The Highway Code recommends drivers take a break every two hours.
For electric vehicle drivers, this presents an opportune moment to stop to charge their car – as well as stretch their legs and get some fresh air.
As of January 2024, there are 55,301 EV charging points across 31,335 charging locations. And some of these are in stunning locations.
Whether by fortune or through planning, you can find yourself at an EV charger that’s surrounded by extraordinary natural beauty – and the time to appreciate it.
Here are our top choices for the most scenic charging spots in the UK.
1. Isle of Skye, Scotland
Portree is the capital of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and is an heavenly place to charge your electric car. There are two public car parks with 50kW CCS, CHAdeMo chargers and Type 2 chargers in each
While not a big island, Skye packs a lot of the best of Scotland into a small geographical area
Scotland is so breathtaking it often seems like a different planet.
A driver’s haven that includes the North Coast 500, narrowing down the most scenic charging spot in Scotland is near impossible.
But, dwarfed by chameleon coloured mountains, the rainbow coastal town of Portree on the Isle of Skye just snags it in our eyes.
There are two public car parks with 50kW CCS, CHAdeMo chargers and Type 2 chargers in each.
Portree has a lot to offer visitors while they charge. You can explore the natural harbour, eat the catch of the day, hike the hills or shop the local produce.
Pop into a pub and for £10 you’ll get the dreamiest fresh oysters and chips – a personal recommendation to hungry drivers.
Once your EV is topped up the rest of the island awaits exploration. Munros to Dunvegan Castle – Skye packs the best of Scotland into a small, yet phenomenal geographical area.
2. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is dotted with 22kW chargers and presents a wonderful opportunity for drivers to spend a few hours hiking along the coastline
Pembrokeshire is relatively lowkey compared to Snowdonia and offers some of the best driving in the UK
Wales is a relatively untapped gem for many drivers. From the Drovers’ roads to Snowdonia, there’s miles of motoring magic.
For some of the wildest charging in Wales, head to Pembrokeshire. The National Park along the west coast is four parts of turquoise coastline, golden sands, amazing wildlife and ancient monuments.
The Coastal National Park is dotted with 22kW chargers which give a typical EV a full charge in around three or four hours, or a top up an hour or an hour and a half.
The Park does lack rapid charging, but it makes up for it in the wonderful outdoor activities it offers while you do wait a bit longer.
And it’s well worth scheduling this time in to properly immerse yourself in the area.
Nowhere in the National Park is more than 10 miles from the coast – and you have 240 square miles of some of the most varied coastal scenery in Britain.
For overnight stays, the Druidstone Hotel has 7kW chargers available to guests, and it is one of my favourite hotels in the UK.
3. Wye Valley, Herefordshire, England
The Wye Valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Old Court Hotel near Symonds Yat is well-equipped with multiple ultra-rapid chargers
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town on the River Wye and the nearby Coppett Hill has views over six counties on a clear day
A slight bias here, as the Wye Valley is in Herefordshire – my home county. But, as it is a protected National Landscape and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it’s safe to say it’s some of the finest England landscape to charge in.
There are multiple Instavolt rapid 50kW CHAdeMO and ultra-rapid 120kW CCS chargers at the Old Court Hotel that’s only a 15-minute walk from Symonds Yat near Ross-on-Wye in the Wye Valley.
These chargers can deliver a full charge in 30 minutes or less, so you might just want to walk to the river and back, or have a Herefordshire steak lunch at the hotel.
But on a summer’s day you should really stick around.
On the banks of the River Wye, Symonds Yat is a brilliant place for families to spend the day. Canoe or Stand-Up Paddleboard or take a dip in the Wye’s top wild swimming spots.
If you’ve put aside a couple of hours to charge, ramble and picnic, then walk up Coppett Hill near the market town of Ross-on-Wye and you can see out across six counties on a clear day.
4. Glenarm Castle, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
Glenarm Castle in Northern Ireland is a fantastic family day out destination with nearby EB charging
The walled garden is award-winning and there’s loads to do and explore while your EV is plugged in to the 22kW nearby charger
It’s hard to have a scenic roundup of anything in the UK without a mention of a castle.
Perched on the sea, Glenarm Castle in Country Antrim is the brown stone turreted ancestral home of the Earl of Antrim.
This recently crowned ‘Historic Houses 2023 Garden of the Year’ is only a 10-minute walk from the two 22kW chargers at New Road Car Park.
As well as walking around the award-winning gardens, you can hire an e-bike, fuel yourself at the tea room, shop clothes, gifts and produce at the Byre Shop and (depending on the time of year) attend the many events Glenarm puts on.
E-bikers might want to cycle along the coast to see the legendary Madman’s Window. This Mother Nature-made window is a gap in two huge boulders through which the Irish Sea greets you.
The folklore goes that a local man from the village visited the window daily, staring out at the waters of Glenarm Bay – where he lost his sweetheart to the thwarting power of the waves.
Whether EV drivers want to spend endless hours staring blankly out to sea is a personal decision, but the New Road Car Park chargers gives you the option.
5. Bakewell, Peak District, England
Bakewell in Derbyshire’s Peak District has many 7kW chargers to choose from and is a picture-postcard town to explore while you charge
The Bakewell tart is the star attraction but there’s local markets, shops, and traditional experiences to enjoy – something for all the family
Without a doubt the charging spot on our list that prompts the most sugar cravings, Bakewell is the home of the eponymous Bakewell Tart.
It’s the biggest town in the Peak District National Park and is quintessential in every respect.
The famous Bakewell pudding was apparently created by mistake by a local cook in the mid-19th century – she meant to make a simple jam tart.
Luckily it turned out well and now Bakewell is firmly on the map thanks to the mistake. This picturesque town in Derbyshire is a day-out destination for all the family.
Local produce at the farmers’ markets, specialist shops selling everything from whisky to country clothing – it’s a proper step back in time experience.
With many 7kW chargers on offer, there’s hours to spare while you top up your car battery – and it would be rude not to eat the local baked goods.
