Honestly, with a cruise of this length and diversity there are just too many highlights to cover in a few short sentences. We’ve been fortunate to have visited so many spots in the British Isles this summer! The list is fairly lengthy and includes Weymouth, Dover, South Queen’s Ferry, Edinburgh, Invergordon, Inverness, Stornoway, Greenock, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester (Glory, Glory Man United!), Belfast, Dublin, Cobh, and Cork. We also spent a couple of days in London earlier in the summer, but that’s for another post. Here are some of the highlights from this journey.
Dover, United Kingdom
Dover has been one of the turn-around cities for these journeys, meaning each itinerary has made a stop in Dover to board/debark passengers. Standing on the deck of the ship in port you can’t miss the stunning views of both Dover Castle and the legendary White Cliffs. It turns out both sites are easily accessible from port via bus, taxi, or walking.
Known as the “Key to England”, Dover Castle is perched high above town on the cliffs overlooking the Strait of Dover and guarding the coast from continental Europe. While the castle dates back to the 11th century under Henry II, the site has earlier remnants of both Roman and Anglo-Saxon development, including a still-standing Roman lighthouse. In addition to the incredibly impressive medieval fortress the castle grounds are riddled with a variety of WWII wartime tunnels.
Even more impressive than Dover Castle is one of the most famous sites in all of England, the dramatic White Cliffs of Dover rise up to about 350 feet / 110 meters above the ocean and stretch roughly 8 miles along the coastline. The brilliant white chalk cliffs are made up of countless microscopic marine fossils deposited on the seabed millions of years ago and are occasionally streaked with black flint. There are numerous hiking trails along the cliffs which allowed us to fully enjoy the scenic views, the smell of the sea, and awe inspiring drama of this location. Next visit we are hoping to make the hike a bit more adventurous and hike down the cliff to Langdon Beach, a hike that reportedly includes a tunnel and steep ladder at the end. We’ll keep you posted!
Edinburgh, Scotland
Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh is built around the dramatic contrast of the medieval Old Town and the elegant Georgian New Town, with Edinburgh Castle anchoring the skyline atop an extinct volcanic crag that’s been fortified since at least the Iron Age. The castle is home to the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used for centuries in the coronation of Scottish (and later British) monarchs. Running downhill from the the castle is the Royal Mile, a bustling historic thoroughfare lined with pubs, shops, and landmarks like St. Giles’ Cathedral. Just off the Royal Mile are Cockburn Street and Victoria Street, both rumored to be the inspiration for Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter series. I guess only J.K. Rowling knows for sure. But you can check out the House of MinaLima, a shop from the graphic designers who did the movie props. There is so much to see in Edinburgh walking the Old Town, from picture taking to shopping you can spend hours just seeing all the sights around the city center.
As we’ve been lucky to visit multiple times on this journey we’ve had time to explore more of what Edinburgh has to offer. Hiking Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Cliffs is an excellent way to take in the full panorama of all of Edinburgh while enjoying the hills and crags of Holyrood Park. If you are walking from the city center you will find the beginning of the hike just beyond the impressive Palace of Holyroodhouse. Another one of our visits took us to the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. About a 1 mile walk away from the hustle and bustle of the touristy parts of Edinburgh, the Royal Botanic Gardens offer a peaceful, relaxed environment in a huge, free garden that has been around since 1670! Finally, take a short, vertical hike up Calton Hill to another one of Edinburgh’s best views. Among other things you will find an eye catching tower that is the Nelson Monument, a tribute to Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar, and right next to that is “Scotland’s Disgrace”. Begun in the 1820’s as a tribute to Scottish soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars, The National Monument is a replica of the Parthenon that was never completed due to insufficient funds. These 12 Greek style columns standing watch atop the hill still seem to be one of the most photographed parts of the hill despite their enduring nickname.
There is just too much about Edinburgh to cover in a few brief sentences. Check out some of the links I’ve included to really explore the city. I’m currently working on a YouTube video to share more of Edinburgh, so watch for that release too.
Manchester via Liverpool
Using Liverpool as a gateway to get to Manchester is a dream come true for me. LOL. I’m not just throwing that out there to poke fun at my friends who are fans of Liverpool FC. Dragon and I wandered the streets of Liverpool for about an hour before I hopped a train for Manchester. I’ve been a fan of MUFC since the ’90s when a friend in college told me about them. Getting to actually go to Manchester, see some of the locations I’ve heard about, and visit Old Trafford really was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I was able to take a guided tour of the stadium while I was there. I’m pretty sure the child-like grin was active the entire time. Manchester United have plans to build a new stadium in the near future. It’s unclear if Old Trafford will be torn down or not, so I’m stoked I got to visit before all that happens.
If you follow our Instagram you’ll know we made another visit to Liverpool. We again explored Liverpool for a bit before taking the train to Manchester again! Woot! On our second visit to Manchester we explored the city center, including lunch in Chinatown. Then it was off to Old Trafford with Dragon having a chance to visit, take pictures, and do a little shopping. All in all, we’ve really enjoyed both Liverpool and Manchester. Don’t tell anyone!
Dublin, Ireland
At the time of this writing I’ve only been to Dublin once, but we’re going again next week. To be fair, the one visit was rather brief due to timing issues. The cobblestone streets of the Temple Bar neighborhood make for a lovely wander near the River Liffey. You’ll find any number of pubs, folk music, and a fun atmosphere. My visit was made even more memorable with an interactive tour of the Guinness Storehouse. I think you know what the “interactive” part of the tour was, that’s right, delicious! Use this link to find a combination tour of the Guinness Storehouse with the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. Along the way to the Guinness Storehouse I recommend a pitstop at the Brazen Head Pub. It wasn’t part of our visit, but another popular stop is Trinity College where you can check out the Book of Kells. Dublin has more to offer and our upcoming stop there will bring new experiences to share.
Honorable Mention
Like I said, there is just too much to cover in one short post to properly sum up our many stops in the the British Isles during these voyages. This trip of the British Isles has been pretty epic. Some of the other highlights included the Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, Lews Castle in Stornoway, wandering the streets of Cork and Belfast, and taking in the impressive sights of Glasgow from atop the Glasgow Necropolis just to name a few.
– Calanais Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis
– William Wallace Monument, Glasgow Necropolis
– Lews Castle, Stornoway
Conclusion
While the British Isles are a complex blend of various peoples and history, they have a depth of natural and historical beauty that is deep and compelling. The weather can be unpredictable and downright gloomy sometimes, lacking that radiant sunshine and warmth that we love about the Mediterranean. Despite that, there is a warmth of culture and personality in these islands. Despite so many stops we’ve had while cruising the British islands over the past two months there is still so much to discover. We have really enjoyed so many of these places, Scotland in particular, and we look forward to future visits.
