My UK Travel Bucket List

Working on a big goal is like climbing a mountain, it's hard work but the reward at the top is so worth it! (The Lake District, England)

For the last few weeks Lee and I have been back in England, visiting his lovely family and our wonderful friends and enjoying all of the pleasures that this country has to offer, from cups of tea to steak and kidney pies to football matches and walks in the countryside.I’ve already expressed in a previous post how much I love the UK, even though many of the locals I meet will always find something to complain about. (usually the weather). I’m endlessly fascinated by this country, from the ancient and medieval history to the modern city life and arts scene. There is so much to see and do there, all packed into such a small and easy to travel space, that I feel like I will never see it all. I’ve been thinking recently about my UK travel bucket list – the top experiences that I would like to enjoy in this particular destination.

I’ve already been on a few great adventures to Manchester, York, Liverpool, London, Lancaster, Wales, Yorkshire and the Lake District and I am heading up to Edinburgh again for the Fringe Festival later this month! However, there are plenty more places I want to see.

I don’t really have a UK travel bucket list in the traditional sense, because I don’t want “kicking the bucket” to be a looming deadline over my head and I feel that it’s too easy to put off things on your bucket list until later. I suppose I would refer to this as a wish list or even a “to do” list rather than a UK travel bucket list.

Either way, here are some of the experiences that I would love to have in the UK:

The End to End Walk – Land’s End to John O’ Groats

UK travel bucket list - End to End Walk — photo credit: Kenneth Allen – cc

This is something I have dreamed of doing for a long time – walk the length of the UK from the bottom at Lands End in Cornwall to the top at John O Groats in Scotland. It would be a challenge, but it would be an incredible journey. Mark my words, I will do this in my lifetime.

Stratford Upon Avon

Perhaps it’s the literature geek in me, but wouldn’t it be cool to see Shakespeare’s old hood? I think some of the touristic stuff would be probably quite cheesy, but who I am kidding… I love cheesy! I think I would love the Tudor architecture and the glimpse into what life was like hundreds of years ago.

The Scottish Highlands

UK travel bucket list - Scottish Highlands — photo credit: Davide Bedin – cc

There is something endlessly intriguing to about the vast and wild highlands waiting for me up in Scotland. I imagine misty forests, rugged cliffs, mountains and tranquil lakes, dotted with mysterious ancient castles and welcoming inns offering me warm plates of haggis. 🙂

Although it might be a bit of a trek to get up there, it seems like there is some cheap accommodation in the Scottish Highlands. I saw that you could book with Travelodge for £23.00 per night at their hotel in Inverness. Not bad!

I would love to explore the Scottish highlands and do some hiking there, perhaps on the West Highland Way.

Bath

This entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is always a good sign. It’s got a 2,000 year old Roman bath and plenty of gorgeous Georgian buildings. It also promises great shopping, a funky art scene and plenty of nice restaurants. Sounds like a place I would love!

These are just a few of the places that I would put on my UK travel bucket list, if I had one. Perhaps I will be able to check off a couple of them while we are here?