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The UK as a Destination
Written to support BTEC Level 3 qualifications
in Travel & Tourism
Contents
Aim & Outcomes
4
Introduction to the UK as a Destination
Incoming & domestic tourism
Types of UK tourists
Models of tourism development
Trends in tourism
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The UK’s physical features
Introduction
The location and structure of the UK
Capital cities
The coastline of the UK
Islands of the UK
National parks
Mountain regions
Visitor attractions
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Locate UK’s gateways
Transport Routes - air
Transport routes - waterways
Transport routes - sea
Transport routes - rail
Transport routes - roads
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England
England – An overview
The North
The Midlands
The South
London
Validation
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103 137
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193
223
247
Scotland
Scotland - An overview
Southern Scotland
Central Scotland
Northern Scotland
Validation
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265
291
309
337
359
Wales
Wales - An overview
North Wales
Mid Wales
South Wales
Validation
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377
395
415
425
459
Ireland
Ireland - An overview
Northern Ireland
Southern Ireland Validation
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477
493
513
573
Final Validation
587
Final Assignments
599
Types of UK Tourists
There are many types of tourists to and within the UK and Ireland. These can be
categorised as domestic and international tourists, by age group, by party size and
a specific purpose for the holiday. These include:
• History/Culture: People travel to learn about the history of a city or country, or
learn about the people who live there, or their ancestors.
• Relaxation and beach holidays: People might want to relax on the beach and
in the sun. The UK and Ireland are not renowned for warm weather but certain
places have a better climate than others and are ideal for beach holidays. For
example, Devon and Cornwall.
• Special interest and sport: Some people travel to do an activity which they
cannot do at home. For example, surfing in Newquay, hill walking in the Peak
District or skiing in Scotland.
• City break: Short breaks to cities are becoming more popular. Just getting away
for a few days to somewhere different can make you feel better and you can take
in the sights and sample the atmosphere.
• Visiting friends and relatives (VFR): People sometimes visit family and friends
in another part of the UK or from another country such as Canada or Australia.
• Business: The UK & Ireland have excellent conference and exhibition facilities,
especially in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast & Dublin.
• Medical: An increasing number of people travel to hospitals to get specialist
treatment or operations.
Tourists will come in differing ages and sizes. For example, on their own, as a
couple, as a family or in groups.
Case Study: Blackpool
Exploration: This is when small numbers of visitors are attracted to Blackpool
for its great beaches and attractive landscape. At this stage, the local people
have not developed the tourism industry.
Involvement: The picture above shows the involvement of some local people
and tourism. In the foreground you can see tourists looking out to see and in the
background you can see buildings that could be a hotel or guest house.
Development: The picture above shows the development of Blackpool because
of the new train tracks built to Blackpool providing transport from many of the
towns and cities of England. Hotels and Guest houses are opened to meet
growing demand from this influx of larger tourist numbers as the destination
grows.
Exercise 8.2
Evidence towards P1
Name the national parks numbered on the map below
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
9. 10.
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Visitor Attractions
England has a large and varied range of visitor attractions, from peaceful country
parks and small rural attractions to exciting theme parks with state-of-the-art rides
and world famous museums and galleries. Some attractions are located in rural
areas and others within cities. Visitor attractions are either natural or man-made
and can be categorised under the following headings:
• Ancient monuments: historic buildings or their remains, such as fortifications
and burial mounds, that have been designated as worthy of preservation
• Historic properties: castles, houses, palaces, , town centres, villages, heritage
sites
• Museums and Art Galleries: subject-specific museums, such as those based
on transport or costume; site-specific museums, such as Ironbridge Gorge; or
area-based museums containing national, regional or local collections. Galleries
with collections of fine and contemporary art, including paintings, sculpture and
photography
• Industrial or Craft centres: mostly sites and structures identified with specific
industrial and manufacturing processes, such as mining, textiles and transport
• Leisure and theme parks: large scale attractions, normally featuring a variety
of rides and other forms of entertainment
• Farms
• Steam/Heritage railways
• Places of worship: cathedrals and churches
All of these areas will be looked at in specific detail throughout this publication.
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3
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Left blank for your own notes
Regions
England is divided into nine distinct areas or regions - each with its own unique
personality for things to do and places to see. The nine regions are:
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The South East
The South West
London
The East Midlands
The West Midlands
The East of England
The Northwest
Yorkshire and Humberside
The North East.
We will be looking at all these areas separately.
The capital city of England and the UK is London, situated on the River Thames
and is a common stopping off point for people travelling to Europe and within the
UK. Other popular tourist destinations in England include Stonehenge, the Roman
city of Bath, the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge, Stratford upon Avon,
Canterbury, York, The Norfolk Broads and the Lake District.
Last year, the most visited cities in England were:
City
Visitors (thousands)
London Manchester Birmingham Oxford Cambridge Brighton/Hove York Bristol Bath Newcastle-upon-Tyne Liverpool Nottingham 47900
2440
2360
1520
1220
1000
990
946
930
800
780
740
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
All of the sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List are considered to be of worldwide
importance because of their natural features or their significant contribution to world
culture. There are two main categories of sites: natural and cultural. These are the
current UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites in England:
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Blenheim Palace
Canterbury – Cathedral, St. Augustine’s Abbey & St. Martin’s Church
City of Bath
Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
Derwent Valley Mills, Derbyshire
Durham – castle and cathedral
Hadrian’s Wall
Ironbridge Gorge
Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City
Maritime Greenwich
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Saltaire, West Yorkshire
Stonehenge, Avebury and associated sites
Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey Ruins
The Tower of London
Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church, London
There is one UNESCO Natural Heritage Site which is the Dorset and East Devon
coast.
Purpose-Built Resorts
The UK has a number of catering locations primarily for the family holiday market.
These include:
Bourne Leisure Group employs around 12,000 people and is the UK’s number one
leisure business. It owns 52 holiday sites comprising Butlins, Haven and Warner
Leisure Hotels, all of which offer families and adults accommodation, entertainment
and activities. Last year, Bourne was inspired by popular television programmes
such as Warner, and in association with BBC Worldwide, launched Strictly Come
Dancing-themed holiday breaks, while Haven rolled out the Haven’s Got Talent
Competition, which featured celebrity judges.
• Butlins: Opened its first ‘holiday camp’ at Skegness in 1936 since when the
company has diversified into hotels and time-share apartments, offering family and adult-only holidays. Butlins is famous for its ‘Red Coats’ whose primary
function is to entertain the holidaymakers.
• Haven: Haven provide three types of holiday; Self-catering, Half Board and
Caravan & Camping and offer fantastic facilities, activities and entertainment on
their parks.
• Warner Leisure Hotels: Short breaks exclusively for adults and with hotels in
the UK.
• Center Parcs: Conceived as a new type of holiday resort and provides an
alternative to a traditional seaside resort holiday. Center Parcs combine a wide
range of sporting and leisure activities in natural woodland settings giving them
a very tranquil atmosphere. All Center Parcs offer their trademark ‘Subtropical
Swimming Paradise’ the temperature of which is maintained at a constant, warm
temperature throughout the year. Other on-site facilities offer a variety of restaurants, spas and saunas.
Cumbria - The Lake District
The Lake District National Park is England’s largest and covers 2292 square kilometres (885 square miles). The Lake District National Park has many special
qualities unique to the area. There are over fourteen lakes and tarns although
officially Bassenthwaite Lake is the only titled ‘lake’ - the rest are ‘meres’ or
‘waters’. The rocks forming the Lake District provide a dramatic record of nearly
500 million years. Colliding continents, deep oceans, tropical seas, and kilometrethick ice sheets helped shape the landscape we see today.
There have been people in the Lake District since the end of the last ice age. There
are traces of prehistoric and medieval field systems, archaeological monuments
such as stone circles, Roman roads and forts and the remains of the mining,
gunpowder and wood-processing industries.
The Lake District is made up of vibrant towns and villages and also small quiet
hamlets but all offering character and history for the visitor. The central point for
the lakes is at Windermere. There are shopping facilities in Kendal and excellent
outdoor shops at Ambleside for all your gear.
There is plenty of outdoor activities as well as places of historical interest; these
include William Wordsworth - Dove Cottage and Museum in the picturesque
village of Grasmere and Beatrix Potter Hill Top at the Hamlet of Near Sawrey close
to Hawkshead.
Liverpool & Merseyside
Cultural Liverpool: Liverpool boasts two cathedrals which are major attractions
in their own right. The Anglican Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral are fine
examples of internationally recognised architecture. Many gems of the National
Museums Liverpool fall within the heritage site. The refurbished World Museum
Liverpool and Walker Art Gallery are housed in this part of town, while the Tate
Liverpool and Merseyside Maritime Museum have their homes on the waterfront, at
the Albert Dock, alongside the unmissable Beatles Story.
Maritime Liverpool: Liverpool’s port, the second city of the British Empire, provided
the gateway to Britain, and a window to the rest of the world, culminating in the
vibrant, diverse, international city Liverpool is today. Maritime heritage weaves a
rich thread through the city today, from the Three Graces on the Waterfront to the
Albert Dock, home of the Merseyside Maritime Museum. A trip across the river on
the world-famous Mersey Ferry offers the most dramatic views of the waterfront and
Three Graces - the Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building.
On the Wirral side of the river, you can find the stunning new Spaceport attraction
at the Seacombe ferry terminal.
Sport in Liverpool: Liverpool boasts two Premiership football teams, Everton FC
and five-time European Champions Liverpool - you can tour both stadia for a behindthe-scenes view of the beautiful game. One of the world’s most famous horse races,
The Grand National, is run here every April at Aintree.
Musical Liverpool: Liverpool is the birthplace of not only The Beatles, but Echo
and the Bunnymen, Atomic Kitten, Cream, The Coral, The Farm and Frankie Goes
to Hollywood. Take a trip on the Magical Mystery Tour, visit the Beatles Story,
Casbah and Cavern (see picture below), or spend some time at Beatles Week,
which culminates in the Mathew Street Festival.
Eastern Counties
Cambridgeshire is home, of course, to the famous University city of Cambridge,
noted for its historic colleges, museums, bookshops and punting. Just outside the
city is the historic aircraft of the Imperial War Museum. The Cambridgeshire Fens
are a unique and distinctive area. To the south is the market town of Huntingdon,
birthplace of Oliver Cromwell.
Bedfordshire’s main town is naturally the county town of Bedford, noted for its
fine river setting and connections to the preacher/author John Bunyan. Leighton
Buzzard set on the Grand Union Canal has always been famous for its sand.
Essex has England’s oldest recorded town, Colchester, home to a superb
Norman castle keep and Roman remains. To the north is Constable Country
(Dedham) On the coast, visitors can explore seafaring history at Harwich, the
ancient hilltop town of Maldon, the yachting centres of Brightlingsea and Burnhamon-Crouch and the resorts of Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Southend-on-Sea. South west is Epping Forest, haunt of highwayman Dick Turpin, and
Waltham Abbey, home to one of the country’s most outstanding Norman buildings
Hertfordshire’s main starting point is St. Albans, which has been shaped by over
2,000 years of history, from Roman Verulamium to the magnificent cathedral.
South from here is Borehamwood ´Britain’s very own Hollywood´ with its film and
television studios. North is Welwyn´s third century Roman baths and the gothic
fantasy of Knebworth House. Visitors can see Hatfield House, Queen Elizabeth
I´s childhood home.
Hertfordshire’s newest attraction is Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of
Harry Potter is in Leavesden. It is a behind-the-scenes walking tour. The unique
tour will give visitors the first ever chance to visit the real Harry Potter film.
Exercise 6.3
1. Which town was the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell?
2. Which county has the Imperial War Museum at Duxford?
3. Which county inspired the artist Constable to paint?
4. What is the name of the royal palace situated in Norfolk?
5. Which is England’s oldest town?
6. What is Borehamwood in Herfordshire famous for?
7. What is the name of Queen Elizabeth’s childhood home situated in this area?
8. What is The Burhams in Norfolk famous for?
9. Which forest in Essex was the haunt of the highwayman, Dick Turpin?
10. What is the name of England’s third largest reservoir in Cambridgeshire?
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Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly
Cornwall is situated in England’s South West peninsula and offers more miles of
unspoilt coastline than any other in England. Dotted along the coast are
hundreds of beaches - from tiny secret coves to large expanses of golden sand.
There are famous resorts and picturesque fishing villages, whilst inland lie
ancient settlements, historic market towns and the cathedral city of Truro Cornwall’s capital. Cornwall has plenty of heritage and culture from times past stone circles, Iron Age villages and grand historic houses. There are a
multitude of great gardens, all different, which are a joy to explore. A vibrant art
scene stemmed from the Newlyn and St Ives schools, and Cornwall attracts artists
from worldwide still. A host of writers such as Daphne du Maurier,
Rosamunde Pilcher and John Betjeman have all written of the delights of this far
flung corner of England.
North Cornwall has stunning country houses, medieval castles and many areas
to explore including Bude, Crackington Haven, Boscastle, King Arthur’s Tintagel
and Port Isaac, all hidden in the most spectacular cliffs in Cornwall. There are market towns at Camelford and Wadebridge and the pretty working port of Padstow.
Inland there’s the muted fury of Bodmin Moor and the historic towns of Bodmin
and Launceston.
West Cornwall is home to Penzance, St Ives, Hayle and of course, Land’s End –
the most westerly point of England. You can also visit The Minack open air theatre,
perched above clear turquoise sea, and St Michael’s Mount near Penzance. There
are magnificent beaches at nearby Sennen and Porthcurno, and for art-lovers, the
Tate St Ives, Newlyn Art Gallery and Penlee House Gallery in Penzance are on
the doorstep.
West & East Sussex
West Sussex offers epic views of the South Downs, unspoilt coastlines to explore,
historical cities such as Chichester and ancient woodlands in which to get lost.
A beautiful rural region where you can experience many elements of England’s
history from Fishbourne Palace, the site of a sumptuous Roman palace, to
Weald and Downland Open Air Museum and it’s fascinating collection of nearly
fifty historic buildings dating from the 13th to the 19th century, together with farm
animals, woodland walks and a picturesque lake. Seaside resorts include Worthing,
Littlehampton and Bognor Regis.
East Sussex is renowned for offering both the rural and urban, from unspoilt
countryside, medieval cottages, castles and picturesque villages, to the thriving
city of Brighton with its mix of rakish eccentricity, buzzing music scene and bountiful
boutiques. Further along the coast are the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs.
East Sussex is steeped in history and culture:
• The site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066
• Bateman’s - the home of Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book
• Charleston Farmhouse, the country home of the Bloomsbury Group.
It also has loads of gardens that can be visited, one of the most famous being
Sheffield Park Gardens in Sussex.
Exercise 8.4
Answer the following questions concerning East & West Sussex, Kent and
Hampshire.
1. Which county is Beachy Head situated in?
2. Which castle did Ann Boleyn grow up in?
3. Where would you be if you were shopping in The Lanes?
4. Where would you find the Dickens Centre?
5. In which city can you visit a Titanic Exhibition?
6. In which cathedral was St Thomas Becket murdered?
7. In which town would you find the new Turner Contemporary gallery?
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Introduction
London used to be the world’s largest metropolis and although it has ceded that
title to the sprawling cities of the southern hemisphere, it’s still a huge bewildering place. London is in fact two cities - ‘The City of London’ usually just called
‘The City’, and ‘Westminster’, which lies to its west. For all intents and purposes
the West End (everything to the immediate West of the City) is now the centre of
London.
Top London attractions include:
Museums: British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria
and Albert Museum (V & A), National Maritime Museum, Design Museum, Imperial
War Museum, Museum of London, Bank of England Museum, Churchill Museum
Palaces and historic properties: Tower of London, Buckingham Palace,
Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace, The Houses of Parliament and Big
Ben, Banqueting House, The Monument, and Maritime Greenwich
Visitor attractions: Madame Tussaud’s, Tower Bridge Experience, London
Eye, London Zoo, London Dungeon, HMS Belfast, Cabinet War Rooms, London
Aquarium, Thames Barrier
Cathedrals/abbeys: St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster
Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral
London’s Railway Stations
Geographically, the hub of the UK rail network is London where there are 14
‘Terminal’ stations, from which run the principal lines that link London with other
parts of the UK.
The London Terminal Stations are:
King’s Cross Fenchurch St
St Pancras International
Marylebone
Euston Paddington Charing Cross
Blackfriars
Victoria Cannon Street
Waterloo London Bridge
Liverpool St Moorgate
Exercise 1.1
On the map provided locate and name the following bodies of water:
Atlantic Ocean
Solway Firth
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North Sea
Firth of Forth
Pentland Firth
The Minch
Firth of Clyde
Firth of Lorn
Moray Firth
North Channel
Scottish Events
Scotland has many events throughout the year some of which we will be looking at
throughout this module. Some of the annual events taking place include:
The Loony Dook: Celebrate the first day of every New Year, a growing number of
people leap into the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry in
fancy dress or just their bathing costumes!
Celtic Connections: The biggest winter music festival in the world held in January.
Celtic Connections features artists from around the globe. From concerts, ceilidhs
and club-nights to drums, drams and dancing
Glasgow Film Festival: Over one hundred films will be shown at the festival over
ten days in February at Glasgow. With previews, premieres, gala nights and guest
appearances, the Film Festival showcases a range of exciting films old and new.
Fort William Mountain Festival: A two-week celebration in February of mountains
and the culture that surrounds them! The Festival offers a varied and very full
programme of lectures, films, activities, exhibitions, plays and music to entertain
visitors to the UK’s outdoor capital.
Melrose Sevens: Melrose is the birthplace of Rugby Sevens and is a must-see
event for any rugby fan. Melrose Sevens draws thousands of spectators in April
every year to see rugby played by teams from around the globe.
Scottish Grand National Festival: This April event always attracts racing enthusiasts
from far and near. The chase is the culmination of the Scottish Grand National
Festival, a two-day steeplechasing festival held at Ayr Racecourse.
Scottish Pipe Band Championship: This Competition attracts pipe bands from
near and far to compete for the national championship. Visitors can see and hear the
pipers, drummers and bands battle it out for the prizes.
Exercise 9.1
Evidence towards P1
Identify the following Scottish locations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Edinburgh and Lothian
The Lothian region of Scotland lies between the southern shore of the Firth of
Forth and the Lammermuir Hills. Scottish history saw Lothian subdivided into the
shires of West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian — leading to the phrase “the
Lothians”.
Edinburgh is the main city in the area and also the capital of the country. The city
makes a dramatic first impression on visitors with the castle sitting above Princes
Street with its many shops. It also has the largest zoo in Scotland. It is one of
Europe’s major tourist destinations, attracting roughly 13 million visitors a year,
and is the second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, after
London.
Edinburgh is home to an abundance of open spaces, allowing people to escape
from the hustle and bustle and to simply unwind in natural and peaceful surroundings. The city’s hidden natural treasure, The Water of Leith, is a popular spot for
walkers and features a Visitor Centre with an interactive display on the river’s
heritage and wildlife.
Edinburgh Events
It is also well-known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and
independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The
most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts
festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military
Tattoo, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Other notable events
include the Hogmanay street party (31 December) and the Beltane celebrations
(30 April).
Aviemore
Aviemore is a tourist resort town which is popular for skiing and other winter
sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm Mountains and is situated within the
Cairngorms National Park. It also has an annual walking festival in May and has
plenty of choice for those who like outdoor activities. Britain’s only reindeer herd
and Loch Garten Osprey Centre are nearby.
One of the highlights here is to go walking in the area. Visitors can also take the
mountain railway, which has become one of the area’s leading visitor attractions
in its own right. Visitors can travel in comfort and safety for 2km from the Base
Station at car park level to the Ptarmigan Top Station.
At the top of the mountain is the Ptarmigan Restaurant, which is the highest
restaurant in the UK at 1,097m above sea level.
Outdoor activities in Aviemore include:
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Canoeing
Climbing
Cycling
Gliding
Gorge Walking and Canyoning
Hill Walking
Ice Climbing
Kayaking
Mountain Biking
Mountaineering
Navigation Skills
Pony Trekking
Quad Biking
Rafting & Inflatables
Rock Climbing
Sailing
Skiing
Snow Holing
Snowboarding
Exercise 1.1
Mark the following towns and cities on the map:
Aberystwyth – Brecon – Caernarfon - Cardiff – Cardigan - Carmarthen - Colwyn
Bay – Fishguard – Holyhead – Llandudno - Newport – Rhyl – Swansea - Tenby –
Wrexham
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Exercise 4.4 - Case Study: Swansea
Using your resources, examine the city of Swansea and make notes as to
why it might feature as a popular tourist destination:
Location:
Places of interest to visit in the area:
Special Events:
Nearest Motorway or A road:
Nearest airport:
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Exercise 13.4
1. In which month is the Abergavenny Food Festival held?
2. What is the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain?
3. In which town would you find the Nelson Museum?
4. Which town is famous for its medieval castle?
5. In which town could you visit Linda Vista gardens?
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Knock – every year more than one and a half million pilgrims make their way to
Our Lady’s Shrine in the basilica at Knock which is known as the Lourdes of
Ireland.
Foxford is on the banks of the River Moy, its main attraction is the Foxford
Woollen Mills and Visitor Centre where you can watch rugs, blankets and tweeds
being made. There are craft workshops and a Mill Shop where visitors can
purchase goods.
Ballina - the largest town in County Mayo standing beside the River Moy, one of
Mayo’s best Salmon and Trout rivers. Visitors can visit the Cathedral of
St Muredach with its beautiful stain glassed windows. Ballina is also the starting
point for the North Mayo Sculpture Trail, which follows the coastal route to
Belmullet with its 15 international sculptures.
Ballycastle is best known for Ceide Fields, the largest known Neolithic farm
settlement in the world.