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England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all packed with beauty. We’ve got gorgeous mirror-like lakes, undulating hills, foreboding mountains, craggy cliffs and mesmerising coastline. The UK’s landscape is so stunning, it has inspired some of most beautiful writing in the English language, from the Yorkshire Moors in Wuthering Heights to the Wye Valley in Wordsworth’s Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. So, of course, it had to feature on Time Out’s list of the most beautiful places in the world.
On our roundup of 51 spectacular spots, four parts of the UK made the cut:
Ullswater
The highest-ranked UK area in the list was Ullswater in the Lake District, which landed at number six. Curving seven and a half miles, it’s the second largest lake in the Lakes and is surrounded by majestic mountain vistas, including Hellvellyn to the west and Arthur’s Pike to the east. You can read more about why we love it here.
Bannau Brycheiniog
Next up was Bannau Brycheiniog in 13th place. The Welsh national park’s spectacular landscape stretches 520 lush square miles from mid to south Wales. Soak up the best views from the peaks of Pen Y Fan, Corn Du and Craig Gwaun Taf or explore the cluster of fairytale falls in Waterfall Country, a stunning area in the southwest of the park with over a dozen publicly accessible waterfalls. Explore the best of the Beacons with our curated guide.
New Forest
The ancient woodland in south England’s New Forest came 16th on the list. A vibrant green paradise with sun-dappled walking paths and fields of bright purple heather, the serene national park is roamed by ponies, horses, deer, and even the odd donkey. While you’re there, we highly recommend stopping by the famous Pig restaurant and hotel in Brockenhurst. See all of the loveliest things you can do there here.
Scottish Highlands
Finally, we couldn’t make a list of the most gorgeous places on the planet and miss out the Scottish Highlands. The area, which ranked 25th, was recently referred to as ‘Europe's last wilderness’, one of the few remaining places in the continent where you can drives for miles and miles without seeing a single other car. It’s a rugged paradise, strewn with epic mountains, dense forest and immense lochs. Time Out contributor Cassandra Brooklyn recommends taking a week to hike the 96 mile West Highland Way to see the best of what the landscape has to offer.
See all of the world’s most beautiful places, according to Time Out, here.
And discover more awe-inspiring spots across the UK.
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