Adrenaline-Seekers: Where to enjoy adventure sports
If you love a challenge or just crave a little excitement away from the day-to-day bustle of working life, our regions have lots to offer.
Whether it be coastal pursuits, muddy blasts or thrill seeking, adrenaline-charged adventures. So why not live a little and find your own ‘Brilliant Moment’ here in the very heart of the Borders, Northumberland and East Lothian.
Kite-Surfing
One of the UK’s fastest growing sports, kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind through a large parachute kite to propel a rider across the waves or lake on a small surfboard. A hugely exciting pursuit, experience in disciplines such as snowboarding, sailing and surfing will aid your learning, but with a little instruction complete beginners can get to grips with the basics involved in mastering this exhilarating activity. KA Kitesurfing are fully qualified to take you down this learning journey so why not whet your appetite with a 3 hour land-based taster session or consider a 1-3 day intensive course to get you out there and moving…fast!
Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
Stand-up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is an emerging sport with a Hawaiian heritage which uses a surf style board and a long paddle to propel the rider across the surface of the water using a standing position. Much more stable than surfing and relatively easy to master, it provides a brilliant workout where paddlers ride breaking waves or glide over longer distances along waterways or sea coasts. As a BSUPA recognised school, KA Kitesurfing offer complete beginners an introduction to the sport where qualified instructors will cover all the basics on superb flat-water areas of the Northumberland coastline. Or, if you fancy exploring the River Tweed at Paxton House at a leisurely pace aboard your SUP, Adventure Northumberland should be your first port of call. OceanVertical can offer an excellent paddleboarding experience on the East Lothian coastline.
Coasteering
Today we’re dreaming of sun-soaked rays…or perhaps just a little bit of warmth so you can enjoy the incredible pursuit that is coasteering. A mix of swimming, scrambling, canyoning and cliff traversing, this activity promises a coastal exploration full of dripping adventure! Again KA Kitesurfing or Active4Seasons in Berwick-upon-Tweed both offer packages lasting anything from three hours to a day in length. Slightly further south, explore the area around Rumbling Kearn near Howick with Adventure Northumberland where there are wash offs, caves and jumps ranging from a few feet to 30ft! OceanVertical offer some excellent adventures in the East Lothian area. Expect much fun, laughter.…..oh, and to get wet!
Rib Trips
Next, take a ride on the wild side for a fast and furious sea voyage. Eyemouth Rib Trips offer a mighty blast in a powerboat for an exhilarating excursion where you can experience high speed turns and thrills with skipper Tim (an ex offshore powerboat racer) as he expertly manoeuvres the Rib for a coastal ride to remember.
Surfing & Bodyboarding
For surfing and bodyboarding, the St Vedas Surf Shop sits overlooking the gentle golden bay of Coldingham Sands on the Berwickshire coast and provides an ideal learning environment. You can hire surfboards and body boards or book a lesson with British Surf Accredited instructors here. All equipment including wetsuits, surf boots and surfboards are provided. Snorkel and kayak hire is also available which offers a great way to see the abundant marine life in the shallows of the Heritage coastline. The beach has lifeguard duty through the summer period for extra reassurance. OceanVertical offer some excellent surfing packages at their multiple surfing sites along the rugged East Lothian coastline.
Cable Wakeboarding & Ringo Rides
A combination of water skiing and snowboarding, Cable Wakeboarding uses an overhead pulley system to pull the rider over the water surface, and is one of the world’s most progressive extreme sports today. Nestled in a beautiful woodland location on the edge of the John Muir Way, Foxlake Adventures near to Dunbar is Scotland’s first cable wakeboarding park and is a fully accredited British Waterski and Wakeboard site. Here you can learn to wakeboard and experience the invigorating thrill of this exciting watersport. Alternatively try their Ringo rides where you can whizz up and down the lake on big inflatables, or experience some immense fun on the Foxfall course – the UK’s only ropes course constructed over water for the ultimate test of skill, balance and willpower!
Canoeing & Kayaking
The rivers of North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders are perfect for open canoeing and kayaking and Active4Seasons can deliver coaching or guided trips for all levels ranging from half-day, full day or multi day sessions on the Tweed, Till, Teviot and Whiteadder. Beginner and intermediate sea kayaking courses are also available in some outstanding locations on the Northumberland heritage coast and are a super way to enjoy the scenery and spot some amazing wildlife along the way. Adventure Northumberland can also offer canoeing and kayaking on the River Tweed at Paxton House. Adventure Northumberland also offer an incredible and unique experience of kayaking with seals at Coquet Island near Amble.
Rock-Climbing, Abseiling & More
Rock UK is an outdoor activity centre based in Whithaugh Park, near to Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders who offer a vast range of activities including rock-climbing, abseiling and gorge walking. You can also experience the rush of their amazing 300m zip wire, test your skill on the high ropes, or take part in guided kayaking and canoeing trips.
Indoor Climbing
The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho, Edinburgh is Europe’s largest indoor climbing centre. Experience hundreds of routes and hundreds of challenges here! From novice to expert, including little things for Rocktots, there is also Abseiling, an Aerial Assault Course 100ft up, Archery and Bouldering as well as high energy Fitness classes. Corporate and Team Building events can also be arranged.
Gliding
Interested in soaring gracefully and silently on a rising thermal above the exceptional landscape of the Northumberland National Park? The Borders Gliding Club at Milfield offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to try this graceful sport where you can sit back and enjoy the view or even handle the controls. A sublime photographic heaven!
Quad Biking & 4×4 Driving
And finally, for the ultimate off-road experience, the Ronnie Dale Driving School in Berwickshire offers 4×4 driving adventures for adults under the watchful eye of a personal instructor in 2000 acres of hill and forest terrain, as well as quad bike treks for adults and children around the 500 acre farm estate. Alternatively Farxfour near Hawick offer a similar 4×4 experience and a chance to test your skills on some jaw-dropping ascents and descents, side slopes and water challenges.
Don’t miss…
The Mighty Deerstalker – a mad and mighty 10k….and then some! A fearsome challenge over hill, rock and glen in the twilight. Takes place at Traquair House each March – don’t miss it!