"A Taste of Real Britain - Tourist Information" Top 5 Page for this destination United Kingdom by scotlandscotour

United Kingdom Travel Guide: 104,085 reviews and 202,906 photos

Island Life - Where Are The Fish ? Battered Cliffs

A Taste of Life in the UK - Come and Try

I keep exploring the UK, and I will try to help you discover it too ... The truth about places - the good and bad.

For a list of my Top 40 Things to See in UK Click Here and for a complete list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in UK follow UNESCO and scroll down :-)

Fish & Chips!
You must try Fish and Chips whilst in the UK, and in particular Scotland - home of many fishing harbours and a whole way of life (sadly threatened now by overfishing).

The big problem is where to buy good food??? Most places serving Fish and Chips are aweful, and as most visitors are keen to try, its usually the dismal, the unhealthy and the disgusting they try - once! Blurgh.

So, save the tasting until you get to a Quality Assured Fish and Chip shop, close to where the fish is caught and the potatoes grown and busy with healthy looking locals!!!

Who Are The British?

Rachel Pondering The Big Question - Scotland 2003

Are you confused ... what exactly is "Britain", or "the UK", and, what is the difference? Where do "England", "Scotland" and "Wales" fit in this picture? What about Ireland? Do they all speak English? Are they all "British"? London is the capital ... but it's confusing :-)

Why drive on the left side of the road? Why this obsession with Tea when it grows in India, Africa and not Europe?

A Queen, yes but she is really a Hereditary Head of State, (who this time is a woman). What is her power, her wealth??

Kilts, bagpipes, whisky. Sheep and mountains. Stone walls, roses, cottages, hedgerows, winding narrow roads ....

Some answers .... I have started in my tips, to point you towards the answers, or at least an understanding. click on this link then scroll down.

Symbols Of Britain and the United Kingdom

Glen Lyon Post Office

Red telephone boxes, village post offices, stone houses ...
... look at my pictures full size, and enjoy My World - hundreds of interesting pictures and tips!

Start with Scotland my home. Then England where my parents grew up, and Wales, where I was born and grew up. Ireland was forever, just across the sea, as it still is, with all the many tiny islands of the British Isles.

*** Accommodation ***
For information on good value accommodation in Britain, I advise you read up on the "Hostel Movement" - with hundreds of cheap places to stay, even more value by providing a kitchen you can use! Go to my tip for a start, and the history of hostels, links etc.

News! - G8 Summit 2005 coming to Gleneagles - Scotland ! (July 05, see also protests in Edinburgh!).

I really recommend reading my Scotland Travel Tips

Pros and Cons

Pros:Old fashioned, polite, patchwork fields, a mix of cultures and landscapes, tea, the queen, windy roads, green, pleasant island, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, "The North", English spoken in many accents.
Cons:Dirty, expensive, nothing seems to work, class and wealth, falling apart, empire, right-wing, petrol prices, no trees left, urban sprawl, supermarkets, rubbish food, terrible service, drab clothes, unhealthy population, house prices ...
In a nutshell:The Nut. Mad, eccentric, inexplicable, loveable old relative, infuriating yet wonderful. Just falling apart, slowely going to seed!

Last visit to United Kingdom: Jan 2005
Intro Updated Jan 28, 2005
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Reviews (27)

Bright Fluorescent Yellow Jackets Everywhere - United Kingdom

Fluorescent Yellow Clothing Everywhere Local Customs (1)

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Jacobite Steam Train on Glenfinnan Viaduct - United Kingdom

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Comments (19)

bernard_davis Feb 12, 2008 at 4:34 AM Report Abuse

Why not join them? http://www.clothes4work.co.uk/
lou31 Aug 31, 2007 at 2:48 PM Report Abuse

A truly great page...I am off to explore more of your United Kingdom pages...I need tips for next years trip...thanks!
Igraine Mar 13, 2006 at 5:00 AM Report Abuse

Great page, makes me more aware of how much i didnt see yet of the UK. But one day....
CTnightowl Dec 18, 2005 at 12:45 PM Report Abuse

Great page! I will be in the UK in March and will check this page back often for info- thanks!
aaaarrgh Mar 1, 2005 at 2:10 PM Report Abuse

Some really good tips, putting UK into perspective. With a heavy bias towards Scotland though ;-)
hekate Dec 8, 2004 at 6:34 AM Report Abuse

Facinating! Very informative tips and wonderful pictures. I liked the coastline one the best. Also, the hostel tips are really good :)
freya_heaven Nov 16, 2004 at 4:24 PM Report Abuse

Excellent page Malcolm, really very interesting, bursting with info. Can I add pea fritter to your chip shop list lol! An enjoyable read, very well done (~_~)
londonlover Oct 26, 2004 at 10:22 PM Report Abuse

"You know more about the UK than is healthy"...Is that possible? :) Wish I did, but I'll keep trying! :) Great overview on this page.
MalenaN Oct 22, 2004 at 10:54 AM Report Abuse

Your tips are really good and informative and the photos beautiful! There are so many places I havn't seen in UK jet and one day I hope to go there again.
JetlagCity Oct 20, 2004 at 10:39 AM Report Abuse

Outstanding info all around, very well done! Wish I'd had your fish & chips tips the last time I was here!