The United Kingdom comprises four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. But it has since acted as just one entity ever since the term 'The United Kingdom' became official in 1801. It has a land area of 242,495 square kilometers (59.9 million acres). It is occupied by 67.5 million people.
There is more to the United Kingdom than just Brexit, fish, and chips. It is home to many cultural icons like The Beatles, James Bond, William Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, JK Rowling, the red London bus, and most especially, the Royals. With so many iconic things coming out of this region, it is no surprise that this European kingdom is being visited by millions of tourists every year.
The country ranked 10th among the most visited countries in 2018. Over 36 million people visited the United Kingdom that year. London is, of course, the most visited city because it has so many tourist attractions in just one area: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge on the banks of the River Thames, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. Those are just some spots in London.
There are so many more including Wales’ Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliog. Tourists may have a hard time pronouncing this Welsh town but it is worth visiting. Of course, one should not discount the UK’s most popular attraction: Stonehenge. Scotland is also famous for the UK’s largest lake, Loch Ness, and the monster that may or may not dwell in it. Then, of course, there are over 1,500 castles all over the UK.
Still, there are more places to visit in the UK: the national parks. There are 15 national parks in the UK: 10 are from England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. Here are five of the national parks that tourists should visit in the UK:
1. Cairngorms National Park
This is one of two national parks in Scotland. Established in 2002, the park covers the Cairngorms mountain range and the surrounding hills. The Cairngorms provide a great landscape with snow-capped mountains and grassy lowlands. There are three plateaus within the park, as well as some imposing rock formations. Popular adventures within the park include ice climbing, rock climbing, and skiing.
More than just the park’s natural beauty, it also provides important habitats to a lot of animals. The only herd of reindeer in the British Isles is found in this park. Other commonly sighted animals are the red deer and mountain hare. There so many different species of birds in various ecosystems of the park. Among the more common are black grouse, capercaillie, golden eagle, ptarmigan, Scottish crossbill, and snow bunting.
The Cairngorms also houses the River Dee, which is a significant body of water for the conservation of salmon, otters, and freshwater pearl mussels. The Don hosts brown and sea trout, eel, lamprey, and salmon. The park also has a beautiful waterfall known as the Linn of Dee.
2. Exmoor National Park
Exmoor is a hilly moorland in South West England. Within the area is the Exmoor National Park, which was designated in 1954. This park used to be designated as a royal forest—not in the sense that it is forested. Royal forest used to mean a protected area where the royals can hunt. That is no longer the case as the royals faced tough international criticism if they were involved in hunting. A lot of areas within Exmoor, though, continue to have protected lands as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The interest in the park likes in its thriving flora and fauna.
Among the commonly sighted animals in the park are native sheep Exmoor horn, Exmoor pony, cheviot, grey face and whiteface Dartmoor, North Devon cattle, among others.
3. Northumberland National Park
This is England’s northernmost park, which lies on the Scottish border. Among the sections of the park are Cheviot Hills, Kielder Forest, and Hadrian’s Wall, which is not a natural structure but a Roman defense fortification built in the area in 122 BC. This means that the park is more than just a natural attraction, it is also preserved for its historical and cultural significance. There were also some Pele towers in the area believed to have held Roman remains. The artifacts and ruins found within the park suggest human settlement of over 10,000 years.
The park has also been designated as a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. This means that the park is best-suited for stargazing at night.
4. North York Moors
This is in the uplands of North Yorkshire in England. As the name suggests, this is a vast moorland. The park is one of the largest heather moorlands in the entire UK. Heather or Calluna vulgaris is a low-growing shrub with flowers. But aside from the sea of colorful flowers in the park, it is also home to various natural forms like the imposing cliffs and vibrant coastlines. There are also vast valleys, the largest one being Eskdale, which is a classic U-shaped dale.
The Cleveland Hills is also part of the park. These hills have their attractive spots worth visiting. There are more than 20 hills in the area. The park also hosts various water systems like the River Esk, River Derwent, and River Leven, among others. The park is a great place to do some hiking because of its vastness and the many attractive spots one may pass while walking.
5. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
This is one of three national parks in Wales and the only one in the UK protected for its stunning coastline. The park houses several beaches, one just as beautiful as the others: Abereiddy, Amroth, Barafundle Bay, Broad Haven, Broad Haven South, Freshwater East, Freshwater West, Manorbier, Marloes, Newgale, Newport, Poppit Sands, Sandy Haven, Saundersfoot, Tenby, and Whitesands Bay.
Pembrokeshire also has inland hills, rugged cliffs, rock formations, and some sea caves. It also protects various archeological sites like the Pentre Ifan, an ancient manor made of large rocks. Seven major rocks form the Neolithic dolmen. The structure was supposedly built around 3500 BC. Experts say it was used as a communal burial place.