Here at Quingo Scooters, we thought that this time around we’d bring you just a few highlights from some of the most picturesque and dramatic parts of the UK. Our National Parks are stunning and most feature great routes that are accessible to those of us who use mobility scooters. This is our pick of some of the best.
Accessing the UK’s National Parks
There are 15 National Parks across the UK, with 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. They are all free to explore and to enjoy, and they are all uniquely beautiful in their own way. From the inspirational surroundings of the Lake District and the drama of the Cairngorms, to the rich history of the New Forest and the castles of Snowdonia, there is a remarkable variety of landscapes. Everyone has their favourite, so it has been hard to pick our top National Park routes!
Before we dive in, however, it is worth mentioning that a great place to start your exploration of the UK’s National Parks is on the National Park Authority’s dedicated accessibility page, here.
Henllys Vale Miners’ Walk, Brecon Beacons National Park
Like many of our National Parks, the Brecon Beacons aren’t just a place of inspiring natural beauty. They also have a rich and varied heritage, that tells the story of how generations of people have interacted with these wild and beautiful places. This trail in the Henllys Vale area of the western Brecon Beacons is somewhere where you get the chance to learn more about the area’s fascinating industrial past.
Thousands of men and women worked in the mining industry in the area, and this mile-long audio trail starting and finishing in Ystradgynlais is a great way to learn more about the Lower Brynhenllys Colliery and the Black Mountain area. There is a smooth and continuous surface for most of the trail, and there are alternative routes if the path gets too steep for your scooter.
Buttermere lakeshore, Lake District National Park
Miles Without Stiles are routes that are accessible for people with limited mobility, and there are 48 of these fantastic trails in the Lake District National Park alone.
We’ve picked this one around Buttermere, not just because it is accessible for all, but also because of its truly stunning setting. Just driving in the car to Buttermere village, over the spectacular Newlands Pass, is an experience in itself (test your brakes before you set out!), and once you’re there the lovely Fish Inn makes for the perfect start and finish point.
It’s a short route, only around a kilometre and a half along the lakeside and through the woods before the path becomes too rough for scooter users, but it is a beautiful place to experience and the lakeside itself is wonderfully peaceful.
Bramber village, South Downs National Park
The South Downs, with their rolling, chalky hills and beautiful views are well worth a visit. Happily they also have a number of Miles Without Stiles routes and we’ve picked this gorgeous route around the village of Bramber The village itself is a typical South Downs community with some lovely historic buildings and even its own medieval castle.
The 2-mile trail takes you along the river Adur and it has a wide, level surface all the way. There are even kingfishers along the way, so keep your eyes out for that little flash of blue.
Loch Imrich, Newtonmore
The Cairngorms is the biggest National Park in the UK, and it is truly spectacular. There are 12 Easy Access routes in the national park, but we’ve picked just one, around Loch Imrich in Newtonmore. Apparently, the loch was once used for curling during the winter months and it still a beautiful spot to pass the time.
The trail is flat and accessible to all, and goes right around the lake for about half a mile. It’s a great place to get away from it all and enjoy the local birdlife, that includes herons, mallard, coot, dabchicks and even goldeneye ducks.
Accessibility for all
Once again, the National Parks Authority’s Access for All page is a great place to get an overview of all the accessible routes that are available across the UK’s parks network. You can also keep up with news on the work that the Campaign for National Parks (the UK’s only charity that works to protect the country’s National Parks) is doing to promote accessibility for all on their page here.
Share your accessible route with Quingo!
If you’ve been to visit any great accessible routes on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.
About Quingo Scooters
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.
