The month of February brings many an opportune moment to celebrate with those closest to you. From enjoying fun-filled half term holidays with your family to making the most of Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday and planning a weekend brimming with romantic gestures with your beau, we’re here to boost the spirits and spark your staycation inspiration.

 

 

 

Fun-filled family time

• Pottery painting workshops with the opportunity to capture little hand and footprints – plus paw prints! – on pottery, jewellery and clay will be the name of the game when The Cheviot Ceramics Mobile Pottery Studio makes a welcome return to Floors Castle’s Walled Garden.
  23rd February | Floors Castle | Kelso, Scottish Borders
• Reach for the Skies at the National Museum of Flight as you “wing your way” to discovering what it is like to work in the skies. Meet the pilot, try your hand at airline safety briefings and craft your own airline badge to wear and take home.
  8th - 10th February and 14th - 16th February | National Museum of Flight | East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian
• Head to Cragside during half term to enjoy their all-weather Muddy Madness Week – build a cosy den, wang wellies, make mud pies in the mud kitchen and follow the riverside winter trail for some thoroughly muddy exploration. The lovely folks at Cragside don’t recommend wearing white clothes for these activities – we think our friends at Muddy Puddles will have your children's outdoor clothing needs covered!
  15th - 23rd February | Cragside, National Trust | Rothbury, Northumberland
• Perfect for young children, get stuck in at The Sill - the UK’s National Landscape Discovery Centre – with their Wild Wednesday Birds ‘R’ Brill event. Their Rangers will help you make your own binoculars, then set off on a Trail – how many birds can you spot and identify?
  19th February | The Sill | Northumberland National Park

 

 

Time spent in the great outdoors

• We all benefit from time spent in nature. Enjoy both physical and mental wellbeing with a spectacular weekend of trail running at Glentress. From the introductory 10k Trail Race for the beginners to the challenging Glentress 42K Trail Marathon for hardened trailites, explore remote parts of the forest, soak up some super views and power down the exhilarating finish.
  22nd and 23rd February (registration closes on the 18th) | Glentress Forest | near Peebles, Scottish Borders
• Discover the National Trust’s Wallington; historical house meets rolling hills, woodlands and walled gardens. This half term, dress in your gardening gear and head along to enjoy the spectacle and peace, perfect peace of the woods here as you help plant 100,000 snowdrops (taking the total planted up to a mammoth 600,000!).
  15th - 23rd February | Wallington, National Trust | Morpeth, Northumberland
• As part of their Audacious Women Festival, join this sunset swim adventure with locally based WanderWomen and experience the ecstatic high of a winter swim, meet other audacious women around the bonfire, share hot drinks and foods, reflections, meditation and mindfulness. Don’t forget your swimming kit and a journal.
  23rd February | Portobello Beach | Portobello, Edinburgh

 

 

Never stop learning

• During wartime, Northumberland’s beaches were viewed as obvious enemy landing places and defences were set up along the coastline. Join this month’s World War II Winter Walk at Bamburgh Caste, a three-mile walk where you can step back in time and be introduced to WWII weapons and kit used by the Home Guards LDV (Local Defence Volunteers). The walk ends with free entry to Bamburgh Castle where a hot drink will be provided – to be enjoyed while surveying the panoramic view of the coast.
  9th February | Bamburgh Castle | Bamburgh, Northumberland
• Learn to Nordic Walk this February with the National Trust at Wallington. Under the expert guidance of the local ‘Strolls with Poles’, get to grips with the INWA 10 Step Method before putting your new skills to the test with a relaxing “Nordic” stroll around the scenic estate. You’ll need your walking shoes and an enthusiastic attitude!
  23rd February (and monthly thereafter) | Wallington, National Trust | Morpeth, Northumberland
• Wrap up warm and prepare to be dazzled with a star-gazing treat under the outstanding dark skies of Northumberland. We recommend making our outstanding local observatory your first port of call – Kielder Observatory offer a varied events programme for all ages and promise you'll find "infinite inspiration" during your visit. This month try their Space Kids at Kielder Castle event, aimed at inspiring and educating the younger astronomer with a trip through the cosmos - try stargazing and use telescopes then hold a 4.5-billion-year-old rock and a fragment of moon rock!
  16th February and 23rd February | Kielder Castle | Kielder Water and Forest Park, Northumberland

 

 

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- Valentine's Weekend availability.

- February half term availability.

- Our current offers.