Of course, every husband-to-be deserves the perfect stag do to send him off to the biggest day of his life. Such an epic gathering of family and friends only happens once in every guy’s life, and it should be grand! The concept of a wild and drunken lads weekend, however, comes with a fair amount of dread for a lot of people. Luckily we’re here to put your mind at ease because there is no need for a great stag do to be a messy affair. To make this time as memorable as possible for you grooms and groomsmen (or women) out there, we want to share some of our top tips with you. These stag do ideas maintain all the personal air and party atmosphere of a classic stag do, but perhaps come with a little less morning-after remorse.
Classy Holiday
For all the smooth and suave gents out there, we recommend keeping things classy for your stag do. Imagine yourself living your very best life surrounded by your very best friends and make that your reality for the weekend. One of our top tips for a getaway like this is to indulge in some whiskey tasting, perhaps somewhere rustic and culturally rich like Scotland. A whiskey experience will satisfy those who are curious about the flavours, depths and the distillation process, as well as those who are more concerned with percentages. Everyone is sure to find their new favourite blend, and it’s a great bonding experience all around.
Where to stay: The Argyll Country House provides a perfect base for some sophisticated activities. Once the alcohol’s (mostly) worn off, you can also try country activities like deer stalking, sailing, and fishing in the area.
Adventurous Holiday
If the groom is more of an outdoorsy type, then an adventurous trip will probably appeal for his stag. Perhaps your party wants to go rock climbing, hiking, or camping with campers and vans. But something we always like to recommend is a unique and hands-on canoeing experience. It’s great fun for a group looking to make memories together and will challenge all your stag do preconceptions. Our personal close-to-home favourite for paddling away is Somerset. The trips down the rivers here are both scenic and tranquil, but also perfect for challenging your mates to a mini-Olympics in canoe slalom racing and, of course, quality time together.
Where to stay: The C17th Castle is ideally placed for all river-based activities and when your day on the water is over, it even has a home cinema system, indoor swimming pool and pool tables to provide some R&R.
Relaxing Holiday
Don’t underestimate a long weekend of relaxing and just hanging out with your mates. Odds are, it’s just the thing the groom was hoping for before embarking on family life. You can put some burgers on the BBQ and crack open some beers, play games and share stories. Friends and family come together on a trip like this and stag dos are meant to tighten those bonds when big and exciting changes are coming up. Show some support for your number one guy, and book a big house for everyone to stay in over a long weekend. You don’t even need to go far as lots of places in the UK, like the Cotswolds, are full of top-class holiday homes.
Where to stay: Abbeville Barn with its garden, hot tub, table football and big dining table sets the scene for a countryside getaway with beautiful walks and the all-important country pub nearby.
Gentleman’s Holiday
We’re not sure where the term came from, but we sure like the idea of an old-fashioned “gentleman’s holiday”. There’s no denying that a fishing or hunting weekend is absolutely ideal in some situations, and a stag do is one of them. It is not only exciting (and exhausting) but provides just the right level of competition. You’ll get a stag do you can reminisce about, as well as the chance to learn some new skills. A great place to go for these activities is the glorious and green Ireland, where you’ll find the very best clay pigeon shooting, fishing and hunting, along with experts to help guide you along.
Where to stay: The Gothic Castle Estate offers pike fishing as well as duck and pheasant shooting with bird-watching and golf nearby. Since it can sleep 16, there’s room for all your groomsmen as well as any family tag-alongs.
At Oliver’s Travels, we’ve got a vast selection of properties to cater to all kinds of tastes and activities as well as party sizes. Make sure your stag weekend is memorable for all the right reasons by booking up one of our fantastic holiday homes. You can have a look at our Stag and Hen do portfolio or contact our concierge team.
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