50 Superb Pictures From The UK To Call Out The Traveler In You
Immerse yourself in pictures as you learn travel hacks!
The United Kingdom, an island nation in northwestern Europe, comprises of four countries — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I have lived in Wales and traveled all of these as well. So I bring you some of the most amazing pictures of these places — a majority of these are clicked by me and some by my friends. I also bring you some hacks which will help you travel cheaper there.
#Travel hack — try to get a railcard or hire a car because otherwise, you will be ripped off in transportation costs. And this is not it; I’ve many more suggestions and tips for you in my kitty.
Take a look at these images to see where can you go!
England
London
England, the country from where Shakespeare, Titanic and The Beatles originated. A modern multicultural hub for arts and business, a lot of sports originated from England such as Football, Snooker, Cricket, Lawn Tennis, etc. It is a famous tourist destination and let me show you why it is so popular.
London, the capital of England & the UK, has a history stretching back to Roman times. One of the first pictures that come to mind after thinking about London is the Big Ben & the Parliament building. Well, this is it! Another one is London eye, but I was on it so can’t really put it in the picture.
#Travel hack — you can get an Oyster card and travel by bus or underground for a reasonable price. If you take the black cab, it will be very expensive! You can get an Oyster card from any station or visitor center. There is also an option to buy it online, beforehand. Convenient, eh? Once you buy it, you can top it up at stations, visitor centers, shops, etc. You can use them on all the public transport buses and tubes. It has a per day capping which means you can travel unlimited anywhere in London for between £7-£10 per day. Believe me, that is cheap by London standards. It is convenient because you can get a refund of the £5 deposit you make at the beginning when you return the card.
The London Eye
There you go, luckily I found a picture clicked by my brother of the magnificent London Eye. Coca-Cola London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the south bank of river Thames in London.
#Travel Hack — You can get some amazing offers (like 2FOR1) where you can get two tickets for the price of one if you have traveled by trains (the national rail). It is very convenient as the tickets are worth around £25. You can travel on Heathrow Express to get to the main city and voila, save a lot of money.
Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the two houses of Parliament in the UK. This picture was taken at night and hence isn’t as clear but a glimpse of how amazing it looks at night can be seen.
#Travel hack — For stays, try to book hostels or something because even costly hotel rooms are small sized and if you are going in tourist season, you will find some expensive rooms.
Buckingham Palace
The Buckingham Palace, the entire area is filled with tourists and is something that shouldn’t be missed when you visit London. You can also go inside some sections of the palace but unfortunately when I went, it wasn’t open to visitors. It might be worthwhile checking online before you plan your trip to see the timings and ticket prices.
Palace area
When you roam around that area around the palace, you will be able to see some amazing views like the one I captured in this picture. Don’t be afraid to just walk around as it is mostly when you find the most amazing spots.
Durdle door
Around 130 miles away from London, this place is ideal for a day trip. This magnificent arch — Durdle Door is located on Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset. This picture does not have any edits. If you’re lucky you can definitely get some wallpaper kinda pictures.
Bath
Bath, a town in Southwest England, is known for its natural hot springs and its 18th century Georgian architecture. I wasn’t able to visit it myself but saw this picture on a friend’s phone. Yes, this was clicked on a mobile. Looks amazing, doesn’t it?
Windsor
Windsor, the place where the Queen still lives. Yes, she also goes to Buckingham Palace from time to time but Windsor Castle is her home. It has been the family home to British Kings and Queens for over a thousand years.
Manchester
Manchester, home to the amazing teams — Manchester United and Manchester City. I am emphasizing that because I visited Old Trafford and the feel of it was amazing. Sure the tickets were a bit expensive (£18 per adult) but it was worth it!
#Travel hack — If you are a student, carry your student id to get concessions on tickets at most places.
Chester
Chester stands out because of its extensive Roman walls made of red sandstone. Although the picture that you see here was clicked from my phone at around 1 am. Still looks amazing, doesn’t it?
Gainsborough
Gainsborough is a small town in England. I didn’t really plan on going there but there is a skydiving center near it in Hibaldstow. Got to click this picture because of it.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city in North-West England. The city from where the Beatles originated and the Titanic was registered. You will see some amazing docks and restaurants there. Plus the architecture, which is common at most of the places in England.
Streets of Liverpool
I couldn’t resist posting this picture as this shows the vibrant streets it has.
Some British home
No, I have not edited it to give the vignette effect. I actually took this from the middle of the fences and hence that appearance. It is very common to see row houses like these with beautiful architecture and hanging baskets.
This is it for England for now, but believe me there are still a lot of places which are worth visiting like the Lake district, Peak district, Oxford, Leeds, York etc.
Wales
Snowdon
Wales has a huge coastline and is largely mountainous. It is home to many national parks like Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales and England. It is located in Snowdonia National Park which is very beautiful in itself. You can hike the mountain by any of the six routes. Although among the most famous ones are Pyg track and the Llanberis path. There is also a train which goes to the top of the mountain that you can take from Llanberis. It is convenient for those who cannot hike or don’t have the time.
Snowdonia National Park
Well, I cannot just mention Snowdonia National Park and not show you any pictures, right? This one is somewhere inside the park after walking a bit. You can find many such places where you can just sit and relax!
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital of Wales and has the famous Wales Millennium Center, home of the national opera, orchestra, theater. Needless to say, you should visit once!
Cardiff
This is from the railway station of Cardiff, I couldn’t resist from posting this picture. This was right after missing my train because I was busy putting up another picture on Instagram >.<
Tintern Abbey
This site is one of the Monastic ruins of the Cistercian Order. Located near Chepstow (about 30 minutes from Cardiff), it is good for a day out. The architecture and history would definitely bind you. It is also quite calm and you can enter there at a minimal entry free (around £5)
Caernarfon
This picture was taken right in front of the Caernarfon castle.
#Fun fact — Did you know, in Welsh, one single ‘f’ is pronounced as ‘v’?
Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge is located in northwestern Wales and is a beautiful spot for one to see. There are many small places in Wales which you might not see as an important tourist destination but are unique in their own way. Like the town named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch which is the longest name of a place in entire Europe!
Aber falls
This amazing waterfall is located near the village of Abergwyngregyn, in Gwynedd, Wales. Yes, those Welsh names are hard to pronounce but nevertheless, are very beautiful. You reach this view after walking for about 30–40 minutes. Worth it, eh?
Some Welsh Town
Oh, honestly I don’t remember the name of this town and I think I clicked this picture from the train. So, just enjoy the quaint little houses and the scenic beauty of Wales.
Llandudno junction
A very small town in North Wales. Wales is very beautiful, overall.
#Travel Hack — Did you know you can get day passes from bus services like Arriva where you can travel around a huge area of Wales at a low cost of around £6?
Some Welsh View
This was taken during an outing and was most probably in Snowdonia. The view, greenery was breathtaking and I just wanted to quit everything else and live there.
Some Welsh street
I am sure that this was taken in Chepstow, but it does not really matter, does it? Because you can find streets and houses like these in every nook and corner of Wales!
Some Welsh wall
Again, I think this was from Chepstow or somewhere around that area in South Wales. The beauty and peacefulness of Wales is something else.
Northern Ireland
Giant’s Causeway
Northern Ireland is known for its Norman Castles, monuments, valleys and mountains. It is easily accessible in 2–3 hours by ferries from Liverpool and Cairnryan. Or you can also get a ferry from Holyhead to Ireland and then take a bus to Northern Ireland (given your visa allows it).
Giant’s Causeway is a national trust site located on the north coast of Northern Ireland.
#Travel hack — If you are planning on visiting the UK, you could consider getting a national trust membership. That way, you can visit a lot of places and save a lot on entry fees.
The interlocking basalt columns that you can see in the picture are a result of a volcanic eruption.
#Travel Hack — If you are visiting Northern Ireland and don’t have a car (like me), consider going on day tours. There are a lot of companies which provide a comprehensive day trip (for around £10–15) which includes Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, the Dark Hedges, etc. I remember there being a Game of Thrones tour as well. Many options!
Carrick-a-Rede
Another National Trust property. There is a small rope bridge which connects the mainland to the tiny island of Carrick-a-rede. It is very beautiful and involves a walk of about 20 minutes.
If you don’t have the National Trust membership, you will have to pay some amount for the tickets to go to the other side of the bridge. It isn’t that expensive, you just need to be aware of the time slot. That goes for members as well.
Ballycastle
What you see in the picture is the area before you go for the rope bridge. The town of Ballycastle is located on the north-easternmost coastal tip of the island of Ireland at the Antrim Coast.
The Dark Hedges
These tunnel-like beech trees were planted in the 18th century. It’s just a simple path where you don’t need any tickets or anything. It is lovely but is mostly crowded due to those bus tours I just mentioned. This place gained popularity after it was sighted in Game of Thrones.
Belfast
Donegall Square or Belfast City Hall is the headquarters of the Belfast City Council. It is again, very peaceful and relaxing. You can find some amazing restaurants in the city as well.
Carrickfergus Castle
This castle is a Norman Irish Castle located in the town of Carrickfergus. It is about 12 miles away from Belfast. The statue you see is located right outside the castle and is of King William III. And no, the picture does not have edits, it was just taken in HDR.
Lough Shore Park, Antrim
Located around 8 miles away from Belfast, this place is fantastic for someone who likes water. There is no entry fee either. This picture was clicked by a friend, and I just couldn’t stop looking at the picture.
Some Irish view
I can’t really remember the exact place at which I clicked this but thought it was worthy to be on this list.
Scotland
Edinburgh
Scotland is UK’s northernmost country which has mountainous regions such as Northwest Highlands along with valleys and lakes (lochs). It is famous for its Scotch whisky, scarves, bagpipes, tartans and kilts. Read on to see which places to visit in Scotland.
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is a compact, hilly city. It has a medieval Old Town which takes you back in time. It also has an elegant Georgian New Town with neoclassical buildings and gardens.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle sits on Castle Rock and is located in the heart of the city. It is a world-famous icon of Scotland. There is also an entry fee of around £17 for adults.
St Giles’ Cathedral
St Giles’ Cathedral is the historic City Church of Edinburgh. It is one of the main attractions of the city and you can see a lot of restaurants, cafes if you walk on that street which ultimately leads you to the castle.
Scott Monument
The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument commemorated to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the largest monument to a writer in the world. You can also climb to the top at an entry fee of around £5.
Old town
Old town is the oldest part of the capital. It has centuries’ old building and narrow alleys.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland. It is known for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture. And also, for its vibrant cultural scene.
Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral, a famous tourist attraction, is a magnificent medieval building. Next to it, is the Necropolis, which is a Victorian cemetery. Neither of them charges any entry fee.
Merchant City
Merchant city is known for its stunning architecture which can be best explored on foot. It used to be a hub of warehouses for the Tobacco Lords but is now converted into boutiques, restaurants and apartments.
This was in the park next to the University of Glasgow. No, there is no editing in the picture.
Loch Ness
Loch Ness, famous for Loch Ness Monster, is located in the Scottish Highlands. The natural beauty of the highlands is just breathtaking!
Inverness
Inverness is the largest city of the Scottish Highlands and is also its cultural capital.
Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle is located on a cliff overlooking the river Ness. It’s made out of red sandstone and was built in 1836.
Spey Bay
Spey Bay is a small settlement in Moray, Scotland. It is famous for its Scottish Dolphin Center which is known for dolphin sightings. It is entirely free of cost, and if you’re lucky, you can see the dolphins. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t too good the day I went, and I couldn’t see any. But maybe you’d be luckier!
I’m sure I have missed out many places. Write to me at ankitagoyal102@gmail.com to let me know or give any other feedback.
Have a happy travel life!
