Britain and its islands possess evocative, beautiful landscapes. The UK has thousands of miles of coastline, the world’s largest expanse of moorland, and epic landscapes like the Scottish Highlands, as well as cute villages and primeval sites like Stonehenge. Great diversity in such a small area makes it ripe for travel and photography.
Britain’s coast is well connected by a recent project to build a continuous footpath around the whole island, bringing dramatic landscapes like Land’s End, Exmoor and the North York Moors within easy reach of everybody. The coast paths are well maintained and accessible. Although not known for its beaches, Britain and Northern Ireland have fantastic beaches. The UK is an island nation, and includes more than a hundred islands in northwestern Europe, with the largest being the island of Britain.
Rich in history, geography and culture, Britain is home to great literature from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter to James Bond; from the Brontes and Jane Austen to Shakespeare.
Top picks for travellers:
- London’s Greenwich Meridian at 0 degrees longitude, from which all time zones are measured
- 15 national parks, including mountains, moorland and coast
- Shakespeare’s Globe theatre
- Game of Thrones film locations in Northern Ireland
- the medieval colleges and ancient towns of Cambridge and Oxford
- historic villages like Castle Combe
Britain also has some classic train journeys, for example across the Glenfinnian viaduct and West Highland Way, along the south coast of England from Exeter to Penzance, and the North Wales coast from Chester to Holyhead.
