The United Kingdom (UK) consists of England, Wales, Scotland (who together make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland. The UK's geography is varied, and includes cliffs along some coastlines, highlands and lowlands and many islands off the coast of Scotland. Much of the north and west of the U.K. is covered in high ground, knife-edged mountain ridges separated by deep valleys.
Climate
The UK has a temperate climate. In general, this means that Britain gets cool, wet winters and warm, wet summers. It rarely features the extremes of heat or cold, drought or wind that are common in other climates. The weather conditions are also very changeable. So, prepare and pack for all eventualities.
Currency
Britain’s national currency is the pound sterling (symbol: £), which is sub-divided into 100 pence (symbol: p). You get notes in denominations of £50, £20, £10 and £5, and coins in £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p.
There are lots of places you can change money in Britain:
• bureaux de change on high streets, in airports and major railway stations
• banks
• travel agents
• Post Offices
It's worth shopping around to get the best deal and remember to ask how much commission is charged.
Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own pound sterling notes that represent the same value as an English note - you can use English and Scottish (although the Scottish £1 note is not accepted outside Scotland) money anywhere in the UK, but Northern Irish cash can only be used in Northern Ireland. You can exchange them for English notes in any bank, however.
Cuisine
The history of Britain has played an important role in its food culture. The Romans introduced cherries, cabbages, peas, stinging nettles (as a salad vegetable) and of course, wine, which they tried to produce in southern England and certainly imported from home.
Fish and chips
Fish and chips are an icon of British food and recognised as such around the world.
The origins of fish and chips the mid-19th century are associated with the industrial revolution and the dish remains a nutritious and cheap takeaway enjoyed throughout the country.
Although the number of fish and chip shops has dropped from the levels of 1920's and 30's, the demand for the dish has remained the same. Today over 10,000 fish and chip shops provide Britain with a similar volume of fish and chips to those of the post war years.
The Sunday roast
The Sunday roast is still traditionally eaten every Sunday in many English households. It
includes roast potatoes accompanying a roasted joint of meat such as beef, lamb, pork, duck or chicken and assorted other vegetables, themselves generally boiled and served with a gravy or roasted with the meat in its juices, which are then used as or added to the gravy. Sauces and jellies are chosen to complement the type of meat; mint sauce or red currant jelly for lamb; apple sauce for pork; horseradish or various mustards for beef; and cranberry sauce for turkey.
Yorkshire pudding normally accompanies beef (although traditionally served in Yorkshire as a starter, from the days when meat was scarce, so it was served first as a "stomach filler"); sage and onion stuffing for pork and usually parsley stuffing for chicken.
Cornish Pasties
A pasty is a baked pastry, made by placing a filling of meat and vegetables on a flat pastry circle and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge to form a seal and then placing it in the oven.
The traditional Cornish pasty, by far the most famous in England, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and is baked.
Lancashire Hotpot
One of the most famous dishes from northwest England, Lancashire hotpot is a traditional dish made from lamb or mutton and onion, topped with sliced potatoes. It is then left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. The perfect meal for a wet winter's day.
Steak & Kidney Pie
Another British stalwart, this is a savoury pie filled principally with a mixture of diced beef, diced kidney (often of ox, lamb or pork), fried onion, and brown gravy. The gravy typically consists of salted beef broth flavoured with Worcestershire sauce and black pepper and thickened with flour. The gravy may also contain ale or stout.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea is a tea-related ritual, introduced in Britain in the early 1840s. It evolved as a mini meal to stem the hunger and anticipation of an evening meal at 8pm.
Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of sandwiches (usually cut delicately into 'fingers'), scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes.
Full English Breakfast
Sometimes also called a 'fry-up', the full English breakfast consists of fried eggs, sausages, back bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread and often a slice of white or black pudding (similar to bloodwurst). It is accompanied by tea or coffee and hot, buttered toast.
Favourite UK drinks
We’re known for drinking in England, we’re actually really good at it. Coffee is the current drink of the day. Though unlike our fancy European counterparts, England drinks a lot of instant coffee, mainly Nescafe.
Gin and Tonic
The official England national drink would have to be a gin and tonic. It’s the most popular spirit drink in the UK and is perfect for quenching your thirst with a unique flavour.
Pimm’s
Pimm’s is traditionally served mixed with lemonade and chopped fruits. It’s especially popular during Wimbledon. It’s a gin-based liqueur flavoured with herbs, spices, and caramelised orange, then it’s served with lots of ice, mint, cucumber and orange and strawberries.
Vodka Martini
Shaken, not stirred, of course – a la James Bond 007. A vodka martini is an iconic part of British culture, made from vodka and vermouth and served with an olive or garnished with a slice of lemon.
Real Ale
One of the most popular English drinks is a Real Ale. We have a lot of different varieties. In fact, go to any Real Ale Festival and you’ll see 100s of options. It’s kind of mind blowing.
Cider
Made of apples, the taste of cider differs depending on where you get it from. Commercial brands are usually cold and fizzy, while local brewers will be served room temperature and still. If you’re a cider newbie some of the most popular English cider brands include Thatchers, Sandford Orchards and Lilley’s.
English Tea
The most popular English tea is Yorkshire Tea. They had a great marketing campaign “Like tea used to be” that just made you want to be all cosy with a brew.
Hot Chocolate
Being English we are partial to mixing it with alcohol – a rum hot chocolate, or an amaretto hot chocolate goes down a treat after a busy day of hiking in the English countryside. Winter days out aren’t complete without a hot cup of chocolate either at one of England’s Christmas markets or in a cosy coffee shop. Go all out and get the cream and flake on top too.
Coffee
A decade or more ago and tea would’ve outsold coffee no question of a doubt, but coffee is becoming the most popular English drink, especially outside the home. This is one of the most popular English drinks.
What to do in the UK
*Visit London. Spending 4-5 days will ensure you get to experience England’s Capital. From Buckingham Palace and London Bridge, to the famous Natural History Museum. Experience the magnificent views from the iconic London eye. Enjoy a picnic in the beautiful gardens of St James or Hyde parks. There are plenty of bars and restaurants on offer before finishing the night at the Theatre.
* Experience the iconic Stonehenge. A prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones
* Visit Bath, the largest city in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. Here you can learn some History whilst indulging in the thermal baths.
* Explore The Eden Project. Dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World by some, Eden is a dramatic global garden housed in tropical biomes that nestle in a crater the size of 30 football pitches.
*Stay in the southwest of England where you can relax and take in some beautiful beaches and scenery of Devon and Cornwall.
*Travelling more North, there is plenty of scenery and wildlife to enjoy. The Yorkshire dales and the Highlands of Scotland will feed any hiking fanatic’s appetite.
*Visit Scotland’s Capital. Witness the magnificent Edinburgh Castle and all the historic buildings and the Royal Botanical gardens.
* Visit the Cotswolds and experience a true taste of rural English life. Covering almost 1,287 square kilometers of pristine countryside, the beautiful Cotswolds is undoubtedly one of the most photographed corners of England.
As you can see, there is so much we can explore on our very own doorstep. These are just a few of many places to visit on our beautiful Island.
Fun Facts of the UK
*London’s transportation system is one of the oldest in the world – and also one of the largest. With 272 functioning stations and over 450 escalators. London also boasts 9,300 famous red buses and their 19,000 bus stops.
* Stonehenge is older than the Pyramids. Stonehenge was believed to be created in around 3000BC, meaning it’s older than Egypt’s pyramids that were built between 2560 B.C. and 2540 B.C.
* One Welsh town has the longest name in Europe. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch is one of the longest town names in the world
* Cheese rolling is a sport. Competitors compete in a cheese rolling competition at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, where they chase a 7lb (3.2 kilogram) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep hill.
*The pound is rooted in history. While the UK’s humble pound coin changed its design in 2017 – with older coins now only accepted at the bank – the currency itself remains the oldest one in the world that’s still in use, having clocked up an impressive 1,200 years.
* You can walk the length of the mainland. The longest mainland distance in the UK is from Land’s End in Cornwall to John o’Groats in Caithness – a total of 1215 miles (1956 kilometers) to walk.
* London has the one of the largest libraries in the world. The sprawling British Library in King’s Cross, London, has over 170 million items in its catalogue. If you lay all of its shelves end to end, it would be 746 kilometers long and could stretch from London to Aberdeen – and it’s growing every year. The library contains millions of books, stamps, manuscripts, newspapers, and digital items.
* Scotland has a famous monster. The Loch Ness Monster (known affectionately as Nessie) supposedly dwells in Loch Ness.
* London has the world’s longest-running show. Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has been running since 1952, which makes it the longest-running show of any kind in the world.
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