Find places to visit in Britain by name, location, type of attraction, or other keyword.
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The Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, part of the Lakeland Arts Trust, explores the unique history, customs and traditions of the Lake District. The museum features recreated period rooms, original items and realistic displays. There is a special exhibition on Arthur Ransome (1884-1967), author and journalist best known for the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books set mostly in the Lake District and Norfolk Broads. The Museum is housed in the former stable block of Abbot Hall Art Gallery.
Refurbishment project due for completion in 2022.
Hundreds of open garden events take place in Britain every year, mainly during the summer and mostly, though not exclusively, in rural villages. The gardens belong to private homes and are often quite modest. The open garden event normally involves 10 gardens or so, sometimes more, sometimes less, and can either be a local event in its own right, or part of a larger village show of some kind. If you enjoy looking at gardens, a local open gardens can be an enjoyable way of spending an hour or three. Entry fees are usually just a few pounds. Check the UK National Directory for events near you.
Balmoral is a 50,000 acre estate and the private Scottish home of the British Royal Family. It was purchased from the Farquharson family by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852, close to the Highlands they both loved. The current castle, a classic example of Scottish baronial architecture, is new - Victoria and Albert had it constructed between 1853 and 1856; the old castle was then demolished. There is limited public access to the grounds, gardens and exhibitions (including access to the castle ballroom only) between spring and early summer, when the Royal Family is not in residence. Apart from the ballroom, the castle is not open to the public. Cottages in the grounds can also be hired.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral on 8 September 2022. She had habitually spent her summers there, with her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (until his death in 2021) and family. The Queen and the Prince spent their last, 73rd, wedding anniversary there in 2020. It was a place of happy memories for the Queen, from the time she first visited her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, there when she was a small child.
The Queen accepted Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation and invited his successor, Liz Truss, to form a government at Balmoral on 6 September 2022, just two days before Her Majesty’s death.
The Royal family often worship at nearby Crathie Kirk and are familiar faces in the village of Ballater.
Nr Ballater
Drum Castle was seat of the Clan Irvine and in the Irvine family for 650 years, from 1325, when it was granted to William de Irvine by Robert the Bruce, until 1975. It has a rich history, 17th and 19th century additions and alterations, and is surrounded by gardens and an arboretum.
The evocative ruins of Dunnottar Castle occupy a large, rocky, headland jutting into the North Sea, accessed by a narrow strip from the mainland. Though the current ruins date largely from the 15th and 16th centuries, its history goes back to the early medieval period, at least. Dunnottar was attacked by the Vikings, captured from the English by William Wallace, was famously where the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's forces, and played its part in the Jacobite Rebellions of the 18th century.
NOTE: The castle can be closed to visitors in bad weather - essential that you check their website before visiting. There is also limited car parking - the castle is not in Stonehaven itself - it's about a 20 minute walk along the coast.
Ruined renaissance castle built by the 7th Laird of Tolquhon between 1584 and 1589. It has a particularly interesting gatehouse.
Glamis Castle has been described as the most beautiful castle in Scotland. Ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372, the current fairy-tale building is largely 18th C. It was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, birthplace of HRH The Princess Margaret and still remains a family home. It is packed full of history and legends, including the ‘Monster of Glamis’ and the story that an entire family remains walled up somewhere in its 16-foot-thick (4.9 m) walls. A seat in the chapel is reserved for the ghost of a young lady. Visits to the castle are by guided tour and take in selected rooms where you will hear tales of Mary, Queen of Scots, James V, the Old Jacobite Pretender to the throne James VIII and the allegedly licentious Mary Eleanor Bowes. Outside are extensive grounds, which include a nature trail, a Macbeth trail, a walled garden and an Italian garden. There is a play park, café/restaurant, shop and events are held at various times. Private tours of Glamis can be arranged and it is also available for weddings and corporate events.
This is the Bridge over the Atlantic, also known as the Atlantic Bridge; I daresay someone’s referred to it as Atlantic Crossing too. You’ll find it in Argyll, about 10 miles south of Oban. Atlantic Bridge’s real name is Clachan Bridge and it joins the Hebridean island of Seil with the mainland, spanning what is technically a section of the Atlantic Ocean, albeit a very narrow one. We Brits are known for our sense of humour; just look at how we still agree to pay our politicians. The bridge was designed by Robert Mylne (1733-1811) – who also designed Blackfriars Bridge in London - and was built in 1792.
Nearby on the island side is the Tigh an Truish Inn - the house of trousers. The name allegedly comes from the time after the 1745 rebellion, when the Government banned the kilt. So islanders travelling to the mainland for work would change into trousers at the inn before crossing the bridge, and back into traditional plaid when returning home.
Seil
Glencoe is renowned for its beauty, walking, wildlife and as the scene of the infamous Glencoe Massacre. On 13 February 1692, 38 men, women and children of the MacDonald clan were murdered by a regiment of soldiers whom they had welcomed into their homes. More died on the freezing mountainside.
Glencoe is an evocative place, made more so by various legends. It is also a well-known film location. The NTS Visitor Centre is a good place to start, provides a good general view, includes an exhibition and there are various walking trails nearby. The Visitor Centre is just off the A82, south of Glencoe village.
Located in traditional 18th century thatched cottages, Glencoe Folk Museum holds an eclectic collection of objects and memorabilia, ranging from Jacobite artefacts to toys and domestic utensils. There is a particular exhibit that tells the story of the Glencoe Massacre. The museum is small, highly personal - and fascinating.
Glencoe
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