Boat charter holiday destinations in the UK and Ireland away from coast

Katy Stickland

Katy Stickland highlights some of the spectacular and magical places to charter away from the coast in the UK and Ireland

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With the UK and Irish coasts so accessible, many sailors forget about the lakes, rivers, and canals just waiting to be explored.

But we are lucky enough to have some truly beautiful routes inland, which are often only sailed by those with trailer-sailers or who moor their boat there.

A set of locks on a canal

Bingley Five Rise on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal are the steepest staircase locks in the country. Credit: Barry Teutenberg/Alamy

Here are 12 places you might consider visiting this summer.

Boat charter holiday destinations in Scotland

The lochs of the Scottish Highlands are spectacular, with dramatic mountainous scenery, pine woodlands, moorland, sprawling glens and a landscape steeped in history.

Loch Lomond is the biggest inland lake in the UK and is just 20 miles from Glasgow. At 24 miles long, it is part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (www.lochlomond-trossachs.org).

The main harbour is at Balloch to the south, which has a marina and pier as well as a rail link to Glasgow.

To the north, the loch narrows as the landscape becomes more mountainous with the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond to the east.

Bylaws operate on the loch, including the mandatory wearing of a lifejacket or buoyancy aid for those under 16 years old; those in charge of a vessel with an engine must also register with the national park authorities.

A yacht sailing on Loch Ness

You can sail Loch Ness if the wind suits, but against the wind, it is a long beat. Credit: John G Moore

The Balmaha Boatyard offers private charters (www.balmahaboatyard.co.uk). Charter packages are also offered by Loch Lomond Yacht (lochlomondyacht.co.uk).

Loch Ness stretches from Fort Augustus to Inverness and is part of the 60-mile Caledonian Canal – the shortcut between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Famous for the legend of the Loch Ness Monster (The Loch Ness Centre is worth a visit to learn more – www.lochness.com), the loch is 230m deep, and 23 miles long.

Once you have passed through Dochgarroch Lock, you’ll see the 300-year-old Aldourie Castle. Urquhart Bay Harbour is one of the few overnight stops for hire boats at Loch Ness, where you’ll find the Loch Ness Centre as well as restaurants, cafes and a small convenience store.

Fort Augustus, with its flight of five locks, and Dochgarroch Lock, also allow overnight stopping.

A short-term licence is needed to transit the Caledonian Canal, available via Scottish Canals (scottishcanals.co.uk) Caley Cruisers (www.caleycruisers.com) runs a motor cruiser charter fleet out of its base in Inverness. Or try West Highland Sailing (www.westhighlandsailing.com), which charters a fleet of motor cruisers.

The Forth & Clyde and Union Canals run through Scotland’s industrial heartland from Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk, and on to the River Clyde, but also include gems like the Almond Aqueduct and the historic West Lothian town of Linlithgow.

Black Prince Holidays (www.black-prince.com) is based out of Falkirk, and runs a fleet of narrowboats, where you can spend up to two weeks motoring along the canals, taking in both Scotland’s capital and Glasgow.

Boat charter holiday destinations in Wales

The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal runs through the spectacular Brecon Beacons National Park and is unconnected to any other UK waterway.

The 35 miles of navigation starts at Cwmbran and ends at Brecon, and there are several walking trails which follow the route of the canal, like the Usk Valley Walk and Taff Trail, as well as pubs en route offering real ale and food.

A canal going under a bridge on a canal

The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal has 35 miles of navigation. Credit: Andria Massey

Aside from the hiking, there is plenty of heritage, like the 11th century Brecon Cathedral, Big Pit National Coal Museum (a 15-minute taxi ride from Govilon), the pretty Welsh market town of Crickhowell (30-minute walk), Abergavenny Castle and Llanfoist Wharf, which was once a transhipment point for iron and other goods from Blaenavon.

Beacon Park Boats (beaconparkboats.com) runs a fleet of unique narrowboats along the canal, offering up to eight berths – some of them even have a four-poster bed, a double-ended roll-top bath and a hot tub.

Boat charter holiday destinations in Northern Ireland

Lough Erne is two lakes (Lower Lough and Upper Lough) connected by the river Erne in the Fermanagh Lakelands.

The navigation is run by Waterways Ireland (www.waterwaysireland.org), which has lots of information worth reading on its website before you set off.

The largest lake is Lower Lough – also known as The Broad Lough – and is subject to generally moderate winds; the waters can become choppy in strong westerly breezes, and some cruisers recommend treating Lower Lough as an inland sea.

A boat motoring down a lough on a boat charter holiday

Enniskillen Castle is on the river Erne, which connects the Lower and Upper Loughs. Credit: scenicireland.com/Christopher Hill Photographic/Alamy

Make sure you check the forecast before heading out. Lough Erne has 154 islands ripe for exploring, including Devenish Island in Lower Lough, which has the remains of a 6th-century monastery and 100ft tower.

A stone coffin, known as St Molaise’s bed, can also be found on the island. The legend goes that if you lie in it and turn over three times, you’ll be cured of any ailment.

Enniskillen, on the banks of the river Erne, is home to Enniskillen Castle, plus Fermanagh County Museum and The Inniskillings Museum, where you can find out more about the area’s history.

Upper Lough is just 12 miles long and boasts coves, inlets and bays, including the Crom Estate, where there are the ruins of the Old Castle and Crichton Tower, both managed by the National Trust.

Lough Erne is well set up for boaters, with jetties, moorings and small marinas; one of the largest is the 150-berth Manor House Marine (www.manormarine.com).

There are plenty of charter companies, including Carrick Craft (www.carrickcraft.com), which runs a fleet of motorboats and Manor House Marine.

The Carrybridge Boat Company (www.cbcboats.com) runs a breakdown and recovery service covering the Erne and Shannon Erne Waterway.

Boat charter holiday destinations in Ireland

The Shannon Erne Waterway connects the Erne system to the Shannon River, which runs from Lough Allen to Limerick, although the limit for hire and charter boats is Killaloe on the western bank of Lough Derg.

Along the Shannon Erne Waterway, there are several fully serviced public marinas. Run by Waterways Ireland, the 39-mile canal has 16 automated locks (operated by swipe card that you can buy from the charter company) between Leitrim Village to Belturbet.

Meander through the five small towns, enjoying the craic at local pubs, the rolling, green Irish countryside, and plenty of history and folklore, including the stone monument near Lugh Scur, the 13th century Castle O’Connor and 16th century Castle Sean.

A boat on a river

The River Shannon has 238km of navigation. Credit: Stephen Saks Photography/Alamy Stock Photo

The Shannon River is the longest in Ireland, with the main cruising season from mid-March to the end of October.

Boat hire is available from Carrick-on-Shannon, with its large marina and facilities such as fuel.

Popular places to visit in the town include the art on display at the Leitrim Design House and Ireland’s smallest chapel, the Costello Memorial Chapel, built in the 1870s by Edward Costello in memory of his wife.

Further south is Jamestown, which still has part of its fortification walls, and the fishing harbour at Dromond, which is where Lough Boderg and Lough Bofin meet.

Charter hire companies include Locaboat (www.locaboat.com), which has a fleet of motorboats and Emerald Star (www.emeraldstar.ie).

The island-studded Lough Key borders an 800-acre park, and is ideal for beginner boaters, as there is just one lock to operate between Carrick-on-Shannon and Lough Key.

Boats can be moored at the jetty at Lough Key Forest Park. There are plenty of trails to follow, as well as a canopy walk and ziplines. Boats can moor overnight in the town of Boyle, which has plenty of restaurants and bars as well as marina facilities such as pump-out, shower and laundry.

The 1km Boyle Canal links Lough Key with Boyle, which is at the foot of the Curlew mountains.

Boat charter holiday destinations in England

North West

There are few things as relaxing as pottering along a canal, especially if you do not have to negotiate locks.

The Lancaster Canal can be entered via the River Lune (complete with the Grade 1 Lune Aqueduct, which carries the Lancaster Canal above the river), and is run by the Canal and River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk). It is also connected to the national waterway network via the Ribble Link near Preston.

Boats moored up by the side of a canal

For a hassle-free boat charter holiday, head to the Lancaster Canal and its 41 miles of lock-free navigation. Credit: John Morrison/Alamy

But best of all, it offers 41 miles of lock-free cruising through fields, pastures, and woods.

There are marinas at Glasson, Garstang and Bilsborrow. Narrowboats can be hired with Lancaster Canal Cruises (www.lccruises.co.uk). The Duck Island Boat Company offers narrow and wide canal boats (www.lancastercanalboathire.com).

The 200-year-old Leeds &Liverpool Canal crosses the spectacular Pennines and passes through villages in the Yorkshire Dales, with highlights including the Bingley Five Rise Locks, the wool market town of Skipton and the Victorian model village of Saltaire, which is a World Heritage Site.

If you would rather start further along the canal, Pennine Cruisers (www.penninecruisers.com) is based in Skipton, and offers weekly and short-break charters.

East Coast

The Broads is one of the few places where you can sail rivers in traditional Norfolk wherries.

Before you plan your voyage, it is best to visit the Broads Authority website (www.broads-authority.gov.uk), where you’ll find details of Notices to Mariners, information on the rivers and lakes, moorings and navigation hazards.

Sail past thatched cottages, boat houses, windmills and reed-lined banks and immerse yourself in the flora and fauna of the Broads; in the summer, the southern rivers of the Yare and Waveney are normally quieter compared to Wroxham and Horning on the River Bure.

A boat on the river Yare during a boat charter holiday

The river Yare is one of the largest in the Broads, running from Norwich to Great Yarmouth. Credit: Getty

The Yare is one of the broader rivers in the National Park, and goes into the heart of Norwich for those wanting to mix the rural with the urban.

The Norfolk Wherry Trust (sail.wherryalbion.com) has boats available for charter. Hunter’s Yard (huntersyard.co.uk) offers learn-to-sail holidays.

Close to Hicklingh and Horsey Broads, Oliver’s Sailing Holidays (broadssailingholidays.co.uk) has a sailing fleet for charter.

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