I’ve lived my whole life in Britain. I grew up in the south of England and have spent much of my adult life in Scotland, and I know how lucky I am. As with most nationalities, we Brits love a good moan about our country, but when it comes down to it, we live in one of the most stable, beautiful and historic countries in the world.
Really, it’s no wonder that 42 million international travellers flocked to our island home last year. Many come to see London, a city everyone should visit at least once. Whilst here, there are hundreds of fantastic places to visit outside the capital, but a few receive far more tourists than most. These tourist hotspots are best avoided.
Bath
Over 6 million visitors flock to the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Bath every year. It isn’t hard to see why. Surrounded by seven hills, crammed with grand Georgian architecture and home to England’s most famous Roman baths (which, yes, is why Bath is called Bath), there’s no denying it’s a great city to visit.
There are two problems with Bath, though. First and foremost, it is a tourist hotspot, and as such, it gets extremely busy. On a typical summer day, you’ll be fighting with crowds,s and if you want to get inside the Roman Baths, you’ll face a very long wait.
The second issue with visiting Bath is that most tourists do it wrong. As Bath is so easy to reach from London by train (under 90 minutes) or as part of a day tour which often combines Bath, Stonehenge and Windsor, everyone descends on the city in the middle of the day. If you do decide to press ahead and visit Bath, I strongly recommend spending a night there so you can enjoy it once the day trippers have gone.
The best alternative to bath
If you’re desperate to soak up Roman history and see some of the best-preserved hot spring baths in Europe, there is a great alternative. The Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate is an excellent place to visit to get your bathhouse fix. Plus, it’s the gateway to the glorious Yorkshire Dales National Park and just a stone’s throw from historic York.
Edinburgh
Revered the world over for its castle, Royal Mile, the impressive annual Military Tattoo and, more recently, as a place of pilgrimage for Harry Potter fans, there’s no doubt that the Scottish capital is one to tick off your bucket list.
Edinburgh Castle’s hillside location is undeniably spectacular, although it certainly doesn’t make my top 10 list of British castles. The Tattoo, however, is incomparable. If you do visit, be sure to wander through Holyrood Park for a view of the city; it’s often far less busy than Arthur’s Seat. When it comes to shopping and dining, skip Princes Street and take a walk down George Street.
The reason Edinburgh cuts through a tourist hotspot best avoided is that it’s overly geared for tourists. Always busy, even out of season, hotel prices are eyewatering – think London or New York level.
The best alternative to Edinburgh
If you want to experience an authentic Scottish city, head an hour west of Edinburgh and you’ll find yourself in Glasgow. A few decades ago, Scotland’s second city had a reputation for being rough and impoverished, but those days are gone, and Glasgow has been reborn.
My all-time favourite Scottish city break, Glasgow is home toBritain’ss finest Italian and Indian restaurants and a nightlife scene like no other. There’s nothing quite like a night in Hillhead. As for daytime activities, admire the art at Kelvingrove, discover the history of transport in Scotland at the free Riverside Museum and lose yourself ambling around Glasgow Green. If you’ve got a few days, Glasgow is the best base for exploring the Firth of Clyde and its islands.
Isle of Skye
Skye is beautiful. There’s no question of it. Its barren landscape backs majestic waterfalls, fairy-tale glens and impressive rock formations. Then there’s Armadale and Dunvegan Castles and Portree’s picture-perfect harbour.
But Skye is not typical of Scottish islands. The reason international visitors flock there in their thousands is that it’s the easiest island to visit, all thanks to the Skye Bridge. Up until 1995, the only way to reach the Isle of Skye was to take a ferry from either Kyle of Lochalsh or Mallaig. Whilst the ferries do still exist, albeit the Kyle route runs through the summer only, most visitors and residents reach Skye by road.
The bridge has done wonders for the local economy; in fact, Skye is the only Scottish island to see consistent population growth, but it has taken away the charm that is the rigmarole of island adventures.
The best alternative to Skye
Scotland has 900 islands, 101 of which are inhabited. This means there’s more than a couple of great alternatives to Skye. On the west coast, my top picks are Mull for convenience and Colonsay if you want to get far, far away from it all.
If you’ve got a little longer to spare, take a flight from Glasgow to Barra, where you’ll land on the beach – it’s the only scheduled flight in the world to do so. Then, either by car and ferry or bus and ferry, embark on an overland adventure through the Outer Hebrides, crossing Eriskay, the Uists, Benbecula, Berneray and Harris before finishing up in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
Windsor Castle
Putting Buckingham Palace to the side, Windsor Castle is probably the most famous residence of the British Royal Family. Royal since its construction in the 11th century, it’s long been one of the monarch’s escapes from London.
It’s grand, imposing and a wonderful sight, but I always think it’s best viewed from afar. My favourite view of Windsor is from above, and if you’re flying into Heathrow Airport, you’ve got a 50/50 chance of seeing it on the approach. Failing that, head to Windsor Great Park and admire it from a distance.
Windsor and the castle are, much like Bath and Edinburgh, victims of overtourism. You will often spend hours queuing to get into the castle, then be herded through it with thousands of other visitors.
The best alternative to windsor
Aside from its fame, another reason Windsor is so popular with tourists is its location. 25 miles from Central London and 12 miles from Heathrow Airport, if you’re short on time on a visit to England, going to Windsor makes sense.
That said, one of my favourite alternative royal residences is easily accessible from London on a day trip. Sandringham House in North Norfolk, where the royals famously spend Christmas, is just a two-hour train ride away. Trains depart frequently from King’s Cross and Liverpool Street for King’s Lynn, from where it’s a short bus or taxi ride to Sandringham.
To fill your day, head along the coast to the Norfolk Lavender fields in Heacham. If you have a little more time to spare, the North Norfolk coast is a fantastic weekend break destination.
My absolute favourite royal residence, though, is a little further away. Balmoral Castle, the royal’s Highland retreat, was the late Queen Elizabeth II’sfavouritee place too. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the Grampian Mountains, Balmoral’s backdrop is even more impressive than the castle itself.
Windermere
A visit to the Lake District is one of the highlights of any British adventure. Its most famous lake, and the largest in England, is Windermere. Made famous by legendary writer Beatrix Pott, er who penned her Peter Rabbit stories in the area, Windermere is the most touristy spot in the lakes.
The main town on the lake, Bowness, is a favourite with visitors from all over the world. Come in summer, Windermere may be at its most beautiful, but you’ll have to fight your way through the crowds to get anywhere and see anything.
The best alternatives to Windermere
Luckily for you, the Lake District has 16 lakes to choose from. Instead of flocking to Bowness with the crowds, I strongly recommend heading for Keswick in the North Lakes instead. This traditional market town is a great place for lunch, and don’t skip a visit to the slightly niche Derwent Pencil Museum.
Keswick is hemmed in by lakes to the north and south. To the north, quiet Bassenthwaite Lake is surrounded by woodlands. There are no big groups here, and you’ll really be at one with nature. To the south, Derwent Water, whilst slightly more popular with visitors, is off the radar of most international travellers.
<p>The post I’m British, These 5 Tourist Hotspots Are Best Avoided first appeared on Travelbinger.</p>