Peak District
Beyond the Edge is lucky to be based in the heart of the Peak District and for many of our courses we walk from the door of our training base at the Sir William in the village of Grindleford in the Hope Valley.
The Sir William
Guests of Beyond the Edge (on a course or private guiding) enjoy up to 25% discount on accommodation at the The Sir William Hotel when booked in advance. You can book using the online booking system. Use the code Course24 to gain the BtE discount when booking a room.
Other Accommodation
The Peak District is very popular with visitors from all over the world and sometimes The Sir William is full or doesn’t suit your needs. There are hundreds of places to stay from campsites to luxury spa hotels within a few minutes drive.
Hathersage is a small busy village 5 minutes drive up the valley and has a wide variety of B&Bs, hotels, restaurants and shops. There are also multiple outdoor shops here for last minute purchases.
If the bright lights and casinos of Sheffield are tempting it’s only a 20 minute drive over the hill!
If you are arriving by train and choose to stay in Hathersage we can collect you in the morning and drop you off at the end of the day
Hotels within 5 minutes drive
The Maynard Main Road, Grindleford, S32 2HE. Tel: 01433 424 110
The George Main Road, Hathersage.S32 1BB. Tel: 01433 650 436
The Millstone Inn Sheffield Road, Hathersage. S32 1DA. Tel: 01433 650 258
Scotsman’s Pack School Lane, Hathersage. S32 1BZ. Tel: 01433 650 253.
Little John Hotel Station Road, Hathersage, S32 1DD. Tel 01433 650 255
B&B’s
There are literally hundreds of B&B’s in the local villages of Hathersage (3 miles), Bamford (6 miles), Curbar (2 miles), Stoney Middleton (5 miles) and Eyam (6 miles).
Hostels
There are Youth Hostels in Hathersage (5 min drive, or we can collect you), Eyam (10 min drive), Castleton (15 minute drive) and Edale (20 min drive). They all have single rooms, but the Hathersage hostel only has one single room. Hathersage hostel is also currently operating on a whole hostel booking only,
Bretton Hostel was formerly a YHA, but is now an independent hostel and close to the Barrel Inn. It is about a 5 minute drive into Grindleford.
Campsites
There are surprisingly few campsites near Grindleford and Hathersage. An internet search will show lots 15 – 30 minutes drive away.
If you are on a leadership assessment course with us, please consider the amount of time you will take to travel, cook, dry kit etc and any impact they may have on you, especially if you camp far away.
On the outskirts of Hathersage set under the iconic Stanage Edge is the popular North Lees Campsite. It is a 15-20 minute walk along footpaths into the village / train station.
Hardhurst Farm campsite (S33 6RB) is adjacent to the Travellers Rest Inn in Brough, but also a railway! They can be contacted on 01433 620 001.
Swallowholme Camping and Caravan Park (S33 0BN) is on the outskirts of Bamford and very close to Bamford railway station if you are arriving by train.
Pindale Farm has indoor accommodation for larger groups and also a campsite. It is a 15 minute drive from Grindelford.
Eryri (Snowdonia)
For our North Wales based courses we normally meet at Cobdens in Capel Curig (LL24 0EE). Whilst we recommend Cobdens with its homely atmosphere, friendly staff, drying facilities and 10 second commute from breakfast table to meeting room, there are a wide variety of options either in Capel Curig or Betws Y Coed.
Cobdens was one of the great mountaineering hangouts from the time before mobile phones, and Jill (new owner) is injecting some much needed TLC to the building. It is work ongoing, but offers an amazing place to stay in the heart of Snowdonia.
To get to Capel Curig, you can either catch a train to Betws-y-Coed (3hr 39mins from London and very picturesque) and then a bus to Capel Curig or from Bangor main line train station.
Other accommodation in Capel Curig includes the inevitable Air BnB’s, Bryn Tyrch hotel and the Tyn y Coed Hotel www.tyn-y-coed.co.uk/
The Rocks Hostel is popular and next to the very affordable bunk barns and campsite of Bryn Tyrch farm. This is a basic site but offers good value and Cobdens is a 10 minute walk away.
The excellent and popular Dol Gam camp site www.dolgam-snowdonia.co.uk/ is recommended for campers. It benefits from being within walking distance of Cobdens and the Tyn Y Coed for evening relaxation (its downhill on the way back so don’t worry). Dol Gam also offers B&B accommodation.
In Betws-y-Coed is Bryn Llewellyn B&B and a host of other hotels, and B&Bs.
Useful sources of other options are the Eryri (Snowdonia) Tourist Information www.snowdonia.org.uk or Betws-y-Coed tourist information www.betws-y-coed.co.uk
Just a word about our tiny friends Culicoides impunctatus (the midge). In midge season (June – late Sept), still, warm evenings can be genuinely horrific if you are camping and unprepared. Make sure your tent has a good midge net, bring midge repellant, antihistamines if you get affected by bites and a hefty dose of humour.
Scotland
We base ourselves out of Glencoe on the West Coast as there are just so many options for great days in the hills and Aviemore for those wanting to save the legs and drive to 600m.
There are hundreds of hotel and self catering accommodation options in either Glencoe the nearby village of Ballachulish or thirty minutes away in Fort William. In Aviemore there are probably thousands!
If you are staying in a B&B without transport just check where the nearest place is to get evening meals. There are very few takeaways open in the winter outside of Aviemore and Fort William.
Glencoe / Ballachulish
Loch Leven hotel: Stunning location and a personal favourite. Not mass tourism and a real character place. The Annex rooms are normally very reasonably priced.
Isles of Glencoe Hotel: Great location with swimming pool and sauna to relax in at the end of the day. Slightly soulless in comparison to the Loch Leven, but much larger so a greater choice / availability of rooms.
Clachaig Inn: This legendary climbing hang out has an epic bar full of climbers /walkers /skiers most nights. It is however at the end of Glencoe so if you want to walk to anywhere else in the evening, forget it!
Inchree Chalets: Self catering lodges between Glencoe and Fort William.
There is also a youth hostel near the Clachaig Inn and a number of independent hostels / bunk houses have popped up in the last few years. A good one with a drying room is Glencoe Independent Hostel. This and the Youth Hostel are a 15-20 minute walk from the village of Glencoe and buses do not go past them.
There is a Co-Op supermarket in Ballachulish (open 7am – 10pm usually) which you can easily stock up on food for the week if you are self catering and a very small village shop in Glencoe with sporadic opening hours. This may well shut in 2024.
Fort William
We don’t have any particularly strong recommendations here as there are just so many accommodation options to choose. From the Travelodge at one end of the High Street, to the Alexandra and Premier Inn (which can be great value) at the other end. There is YHA on the outskirts and multiple bunk houses catering for walkers and climbers.
The Ben Nevis Hotel & leisure Club is just outside the centre (but walkable distance if you need a change of scene) is also popular.
Bed and breakfast accommodation within Fort William are plentiful and there are enough takeaways and restaurants to allow you to eat out each night.
Aviemore
Aviemore is a thriving small town with plenty of shops, cafes and literally thousands of accommodation options. This ranges from ultra luxury lodges with hot tubs to sooth away the days aching muscles to some great value hostels.
We have had very good experiences with:
Ravenscraig Guest House and Cairngorm Guest House in Aviemore
If you are struggling to find something or want something special, contact the office and we will endeavour to assist.