FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY SCRAMBLE A SLOPE

Salhouse Broad

You paddle through mazy waterways, through reedy channels that open into lakes, around islets like mirages, beneath boughs where kingfishers flash like sparks. There’s little louder than whispering reeds and the chuckle of water. The Norfolk Broads is a blissful waterworld; a source of wonder and joy.

You can’t go far wrong in any of the broads, but my pick is Salhouse. For a start, it’s off the trail of motorboats. Plus, if you plan your tour with Bank Boats (bankboats.co.uk), you can camp overnight above the broad before rising early to still, misty waters and setting off for another day of gentle adventure. Six hours of canoe hire at Salhouse Broad (salhousebroad.org.uk) costs from £40. Tents from £14 per pitch.

Ben Nevis

If anything can claim the title of the British Everest, it’s Ben Nevis – both the highest mountain on these shores at 4,413ft, and a hulking presence that’s felt as much as seen from Fort William. Beginners can summit alone: bring a paper map (no phones, please), proper kit and stamina for seven hours on the Mountain Track.

Anyone hankering after an actual alp, however, should climb the north face with an expert guide; try West Coast Mountain Guides (from £250; westcoast-mountainguides.co.uk). Roped securely, you’ll experience panicky moments up Tower Ridge, Nevis’s most exposed route. It’s the longest, too, at 1,970ft. Yet the summit is doable by any beginner with modest grit. For the more experienced, this is our only true alpine climb in winter.

Stay at The Garrison (thegarrisonhotel. co.uk) where doubles cost from £110.