decades, it is a haven for locals, walkers, tourists and anyone lucky enough to stumble across this hidden gem off the main street. Food is limited to excellent pork pies and scotch eggs and the ale is all from local breweries. Evening guests may find themselves participants in an impromptu singsong. A national treasure.

www.goldenrule-ambleside.co.uk/
Smithy Brow, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9AS
+44(0)15394 32257
Google map: bit.ly/NVFjy0

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The Kirkstile Inn is tucked away under the fells of the western Lakes and is a must for anyone seeking excellent food (and real ale) with glorious scenery thrown in. The menu is far removed from the usual scampi and chips; much of the food is locally sourced and contributes to such delights as the Cumbrian steak and ale pie and slow roasted Lakeland lamb. Vegetarians are equally well catered for, and desserts are superb (try the Eton Mess with damson sloe gin berry compote). The Inn serves excellent real ale, including the award winning Loweswater Gold.

www.kirkstile.com/
Loweswater, The Lake District, Cumbria, CA13 0RU
+44(0)1900 85219
Google map: bit.ly/QlgPm5

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Most free houses have real ales, but this pub has its own on site brewery too (try the Tag Lag). It's seventh heaven for beer lovers. And foodies. The restaurant is stuffed with delicious locally sourced food (the game pie is to die for) and the wine list is big enough to suit all tastes and pockets. After all the fine dining and beery imbibing at lunchtime you won't want to move, so book a room and enjoy it all over again at dinnertime!

drunkenduckinn.co.uk/
Barngates, Ambleside Cumbria LA22 0NG +44(0)15394 36347
Google map: bit.ly/NQEQBy

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