Hiking in the Scottish Highlands

It's tough getting to Knoydart but that's what's so magical about it. The peninsula, a big knuckle on the north-west coast of Scotland, remains fabulously overlooked and unspoiled. Far more tourists head for Skye and its famous Cuillin ridge just across the water, but there's plenty in Knoydart to rival it for adventure.

There are no roads in: you either spend a day hiking, or you get a boat from Mallaig. But rather than use the scheduled crossing to Inverie, its only village, the trick is to take a boat up eerie Loch Hourn (translation: Loch Hell) to the north of the peninsula. There's nowhere for the boat to moor, so you have to leap on to the rocks, a precarious, heart-stopping feat that allows you to feel like an invader. Then you hike the eight or so glorious miles south to Inverie and the excellent bunkhouse, taking in Ladhar Bheinn, one of Britain's finest mountains, a magnificent 1,020m peak that seems to rise straight out of the sea. It's a tough hike and you need a map and compass but the rewards are stunning: views across shimmering waters to the isles of Rhum, Eigg and Skye, where the entire Cuillin ridge stands tall.

In Inverie is the Old Forge (01687 462 267, theoldforge.co.uk), a raucous pub known for its fine food and ale – and its lax approach to closing time. Bring the entertainment (guitars and songs), and they may not close.

• Knoydart Seabridge runs boats from Mallaig to Inverie (knoydartseabridge.co.uk, £20 return, £11 one-way); charter prices to Loch Hourn vary (01687 462916). Mallaig is about an hour and 20 minutes by train from Fort William. Dorm beds at Knoydart Foundation Bunkhouse (01687 462242, knoydart-foundation.com) cost £17 a night for adults, £10 for children

Retro road racing, Peak District

This summer sees the first L'Eroica Britannia event – inspired by the vintage-themed Tuscan cycling race that has been running since 1997. Saddle up on a pre-1987 bike and choose from 30-, 50- and 100-mile routes through the Derbyshire countryside, as well as a festival celebrating the food, drink and landscape of the area.
• The race is on 22 June, with a surrounding festival starting on 20 June. Entry opens at the end of January and costs £70 per rider, including three days' camping. eroicabritannia.co.uk

Surfing, North Wales

You'll soon be able to take the drop at the UK's first Wavegarden site ("the world's longest manmade wave") at Surf Snowdonia (surfsnowdonia.co.uk), opening in Dolgarrog in spring 2015. If you can't wait that long, sign up for a course with Hell's Mouth Surf School at Abersoch. Make a weekend of it by booking a cosy eco-dome (posh tents with beds, wood-burners and communal kitchen and hot showers) at nearby North Wales Glamping.
• Surf lesson from £30pp for 2½ hours, including board and wetsuit hire (01758 713067, westcoastsurf.co.uk). Dome tents from £130 for two people for two nights (01341 247200, dioni.co.uk/eco-domes)

Running in the dark, Cumbria

Fell running not tough enough for you? Then try doing it in the dark on a five-mile head torch race along some of Cumbria's prettiest forest trails – not that you'll be able to see much of it, of course. The first one takes place in Dodd Wood on 25 January and has a 500m ascent and a Burns Night theme (there are prizes for Caledonian-inspired fancy dress though you might want to weigh up your chances of stumbling onto thorns before going commando in a kilt). The second takes place on 1 March at Whinlatter Forest.
• Entry £12 per race. noegochallenge.com

Hiking through history, Stratford to London

This year is the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, so bard-themed events will be 10–a-penny. To explore the anniversary in an active fashion, try hiking Shakespeare's Way (shakespearesway.org), a 146-mile waymarked trail between Stratford and London that's thought to follow a similar route to one the great writer took between his birthplace and the Globe Theatre in the 16th century. Along the two-week walk through the Cotswolds and Chilterns, you'll also pass Blenheim Palace and the megalithic Rollright Stones complex.
• A 15-night trip, including B&B accommodation, luggage transfer and, er, a book of sonnets, costs £1,195pp (£535 for a seven-night Stratford-Oxford trip). 01291 689774, celtic-trails.com

Snapping wildlife, Highlands

Next month, Wild Photography Holidays is running a seven-night tutored trip to Islay and Jura that promises grey seals, barnacle geese, red deer and big skies. And in May, adventure specialist Exodus is launching its first UK wildlife holidays, also in Scotland. Its eight-day Highlands & Islands Wildlife of Scotland trips will cover destinations from the Cairngorms to Mull, with opportunities to spot pine martens, basking sharks and golden eagles.
• Photography trips from £1,385pp including full-board accommodation, and tuition. 01630 647828, wildphotographyholidays.com. Exodus wildlife tours from £1,649pp, including accommodation, meals and guides. 0845 287 7615, exodus.co.uk

Paddle and pedal power, Northern Ireland

In recent years Northern Ireland has made its mud-splattered mark on the outdoor activity scene with new networks of canoe (canoeni.com) and mountain biking (mountainbikeni.com) trails. But if you're looking for a packaged break, Far and Wild runs everything from moonlit kayak trips to family wilderness adventures. New this year is an adventure in and around the Binevenagh area of outstanding natural beauty, with kayaking on the Roe river and mountain biking on Binevenagh mountain, finishing on the shore below iconic Mussenden Temple.
• The two-day trip costs £325pp with accommodation or £175 without. 07775 911198, farandwild.co.uk

National Forest Way, Midlands

Launching in May during the National Forest Walking Festival, the 75-mile National Forest Way is a new footpath linking the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire with Beacon Hill Country Park in Leicestershire. The route passes through a huge range of landscapes, from forest and rolling hills to coalfields and canals. If you're after a slice of gritty British history, this one's for you, though birdwatchers and tree huggers won't be disappointed either. Fancy getting your hands dirty as well? Stop off along the way at Calke Abbey to join the National Trust's seven-night working holiday maintaining pathways and constructing tree guards. For more information on the new footpath see nationalforestway.co.uk.
• The Calke Abbey working holiday runs from 28 June to 5 July and costs from £155pp, including bunkhouse accommodation. 0844 800 3099, http://bit.ly/19YjHyn

Bushcraft, Leicestershire

Take a string of canvas cottages surrounded by fields, hedges, trees and birdsong. Fill them with butler's sinks, woodburning stoves, whistling kettles and cabin beds. Add a sprinkling of hens, goats and ponies, and you've got a recipe for a near-perfect family adventure. New for this year is a programme of bushcraft workshops, where over-eights can learn how to make shelters, fires and campfire gadgets.
• Four-night midweek breaks from £475 for up to six. Three-hour bushcraft workshops, in June and September, cost £45 per cottage. 01455 292888, thedandelionhideaway.co.uk

Underground adventure, Snowdonia

If climbing and abseiling on normal mountains is too tame, how about doing both underground in a disused mine? Go Below's new tour, near Betwys-y-Coed, takes you into abandoned caverns, off ledges and through waterfalls using zipwires, boats and your feet. Guides will fill you in on the history of the area and provide a candle-lit lunch.
• Children £39 a day, adults £49. 01690 710108, go-below.co.uk