Whether you own a sailing dinghy or small motorboat, one of the main benefits of a boat that you can keep on your driveway is the ability to tow it to new locations for holidays and adventures. But you don’t need to take your small boat abroad to enjoy a day on the water; there are plenty of stunning locations in the UK where you can stay, slip, and sail with ease.

Not sure where to start? Here are some of our top destinations for boating holidays (with the best slipways and launching sites in the country).

1. Studland Bay, Dorset


Stay and Sail Studland

At Studland you can hire all sorts of boats from dinghies to kayaks. Photo Gael Pawson.



The sheltered waters of Studland Bay are ideal for watersports, including swimming, sailing, kayaking, kite surfing, and diving. Bring your own equipment - boat storage and launching from £18 a day - or hire it from companies on site. This spectacular part of our coastline is managed by The National Trust, which also has cottages nearby to rent, including a charming former tennis pavilion turned quirky holiday cottage just a 10-minute walk away from the beach.

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2. Weymouth & Portland, Dorset


Ben Ainslie sailing off the Nothe in Weymouth

Weymouth & Portland was the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games. Photo Onedition



Home of the sailing events for the 2012 Olympics and the National Sailing Academy, there's plenty of on-the-water fun to be had in Weymouth & Portland. There are plenty of sailing schools if it’s your first time on the water, or you can bring your own craft and take advantage of multiple public slipways. One of the best entrances to the water is Castle Cove.

Visitors to Bowleaze Cove can launch non-motorised boats, such as paddleboards, kayaks, or surfboards. If your Personal Water Craft (PWC) has a motor, you’ll be directed to Weymouth Harbour to launch, following regulations that came into force in April 2021.

Whether launching at Bowleaze or Weymouth Harbour, all visitors will enjoy the conveniently located Holiday Park and Spa with its luxury caravans and holiday homes just next door.

3. Salcombe, Devon


Stay and sail Salcombe

Stunning Salcombe. Photo: Paula Irish.



A mecca for boaties, it can be difficult to spot anyone shopping on the high street in Salcombe who isn't wearing a buoyancy aid or life jacket. This welcoming and friendly eco-port, along with the Kingsbridge estuary, is a fantastic area for boat exploration.

Sailing dinghies can be parked and launched from Mill Bay beach with permission, while the Boat Park at Batson offers a wide range of services which can be booked in advance via the helpful Salcombe Harbour Office; in summer, it is optimised to provide parking and facilities for trailer-able boats. In addition to boat park charges, all craft are liable for harbour dues and car parking.

The Salcombe Harbour Guide has heaps of useful information for visitors. If you’re looking for places to stay, there's a full range of options in Salcombe and the surrounding South Hams area, from campsites to luxury boutique hotels, bookable via the Salcombe Tourist Information Centre. It gets incredibly busy on shore and on the water, especially in the summer, so book well in advance!

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4. Hayling Island, Hampshire


Hayling Island sailing club

Hayling Island Sailing Club is situated on Sandy Point, it is the host club to an excellent regatta week every August.



Hayling Island has long been a south coast hub for sailing and windsurfing, and Fishery Creek Touring Park offers an excellent option for visitors to stay close to the water. Located on a tidal creek of Chichester Harbour, pathways lead to Hayling's award-winning Blue Flag beach, while a private slipway enables guests to launch small craft at high tide. With the creek and a lake to one side, it is a truly waterside campsite. Many pitches have a water frontage, which can be specially requested when booking.

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5. Brightlingsea, Essex


Brighlingsea Sailing Club

In the village of Brightlingsea in Essex, there are two sailing clubs, public slipways, camping facilities, a Victorian open-air swimming pool and a lovely estuary to explore.



For a little East Coast exploring, it's hard to beat Brightlingsea as a base. This small mixed leisure and commercial port has a rich heritage. It is located in Brightlingsea Creek, near the mouth of the Colne Estuary where it meets the Blackwater and Thames Estuaries.

The Harbour is within a nature conservation area of international importance - oysters were harvested from Roman times and are once more making a comeback.For more adventurous boaters, be sure to check out the River Colne up to Colchester in Essex (7 miles), or the River Blackwater to Maldon (11 miles). If you’re sailing from the Thames Estuary, Brightlingsea is just a day’s sale from most ports. Popular with dinghy sailors in particular, Brightlingsea Harbour has a guide and details of where to stay for holiday makers.

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6. Trearddur Bay, Wales


Stay and sail Trearddur Bay

Trearddur Bay on the Welsh island of Anglesey. Photo: Paula Irish



Located on Holy Island, Anglesey, Trearddur Bay is a stunning place for boating with a Blue Flag sandy beach and a slipway for public launching on the Northern end (just be sure you don’t try to launch on the RNLIs designated slipway!).

For non-campers, the Trearddur Bay Hotel is in a prime spot directly overlooking the beach, complete with its own pub, restaurant, and award-winning cask ale. Alternatively, the Bagnol and Tyn Towyn Holiday Parks come highly recommended.

Remote yet accessible, there's easy access to this beautiful part of the world from the A55 dual carriageway across Anglesey, making it just a two-hour drive from Manchester and Liverpool. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the tide times, as you won’t be able to make the crossing at high tide!

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7. Lake District


Stay and sail Ullswater

The Lake District has many fabulous lakes worth a visit, this is Ullswater. Photo Paula Irish.



Sailing dinghies and other non-motorised watercraft will be spoilt for choice at the Lake District. Many of the most famous lakes in the area have public slipways - including Ullswater, Windermere, Derwent, Coniston, and Bassenthwaite - and if you're camping, some holiday parks enable you to pitch your tent and walk down to the water to launch your boat right from the campsite!

Waterside House campsite at Ullswater caters to tents and campervans and also hosts tipis and camping pods for those looking for a more unique stay. It's right beside the water with plenty of launch points for boaters and has been featured in camping magazines and blogs as a must-visit destination. What’s more, the parking field and slipway are available to visitors for just £6 per vehicle to park and £6 per boat and/or board if you want to launch your own “vessel” from the site.

On Windermere, you’ll find much of the lake is privately owned, but there are a few places to launch your own vessel. Graythwaite Adventure and Graythwaite Estate will allow you to launch paddleboards, kayaks and canoes (anything that doesn’t require a trailer and/or slipway) from their land for just £6. Your ticket price will include one car, the car’s occupants, and the paddle craft you carry with you. The £6 ticket is a half-day pass, either 9am - 1pm or 1pm - 5pm, and needs to be pre-booked. You can also hire RED paddleboards, single and double sit on top kayaks, canoes, and wetsuits from the site if you don’t have your own.

Alternatively, visitors to Windermere can take advantage of one of the public slipways. These do get very busy, so early booking/arrival is recommended:

  • Fell Foot Park – National Trust. Just 2.5 miles from Park Cliffe.

  • Ferry Nab, Bowness – public car park before the Beech Hill Hotel.

  • Cockshot Point, Bowness – access by foot only.

  • Rayrigg Meadows past Windermere Jetty Museum – access by foot only.


If you’re planning on launching a motorboat, it’s a good idea to contact the Lake District authorities first to ensure you’re launching from an authorised location, as powered vessels are restricted in most areas.

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Stay and sail Ullswater

Family sailing on Ullswater. Photo Paula Irish.


8. Loch Ness, Scotland


If you’re looking for a place to stay near Scotland’s most famous lock, the Loch Ness Shores Club Site is a must-visit. With its stunning background and peaceful location on the quieter south shore not far from the village of Foyers, this award-winning campsite uses innovative green technologies and is a perfect location for getting active by foot, bike, or boat.

The Loch Ness Shores Club is also one of the only places around the Loch Ness shoreline with access and slipways for launching small boats, making it perfect for a trailer sailor holiday. Meanwhile, Findhorn to the east is a beautiful natural bay with sandy beaches, caravan parks, and a friendly yacht club that’s well worth checking out.

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Stay and sail Loch Ness

The new Camping and Caravan Club site atLoch Ness is a stunner. Photo: The Camping and Caravanning Club.


9. Loch Lomond, Scotland


For exploring the breathtaking scenery of Western Scotland, there is another stunning Camping and Caravanning Club site called Cashel on the east side of Loch Lomond. With direct access to the water, campers can launch their boats straight from the site or rent a boat nearby and explore the loch's many islands.

Milarochy Bay is the other campsite on Loch Lomond. Its long loch-side frontage and slipways for boat launching make this another stunning and fun-filled UK holiday destination for boaters.

Check out boats for sale in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

stay and sail Cashel

Stunning Cashel in Scotland is just one of the good potions on Loch Lomond with good launching facilities. Photo: The Camping and Caravanning Club


10. Luce Bay, Scotland


New England Bay is a coastal Caravan and Motorhome Club site located on the shore of Luce Bay near Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway with direct access to a sandy beach ideal for swimming, sailing, fishing, or water sports. This stunning, tranquil location is also the perfect spot for some sightseeing, as well as exploring the Machars and Rhins of Galloway, a beautiful and unspoilt corner of Scotland.

Where will you launch?


The UK has many stunning locations where you can pitch up with your boat and either pitch your tent just a stone's throw away or find great accommodation if you prefer a little luxury.

Remember that while some slipways are public and free, many are privately owned and require a fee or permit to use. Some sailing clubs will welcome visitors if you are a member of an RYA club, while others run summer races, regattas, and other events that you can sign up to as a visitor.

Holidaymakers hoping to get on the water should also look out for local bylaws regarding certain types or sizes of boats. Remember, just because a campsite will let you launch your kayak, doesn’t mean the slipway is suitable for a larger boat. Similarly, many sites have restrictions on motorised vessels and may require you to launch from a certain place or even not permit engines at all.

Finally, don’t forget to check tide times and always be safe while playing on or around the water!

Happy exploring!

Next steps


Are you looking to get away on a boating adventure in the UK this summer? Make sure you arrive well prepared with the right vessel for your needs - take a look at boats for sale right here at boats.com. We’ve got a range of boats to suit any style or budget, so why not start with…

Not sure what boat is right for you? We also have a variety of buying guides to help you get on the water the right way! Here are some highlights to get you started:

Finally, be sure to take a look at some of our other destination-based boating articles, such as our list of the 14 best UK sailing clubs or our ongoing marina review series.

See you on the next tide!

Editor's note: This article was originally published by Paula Irish in February 2018, most recently updated by Pippa Shaw in November 2024.