Though having a rough time these days at least in part thanks to Brexit, Britain is still a treasure trove of travel treats, from capital London out into England and Cornwall to Wales and Scotland. And across to Northern Ireland, too, of course!

 

Cover photo: Trey Ratcliffe

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An ´UnTour´ Idyll in Inverness, Scotland, Where Age-Old Traditions Are Alive & Well Today

  Victor Block Ask most anyone what comes to mind when they think of Scotland and you’ll probably hear bagpipes, kilts, tartans – maybe the brogue and haggis (about which more later). If the year were 1746, you would probably have heard the same thing. But it was in that year, after the Battle of Culloden when the English decimated the Scots, after which they set about to systematically rid the country and its people of their identity and traditions. It didn’t work, which makes it all the…

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England's relaxing, uplifting Grasmere Lake District and its holiday rentals

  Jorge Franganillo The Lake District of Cumbria in northwest England, a 5½-hour drive from London and two from Liverpool and Manchester, is a mountainous region and national park renowned for its gorgeous scenery - centering around 19 eponymous lakes - as well as its literary associations with a group of 19th-century "Lake Poets" such as William Wordsworth (one of his most famous poems, "Daffodils," was inspired here), Beatrix Potter (of Peter Rabbit fame), and John Ruskin (a highly…

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The Great Orme Tramway is a vintage charmer in Wales

    At just 206 metres (680 feet) above sea level, the Great Orme (below) might be thought of as rather a slight hill. But it looks as imposing as a far greater eminence, as it overlooks the seaside resort of Llandudno, on the north Welsh coast about a 4½-hour drive or train ride from London and just over an hour's drive and two hours by rail from Liverpool. It’s a limestone headland about two miles long and a mile wide where, back in the Bronze Age, copper was mined (but they only…

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Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh: 400 years of buried history brought to life

  Photos courtesy of TheRealMaryKing'sClose.com The year is 1645. The most virulent strain of the bubonic plague - the "Black Death" - has immobilized Edinburgh, Scotland, claiming the lives of more than half the city’s population. The area hardest hit: Mary King’s Close off High Street, a lively, busy thoroughfare of pubs, shops, and residences. Cries of suffering have replaced the friendly chatter, and the stench of death the aroma of tea and scones. The place, the time, the horror have…

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  • While I´m not a "Janeite" - a devoted fan of late-18th-century novelist Jane Austen - I have read plenty of her books, so I was interested to see that Frommer´s put her old stomping grounds of Bath and Hampshire on its list of best places to go this year, because all the events and festivals commemorating her 250th birthday. I don´t know if I can get there this year, but it´s tempting... https://www.frommers.com/slideshows/848621-frommer-s-best-places-to...
    Frommers | Frommer's Best Places to Go in 2025
  • My, how times have changed. I never had much interest in Northern Ireland´s capital, but this does intrigue me: https://www.cntraveller.com/article/belfast-best-things-to-do
    The underrated Irish city that's becoming one of the coolest spots in Europe
    Once a monochrome city defined by the Troubles, Belfast is now alive with soulful creativity.
  • CNN recently reported that tourism is also undergoing a bit of a downturn here in the U.K., and explores some of the causes - and potential solutions: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/uk-tourism-drop-visitor-numbers-elec...
    https://edition.cnn.com/travel/uk-tourism-drop-visitor-numbers-election?cid=ios_app
  • Whisky aficionados will want to read this look at Scotland's isle of Islay: https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/islay-scotland-travel-guide
    Best Distilleries and Things to Do in Islay, Scotland - Thrillist
    Islay, a small island in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, has more distilleries per capita than any other UK region. Here's how to plan your trip to this m…
  • Another shout-out for Liverpool, this time from CNN Travel https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/where-to-travel-best-destina...
    https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/where-to-travel-best-destinations-2023/index.html
  • The UK's fourth largest city has seen something of a renaissance in recent years, and it's about to get another bump as the host in late May of Eurovision 2023. That's why this rundown from Time Out of Liverpool's top musts is very timely: https://www.timeout.com/liverpool/things-to-do/best-attractions-in-...
    15 attractions in Liverpool you shouldn’t miss
    From the Cavern Club to the Tate
  • Now that "House of the Dragon" is underway on HBO Max, destinations where it was shot in England - Cornwall and Peak District - are expecting an influx of visitors - and even others like Northern Ireland are expecting more, thanks to renewed interest interest in Westeros and the world of "Game of Thrones": https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/19/ive-seen-the-t...
    ‘I’ve seen the trailers’: film locations brace for House of the Dragon tourists | House of the Drag…
    Release of Game of Thrones prequel expected to boost visitor numbers in parts of Cornwall, Peak District, Spain and Portugal
  • The BBC reports on today's opening of the Edinburgh Festival - the world's largest dedicated to the arts: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-62427442
    Edinburgh Festival: Biggest arts festival in the world begins
    Thousands of performers from across the world descend on Edinburgh to put on more than 3,000 shows.
  • In observance of Pride, The Guardian just came out with a piece on Europe's ten best gay-friendly destinations - and in the UK, the choices weren't London or Bristol, but rather Glasgow and Birmingham - here's why: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/jun/23/europe-best-holidays...
    10 of Europe’s best destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers this Pride season | Gay and lesbian travel |…
    From Madrid to Mykonos our writer picks the most queer-friendly holiday spots in Europe
  • Earlier this year, the London-based travel-site BigSevenTravel.com recently came out with "The best cities in the world for art and culture in 2022", and of course London itself is high on the list - but Edinburgh also makes the cut: https://bigseventravel.com/best-cities-for-arts-culture/
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