Jewels Of The British Isles

Crossing the English Channel from continental Europe to Great Britain, the first view of England is the milky-white strip of land called the White Cliffs of Dover. As you get closer, the coastline unfolds before you in all its striking beauty. White chalk cliffs with streaks of black flint rise straight from the sea to a height of 350’ (110 m).

Numerous archaeological finds reveal people were present in the area during the Stone Age. Yet the first record of Dover is from Romans, who valued its close proximity to the mainland. A mere 21 miles (33 km) separate Dover from the closest point in France. A Roman-built lighthouse in the area is the tallest Roman structure still standing in Britain. The remains of a Roman villa with the only preserved Roman wall mural outside of Italy are another unique survivor from ancient times which make Dover one of a kind.

Portland Island and the resort town of Weymouth are connected by a 5-mile (8 km) long neck of white sand known as Chesil Beach. Renowned as the finest example of a barrier-type beach in Europe, Chesil Beach was formed 10,000 years ago as glaciers receded and sea levels rose.

The rugged coastline of Dorset and the many attractions in the area are what make Weymouth such a popular vacation destination. The Old Harbour of Weymouth is an excellent Georgian-style harbor and one of the prettiest in Europe. It bustles with activity from large catamarans, fishing boats and yachts. Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park displays over 1,000 incredible sea creatures including sea turtles, crabs, octopuses and sharks. The nearby Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens is an impressive walled garden set in 20 acres (8 hectares) of woodland. Portland Island offers stunning views across the Chesil Beach, Portland Harbour, Fleet Lagoon and Weymouth. The little egret, once a rare bird in Britain, is now regularly seen along these shores.

La ciudad puerto de Cobh se encuentra a sólo 15 kilómetros de Cork, la capital de la región sur de Irlanda. Algunos de los monumentos más famosos de Irlanda se encuentran en esta parte del país, incluyendo el Castillo de Blarney, famoso por muchas leyendas, sobre todo la mágica piedra de Blarney. Algunos de los paisajes más hermosos y espectaculares de Europa se encuentra al oeste de Cork, con nombres líricos para que coincida con los pintorescos valles, montañas y costas. Cork, es una ciudad con un patrimonio que alcanza la antigüedad, sin embargo es moderna, bien organizada y bien consciente de su papel como la segunda ciudad de la República de Irlanda. Construida sobre un pantano, y entrelazado con canales y ríos, la ciudad está dividida en dos partes, con un desarrollo arquitectónico bien modelado que incorpora lo mejor de lo viejo con lo nuevo.

Fishguard’s name in Welsh is Abergwaun, meaning the mouth of the River Gwaun. The English name comes from an Old Norse word for a fish trap, and indeed the community has profited from catching and drying herring for centuries. It has remained remarkably unchanged physically over the years. The waterfront has a traditional feel like many others in Pembrokeshire. At first glance, nothing would indicate that this is the site of the last invasion of Britain by a foreign power. But a bicentenary stone recalls the day in 1797 when 1400 French revolutionary troops landed here, only to be routed by the local folk, including a heroic woman shoemaker named Jemima Nicholas, who rounded up more than a dozen dismayed invaders while armed with a pitchfork. A large tapestry depicting the struggle is on display in the Fishguard Town Hall. The surrounding South Wales countryside is dotted with medieval castles, some impressive, such as Pembroke and Picton Castles, and others little more than scenically sited ruins. Cardigan also has a notable garden called Dyffryn Fernant, and St. David’s boasts an impressive early cathedral and a Bishop’s Palace. Prehistoric Pembrokeshire is represented by the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber, a massive dolmen with an intact 15-ton capstone made of the same type of rock that formed the inner sanctum of Stonehenge.

Douglas es la capital de la Isla del Hombre. Mann, como también se le llama, es una Dependencia de la Corona Británica, con su propio parlamento y sellos (un recuerdo popular). Aquí los visitantes pueden degustar los medios de transporte que van desde los tranvías tirados por caballos, al vapor los trenes y las motocicletas de alta velocidad que compiten en la famosa Carrera TT de la Isla de Man TT. En verano, la ciudad mantiene gran parte del encanto de una localidad costera de un periodo anterior, incluyendo el la era Victoriana en la Grand Union Camera Obscura, ahora restaurada para su diversión.

Rothesay, standing along the Firth of Clyde, presents the visitor with a combination of illustrious gardens and grand architecture. The magnificent ruins of Rothesay Castle, which date from the 13th century, are what most people visualize when they think of a medieval castle. With a drawbridge, encircling moat, immense circular curtain wall and tall stone towers, Rothesay is unique in Scotland for its circular plan. The ruins of St Blane’s Chapel, a 6th century monastery, sit atop a hill with views over the Sound of Bute. For true elegance, visit the country estate of Mount Stuart House with its colonnaded Marble Hall and extraordinary Marble Chapel. Built in the late 1870’s in the Gothic Revivalist style, it was constructed of reddish-brown stone and houses a library of 25,000 books.

The Ardencraig Gardens, sitting atop Canada Hill, feature a walled garden and exotic aviary. Ascog Hall Fernery, located on the grounds of a baronial-style house from 1844, is a beautiful garden with the oldest ferns in Britain.

Endurecido por las orillas del Clyde, Greenock es el puerto de la ciudad más grande de Escocia, Glasgow. Hay numerosos lugares de interés para visitar, incluyendo un tesoro de obras maestras arquitectónicas de estilo Renacentista Italiano como el City Chambers, a los edificios austeros de la Universidad y el Auditorio ultramoderno en el Clyde, inspirando a los locales a doblarlo ¨El Armadillo¨. Parte del entretenimiento se encuentra en tratar de entender el acento de las personas de Glasgow.

Belfast, el área urbana más grande de Irlanda del Norte se encuentra en la costa este de Irlanda. Al noroeste, la ciudad está flanqueada por colinas, incluyendo Cavehill, se cree que son la inspiración de Jonathan Swift para su novela, “Los Viajes de Gulliver”. La ubicación de Belfast es ideal para la industria de la construcción naval que una vez la hizo famosa. El Titanic se construyó en 1912, en el astillero más grande del mundo. Hasta que se llegó al Acuerdo de Viernes Santo de 1998, el peor de los “problemas” de Irlanda se vivió en Belfast, casi la mitad de las personas que sufrieron resultaron muertos en el conflicto. Desde entonces, sin embargo, el centro de Belfast se ha convertido en un entorno atractivo orientado a los peatones, con músicos callejeros y similares y un frente de río revitalizado.

Oban is a small town on the west coast of Scotland. The site began as a small fishing outpost and has been occupied as such for literally thousands of years. Rural in its roots, the modern-day village of Oban grew around the famed whisky distillery founded in 1794. Renowned for its 14-year-old malt whisky, the Oban distillery has become a tourist attraction, drawing many visitors to the area. The quiet, rural feel of Oban is responsible for the abundance of wildlife within the town boundaries. Here grey seals can be spotted swimming in the harbor or resting along the shore. A wide variety of land and seabirds are found throughout the area. On occasion dolphins and river otters also visit. A beautiful balance exists between this small town and the natural environment surrounding it, where the sounds of nature mingle with the melody of the streets.

A dos millas de distancia de su antiguo puerto de Leith se encuentra Edimburgo, la capital nacional de Escocia. La capital Escocesa desde el siglo 15, Edinburgo se compone de dos áreas distintas – la ciudad vieja, dominada por una fortaleza medieval y la neoclásica Ciudad Nueva, cuyo desarrollo desde el siglo 18 en adelante tuvo una gran influencia en la planificación urbana Europea. La yuxtaposición armoniosa de estas dos zonas históricas contrastantes, cada una con muchos edificios importantes, es lo que da a la ciudad su carácter único.
Siempre favorecida por la geografía, Edimburgo está situada en el Firth of Forth, una entrada del mar del Norte y construida sobre volcanes extintos rodeada de bosques, colinas y lagos. En un día claro, hay gloriosas vistas desde cada una de estas colinas. Cierne sobre la ciudad el impresionante castillo de cuento de hadas construido en el emplazamiento de una fortaleza del siglo séptimo. Dentro de la fortaleza de la Edad Media derramada sobre la larga cresta que se extiende a los pies de la Silla de Arturo, que corona Holyrood Park. Ciudadanos más legendarios de la ciudad son el arco presbiteriano John Knox y María, Reina de Escocia, que dominó Edimburgo de finales del siglo 16. Bonito centro de la ciudad de Edimburgo es una alegría para explorar a pie. Cada callejón revela campanarios impresionantes, horizontes irregulares, chimenea-maceta, o hermosas cúpulas rotundas.

Newcastle upon Tyne, clinging to the north bank of the River Tyne, grew around the Roman settlement Pons Aelius and was named after the castle built here in 1080 by William the Conqueror’s eldest son, Robert Curthose. The port developed in the 16th century, quickly becoming one of the world’s largest shipbuilding centers. Newcastle harbors a spirited mix of heritage and urban sophistication.

Among its ultra-modern structures, is the beautiful refined curve of the Gateshead Millennium suspension bridge, one of seven major bridges that cross The Tyne. The modern reflective, spherical-profile of the Sage Gateshead Concert Hall contrasts greatly with the distinguished vertical columns of the traditional-style Theatre Royal, located in Grainger Town, the historic center of Newcastle.

Crossing the English Channel from continental Europe to Great Britain, the first view of England is the milky-white strip of land called the White Cliffs of Dover. As you get closer, the coastline unfolds before you in all its striking beauty. White chalk cliffs with streaks of black flint rise straight from the sea to a height of 350’ (110 m).

Numerous archaeological finds reveal people were present in the area during the Stone Age. Yet the first record of Dover is from Romans, who valued its close proximity to the mainland. A mere 21 miles (33 km) separate Dover from the closest point in France. A Roman-built lighthouse in the area is the tallest Roman structure still standing in Britain. The remains of a Roman villa with the only preserved Roman wall mural outside of Italy are another unique survivor from ancient times which make Dover one of a kind.