Situated about 80 kilometers to west of London is the city with the world’s oldest university- Oxford. Oxford is the capital of the Oxfordshire county.  Oxford is known to have the oldest university in the English speaking world and has all of the Gothic architecture in its buildings. The city is referred to as the city of the dreaming spires due to the beautiful university buildings in Oxford. The city is located on the banks of the river Thames and has many buildings of architectural beauty along with the picturesque countryside.

When on a trip to Oxford, make sure you visit at least one of the museums or the colleges. The Bodleian library that was opened in the year 1602 and is renowned to be the oldest library in Europe. The University Church of St Mary is another beautiful place that is not to missed as it offers some spectacular views of the city and it was built in the year 1280. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History, The Pitt Rivers Museum and the Christ Church Picture Gallery are some museums that should be checked out.

(Image courtesy of Jim Linwood)

Bath is a county located in the south west of England and at around 156 kilometers from London. Bath is renowned for its hot springs, Roman influence and the Medieval and Georgian architecture influence in most of the buildings here. Bath attracts millions of tourists every year and has been England’s oldest tourist destination for centuries. It was a spa resort for the Romans and and number of baths and temples were constructed around the hot springs which are the only ones in the United Kingdom.

Bath has a number of beautiful landmarks and museums and the Roman Bath is the most note of them all, as it was constructed about 2000 years ago – a must visit for any tourist in Bath. The Bath Abbey which was constructed in the 15th century is the best example for Gothic architecture in England and is situated next to the Roman Bath. Another noted landmark in Bath is the Royal Crescent that is a residential complex of 30+ houses that was constructed in the 18th century. The local museums in Bath are also not to be missed out as they showcase a number of artifacts and beautiful works of art.

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Located near the Isle of Arran off the coast of Scotland is the Holy Island, an island that has a long history as being a sacred site. It is a small island located off the west coast of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde. The island is a small and has an area of about 4 square kilometers. The island has a spring that is said to have magical healing properties ,a  6th century cave in which the hermit monk named Saint Molaise is said to have lived and also a 13th century monastery. Over the years, the island was inhabited by several monks and is now inhabited by Buddhist monks of Tibetan Buddhism.

The island has a Peace hall where you can meditate and smoking or drinking is strictly prohibited on the island. The sacred caves have runic writings on their walls and are worth a visit. The island is all about meditation, relaxation and getting enlightened!

Loch Ness, the most famous lake in Scotland is the second largest lake that sprawls for about 56.4 square kilometers. The loch is best known for its legendary Loch monster also called Nessie. The lake is known to be the largest water body in the Great Glen fault and is known to have much fresh water than all the lakes of Wales and England combined. It is well connected with Inverness both by air and land and Inverness has the largest airport in the region.

The region is best known for the lakes and castles. The Urquhart Castle is the most famous tourist spot in the region. The ruins of the castle stand out elegantly in the beauty of the lake and the audio visual presentation about the history of the castle is not to be missed out. The Caledonian canal is yet another attraction which consists of a number of lockgates. Hiking along the lake can be a very good experience for tourists and keep your eyes open when near the lake, you might get lucky and spot the Nessie monster!

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