Pro Paintball

Pro Paintball sits just outside Carlisle and is genuinely the sort of place that either sounds brilliant or like a complete nightmare, depending on who you're taking. It's a dedicated paintball arena where you rock up, get kitted out, and spend a few hours shooting paint pellets at other players across various themed courses. The site runs organized games rather than walk-on sessions, so you're looking at structured gameplay with proper rules and course design.

This is absolutely for the teenage-and-up crowd, particularly stag dos, birthday groups, and anyone who fancies a bit of competitive fun. Kids under 10 would find it tedious and probably frightening. The actual gameplay is genuinely tactical - you can't just sprint about like an idiot and expect to win, which makes it more interesting than the name suggests.

You'll want to allow most of a day if you're serious about it. Gear hire, briefing, and multiple games eat up time fast. Expect to come away bruised if the opposition is any good. The site operates on a booking basis, so turn up without a reservation and you might find nothing on.

If you're staying at any of the nearby caravan parks - Camelot, High Gaitle, or Low Moor Head - Pro Paintball makes a decent half-day option when the weather's too grim for walking. It's not essential to your Cumbrian holiday, but for group trips or families with older teens looking for something active and different, it's worth considering. Ring ahead to check availability and pricing before you commit.