March Newsletter
from Contours Walking Holidays

Welcome to the March edition of the Contours Walking Holidays newsletter; we hope that you are all looking forward to the oncoming spring and are dusting off your walking boots in preparation! We are slowly starting to see evidence of the changing seasons, as flowers begin to bloom and wildlife reappears, and so now is the perfect time to start venturing out onto the trails and catch a glimpse of the brilliant fauna and flora emerging from their slumber!

In this month's newsletter, we have Beth Pipe's recommendations for great spring walks around Cumbria, while Sarah Rowell offers some fantastic advice for mentally preparing for your next big challenge. As well as this, we have a selection of fascinating facts and our usual competitions to whet your appetite for walking. Thank you for reading!

Trail Taster Breaks

We are excited to announce a collection of 16 new "Trail Taster Breaks" have been launched to give walkers a flavour of some of our most popular trails in England, Scotland and Wales.

These brand new holidays span between 2 and 3 walking days and cover a short section of trails such as Hadrian’s Wall, Great Glen Way and Offa's Dyke Path, ideal for those wanting a quick getaway or are looking to test their skills before committing to a longer walk. Even better, these new breaks also include transportation back to your starting point, so you can enjoy your walk without worrying about getting back to your car!

For a full selection of our new trail taster breaks, click here.

Featured Film - Walking Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall is one of England's most famous historical landmarks, dating back to AD122, and as such is also among the most popular walking trails in the UK. Follow in the footsteps of the Romans and uncover the amazing history surrounding this great monument by walking its length from coast to coast.

Do you have an idea, article or account of your walk that you would like to share? Send an email to newsletter@contours.co.uk to contribute to our newsletter.

Five Superb Spring Walks in Cumbria

By Beth Pipe

So long as you’re well prepared - and I mean prepared for anything - any time is a great time for a walk in Cumbria; we've enjoyed a baking hot picnic in T-shirts and shorts on top of Yewbarrow in early March, followed by snow on the top of Scafell Pike in June. I'm particularly fond of spring because it’s so colourful; with the bluebells and garlic rife in the woods, and the wild garlic leaves make an excellent addition to your packed lunch. Here are five of my favourite spring walks:

Featured Trail – Mary Queen of Scots Way

This historic trail crosses Scotland on an engaging walk through the landscapes and castles once frequented by Mary Queen of Scots. This coast-to-coast trail enjoys views across lochs, glens and mountains, as well as encountering impressive examples of Scottish engineering, such as Victorian aqueducts and Gartchonzie Bridge.

Discover more on our website here.

Turning 'Can I do that?' into 'I can do that'

By Sarah Rowell

"Can I do that?"

It is a question that most, if not all, of us have asked ourselves when contemplating a new challenge, whether at work, with family or for leisure. It is a question that anyone who exercises with seriousness will be familiar with:

“Can I do a walk that rough/long/many days/hilly/exposed?”

These are questions that many readers of this blog will have asked themselves, and it is a question that I am asking myself right now, having committed to trying to climb the Matterhorn later this year. It is also a question that every elite sportsperson faces in their never-ending quest to be better and to do what has never been done before.

Featured Posts

Our Previous Annual Emergency Training

What if I get lost? What if I get hurt? What if I can’t complete my day’s walk? These aren’t questions any walker really wants to linger on, but staff at Contours held them at the forefront of our minds all week during our annual emergency training exercises. Our end goal was simple: we wanted to ensure all three concerns could be met with a simple, one-line answer: Contours will sort it all out.
Read more...

Lessons from Haweswater by Beth Pipe

The Coast to Coast route is such a challenge that it’s tempting to plough on through in order to get the job done, but there are some wonderfully interesting places to pause at along the way, like Haweswater for example. It’s one of our favourite spots to visit in the Lake District, and over the years we’ve been lucky enough to learn more about it and enjoy some wonderful experiences there.
Read more...

Previous Newsletter

In the last newsletter, we had the second part of Christine's Pennine Way Adventure, and regular blogger Nicky Jacquiery returned with her advice for treating blisters - an unfortunately inevitable part of long-distance walking in many cases. As well as this, we had another exciting film to showcase, along with plenty of other interesting news and enticing competitions to keep you entertained. Thanks for reading and happy walking!
Read more...

New Interactive Map

After several weeks of hard grafting, we are proud to unveil our snazzy new Holiday Location Map on our website! This interactive map shows all of the holiday trails we offer throughout the UK and Ireland and is an accessible way of finding your next great walking holiday!

Click here to view our new map!

Tree of the Month

Kursar Cherry

Also known as Prunus 'Kusar', this beautiful cherry tree is synonymous with the onset of spring, thanks to its intensely pink blossoms that usually bloom in March. This small, hardy Japanese tree is found across the UK, and was named by its famous breeder, Collingwood 'Cherry' Ingram, who originally thought he had crossed P. kurilensis with P. sargentii. He combined the first syllables of each species to form 'Kursar', however it was soon obvious that one of the parents had to be P. campanulata, but the name had already stuck.

Kursar cherry's lovely deep pink flower buds decorate the tree for two months before bloom time, giving as much as three months of winter-to-spring display. Then, after flowering, the leaves emerge, bronzy-red at first before turning a good clear green for summer.

Did you Know?

There are more than 50 different species of butterfly and 2,500 species of moth found in the UK - with more establishing every decade following migration from continental Europe - and make their homes in a variety of habitats from shorelines to mountain tops.

Butterflies and moths are an important part of the UK's wildlife. Not only are they very beautiful to look at, they are highly sensitive indicators of the health of the local environment and play crucial roles in the food chain, as well as being pollinators of plants.

Seeing Stars

Did you know that the South Downs National Park was awarded International Dark Sky Park status last year? This means that it is one of the best places in the UK from which to stargaze and study the galaxy in all its glory, and has become a popular destination for tourists and astrologers alike. The Moore Reserve in particular is a great place to get started, as well as the Observatory Science Centre in Hailsham, or you could join a stargazing party at Old Winchester Hill and Butser Ancient Farm, or simply venture out by yourself and see what you can discover.

Our South Downs Way holidays pass right through the National Park, and so it is well worth booking an extra night or two to give you plenty of time to head out when it gets dark and catch a rare glimpse of the fantastic night skies!

Last Month's 'Guess Where?'

Congratulations to Helen Anderson for being the first to correctly identify the Goodrich Castle as seen on the Wye Valley Walk.

(click image to zoom)

To be in with a chance of winning a £10 Contours Walking Holidays voucher, why not try this month's 'Guess Where?' below!

Competition Time: 'Guess Where?'

To win this month's competition, can you identify this ruinous medieval castle?