The Seven Wonders of Britain: Explore the United Kingdom's finest caves, cascades and craggy peaks
Daniel Allen
While the United Kingdom is renowned for its history and politics, its sport and its culture, it is not so well known for iconic wildlife or awe-inspiring scenery. This is a land of trout-filled streams and acres of gently rolling countryside, but there's nothing here on the scale of the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls or even Mont Blanc.
Yet those who are prepared to travel beyond Britain's cities will discover that this little island on the edge of Europe does have its fair share of awesome natural wonders. From mysterious caves and remote mountains through to dramatic coastline and plunging waterfalls, there are more than enough jaw-dropping sights to keep thrill seekers - with slightly downsized expectations - happy. Here are seven of the best.
1.) Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland
This iconic geological formation lies at the base of cliffs on the storm-battered coast of Northern Ireland. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it consists of thousands of adjacent black basalt columns rising out of the sea, created when magma forced its way through fissures in the Earth's crust 60 million years ago. According to local myth, the Giant's Causeway was made by Irish giant Finn McCool, who wanted to travel across the Irish Sea to fight a giant Scottish enemy named Benandonner.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway
2.) Durdle Door, Lulworth, Dorset
The 100-mile coastline of Dorset and East Devon - also known as The Jurassic Coast for its rich geological heritage - was the first ever site to be inscribed as a "natural" World Heritage Site. With the exposed rocks here providing a record of nearly 200 million years of the Earth's history, the area is popular with both fossil hunters and those simply looking to enjoy the great outdoors. The highlight of the coast is Durdle Door, a dramatic natural limestone arch near the village of West Lulworth.
3.) Cheddar Gorge, Cheddar, Somerset
The United Kingdom's largest gorge was carved out of the Somerset landscape by glacial meltwater hundreds of thousands of years ago. The result is a dramatic, precipitous ravine that bisects the surrounding limestone in spectacular fashion. Visitors here can enjoy cliff-top walks, rock climbing, spelunking and public caves boasting bizarre rock formations and subterranean rivers. Britain's oldest complete skeleton, known as the Cheddar Man, was unearthed in one of the caverns here.
4.) Fingal's Cave, Staffa, Scotland
Directly across the Irish Sea from the Giant's Causeway sits Fingal's Cave, a marine cavern on Staffa, a small, Inner Hebridean island just off the west coast of Scotland. Created by the same lava flow, the cave has a unique, cathedral-like structure, while its hexagonal columns are similar to those of its Irish counterpart. Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott said that the cave "baffled all description", and composer Felix Mendelssohn created his Hebrides Overture after hearing echoes inside (the cave's Gaelic name, Uamh-Binn, means "cave of melody"). Boat trips are available from Iona, Mull and the Scottish mainland, depending on the weather.
5.) The Needles, Isle of Wight
For centuries the iconic, chalk-white Needles have marked the western entrance to the Solent, a strait that separates the Isle of Wight - Britain's largest island - from the British mainland. These three distinctive, jagged rocks extend outward from the western end of the Isle of Wight - once part of the headland here, erosion has gradually separated them from the coast.
The Needles are best viewed from the Old Battery, a Victorian-era fort constructed to defend the British Isles from invasion. When the weather is fine the juxtaposition of gleaming white rock, turquoise sea and endless sky is incredibly picturesque.
Ben Eighe, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Boasting arguably the most spectacular mountain scenery in the whole of the British Isles, the area around the 1010-metre (3313-foot) Ben Eighe draws walkers, geologists and wildlife lovers from far and wide. A complex, multi-peaked massif in the Torridon area of the Scottish Highlands, Ben Eighe runs up the side of one of Scotland's most beautiful lakes (Loch Torridon). With its cluster of dramatic (frequently snow-capped) peaks, ancient pine forest and soaring golden eagles, it's little wonder this was Britain's first National Nature Reserve. There are trails here for all levels of fitness, including Britain's only way marked mountain walk (serious walkers head for the awesome natural amphitheatre of Coire Mhic Fhearchair, tucked below the triple-pinnacled peak of Còinneach Mhòr).
7.) Pistyll Rhaeadr, Powys, Wales
With a drop of 240ft (80m), Pistyll Rhaeadr is Britain's tallest single-drop waterfall. This captivating cascade is located in the Berwyn Mountains of Wales, west of the towns of Oswestry and Shrewsbury. Pistyll Rhaeadr is also classified as a Site of special Scientific Interest, and is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. The little known yet spectacular Berwyn range covers nearly 100 square miles, with its highest point, Cadair Berwyn, soaring to an impressive 830 metres (2723 feet). This is a great place to really get off the beaten track, with trails suitable for all fitness levels.
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