i recently read a post listing the top ten most beautiful countries in europe, and while i think it’s semi accurate, it’s biased toward central europe. and how did they determine what to consider beautiful? why didn’t estonia make the list? or the czech republic? we all know that france is pretty, although there are some pretty gritty parts of that country. and switzerland didn’t make the list, but austria did. why not take france and austria off and put switzerland on? it’s the most beautiful mix of those two.
anyway, i decided that in order to really talk about the most beautiful places in europe, you need to break it down by country. so i’ve listed the top ten most beautiful places in the british isles (ireland, northern ireland, scotland, wales and england.) read on…
the iveragh peninsula, ireland
also known as the ring of kerry, this scenic route has been on our radar for a long time. if you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that i love wild west coast cliffs, windy islands and remote places. well, many of the towns along here have exactly that. the ring technically starts in killarney, which is inland, and heads either clockwise or counter-clockwise around, through kenmare, sneem, waterville, cahersiveen, and rossbeigh. i’ve always gone off the beaten track; we stay at beach cove in ballinskelligs – it’s on the beach overlooking the skelligs – and we head into portmagee each night. tour groups do the ring in a day; i recommend taking your time.
county donegal, ireland
quite possibly the wildest place in ireland. donegal is in the far northwest corner of the country and is home to small fishing villages, both working and abandoned; the slieve league – cliffs higher than moher; and killybegs, the largest fishing port in ireland. weaving is a huge industry up here, so this is where you want to go for your irish textiles.
the giants causeway, northern ireland
odd formations happen all the time in nature, and the giants causeway is no exception: perfectly hexagonal rocks step outward toward the north atlantic ocean. across in scotland, the island of staffa is home to fingal’s cave, which has the same rock formations. legend, or geology?
glencoe, scotland
while it has a grim history – it’s the site of the legendary massacre of the macdonald clan – it’s absolutely stunning – like photoshop-worthy stunning, and many people opt for day hikes or through hikes here.
orkney islands, scotland
i hesitated to put this one on here, because i was torn between skye and the outer hebrides, but orkney finally won me over: well-preserved neolithic settlements, prehistoric standing stones, and gently rolling hills that top at surf-pounding cliffs overlooking the north atlantic… what more do you want?
the llŷn peninsula, wales
the llŷn peninsula is one of the most picturesque coastlines of wales. nestled within the snowdonia region, the most mountainous region of southwest britain, the llŷn peninsula is one of the hidden gems of southern wales, with iron age forts and volcanoes only adding to the scenery.
the fairy glen, wales
the british isles are steeped in magic, if you believe all of the legends that pop up of fairies, piskies, and pixies that roam the highlands of scotland, the mountains of wales and the forests of middle england. ffos nuddun is another place where magic meets real life. i just imagine merlin standing here, working his magic as the trees whisper around him and the water streams over the standing rocks.
tintern abbey, wales
i had to put this one on here, after seeing the images of it. it’s a cathedral stopped in time, with lush grassy carpets, soaring pillars and impressive stonework detailing. after seeing this, i want to move to wales.
lake district, england
the lake district has inspired hundreds of writers, poets and artists over the years, and i’ve always loved the imagery in the god of the hive, by laurie king: “we traveled through the green nowhere, never seeing more than a few feet to either side, following the rhythm of firm footsteps. the journey was timeless, the landscape featureless, my companions noisy ghosts.”
the needles, isle of wight, england
the photos of the needles – named after a now-fallen rock structure – are impressive and beckoning. the lighthouse might be the most iconic image on the island, but definitely don’t discount the beaches either.
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