The Grade I listed Manchester Cathedral is one of the city’s oldest and most important religious landmarks. With origins dating back to 1421, the soaring cathedral was constructed in the English Gothic style, and later renovated during the Victorian period and following World War II. Today, the landmark is celebrated for its striking interior.
While it’s not a distillery, the Scotch Whisky Experience showcases the country’s beloved whisky to visitors from around the world. So if you want to know how whisky is made in Scotland, or learn about the differences between the world’s many whiskies, you’re in the right place. Entry includes a tour with at least one tasting, and the attraction also has an on-site whisky bar and restaurant that serves up seasonal Scottish food.
Made famous in the final scene of the classic film Braveheart, the Battle of Bannockburn was where King Robert the Bruce led the greatly outnumbered Scottish forces to victory over the English in 1314. To this day, the victory is hugely celebrated in Scottish history, and the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre is one of the most popular tourist destinations in central Scotland.
Reenacting London’s darkest history with the help of resident zombies and ghouls, this walk-through attraction is a staple on London’s tourist track for tweens, teens, and adults who love a good scare. Hear the stories of Viking invasions, Guy Fawkes, and Jack the Ripper delivered with drama, and then descend into the tunnels of the London Tombs where paranormal activity is said to be at play.
Boasting the world’s oldest golf course, the coastal town of St. Andrews has long been renowned as the home of golf, making it one of the United Kingdom’s premier golfing destinations. St. Andrews Links encompasses seven public courses, situated on both the coastline and inland heath. All of the holes have a backdrop of spectacular Scottish scenery, which adds to the allure of St. Andrews for golf lovers.
Though work on St. Anne’s Cathedral (also known as Belfast Cathedral) began in 1899, many changes and extensions were made during the following decades, culminating in the addition of the Spire of Hope in 2007. The neo-Romanesque structure contains a wealth of decorative features and artworks, including a 150,000-piece glass mosaic.
Nestled amid the picturesque landscapes of Scotland, Hopetoun House is a historical masterpiece offering a taste of Scottish grandeur. Used as a prominent filming location in the TV series Outlander, it’s a popular destination for diehard fans. However, you don’t have to pine for a kilted Scot to enjoy the country estate.
One of Orkney’s most poignant sites, the Italian Chapel is a testament to the human spirit. The chapel was built by Italian World War II prisoners who had been taken to Orkney to construct the Churchill Barriers. Created from two Nissen huts and scrap material, the ornately decorated chapel and its moving back story make it an Orkney highlight.
Together with the larger Isle of Lewis, the Isle of Harris forms the largest island of Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Lewis and Harris. Traditional villages and distilleries dot the small island, but it’s better known for its rugged mountain landscape, tweed manufacturing, and some of the best beaches in Scotland, such as Luskentyre—part of the sandy bay looking toward the Isle of Taransay.
Forever synonymous with the lovable Paddington Bear—the star of Michael Bond’s children’s books and several blockbuster movies—Paddington Station is one of the city’s most famous train stations. Located in west London, the busy station serves both National Rail and London Underground trains, and offers high-speed rail links to Heathrow Airport. You can also shop for official toys and merchandise at the Paddington Bear shop.
One of just a few distilleries in Scotland’s Lowlands region, Glenkinchie Distillery has a scenic farmland setting, just 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Edinburgh. Its whisky is famously used in Johnnie Walker blends (in addition to being sold as single malts), and its distillery also serves as a regional base for the Johnnie Walker brand.
At more than 650 years old, this medieval-era timber-framed guildhall is one of the oldest buildings of its type in England. Built by a fraternity—the Merchant Adventurers of the City of York—whose members built capital through overseas business dealings, the building encompasses an oak-beamed hall, chapel, and an undercroft.
Set in the elegant 17th-century building that held the original Ashmolean Museum, the History of Science Museum (previously known as the Museum of the History of Science) is a treasure trove of scientific wonders. From Einstein’s equations to Marconi’s radio transmitter, by way of astrolabes and penicillin, it’s endlessly fascinating.
With an area of 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers), Ullswater is England’s second largest lake and one of its most beautiful, thanks to its zigzag shape and stunning setting. The area surrounding the lake is also famous for inspiring Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” sometimes also called “Daffodils.”
Founded in 1849 as a non-denominational alternative to Dublin’s Trinity College, Queen’s University Belfast is known for for its magnificent medieval-style campus. Visitors are drawn to the university’s eclectic mix of architectural styles and peaceful green space. Harry Potter fans will want to visit the red brick Lanyon Building that looks like a real-life version of Hogwarts.
Dating to around 3,000 BC, Skara Brae predates the Pyramids of Giza. The oceanfront Neolithic village—hidden underground until a storm revealed it in 1850—includes nine Stone Age dwellings, some complete with furniture. A visitor center hosts exhibits including a reconstruction of an ancient house. It’s part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Situated on the Wensleydale moors, Bolton Castle is one of England’s best-preserved medieval castles. Built in the 14th century as a fortified residence by Sir Richard le Scrope—whose descendants still own the property today—the building is one of the Yorkshire Dales’ most distinctive landmarks.
Pleasure boats float along Caledonian Canal, a scenic 60-mile (97-kilometer) waterway that runs through Scotland's Great Glen, connecting Fort William in the southwest to Inverness in the northeast. The canal, which links Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, Loch Dochfour, and Loch Ness, is popular with walkers and cyclists, who follow towpath trails.
In Cardiff’s civic center, at the National Museum and Art Gallery, travelers can wander through 15 galleries dedicated to European art dating back 500 years while also learning about Welsh history and culture. Opened in 1927, the National Museum and Art Gallery is home to several Monet, Daumier, and Van Gogh masterpieces, as well as many notable Welsh artworks and historical artefacts.
World famous for the eponymous music festival that happens nearby, Glastonbury has a creative spirit that burns all year round. Steeped in history, the small town is known for its medieval abbey and links to King Arthur, as well as its lively markets, artisan boutiques, and thriving arts scene. From crystals and organic goodies to vibrant murals, it’s a hotbed of alternative culture.
One of the most famous ruins in Scotland, Melrose Abbey is a fascinating monument holding remarkably intact features and lavish sculptures—including a bagpipe-playing pig. Founded in the early 12th century by Cistercian monks, the abbey is perhaps best known for being the burial site of King Robert the Bruce’s heart.
Though the pedimented and pillared Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) building is very much classical, the collection of challenging contemporary artworks contained within it are anything but. The gallery’s art collection spans the 1950s to the present day, with artists including David Hockney, David Shrigley, and Andy Warhol all represented.
Obscured behind the shell of a modern facade until the 1980s, this medieval-era townhouse—once home to the Lord Mayor of York—has been restored to appear as it would have in its late-15th-century heyday. Inside the timber-framed structure, exhibits explore medieval themes and life in Tudor-era England.
The independent shops lining Marylebone High Street are one reason travelers and locals alike visit this upmarket neighborhood. But there’s more to Marylebone than boutiques: It’s also home to the original location of Madame Tussauds and is the historic haunt of famous Londoners, from the Beatles to the fictional Sherlock Holmes. Art lovers will find a lot to explore here, too, starting with the impressive fine and decorative artworks in the Wallace Collection.
Occupying a 16th-century house with a bright red and yellow facade, the Museum of Edinburgh (formerly Huntly House) tells the rich history of the city, from prehistoric times to the present day. Among the star exhibits is the collar and bowl of Greyfriars Bobby, a dog who kept watch at his master’s Edinburgh grave for 14 years.
Walk in the footsteps of royalty at Dunfermline Abbey and Palace. Some of Scotland's greatest kings and queens have been laid to rest in the abbey, including Robert the Bruce. Founded as a priory in the 11th century, the ruins of the abbey still boast an impressive Romanesque nave, one of the finest examples of its kind in Scotland.
In Brixton, there’s never a quiet moment. This is the place of reggae buskers banging steel drums, sidewalk preachers, and wafts of exotic food wherever you walk. And, while it was once the bad boy of London’s central neighborhoods with a reputation for street crime, Brixton today feels safer, with a strong community spirit and a medley of independent shops, eateries, and live music venues that reflect the neighborhood’s diversity.
Established in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is the oldest public museum in the UK and one of the oldest in the world. It’s home to one of the most important collections of art and archaeology in the world, spanning civilizations both Eastern and Western and from the Neolithic era to the present day.
The London Zoo has been housing a variety of animals since 1828, making it the world’s oldest scientific zoo. These days, it’s still one of the city’s most popular family attractions and beloved by visitors of all ages. A visit to the zoo offers the chance to come face to face with myriad critters representing more than 750 species, from mighty lions and tigers to tiny reptiles and creepy crawlies.
With its battlements, turrets, and arrow-slit windows, the neo-gothic Wray Castle is straight from a storybook. Originally built in 1840 for a Liverpudlian doctor and his heiress wife, the estate once served as a vacation home for the family of children’s author Beatrix Potter and is currently owned by the National Trust.
