England and Wales
2009
New Year’s Day - Thursday 1 January
Good Friday - Friday 10 April
Easter Monday - Monday 13 April
May Day Holiday - Monday 4 May
Spring Bank Holiday - Monday 25 May
Summer Bank Holiday - Monday 31 August
Christmas Day - Friday 25 December
Boxing Day - Monday 28 December
Scotland
2009
New Year’s Day - Thursday 1 January
2nd January - Friday 2 January
Good Friday - Friday 10 April
Easter Monday - Monday 13 April
May Day Holiday - Monday 4 May
Spring Bank Holiday - Monday 25 May
Summer Bank Holiday - Monday 3 August
Saint Andrew’s Day - Monday 30 November
Christmas Day - Friday 25 December
Boxing Day - Monday 28 December
Northern Ireland
2009
New Year’s Day - Thursday 1 January
Saint Patrick’s Day - Tuesday 17 March
Good Friday - Friday 10 April
May Day Holiday - Monday 4 May
Spring Bank Holiday - Monday 25 May
Orangeman’s Holiday - Monday 13 July
Summer Bank Holiday - Monday 31 August
Christmas Day - Friday 25 December
Boxing Day - Monday 28 December
Tourist Destinations in England
Cultural and heritage tourism
England’s tourist industry is principally “cultural” and “heritage” based, and many tourists are attracted to England because of its history, particularly in London (see Tourism in London).
Heritage Cities in England
* Bath: A spa, famous for its Regency architecture and crescents, and also for its Roman baths.
* Brighton: Brighton is a seaside resort which includes two piers, West Pier and Brighton Pier, and also has the Royal Pavilion.
* Bristol: Brunel’s Clifton suspension bridge is a famous landmark, and the ship, the SS Great Britain is another of Brunel’s famous constructions, which is now in dry dock in Bristol.
* Cambridge: A famous university town.
* Canterbury: Renowned for its cathedral.
* Dover: A major port with access to the continent. Also well known for its white cliffs, and to a lesser extent for its castle, Dover Castle.
* Haworth: where the Brontë Sisters lived, is very popular with Japanese tourists, as Wuthering Heights has a cult following in Japan.
* Liverpool: A major port and World Heritage Site, with two cathedrals, plus the most listed buildings in the UK outside of London. There is also an orchestra and art galleries.
* Oxford : now a busy commercial city, which also has a famous university.
* Nottingham : The city and Nottingham Castle are famed worldwide for their links with the legend of Robin Hood. Sherwood Forest is nearby.
* Portsmouth: Portsmouth is a naval dockyard, and has some famous ships on display, including the Mary Rose, and HMS Victory, all within its Historic Dockyard. Also home to Gunwharf Quays retail centre, with its iconic Spinnaker Tower.
* Salisbury: Salisbury cathedral is well known, and has the tallest spire in the country. Nearby is the pre-historic site of Stonehenge, which is administered by English Heritage.
* Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare’s birthplace is probably the most visited place in Stratford
* Wells: best known for Wells Cathedral
* York: Famous for York Minster. Also the location of the National Railway Museum and a wealth of preserved medieval streets and buildings, such as the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and the Shambles.
Other places in England are also of historical interest. The cities of Manchester and Birmingham are the two cities receiving the most foreign tourists after London. Many foreign tourists also visit the neighbouring countries Scotland and Wales – see tourism in Scotland and tourism in Wales.
Domestic tourists, and foreign tourists who have specific interests in art, music, history etc, also visit the following:
* Birmingham: A major city, with an orchestra, major exhibition venues (NEC, ICC) and art galleries. Of historical interest for its significant role in the industrial revolution. Also the childhood home and inspiration of Tolkien
* Hadrian’s Wall: The Roman wall built by order of the Emperor Hadrian.
* Hereford: A cathedral city, famous for the chained library in the cathedral, and the Mappa Mundi
* Ironbridge: The cradle of the industrial revolution and the site for the legendary Iron bridge.
* Manchester: A major city, famous for the Hallé orchestra and many museums and art galleries, a classic example of buildings from the Victorian era. Also well known for the Manchester Ship Canal. Home of Manchester United F.C., world famous football club, the host city of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Manchester is also known for being the world’s first industrialised city. Also noted for its shopping, cuisine and nightlife.
* Leeds: A base to explore the historic county of Yorkshire. It is popular for shopping, nightlife and museums, including the Henry Moore foundation.
Ecotourism
England also has some unique natural environments, and has a significant Ecotourism industry:
* Eden Project in Cornwall.
* The Lake District, a national park with hills and lakes, including Windermere, the largest lake in England.
* The Peak District, a national park in Derbyshire.
* Dartmoor and Exmoor, national parks in Devon.
* The New Forest, a rural forest park in Hampshire.
* The Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site in Dorset and Devon
* The National Forest, covering parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
* Center Parcs, a number of rural holiday parks.
* Plus various National Nature Reserves, Heritage Coasts and other protected areas.
Tourist Destinations in Scotland
* Edinburgh is the capital city, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Old and New Towns of the city constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Edinburgh is the largest tourist destination in Scotland, and the second largest in the United Kingdom after London. The cities’ major tourist attractions include Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Zoo, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Our Dynamic Earth and the Royal Mile. It has three universities including the University of Edinburgh founded in 1583.
* Glasgow is the largest city in the country, and the second largest tourist destination after Edinburgh. Its attractions include the Burrell Collection, Glasgow Cathedral, the Glasgow Science Centre and the Kelvingrove Museum. In addition to this many tourists come to Glasgow for its renowned Victorian architecture and Gothic architecture as well as its shopping. The city has three universities, including the University of Glasgow.
* Stirling is a historic town in central Scotland, some 30 miles to the north-west of Edinburgh, and is generally known as the “Gateway to the Highlands”, due to its geographical position between highland and lowland Scotland. Amongst its attractions are Stirling Castle and the Wallace National Monument.
* Aberdeen is known as the “Granite City” and is renowned for its gothic architecture. It is a city of approximately 210,000 people and serves as the main administrative centre for the north east of Scotland. With its large port and harbour, Aberdeen serves as the departure point for the many ferries that connect the Scottish mainland with the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Aberdeen also has two universities, and a large student population.
* St Andrews is a small, but busy town in north-east Fife. The royal burgh’s economy is centred around the golf industry, with St Andrews being regarded as the home of the modern game. The University of St Andrews (the oldest in Scotland) has colleges located throughout the town.
* Dundee is known as the “City of Discovery” and is the home of Scott of the Antarctic’s ship the RRS Discovery. Dundee has two universities. It has a Jute museum called Verdant Works, an Anchor Point of ERIH - The European Route of Industrial Heritage.
* Perth is a small but historic town on the east coast, which stands on the River Tay. Perth is known for its abundant parkland. Close by is the village of Scone, ancient capital of Scotland and former home to Scottish kings.
* Inverness is the administrative centre for the Highlands, close to Loch Ness and serves as a transport hub for much of the Highlands, with rail and bus services departing here to much of the northern and west Highlands. It is a popular destination for tourists wishing to explore the north of Scotland.
Other areas which are popular for tourists include the Highlands and the Hebrides, such as the Isle of Skye. Perthshire, the Scottish Borders and Orkney and Shetland are also popular tourism destinations.
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, but there are many other significant mountains in Scotland, though by international standards all the mountains are relatively small. The Cuillin on the Isle of Skye offer some challenging climbs, such as the Inaccessible Pinnacle.
Scotland also has many lochs, including Loch Lomond, and Loch Ness, which is considered by some to be the home of the Loch Ness monster. There are also many rivers, which are good for salmon and fly fishing. These include the Tay, Tweed, Don, and Dee.
Scotland’s best known export is Scotch Whisky and over a million visitors a year[2]. enjoy a tour around its Whisky distilleries
Scotland has some good hunting, especially deer and grouse.
Scotland is also the home of golf, with many historic and famous courses including, St Andrews, Gleneagles, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, and Muirfield. There are hundreds of other courses in the country.
Tourist destinations in Wales
Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons National Park, South-East Wales
There are several towns and cities that are popular with tourists and visitors in Wales.
* Cardiff is the capital and largest city. Cardiff Bay is the site of the Wales Millennium Centre, a venue for the performing arts. The city’s other major tourist attractions include Cardiff Castle, Millennium Stadium, National Museum Cardiff, Museum of Welsh Life, Cardiff Bay, Techniquest, Senedd, Pierhead Building, Castell Coch, Llandaff Cathedral, St. David’s Cathedral and St. David’s Spa
* Swansea is the second-largest city. Its attractions include the National Waterfront Museum, Dylan Thomas Centre, Plantasia, the Mumbles, Oystermouth Castle and Swansea Bay itself.
* Newport is the third-largest city in Wales. An influx of visitors are expected in 2010 when the city hosts golf’s Ryder Cup, at the Celtic Manor Resort. Attractions include Tredegar House and Gardens, the Transporter Bridge, the ancient Roman fortress at Caerleon, St. Woolos Cathedral, the Westgate Hotel. The Big Pit National Coal Museum is located at Blaenavon, 15 miles to the north.
* St David’s in Pembrokeshire is the UK’s smallest city and resting place of St David and gateway to the Pembrokeshire coast and Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
* Bangor is between the mountains of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait and close to Anglesey. Bangor lies at the western end of the North Wales Path, a 60 mile long-distance coastal walking route, and is close to the Menai Suspension Bridge, one of the first modern suspension bridges in the world.
There are several features of the Welsh landscape that are popular with visitors:
* Mount Snowdon in Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales and a popular mountaineering destination.
* Pen y Fan is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales.
* Wye Valley AONB includes Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle.
* Offa’s Dyke Path is a long distance footpath on the English border in the historic Welsh Marches.
* Taff Trail is a foot and cycle path running along the River Taff through the city and countryside, from Cardiff Bay to Brecon.
* Glyndwr’s Way is a long-distance trail between Knighton and Welshpool in Powys.
* The Gower peninsula is the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956. It is has a number of castles and sandy beaches, some easily accessible by car, some relatively remote.
Source: Wikipedia