Cornwall
The southernmost county in the UK mainland is home to glorious beaches and fabulous weather. It’s got plenty of gorgeous coastal towns with more than enough winding cobbled streets and seaside ambience. If these don’t float your boat, then resort to the obvious: grab the suntan lotion and the surfing gear and head to one of their many beaches.
Edinburgh
The capital of Scotland nearly want included in this list: a few weeks ago, Scotland voted to stay in the UK rather than go independent by a narrow margin. Without Scotland we wouldn’t have Edinburgh, a booming cultural hub that’s rich in history. You could begin a visit to Edinburgh by touring their many museums and art galleries, but if you really want to see the spirit of Edinburgh then you should visit during while the massive festival the Edinburgh Fringe is taking place.
Snowdonia
The UK has some incredible cities, but at times it seems like Britain is made for hikers and countryside lovers. Snowdonia is the epitome of rural beauty: a stunning national park composed of the Welsh mountain valleys surrounding the mountain Snowdon. More information on its hiking routes can be found on the Visit Snowdonia walking page.
Northumberland
Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland (Phil Thomas)
This sparsely populated county on the border between Scotland and England gets the best of both worlds. It’s rich in history and plays host to the UK’s most stunning areas of countryside. Two of England’s best castles can be found in Northumberland: Bamburgh and Alnwick. It also has a sublime coastline, and a cycling or walking trip is the way to go to get the full measure of its beauty. It’s impossible for me to name all of the attractions that Northumberland boasts in this short blog post, but if you’re interested in prospecting what Northumberland has to offer then local holiday cottage company Stay Northumbria have used their knowledge gained from living and working in Northumberland to put together a pretty good list.
London
It would be bizarre to tour the UK without a visit to the big smoke. The capital of the UK remains a hugely popular tourist destination for residents of the UK and visitors alike. As a city it’s the perfect mix of genuinely cosmopolitan and quintessentially British, and there are a million things to do there. If you’re new to the city I suggest starting with the spectacular (albeit corny) classics: Buckingham palace, the Big Ben clock tower, and a tour along the river Thames.