London blends centuries-old history with modern skyscrapers. Centered by Tower Bridge, it offers iconic sights like the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, and the Tower of London. Borough Market, Hyde Park, world-class museums, and Greenwich add food, green space, culture, and learning. A Thames boat ride reveals the city from the water.

St Peter Port, Guernsey's picturesque capital, offers white sand, clear water, sunny summers, floral streets, stone churches and painted boats. Its cobbled lanes, castle and 800-year history invite strolling and views. Nearby are the Guernsey cliffs and the car-free island of Herm. It's also a foodie haven, from beach huts to Michelin-starred restaurants.

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.

Cobh (pronounced Cove) is a picturesque seaside town with a magnificent natural harbour, the world's second largest. It was the final port of call for the Titanic, and the town has memorials including the Titanic Experience. From 1849-1920, over 2.5 million people emigrated through Cobh port. Nearby attractions include the Cobh Heritage Centre and Spike Island, "Ireland's Alcatraz." Walk the waterfront for views of colourful houses, pubs, and St Colman's Cathedral.

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.

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.

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.

Scotland's Outer Hebrides may be rainy, remote and cold, yet their people are among the happiest in the UK. Stornoway, the lovely capital on Lewis/Harris, shows why: buttercups, bog cotton, heather, wild moorland, rocky coasts and white beaches, plus rich history, culture and wildlife. A must-see is the 5,000-year-old Callanish Stones-Scotland's Stonehenge-an ancient astronomical site of 19 standing stones, circle, rows and cairn ruins.

David Attenborough called the Farne Islands his favourite UK place to see nature at its best. The small islands lie 2.4 km off Northumberland and are dolerite outcrops shaped by erosion into cliffs and columns. Treeless and easy to view from boat, they're cared for by the National Trust. The Inner Farnes once housed Saint Cuthbert, who in 676 CE protected eider ducks in one of the world's earliest bird laws. The islands also host seabirds, puffins, and grey seals.

Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, was a major pilgrimage site in Anglo-Saxon England. Reached by causeway at low tide, it has a village, priory ruins, castle, and harbour. Aidan founded a priory there in 635 CE; Cuthbert lived there and was later venerated as a saint. Vikings raided it in 793 CE, and the monks left for 400 years. The castle, built in 1550 from priory stones, is now cared for by the National Trust.

Edinburgh is a stately, dramatic capital built on seven hills, with Edinburgh Castle dominating a skyline of grand neoclassical buildings, gardens, and views of Arthur's Seat. Though rich in history, it is very modern too: home to major festivals, museums, the Scottish Parliament, and a strong financial sector. It mixes culture, learning, nightlife, and old legends, while the sea, Fife, and nearby hills are never far away.