Britain’s Finest

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city with a history dating back to Charlemagne. A major port, this vibrant city is home to art and culture, extensive shopping facilities, Baroque buildings and waterfront vistas. With its well-known fish market, art galleries and Museums together with several beautiful parks including a botanical garden, this is a city with something for everyone. British visitors who remember the Swinging Sixties may like to visit the streets around Grosse Freiheit, where an unknown pop group called The Beatles gave their first public performances in various local clubs before achieving worldwide fame.

Portsmouth on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire has a seafaring history stretching back over 800 years. The city has been an important marine base in England since the Middle Ages and today it is a symbol of maritime tradition – visitors to the Royal Marines Museum can learn some interesting facts about its eventful history. After the Second World War, many historic buildings, including both cathedrals, were lovingly restored. The Spinnaker Tower in the harbour dominates the city’s skyline: at 170 m (558 ft) tall, the tower offers amazing views over the bay and has been a proud landmark of the port city since it was opened in 2005.

Portsmouth is one of the most densely populated cities in Southern England, and is unusual as most of its built-up area occupies Portsea Island, linked to the mainland by road and rail bridges. Although there is a Roman fort at nearby Portchester, occupied later by the Saxons and Normans, there was no settlement on the site of Portsmouth at the time of the 1086 Domesday Book. The town developed in medieval times and received its first charter in 1194 from King Richard I; soon afterwards it became a major naval base. It has the world’s oldest dry dock, and is home to several famous ships, including HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose, raised from the Solent in 1982. Portsmouth remains an important naval base and is home to a large proportion of the British service fleet. The waterfront area is now dominated by the Spinnaker Tower, 560 feet high, the United Kingdom’s tallest building outside London. Other things to see in the city include the house where Charles Dickens was born, and the City Museum, which contains a permanent exhibition devoted to another famous writer, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who lived in the town.

Named after the River Fal, Falmouth was already an important port in the 17th century and is now a popular fishing and holiday destination. With Bronze Age stone circles, holy wells, romantic manor houses and quaint pubs, it offers a cinematic backdrop in the heart of the Cornish countryside. The Gulf Stream ensures the region has a mild, subtropical climate, which is reflected in the lush vegetation. Particularly appealing places to explore include Bodmin Moor, the surrounding beaches and picturesque bays and the Coastal Path – at 430 km (267 miles) long, one of the most beautiful coastal paths in Europe.

The bustle of this resort town's fishing harbor, yachting center, and commercial port only adds to its charm. In the 18th century Falmouth was the main mail-boat port for North America, and in Flushing, a village across the inlet, you can see the slate-covered houses built by prosperous mail-boat captains. A ferry service now links the two towns. On Custom House Quay, off Arwenack Street, is the King's Pipe, an oven in which seized contraband was burned.

Picturesque Cobh on the south coast of Ireland boasts slopes of colourful houses and the neo-Gothic St. Colman’s Cathedral. Known as the “gateway to the world”, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic set out from here in 1838. Between 1848 and 1850, more than 2.5 million emigrants set out from Cobh to try their luck in the New World. The Titanic also called at Cobh before beginning its last voyage. Today, the quaint streets and pubs are a great place to enjoy Cobh’s maritime charm. A walk along the Titanic Trail allows visitors to immerse themselves in the history of Irish emigrants and admire the historic buildings, which have a tale to tell of the town’s eventful past.

Cork City's nearby harbor district has seen plenty of history. Cork Harbour's draws include Fota Island—with an arboretum, a wildlife park, and the Fota House ancestral estate—and the fishing port of Cobh.

Galway on the west coast of Ireland is an unconventional place full of charm and cultural variety. The capital city of County Galway in the province of Connacht is enchanting with its cobbled streets, colourful houses and quaint pubs, where you can enjoy traditional Irish live music. Particularly popular are the many festivals, including the Galway Races or the Galway International Arts Festival, which really bring the city to life. Galway is also the gateway to the breathtaking natural scenery of Connemara: the region is shaped by boggy landscapes, shimmering lakes and rugged coastlines, while old stone walls, white sandy beaches and luminous green fields turn it into a picturesque paradise, enchanting visitors with its unspoilt beauty.

Galway is a city in the West of Ireland in the province of Connacht. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay and is surrounded by County Galway. It is the fourth most populous urban area in the Republic of Ireland and the sixth most populous city in the island of Ireland. It is both a picturesque and lively city with a wonderful avant-garde culture and a fascinating mixture of locally owned speciality shops, often featuring locally made crafts. Indeed local handcrafts are a feature of the entire region including hand knits, pottery, glass, jewellery and woodwork. The city’s hub is 18th-century Eyre Square, a popular meeting spot surrounded by shops, and traditional pubs that often offer live Irish folk music. Nearby, stone-clad cafes, boutiques and art galleries line the winding lanes of the Latin Quarter, which retains portions of the medieval city walls. The city bears the nickname "The City of the Tribes" because "fourteen tribes" of merchant families led the city in its Hiberno-Norman period. The merchants would have seen themselves as Irish gentry and loyal to the King. They later adopted the term as a badge of honour and pride in defiance of the town's Cromwellian occupier.

Killybegs is a beautiful and bustling fishing port set in the middle of Ireland’s magnificent green scenery. Despite the hustle and bustle of the port and the many large fishing boats, Killybegs has managed to preserve its quaint tranquillity. A particular highlight is the annual street festival, which celebrates the fishing industry and keeps old traditions alive with the blessing of the boats. The famous Donegal carpets, which are made on the world’s largest loom at the Donegal Carpet Factory, are now exported all over the world. Killybegs is a very special place, with its own blend of traditional craftsmanship and maritime charm.

Killybegs The days start early in Killybegs, as this quiet fishing town rumbles to life, and ships with red and blue paint peeling from their hulls quietly depart, ready for a morning's hard work at sea. Located in a scenic part of County Donegal, Killybegs is Ireland's fishing capital, and the salty breeze and pretty streets serve as a revitalising medicine for visitors. The town is also your gateway to some of the country's most majestic coastal scenery, which is dotted with flashing white lighthouses, keeping watch over invigorating seascapes. Killybegs enjoys a privileged position on the coast of north west of Ireland, close to the spectacular Slieve League - a titanic mountain, which explodes upwards from frothing ocean. Walk as close as you dare to the coastline’s sheer drops, or admire the folding cliffs from the best vantage point, down on the water.

At the estuary of the River Foyle in County Donegal lies the fishing village of Greencastle, which takes its name from its medieval castle. A visit to the ruined castle provides a fascinating insight into the history of the region, while the Inishowen Maritime Museum brings its maritime history to life. The impressive green coastal scenery around the village makes it a great place for a long walk to work up an appetite for some fresh seafood served in one of the local restaurants. Greencastle offers an unforgettable combination of history, natural scenery and culinary delights.

Oban welcomes visitors with its dramatic Scottish coastal scenery. Situated in a protected bay behind the Isle of Kerrara, the town is the ideal starting point for exploring the west coast of Scotland and the Hebrides. Once a small fishing village, Oban now has numerous places worth a visit, including McCaig’s Tower, a decorative replica of Rome’s Colosseum, and the ruins of Dunollie Castle, the former seat of the MacDougall clan. The fish restaurants at the port are a great place for gourmets to try fresh seafood, while the granite cliffs and bays attract tourists and anglers in equal measure. Queen Victoria named Oban “one of the finest spots we have seen”.

Oban, "little bay" in Gaelic, today has a resident population of 8,500 and is the unofficial capital of the West Highlands - the "Gateway to the Isles." The panoramic views of the mountains, lochs and islands which have captivated artists, authors, composers, and poets for centuries are as striking now as they were when Dunollie Castle, a ruined keep which has stood sentinel over the narrow entrance to the sheltered bay for around six hundred years, was the northern outpost of the Dalriadic Scots. It is no surprise to find Oban in the 21st-century remains a magnet for travellers from all over the world. The town's present day popularity owes much to the Victorians, and as early as 1812, when the Comet steamship linked Oban with Glasgow, the town played host to intrepid travellers touring Staffa - the inspiration for Mendelssohn's Hebridean Overture - and Iona - home of Scottish Christianity since St Columba stepped ashore in AD563. Indeed once Oban had the royal seal of approval from Queen Victoria, who called it "one of the finest spots we have seen," the town's destiny as an endearingly enchanting holiday destination was as firmly set as the lava columns of Fingal's Cave in Oban is justifiably known as the “gateway to the Isles.” The town's south pier is the embarkation point for car ferries to Mull, Coll, Tiree, Barra, South Uist, Colonsay, Lismore and Islay. From these islands you can travel further a field to Iona, Staffa and to many of the smaller less well known isles.

The Isle of Skye, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides, reveals a wild beauty that is second to none. The island is made up of rugged landscape and fishing villages, with a glimpse of medieval castles in the distance. The iconic Old Man of Storr, a pinnacle of basalt rock that stands around 50 m (164 ft) tall, is an impressive landmark on the island. The main town of Portree, with its picturesque houses and colourful harbour, is an inviting place to while away some time – a place that takes its visitors on a picturesque journey between the land and the sea.

The Isle of Skye ranks near the top of most visitors' priority lists: the romance of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, combined with the misty Cuillin Hills and their proximity to the mainland all contribute to its popularity. Today Skye remains mysterious and mountainous, an island of sunsets that linger brilliantly until late at night and of beautiful, soft mists. Much photographed are the really old crofts, one or two of which are still inhabited, with their thick stone walls and thatch roofs. Orientation on Skye is easy: follow the only roads around the loops on the northern part of the island and enjoy the road running the length of the Sleat Peninsula in southern Skye, taking the loop roads that exit to the north and south as you please. There are some stretches of single-lane road, but none poses a problem.

Invergordon is situated on the banks of Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Islands. This charming little coastal town has developed over time from an industrial centre to a place steeped in history and culture. The High Street with its little shops and historic post office is charming, and along the seafront promenade you will be able to see some colourful murals that bring the town’s past to life. The heaths and moors of the Highlands are full of myths and legends, including the mysterious sea monster Nessie in nearby Loch Ness. A special highlight for connoisseurs is the Invergordon Distillery, where you can try some of their finest whisky.

The port of Invergordon is your gateway to the Great Glen, an area of Scotland that includes Loch Ness and the city of Inverness. Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, has the flavor of a Lowland town, its winds blowing in a sea-salt air from the Moray Firth. The Great Glen is also home to one of the world's most famous monster myths: in 1933, during a quiet news week, the editor of a local paper decided to run a story about a strange sighting of something splashing about in Loch Ness. But there's more to look for here besides Nessie, including inland lochs, craggy and steep-sided mountains, rugged promontories, deep inlets, brilliant purple and emerald moorland, and forests filled with astonishingly varied wildlife, including mountain hares, red deer, golden eagles, and ospreys.

Between the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town, Edinburgh offers a fascinating mix of history and modernity. The impressive Scottish capital looks back over a long history and is famous for Edinburgh Castle, which sits proudly on top of Castle Rock where you can enjoy the wonderful views. Princes Street Gardens are a great place to wander around in the city centre, while the many pubs in the narrow, winding streets will tempt you to make a detour – Edinburgh has more pubs than almost anywhere else in Europe. However, the city is also a literary centre and home to some famous authors: J.K. Rowling and Robert Louis Stevenson found inspiration in the uniquely special atmosphere of the city.

Newhaven is a district in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, between Leith and Granton and about 2 miles north of the city centre, just north of the Victoria Park district. Formerly a village and harbour on the Firth of Forth.

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city with a history dating back to Charlemagne. A major port, this vibrant city is home to art and culture, extensive shopping facilities, Baroque buildings and waterfront vistas. With its well-known fish market, art galleries and Museums together with several beautiful parks including a botanical garden, this is a city with something for everyone. British visitors who remember the Swinging Sixties may like to visit the streets around Grosse Freiheit, where an unknown pop group called The Beatles gave their first public performances in various local clubs before achieving worldwide fame.