Top 10 Picnic Spots

When asked for our favourite picnic spots, Crail always springs to mind. Featuring on our walking holiday in Fife, it is often described as the prettiest of the region’s villages – and with its cobbled lanes and cluster of historic cottages, it’s easy to see why. We can organise an indulgent picnic for you to enjoy by the tiny stonewalled harbour – and while you savour your delicious lunch and the stunning sea views, our Fife food and drink expert, Christopher Trotter, will share his knowledge of local gastronomy with you.

Amid the roaring waterfalls and verdant slopes of the Yorkshire Dales, we have not one but two cherished picnic spots. The first, outside Victoria Cave, offers views over towards the Yorkshire Three Peaks, while the second takes in the looming presence of mighty Bolton Castle, from where you can admire some of the Dales’ loveliest countryside.

As picnic spots go, this one is certainly impressive. The view perfectly sums up the majesty of the scenery on the Lofoten Islands, encapsulating the drama created by the close proximity of mountains and water. It’s definitely one to appreciate at leisure while you enjoy your lunch.

We take our hats off to the South Tyroleans: they know a good picnic spot when they see one, and invite others to share them, by erecting benches or picnic tables in even the remotest of viewpoints. We’ve come across well located benches on the High Alpine Way and the Seiseralm Plateau (in front of the iconic Sciliar, no less), but this particular picnic table is on the last day of our Dolomites’ Three Peaks holiday, perfectly placed for admiring the Sesto Dolomites.

Picnic benches aren’t necessary, of course, if there’s a well-placed stone to sit on. This one on the Canary Island of El Hierro isn’t just any old rock, either – it’s rather grandly called the Piedra del Rey, which translates as King’s Stone, presumably because it is shaped like a throne. The picture here doesn’t do justice to the view, but while you sit here tucking into your bocadillos you can gaze across the island to the sea beyond, just like a king surveying his kingdom.

Elsewhere in the Canaries – on the archipelago’s largest and most misunderstood island, Tenerife (there's so much to discover beyond the beaches) – you can challenge yourself with a thrilling walk to the peak of Mount Guajara. Your reward? The chance to enjoy a picnic lunch at the highest point of the remaining crater wall accompanied by grandstand views of towering Mount Teide.

The ‘Path of the Gods’ is a very apt name for the high-level path above Positano on the Amalfi Coast. With the glittering sea far below you, and the villages which cling precariously to the slopes seemingly only of Lilliputian proportions, you are very aware of how high above the coast you are. It’s easy to imagine the deities picking this spot for a sumptuous feast while they keep a watchful eye over their subjects.

As its name suggests, this quiet road – in a particularly idyllic corner of Slovenia – bestows breathtaking mountain views. This is also one location where you choose whether or not to bring a picnic with you: en route, you can drink from a mineral-rich spring that is said to have medicinal properties, and order lunch from the much-photographed Klemenšek farm.

The walk from Lacave to Calès on our Paths to Rocamadour holiday is not long, and that’s no bad thing, as there are so many inviting spots on the banks of the River Ouysse, a tributary of the Dordogne, that it would be a shame to rush by them without having the time to linger. Who knows: if you are quiet enough, you may even spot a kingfisher in search of its own meal…

We make no apology for including another riverside picnic spot in our top ten – in our opinion, there’s nothing more relaxing than the sound of water making its way over the rocks, and the option of finishing off your lunch with a paddle is an added bonus. This strategically placed bench is on the banks of the River Traun, which you can explore on the first day of the gentle Lakes & Mountains walk. Just be wary of letting the lazily flowing, emerald green water lull you to sleep.