The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth’s surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK’s strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic’s withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.
The UK has been an active member of the EU since its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens on 23 June 2016 narrowly voted to leave the EU. The UK is scheduled to depart the EU on 31 January 2020, but negotiations on the future EU-UK economic and security relationship will continue throughout 2020 and potentially beyond.
England Tourism Information
Official Tourism Site
Other Sites
The Best of England
Here is a break down of some of the most interesting and visited places. Cities or areas listed will always have more than just one thing see and do. With the popular cities or areas we list some of the best known, which should go on everyone’s, must see list when they visit.
Cliveden House
Cambridgeshire
The British Museum
Tower of London
Buckingham Palace
St. Paul’s Cathedral
The National Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens
The Shard
Natural History Museum
Palace of Westminster
Borough Market
Trafalgar Square
Tate Britain
Tate Modern
The British Library
Kensington Palace
National Portrait Gallery
Camden Market
Museum of London
Oxford 9
Piccadilly Circus
Regents Park / London Zoo
Royal Albert Hall
St. James Park
Serpentine Gallery
The Wallace Collection
Somerset House
Hampstead-Heath
London Transport Museum
Sky Garden
Tower Bridge
Churchill War Rooms
Sir John Soane’s Museum
Portobello Road Market
Leadenhall Market
Covent Garden
Harrods
Imperial War Museum
Greenwich ( National Maritime Museum, Cutty Shark, Royal Observatory. Greenwich Park}
Richmond ( Hampton Court, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond Park)
The London Eye
Lincoln Cathedral
York (York Minster,
Fountains Abbey
Yorkshire Dales National Park
National Railway Museum
North York Moors National Park
Sherwood Forest
Tyne & Wear
Warwick Castle
Arundel Castle
The Regions of the United Kingdom…
The England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales make up the United Kingdom. Within those are regions then sub-regions called counties and under those districts and unitary authorities.
England
East of England
Counties:
Bedfordshire – Districts: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton – Cities: Luton, Bedord, Leighton Buzzard
Cambridgeshire – Districts: City of Peterborough, Finland, Huntingtonshire, East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire, City of Cambridge – Cities, Cambridge, Peterborough
Essex – Districts:
Hertfordshire – Districts:
Norfolk –Districts:
Suffolk – Districts:
East Midlands
Counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire ( except North and North East Lincolnshire), Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland
Greater London
Ceremonial County: City of London
Boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillington, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster
North East England
Counties: County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, North Yorkshire ( Tees Valley)
North West England
Counties: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside
South East England
Counties: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex
South West England
Counties: Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire
West Midlands
Counties: Herefordshire, Shropshire , Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire
Yorkshire & the Humber
Counties: East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire (except areas that are part of the Tees Valley), South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lincolnshire (North and North East Lincolnshire)
Northern Ireland
Counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry / Londonderry, Tyrone
Scotland
Councils:
Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyil and Bute, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dumbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Fife, Galsgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlotia, Moray, Na h-Eileanan Sar, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian.
Wales
Counties:
Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin), Ceredigion, Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych), Flintshire (Sir y Fflint), Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn), Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy), Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro), Powys
Boroughs:
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr),
Caerphilly (Caerffili), Cardiff (Caerdydd), Conwy, Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful), Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot), Newport (Casnewydd), Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea (Abertawe), Torfaen (Tor-faen), Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg), Wrexham (Wrecsam)
Northern Ireland Tourism Information
Official Tourism Site
The Best of Northern Ireland…
Northern Ireland
- Counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Derry, Fermanagh, Tyrone
- Cities: Belfast, Derry, Lisburn
- Towns: Portrush
- Villages: Bushmills
- Others Sights & Attractions: Fair Head, Giant’s Causeway, Titanic, Ulster Museum
Scotland Tourism Information
Official Tourism Site
Other Sites
🏴 The Best of Scotland
Borders
- Towns: Coldstream, Eyemouth, Galashiels, Hawick , Jedburgh , Kirk Yetholm, Melrose, Peebles, Selkirk, St Boswells
- Others Sights & Attractions: Jedburgh Abbey, Kelso Abbey, Melrose Abbey,
- Long Distance Trails: Berwickshire Coastal Path, Borders Abbeys Way, Pennie Way, St Cuthbert’s Way , Sir Walter Scott Way, Southern Upland Way
Central Belt
Edinburgh – For more detailed information go to our ➾ Edinburgh page.
- Counties:
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- Towns:
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- Others Sights & Attractions:
The Hebrides
- Counties:
- Cities:
- Towns:
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- Others Sights & Attractions:
The Highlands
- Counties:
- Cities:
- Towns:
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- Others Sights & Attractions:
North East
- Counties:
- Cities:
- Towns:
- Villages:
- Others Sights & Attractions:
Orkney Islands
- Counties:
- Cities:
- Towns:
- Villages:
- Others Sights & Attractions:
Shetland Islands
- Counties:
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South West
- Towns: Ardrossan, Ayr, Brodick, Girvan, Irvine, Largs, Prestwick, Troon, West Kilbride
- Others Sights & Attractions: Scottish Distilleries
- Islands: Isle of Arran, Allsa Craig, Great Cumbrae, Kilbirnie, Kilmarnock, Kilwinning
- Golf Courses: Royal Troon, Old Course Prestwick, Turnberry North of Girvan
Wales Tourism Information
Official Tourism Site
🏴 The Best of Wales…
Mid Wales
- Counties: Ceredigion, Powys
- Cities:
- Towns: Aberystwyth, Brecon, Builth Wells, Cardigan, Hay-on-Wye, Lampeter, Llanidloes, Llanwrtyd Wells, Machynlleth
- Villages:
- Others Sights & Attractions:Brecon Beacons National Park, Devil’s Bridge waterfall, Powis Castle, Strata Florida Abbey
North Wales
- Counties: Anglesey, Clwyd, Conwy, Gwynedd
- Cities: Bangor
- Towns: Caernarfon, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Dolgellau, Denbigh, Llandudno, Llanfairfechan, Tywyn, Wrexham
- Others Sights & Attractions: Isle of Anglesey, Caernarfon Castle, Clwydian Range, Conwy Castle, Llŷn peninsula, Snowdonia National Park
South Wales
- Counties: Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire
- Cities: Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, St. Davids
- Towns: Barry, Carmarthen, Chepstow, Monmouth, Tenby
- Others Sights & Attractions: Afan Forest Park, Gower peninsula, Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park