Lisbon, Portugal's capital, is a beautiful city of seven hills, fado, pastel houses and azulejo tiles. Wander Alfama's steep cobbled streets, visit the Azulejo Museum, then head to São Jorge Castle or Miradouro da Graça for sweeping views over red rooftops, the Tagus and the suspension bridge. See Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, and take a trip to nearby Sintra and Pena Palace. Finish with ginjinha and a pastel de nata.

For many visitors, Tresco is the most attractive of the Isles of Scilly, mainly for its Abbey Garden. It holds thousands of exotic plants from about 80 countries. Plant collector Augustus Smith began it in the 1830s on the site of an old Benedictine abbey, using walls and terraces to shelter plants and make the most of Tresco's mild Gulf Stream climate. Even in midwinter, hundreds of plants are in flower. The garden also displays figureheads from shipwrecks around the islands.

30 miles off Land's End, the Isles of Scilly are a serene archipelago of five inhabited islands, with green hills, powdery beaches and the UK's mildest climate. St Mary's, the largest island, is home to about 1,600 people and Hugh Town, where the close-knit community gathers. See gig racing, seals, puffins, shipwrecks and historic forts; visit Tresco Abbey Garden and even England's most south-westerly vineyard.

Pembrokeshire National Park's dramatic coastline blends rugged cliffs, sheltered coves and sweeping sea views with a relaxed Welsh charm. Explore pretty harbours, spot seabirds and seals, or wander coastal paths that reveal some of Britain's most striking scenery, with historic towns and local seafood adding to the appeal.

Reborn as a cool modern city, Belfast blends culture, architecture and cosy pubs. Explore the Maritime Quarter and Titanic District, where the Titanic Museum tells the story of the famous ship built here, alongside SS Nomadic and the Maritime Mile. See the Salmon of Knowledge, tour the Peace Lines and murals by black taxi, then visit the light-filled Metropolitan Arts Centre and lively Cathedral Quarter.

Iona, in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, is a tiny, მშვიდ, spiritually significant island about 200 miles east of Edinburgh. Just 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, it has around 120 residents (more in summer) and a warm climate from the Gulf Stream, with sandy beaches and green fields. Its main attraction is Iona Abbey, founded in 563 by St Columba, seen as the cradle of Christianity. Nearby are St Martin's Cross and Rèilig Odhrain, said to hold the remains of Scottish kings.

Lunga is the largest island in the Treshnish archipelago. Of volcanic origin and once inhabited until the 19th century, it still has remains of black houses. Now rich in plant and bird life, it is famous for puffins that breed on the plateau and can be watched from very close. The 81-hectare island also has rare plants such as primroses and orchids, plus sweeping views from 300-foot cliffs.

The Shiant Islands, between Lewis and Skye in the Outer Hebrides, have spectacular cliffs of tall hexagonal rock columns, like a giant honeycomb, formed when magma cooled slowly underground and exposed by erosion. The tallest reaches 120 m. In spring and summer, seabirds abound: some soar, some dive with stubby wings, and others nest in burrows or on cliffs. Guillemots lay eggs on bare ledges. The islands once had many black rats, but eradication in 2016 restored peace to the colonies.

Loch Ewe is Scotland's only north-facing loch, with scenic natural beauty and a rich history. In WWII it was a convoy assembly point with a strong naval presence, protected by anti-aircraft guns, a boom net, and mine defenses. A deep-water sea loch with a small Atlantic mouth, it is well sheltered from the weather. Nearby Inverewe Gardens thrive on the North Atlantic Drift, where exotic plants flourish at a latitude farther north than Moscow, giving year-round color.

St. Kilda is a remote archipelago 50 miles off Harris. Uninhabited since 1930, it shelters huge seabird colonies: the UK's largest Atlantic puffin colony and the world's largest gannet colony on Boreray. It is also home to Soay sheep, St. Kilda mice, and the rare St. Kilda wren. A National Trust for Scotland project is restoring historic dwellings. It's the UK's only dual UNESCO World Heritage Site, for both natural and cultural significance.

Tobermory, capital of the Isle of Mull in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, greets visitors with colourful harbourside houses and shops. Its painted buildings are famously featured in TV, including Balamory. Local lore tells of a sunken Spanish galleon with lost gold offshore. Visit the Mull Museum, take a wildlife boat tour for eagles, dolphins and Minke whales, and finish with whisky tasting at Tobermory Distillery, founded in 1798.

A stone castle on Mull evokes romance and history, especially when seen from the sea. Duart Castle, on a headland in the Sound of Mull, was built in the 13th century and became the Clan Maclean ancestral home. Lost and ruined, it was bought and restored in 1911; it remains a home for Maclean descendants worldwide. Nearby tales include wrecks and treasure, especially a Spanish galleon in Tobermory Bay, said to hold gold bullion. Mull also has European otters and white-tailed sea eagles.

Fort William ("Bill" to locals) sits beneath Ben Nevis beside Loch Linnhe and is a classic Highland town: pretty waterfront houses, moors, kilts, and plenty of tartan charm. It's also the UK's outdoor capital, with hiking, climbing, white-water rafting, fishing, and scenic walks, plus cosy pubs. In town, visit the West Highland Museum, St Andrew's Church, St Mary's Catholic Church, and the Old Fort. A wildlife cruise and the Harry Potter steam train make a full day easy.

The Isle of Man, off England's west coast and Ireland's east, is a self-governing crown dependency, not part of the UK. Its Celtic past is rich and its history complex; it passed between England and Scotland before British rule in 1399, but remained outside the UK after 1765. Legend says Manannán's sea mist hides it from invaders. Local quirks include the Fairy Bridge "little people," tin bath racing, steam railways, horse-drawn trams, and an 1895 water wheel still in use.

Dublin blends cobbled streets, buskers, and lively pubs with warm, cosmopolitan energy. Its history runs from Viking trading port to Georgian capital, and its role in the 1916 Easter Rising is preserved at Kilmainham Gaol. See St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Book of Kells at Trinity College, and the Guinness Storehouse, and explore the city's rich literary legacy, from Joyce to the Museum of Literature.