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Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (1,331) Wales was once a Kingdom, but never a fully fledged country. Certainly it's present administrative boundaries and extent of the Welsh language are inconsistent with the past, and out of sync.
Wales is treated by the English as a regional backwater, where the funny people and sheep live, the country fools, and rugby players. Its seen as different but not seperate. Its just an "odd region", where the road signs are in two languages, where place names are wierd and where there is a strong sense of history and "not being English". But it is the same country, with the same laws and money and so on. Its just poorer and more provincial. Its the place to holiday, but not really to live. Its the lesser relative, the one who is picked last for football, the one who gets kicked, bullied.
Yet Wales, for you the outsider, is very different, significant and an important component of the Union. It's status and relation to the Government in London may be very different from Scotland's but, never the less, Wales is special. So get aboard the special bus, go to Wales. It is a "must see"!
Remember too, Wales is better represented by the Northern National Park - Snowdonia (stronghold of the history, culture and Welsh language - home of mountain sheep, castles, beaches and steam trains with unpronounceable stations). So, you must see the North of Wales, not just a quick trip to Cardiff.
Did you know, the Welsh Flag (Dragon) and the 'capital' Cardiff, are modern creations from the 1960s. For the real history, you'll have to search much deeper.
See my Wales Page http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/70ef2/f6/ Leave a Comment
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It is forever Edinburgh.
More than the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh is a major UK attraction, a real must see, on a European or world scale.
I know it is inconveniently placed at the far end of the country, well away from the major airports. But Edinburgh has its own airport, served by many airlines including the budget carriers Easyjet and Ryanair. Edinburgh has fast train and coach links with all of England and Glasgow (Scotland's other big city, with a significant airport).
So, don't waste days trapsing around London blowing your money and getting exhausted.
Turn the map of the UK upside down! See London not as the first place to visit, but the last - the end of a holiday. Try to reverse you itinery, come to Scotland first then meander towards London in a relaxed manner.
If you don't believe me - ask anyone who has rushed a tour of UK, and they'll say the same - "I wish I'd spent more time in Scotland and the North of England, and less time in London". This is because the whole island and the countries it contains has so much to offer, rather than down playing London. Its just priorities.
So head to Edinburgh, and the Highlands beyond it. See my many tips for Scotland and Edinburgh. And don't forget Wales. (Again, Wales is not Cardiff. Head for Snowdonia if time is short).
Festival (August) in Edinburgh is mad, so is Hogmanay (New Year). All summer it is packed with tourists. Then it returns to a Scottish City, dull, dirty and all the better to calmly explore, and see the under-belly.
Accommodation in Summer can be a real problem, unless you'll sleep anywhere! If its not rained recently it'll likely smell of diesel and breweries, and the usual British detritus.
No where is perfect! Leave a Comment
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - World Heritage Sites
This is a complete list of the UK World Heritage sites:
Follow this link to the UNESCO Website and links to each site, listed below:
http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31
(Wales & N Ireland in Green, Scotland in Blue.)
Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast (Northern Ireland )
St. Kilda (Island West of Scotland)
Ironbridge Gorge (Shropshire )
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (NW Wales )
Durham Castle and Cathedral (NE England )
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites (Wiltshire )
Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey (Yorkshire )
Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire )
City of Bath (Avon, SW England )
Hadrian's Wall (N England )
Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church (London )
Tower of London (Guess? )
Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church (Kent, SE England )
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (Scotland )
Maritime Greenwich (London )
Heart of Neolithic Orkney (Islands, N Scotland )
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape (SE Wales )
New Lanark (SW Scotland )
Derwent Valley Mills (Derbyshire )
Dorset and East Devon Coast (SW England )
Saltaire (W Yorkshire )
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London )
Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City (NW England)
The UNESCO list of all countries is viewable via the same web link.
Happy travels! Leave a Comment
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There are many Steam Trains kept running in the UK, by enthusiasts, and they are growing in popularity each year.
This is a magnificent way to see the countryside and experience the heritage of this industrial nation ... and a great way to keep the boys (husband) happy!
This is the Jacobite Steam Train, in the Glenfinnan Viaduct, between Fort William and Mallaig, West Scotland. (See Fort William Pages for more info).
Once you have travelled on the modern trains in UK, you will wish there were more of these steam trains!!! :-) Leave a Comment
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Must See places in the UK:
Tower Bridge - London.
Snowdonia National Park - North Wales.
Neolithic Sites - Orkney Islands - Scotland
Roman Remains - Bath or Hadrian's Wall
Stone Circles - Stonehenge, or Scotland.
Thatched Cottages & Rose Gardens - Cotswolds and many other villages.
Dry-Stone Walls - Any rural area, each with regionally unique stone.
Weather - Rain, Sun, Wind, Cloud, Rain ... any day!
Beer / Real Ale - Pubs everywhere.
Old Pubs - Suffolk, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Wessex, Essex ... etc, etc.
The Queen, or her Palaces & Castles - Buckingham, Windsor, Sandringham, Holyrood & Balmoral.
Old Buildings & Castles, Abandoned and Heart Breaking - Scotland.
Beaches Empty and Windswept - West Wales & NW Scotland.
White Horse Hill Carving - Uffington, Chiltern Hills, and others.
Delicious Food - rare but getting easier to find
Grumpy B&B owners - Now very rare - standards are improving!
Victorian Piers, Candy Floss, Seagulls, Paper blowing in the wind - Seaside Towns.
Bagpipes, Kilts, Tartan - Scotland
Hedgerows and Patchwork Fields - English Countryside, ie Berkshire, Chiltern, Cotswolds.
Trees - New Forest, or Scots Pine, Scotland.
Wildlife - Scotland and remote wetlands.
Fox Hunting - England.
Deer & Grouse Shooting - Scotland.
Grey Slate & Steam Trains - North Wales.
Pollution, Noise & Dirt - any City.
English Castles - Wales (seriously), Try Harlech or Conwy.
Cathedrals - Canterbury, Salisbury, York, London, etc ...
Football - everywhere, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, London & Glasgow are the most passionate.
Other Sports, golf, rugby, horse racing, rowing, cheese racing - all over at stadiums, fairs and regattas. Leave a Comment Directions: continued ... Rocky Headland & Tin Mines - Cornwall Ancient Archaeology - Orkney Isle Festivals - Edinburgh & Glastonbury Drunks - friday / saturday everywhere Footpaths and ancient routes - see good maps & walk! Explore my Pages! :-)Website: www.visitbritain.com Other Contact: www.visitscotland.com
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You must visit London. It is special and quite unique. But it is also expensive, noisy, dirty and crowded.
So, I always tell people, view London as seperate from the rest of southern England. Preferably visit it as a special trip, a long weekend city break, or distinct from the rest of your UK exploring.
Like other capitals, and major cities, London can become a monster, dominating the outsiders perception of the host country. It becomes a cuckoo in the nest, evicting all other life in a crass and insensitive way, until it has become the host, until London has become England, England - London.
Suddenly all England has become red double decker buses, red telephone booths, the Queen at Buckingham Palace, pigeons in Trafalgar Square, the River Thames and Houses of Parliament.
The real explorer of Britain, the UK, of England, will resist this but cannot fully, unless you visit the 'country' first, before succumbing to the capital's bulk and power, its symbolism and cost . Even if you fly into Heathrow, Gatwick or even Stanstead, resist going straight into London. After all, the airports are themselves well out of the city, so why not be an intelligent and independent traveller, and get a more balanced view of the UK?
Why not sample the delicate flavours and subtle nuances of the country before indulging in a spicy and mind numbing city visit. Better still, have two visits! Leave a Comment
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This is what Scotland is really best at - few other places in the world can match scenery like this.
Best to come in Spring or Autumn (April, May, Sept, Oct).
Head for Ullapool then drive north.
You will need wheels - the distances on narrow winding roads are greater than you might guess.
See my Scotland Pages for lots more pictures - and enjoy!!! Leave a Comment Directions: North West Scotland, United Kingdom.
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The Queen's main hide outs:
Buckingham Palace - London
Windsor Castle - Just west of London
Sandringham - North Norfolk Coast - East Anglia
Holyrood Palace - Edinburgh
Balmoral Castle - Deeside, west of Aberdeen
Somewhere on your travels you should see if you can pop in for tea with 'Liz. Maybe Chaz will be visiting too.
Best bet for royal hunting is Prince William up at St Andrews (north east of Edinburgh) but only in season.
But with respect - the royals suffer a lot in the media and I feel sorry for them - they deserve peace in their private lives - like anyone else. (TB excepted - he deserves early retirement for assisting in murder in Iraq). Leave a Comment
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Northumberland County
Visit Lindisfarne - "Holy Island", accessed over a tidal causeway, which in itself makes the place magical.
One of the main religious centres in the UK, and full of history.
Try to go earlier in the day as it gets busy with visitors - but it is idylic!!! A really beautiful village, cute houses, tidy gardens ... pity about all the visitors.
Very very special - Go!
Websites
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/holy_island.html
http://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/
http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/medieval/lindis/lindisfarne.shtml
http://www.holy-island.info/lindisfarnecastle/
http://www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk/Lindisfarne.htm
... and as the causeway is tidal, see this link before you go, to avoid disappointment:
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/tidetabl.html
I also highly recommend Bamburgh Castle, nearby - an amazing castle, well preserved and full of history!
Go to: http://www.bamburghcastle.com/
Why not combine with a visit to see the Roman masterpiece - Hadrian's Wall - Built to define a boundary between the Empire and the hostile northern tribes (Scotland)?
Go to: http://www.great-britain.co.uk/regions/scots_english%20border/hadrians.htm Leave a Comment Address: Lindisfarne, Northumberland, NE EnglandDirections: North of Newcastle South of Edinburgh. Near Berwick-Upon-TweedWebsite: www.visitbritain.com Other Contact: www.multimap.co.uk
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In the cities you may be disappointed to find the iconic red phone booths (boxes we call them) replaced by plastic generic "things" - but fear not -
There are still many red phone boxes to be found - mainly in rural areas, where vandalism and drunks (using old phones for snug sleeps / toilets) are not a problem.
This one in my picture is on the Orkney Islands.
Also look out for the old Police Boxes (as in Dr Who as the Tardis) - Blue and larger, to be found in cities. No longer in use but part of our rich past.
For some reason, the doors on British telephone boxes are really heavy and hard to open. Old red ones use tough leather straps for the hinges, but even the new plastic phone booths are tough to open - not easy for disabled users I would think, or old / young people. Any comments, anyone? Leave a Comment
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on August 19, 2004
