Stirling

Another small city, Stirling is best known perhaps for its splendid castle, a structure that played an integral role in many a battle between the Scottish and English. The Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 was one of the most famous conflicts to take place in the city, seeing William Wallace lead the Scots to victory. The great man is now honoured with a giant monument that can be seen for miles around. Visitors with greater historical interests might want to take the ‘Back Walk’, an easily followed route beginning from the statue of Rob Roy at Guildhall and taking in a number of historic sights en route.

Catch the Highland Games. There are Highland Games in many parts of Scotland; however, the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon in August, is the country’s biggest. Events such as the Sheaf toss, Caber toss, Stone put, Weight throw and Weight over the bar are among those regularly staged.

Dine on Haggis. For a real taste of Scotland, be sure to sample what is popularly considered the national dish. Likely to please dedicated carnivores and disgust hardcore vegetarians, this offal-based creation can be found at restaurants across the country. The locals will tell you that it’s especially good when served with a whisky sauce.

Do the Edinburgh Festival. If you’ve a penchant for the performing arts then schedule your visit to Scotland for August, when you’ll find Edinburgh is more alive than usual even with a plethora of street and venue based entertainment. There’s something for everyone with the gamut of performance genres represented.

Go Nessie hunting. In 1871, witnesses claimed to have sighted a giant beast in the waters of Loch Ness. Then in 1961, an alleged sighting was made by a group of 30 persons so anyone with an open mind could consider the possibility that something unusual does indeed live in the lake. Grab your camera and binoculars and who knows what extraordinary sights this famous body of water might yield.

Play a round at the world’s oldest golf course. For some true history, head for the Musselburgh Old Links, a 9-hole course that it’s said Mary Queen of Scots played at in 1567. Over time, the course has seen a variety of other historically famous players including the McEwan Family, the Dunns twins, Willie Campbell and John Gourlay.

Wales

Conwy (population 4,000) is a pretty coastal town in north Wales. It is dominated by its castle, which was built by the English king Edward the First between 1283 and 1287 and is a World Heritage site. The old part of the town is surrounded by a stone wall, parts of which can still be walked today. Conwy Castle is over 700 years old. In the harbour is the smallest house in Great Britain.

Llandudno (population 22,000) is the largest seaside resort in Wales. In Victorian times the coast of North Wales (including Rhyl and Colwyn Bay as well as Llandudno) became a popular destination for seaside holidays for workers from the nearby English cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Llandudno is typical of many Victorian seaside towns: a wide promenade allows visitors to walk along the coast even when the tide is high, behind the promenade is a row of hotels offering fine sea views, and shops provide visitors with meals (including fish and chips), souvenirs, sweets (such as "rock") and amusements. Close to Llandudno is a limestone headland called the Great Orme which can be reached by tram. 4,000 year old copper mines have been found in this area: at the Visitor Centre you can find out about life in the Bronze Age. From the summit there are views of the Irish Sea, Isle of Anglesey, Snowdonia, the North Wales coastline and Liverpool.

Anglesey is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It contains some of the most fertile land in North WalesIt is separated from the mainland by a stretch of water called the Menai Strait, which can be crossed either by the Menai Bridge (built by Thomas Telford in 1826) or by the Britannia Bridge (built by Robert Stephenson in 1850).

A column was built on the island in 1817. This was to honour of the Marquess of Anglesey, who was second-in-command to the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 (the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at this battle and was sent into exile). The Marquess of Anglesey's statue was placed on top of the column in 1860, after he had died. For a small charge you can climb 115 steps to the top to enjoy views of Anglesey, the Menai Strait and the mountains of Snowdonia.

Nearby is the village which has the longest name in Britain (58 letters): Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. There is a train station and a visitor centre. This is a popular stop for coaches on their way to Holyhead to catch a ferry across the Irish Sea to Dublin, the capital city of the Republic of Ireland.

There are several steam train services in North Wales. The Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway service connects the coastal town of Porthmadog to the village of Blaenau Ffestiniog (population 6,000). The railways were built in the mid-19th century to move slate from the mines in the mountains of Snowdonia to the ports, from where it was exported worldwide (used mainly for roof tiles). The slate industry has declined, but the train line has been restored as a visitor attraction. During the train journey (which lasts about 1 hour 15 minutes) you can enjoy attractive views of mountains, waterfalls, forests and lakes in the Snowdonia National Park.

Date: 2015-01-11; view: 894