Mother's Day Walks

Stuck wondering what to do for Mother's Day this year? If you've got a mum who loves being outdoors, we've got some great suggestions for adventures to check out on or around Mother's Day. Be sure to also check out our Mother's Day gift collection, full of perfect gift ideas for outdoorsy mums, including stylish waterproof coats, cosy midlayers, walking trousers and much more.

Aside from literally having the word 'mam' in its name (which is reason enough for a Mother's Day visit), Mam Tor is a short and sweet hike for the occasion. It’s fairly steep, but the views from the summit are well worth the effort, and you’ll still have plenty of time afterwards to enjoy some food in nearby Castleton or Edale.

The name Mam Tor means 'Mother Hill', though it's locally known as the 'Shivering Mountain' due to frequent landslides. In fact, a portion of the Mam Tor circular walk includes a trip along the abandoned A625, which was partially destroyed by a landslide, deemed unsafe and was closed.

If you think they’d prefer a gentler walk, Aira Force is a great option for a Mother’s Day outing. Waterfalls are a truly impressive natural sight to experience in person. Aira Force, near Ullswater in Cumbria, is just a short walk from the nearby National Trust car park, with the option to extend your trip along Gowbarrow Fell if you fancy going a little further. Just be aware that the route passes through woodland, so it’s best to wear walking boots rather than your usual favourites, as the paths can get muddy.

For the Letterboxd lovers, film fans will enjoy a trip to Malham Cove, which was most notably used as a filming location in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One, though it was also used as a location in the 1992 version of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

Malham’s renown stems from the fascinating geological features of Malham Cove. The cove is a large natural wall of curved limestone. It was shaped by a waterfall carrying glacier meltwaters at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago.

Rivington Pike (and the area of Rivington in general) is a great place to spend a day out. It's a really easy walk with multiple different ways up for varying levels of walking ability, with the most notable landmark being The Pike Tower, which is just below the summit.

We recommend spending some time walking through the Rivington Terraced Gardens, and if you take this route on the walk back, you have a choice of local places for some food and drink and a well-deserved rest. Our favourites include the bowling green (named The Rivington, which has a great view of the reservoir) and Rivington Brewery's Tap Room, though for Mother's Day we highly recommend the Spring Cottage Café, which is a real hidden gem in the local area, nestled in the woods.

Outdoorsy mums will love a trip to the Lake District. What better way to see the sights than by tackling a few easy Wainwrights? Walks like Loughrigg Fell, which overlooks Loughrigg Tarn (pictured above), and Dodd Wood are perfect peaks to bag on a visit to the Lakes, before heading to Ambleside or Keswick for lunch and a browse in the shops.