Five of the best ways to picnic this summer

VisitScotland and Forest Holidays have taken the Scottish summer picnic up a gear this year, with the launch of an exclusive Picnic Butler service at two Forest Holidays sites - Ardgartan in Argyll and Strathyre in Perthshire. In celebration of Scotland’s Year of Food & Drink, forest ranger (and Everest mountaineer, no less) Jack Black can be called upon to design a picnic experience to suit, from a family adventure to a romantic excursion. If you’re used to nibbling Scotch eggs on a tartan rug call in kilted Jack instead and he will guide you through foraging, making fires, spotting wildlife and outdoor survival techniques before supplying a picnic hamper laden with local treats, from smoked salmon and Caboc cream cheese bagels, to oat cakes, seasonal fruit, Tunnocks tea cakes, Heather Honey tablet, Scottish spring water and (perhaps slightly less local) sparkling wine.

The Nare Hotel on Cornwall’s Roseland Peninsula is one of the county’s classiest country house hotels. This year its picnic service just got even classier, however; having acquired a new 38ft motorboat, the hotel is offering guests and non-residents the chance to book a picnic onboard whilst sailing (hopefully smoothly) down the Helford River. The Alice Rose can seat up to eight guests and the five-hour trips must be booked in advance.