Vote for the best of British outdoor culture
The Great Outdoors Reader Awards are the biggest democratic celebration of the best of British outdoor culture. Twelve years ago, we launched our first annual awards – and our readers have been championing the people, places and businesses that make our outdoor lives better ever since.
What makes these awards different – and gives extra kudos to winners – is that it’s you, the outdoor-going public, who decide the results. Only your nominees have made it onto this shortlist, and only those who win the most of your votes walk away with the top accolade or one of two commended awards in each category.
From talented authors and tireless campaigners to charming campsites and cosy pubs, the nominees in these 15 categories represent the most inspirational personalities, organisations and businesses in the outdoor world. Who has made a difference to you?
Walkers’ pub of the year Your favourite place for a post-walk pint or quality pub grub
■ The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell
■ Clachaig Inn, Glen Coe
■ The Drovers Inn, Loch Lomond
■ The Golden Rule, Ambleside
■ Old Dungeon Ghyll, Great Langdale
■ The Old Forge, Knoydart
■ The Old Nags Head, Edale
■ Ritson’s Bar, Wasdale Head Inn
■ The Round, Keswick
■ Seumas’ Bar, The Sligachan Hotel, Isle of Skye
Walkers’ café or restaurant of the year Anywhere with sit-down dining, from chippies upwards
■ The Bothy, Braemar
■ Cafe Adventure, Hope
■ Corrour Station House
■ Caffi Gwynant, Nant Gwynant
■ Fresher’s Café, Ambleside
■ Chesters by the River, Skelwith Bridge
■ Pete’s Eats, Llanberis
■ Pinemarten Café, Nevis Range
■ Real Food Café, Tyndrum
■ Siabod Café, Capel Curig
Hostel or bunkhouse of the year Casual accommodation catering for muddy boots
■ Corran Bunkhouse
■ Durness Smoo Youth Hostel
■ Elterwater Hostel
■ Forest Way Bunkhouse, near Ullapool
■ Glencoe Youth Hostel
■ Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, Fort William
■ Oban Youth Hostel
■ Skiddaw House Hostel
■ YHA Castleton Losehill Hall
■ YHA Edale Activity Centre
Campsite of the year Celebrate excellent locations, friendly staff and great facilities
■ Ballater Caravan Park
■ Church Stile Farm, Seascale
■ Glenbrittle Campsite
■ Great Langdale Campsite (National Trust)
■ Hayfield Campsite
■ Low Wray Campsite, Windermere (National Trust)
■ Red Squirrel Campsite, Glencoe
■ Sykeside Camping Park, Brotherswater
■ The Quiet Site, Ullswater
■ Wasdale Head Campsite (National Trust)
Walkers’ app of the year Anything you use on your mobile device to aid your outdoor adventures
■ AllTrails
■ Hiiker
■ Ethel Ready
■ FATMAP
■ Komoot
■ Memory-Map
■ OS Maps
■ OS Locate
■ OutdoorActive
■ Walk Highlands
Outdoor personality of the year Who inspired you in 2023?
■ Anne Butler
■ Aneela McKenna
■ Ben Fogle
■ Emma Schroeder
■ Elaine Ryrie
■ Hamza Yassin
■ Jamie Aarons
■ Joshua Adeyemi
■ Juls Stodel
■ Emily Taylor (‘Trigs and Teeth’)
Outdoor book or writer of the year Guidebooks, memoirs, novels, photographic books and more
■ Cook Out by Harrison Ward
■ Ghosts in the Hedgerow by Tom Moorhouse ■ The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd by Merryn Glover
■ In Her Nature: How Women Break Boundaries in the Great Outdoors by Rachel Hewitt
■ Local by Alistair Humphries
■ The Mountain Leader – a practical manual by Mike Raine
■ Other Ways to Win by Lee Craigie
■ The Outdoors Fix by Liv Bolton
■ Scottish Wild Country Backpacking by David Lintern, Stefan Durkacz, Peter Edwards
■ Wild History: Journeys into Lost Scotland by James Crawford
Outdoor film or filmmaker of the year On the big screen or on YouTube, adventure films that help you connect with the outdoors
■ A Winter Bob directed by Fin Pomeroy
■ Grizzly Gaz
■ Jessie Leong
■ On the Adventure Trails
■ Paul Messner
■ Red Needle by Dom Bush & Simon Sylvester
■ Scotland’s Mountains
■ Terry Abraham
■ Walk With Wallace
■ Wildbeare
Campaigner of the year Inspiring campaigns that matter to walkers and the individuals or organisations who champion them
■ Access the Dales
■ Beca ‘Muddy Bootlaces’ Trebilcock
■ Chris Packham
■ Matt Staniek: Save Windermere
■ Right to Roam
■ Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland: It’s Up To Us
■ The Ramblers
■ Trash Free Trails
■ Sophie Powers: SheRaces
■ The Stars Are for Everyone
The Open Outdoors award Recognising individuals or groups who have inspired people to head into the outdoors, widened participation, improved outdoor education, or encouraged diversity
■ Adventure Singles
■ Anita Kerwin-Nye, Director Designate South Downs National Park
■ AKA CIC
■ The British Exploring Society
■ Every Body Outdoors
■ Girls on Hills
■ Haroon Mota, Muslim Hikers and the Active Inclusion Network
■ Heather Dunnell, Scottish Women’s Walking Group
■ Siobhan Daniels, The Retirement Rebel
■ The Scout Association
The Extra Mile award Outstanding voluntary effort for the benefit of the outdoors or charitable causes
■ Britain’s Mountain Rescue Teams (England, Wales, Scotland, plus Independent Scottish Mountain Rescue)
■ Cave Rescue Organisation
■ Fran Pearson of KitSquad
■ Leanne Dempsey
■ Mountain Bothies Association volunteers
■ Neil Reid
Independent retailer of the year Retailers who operate independently with five or fewer stores
■ Arran Active (Brodick)
■ Cairngorm Mountain Sports (Aviemore)
■ Castleberg Sports (Settle)
■ Catstycam (Glenridding)
■ Craigdon Mountain Sports (three stores in Scotland)
■ LD Mountain Centre (Newcastle)
■ Needle Sports (Keswick)
■ Outside (Hathersage)
■ Up and Under (Cardiff)
■ Whalley Warm and Dry
Chain retailer of the year Outdoor retailers with six or more stores
■ Blacks
■ Cotswold Outdoor
■ Decathlon
■ Ellis Brigham
■ Go Outdoors
■ Mountain Warehouse
■ Nevisport
■ Tiso
Online retailer of the year Your favourite places to buy gear, maps and books online
■ Alpine Trek
■ Dash4it
■ Sport Pursuit
■ Sports Shoes
■ Trekitt
■ Ultralight Outdoor Gear
■ Valley and Peak
■ WildBounds
■ Vampire Outdoors
■ Wiggle
Outdoor clothing or equipment brand of the year Gear brands with consistently high-quality, good-value kit or with commendable customer service
■ Alpkit
■ Atom Packs
■ Haglöfs
■ inov-8
■ Keela
■ Montane
■ OMM
■ Páramo
■ Rab
■ Sierra Designs