Using inspiring spots where you’ll find land&water products as our starting point (a B Corp coffee shop, an urban spa, a craft-led hotel), we’re heading into – rather than out of – the city for a different take on the summer escape.
From the best sunset-watching spot in Edinburgh to Plymouth’s art deco lido and a tranquil courtyard tucked away in old Spitalfields, tap into a rejuvenating feeling of invigoration and calm – even in the bustling heart of the city.
EDINBURGH
In Scotland’s historic, hilly capital, summer days stretch further. By the time the solstice hits on 21 June, the sun doesn’t set until past 10pm – followed by lingering twilight hours, made for rooftop drinks and pubs that spill out onto cobbled pavements.
Start your city wanderings with a morning pitstop at Origin Coffee on South College Street, where land&water products grace shelves and sink-sides. An extension of the B Corp company’s flagship Cornwall roastery café, the Edinburgh shop boasts a cool, industrial aesthetic with stainless-steel worktops, reclaimed lighting and a bronze bar.
Fuelled by a flat white, journey deeper into the surrounding Southside neighbourhood. Buzzy, culturally rich and student-frequented, thanks to its setting by the University of Edinburgh’s Old College, you’ll discover independent eateries, characterful pubs and curious bookshops aplenty – with big-name museums, theatres and art galleries all within easy walking distance.
Craving some sea air? Portobello Beach (known locally as “Porty”) is a surprising expanse of golden sand just two miles east of the city centre with a Victorian promenade, old-school fish and chip shops and a committed community of wild swimmers.
Feeling the heat? Seek out shade among the 200-year-old Giant Sequoia trees of the Royal Botanic Garden, where trickling streams and floral displays offer a moment of calm.
Or make like famous fictional Edinburgh graduates Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew of David Nicholls’ One Day, with a hike up Arthur’s Seat – an extinct ancient volcano and grassy peak with panoramic views – to catch the sunset over the city.
PLYMOUTH
Where better to tap into the essence of a land&water summer than Plymouth, Britain’s ‘Ocean City’?
Steeped in epic seafaring history, from the departure of the Mayflower to Sir Francis Drake’s famous circumnavigation of the globe, Plymouth sits on Devon’s South Coast, surrounded by areas of outstanding natural beauty – like the rugged wilderness of Dartmoor National Park.
It’s also home to land&water destination and independent hotel, The Craft House. Here, as the name suggests, all things creative and beautifully crafted rule. Stop by for a refreshing craft cider, locally-sourced lunch, or to try your own hand at an artisanal craft – from willow-weaving to glassmaking, ceramics, foraging and metalwork.
Feeling inspired, stride outside into the sunshine and onto The Hoe, the city’s south-facing park and seafront promenade. Picnic on the green lawns with sweeping views across Plymouth Sound, climb the spiral staircase of the iconic Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse, or cool off with a dip in the art deco Tinside Lido.
Below The Hoe, explore the Barbican, Plymouth's vibrant waterside neighbourhood. Here, a maze of cobblestone lanes carries you from Sutton Harbour past wizened Tudor buildings, theatres and restaurants serving freshly caught seafood.
See two counties in one day by hopping on the half-hour ferry from Barbican to Kingsand – a quaint fishing village in Cornwall, where the Devonport Inn serves takeaway sushi and beers to eat on the beach.
Back on Devon soil, toast your day with a refreshing Pink Gin cocktail from Plymouth Gin Distillery, England’s oldest working gin distillery.
LONDON
Riverside terraces, rooftop bars, alfresco cinema screens. Live outdoor music, leafy beer gardens, sky-blue lidos. When it comes to summer in the city, nowhere does it quite like London.
Using land&water destinations to navigate London's vast sprawl, we begin at Batty Langley’s, an eclectic Georgian hideaway in Spitalfields. All dark wood, silk drapes, antique tomes and oil portraits, this period boutique hotel offers a retreat from the thrum of the city with rooms featuring tranquil courtyards and hidden roof terraces overlooking Docklands and Broadgate Tower.
After a soak in a roll-top marble bath (with swan-shaped brass faucets, naturally) using our grapefruit, lime and star anise Body Wash, step out into the heart of Spitalfields Market, where ancient streets rub up against the gleaming glass and sharp modernity of the City. Peruse shops and street food stalls selling everything from hand-pulled noodles to Neapolitan pizza, Sri Lankan curries to Taiwanese fruit tea.
With more green space than any other major European city, in London, you’re never far from a pocket of nature. Minutes from Montcalm Mayfair, where you’ll find land&water products, the tree-lined lawns of Hyde Park beckon. Cool off in Serpentine Lido, central London’s only open-water swimming pool. Wander through the scented Rose Garden, play a game of padel at the Park’s outdoor courts or bask in the sunshine aboard a Serpentine Lake pedalo.
After a long day of city exploration, relax tired limbs and rejuvenate your spirit at Montcalm Royal London House’s serene urban spa, followed by dinner and drinks at its skyline-surveying rooftop restaurant.
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Travel from city to coastline with our selection of spots within a couple of hours of a city.
Discover The Rookery in Clerkenwell, London
Explore more land&water destinations across the UK in our Take Me To.. series
