Britain Beyond the Obvious: A Brit Rediscovers His Own Backyard

From the Lake District to Scotland's forgotten corners, the Yorkshire Dales and the South Downs, why there's so much more to Britain than the usual tourist trail.

I've been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, both personally and professionally. I've also spent much of my career arranging trips for others, including countless holidays to England, Scotland and Ireland. But despite being a Brit myself, there are still enormous parts of my own country that I've barely explored.

This summer, Emma and I decided to do something about that.

We spent nearly two months in the UK, deliberately setting aside plenty of time for family and friends. My parents live on a working farm on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Oxford. Emma's father lives in London, and her mother near Salisbury. So we had plenty of reasons to be there.

But between family visits, we decided to explore some of those corners of Britain that we never normally seem to have time for.

And what a reminder it was of just how extraordinary this relatively small collection of islands really is.

The Lake District: Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and Wonderful Walking

Our first little adventure took us from the south coast of England, near Brighton, all the way north to the Lake District.

I hadn't spent any meaningful time there for decades, and I'd almost forgotten just how beautiful it is.

We found ourselves a gorgeous, remote country pub, surrounded by spectacular scenery, with wonderful walks in almost every direction. Armed with the AllTrails app and, more importantly, advice from the locals, we spent two days exploring the fells, valleys and lakes.

This is countryside that inspired William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and provided the setting for Beatrix Potter's much-loved children's stories, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit. For walkers, there's also Alfred Wainwright, whose beautifully illustrated guides to the Lakeland fells have inspired generations to explore.

It's easy to see why.

The scenery is dramatic, the villages are charming, and there's something deeply satisfying about a long walk followed by a pint in a proper English pub.

Why had I left it so long to return?

Galloway: Scotland's Forgotten Corner

From the Lake District, we continued north into Dumfries and Galloway, in southwest Scotland.

Most visitors to Scotland head straight for Edinburgh, the Highlands, Loch Ness or perhaps the Isle of Skye. All wonderful places, but Galloway rarely features on the typical tourist itinerary.

And that's precisely part of its appeal.

We stayed with very old friends at Galloway Estates, near Wigtown, a lovely property where guests can rent cottages or participate in cooking classes and writing retreats.

What followed was a fascinating exploration of an area that feels wonderfully removed from mainstream tourism.

We met potters, ceramicists, chefs, fishermen, artists and local pub owners. We visited galleries, discovered people smoking their own meats and sampled some fantastic local food.

Wigtown itself is Scotland's National Book Town, home to an internationally renowned book festival and an extraordinary collection of independent bookshops.

The wider region also has some fascinating literary connections. Robert Burns spent his final years in Dumfries, while J. M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, spent part of his childhood there.

What struck me most was the authenticity of it all. These weren't experiences manufactured for tourists. We were simply meeting people who live there, love what they do and are happy to share their passion.

For me, that's often what makes travel so special.

Yorkshire Dales: James Herriot Country

Our next stop was Yorkshire, where we visited friends who had previously lived in San Diego and have now bought a beautiful house near Harrogate.

Harrogate is a handsome Victorian spa town, sometimes referred to as the Bath of the North, and makes a wonderful base for exploring the surrounding countryside.

And what countryside it is.

Americans often fall in love with the Cotswolds, and rightly so. The honey-coloured stone villages, rolling hills and country pubs are undeniably beautiful.

But the Yorkshire Dales can certainly give the Cotswolds a run for their money.

Picture rolling green valleys, beautiful stone villages, ancient dry-stone walls stretching across the hillsides, and fields full of sheep and cattle.

And if you're a fan of James Herriot, you'll recognise much of this landscape immediately.

Herriot, the Yorkshire vet whose wonderful books inspired All Creatures Great and Small, brought the people, animals and landscapes of rural Yorkshire to readers around the world. The more recent television adaptation has introduced his stories to a whole new generation, particularly in America through PBS.

The fictional village of Darrowby was inspired by Thirsk, while Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales doubles as Darrowby in the newer television series.

Even if you've never read the books or watched the programmes, the countryside is wonderful. But if you have, there's something rather special about walking through the landscapes that inspired those stories.

Add some excellent hiking, beautiful villages, wonderful food and great company, and you have the ingredients for a pretty perfect few days.

Sometimes you just need to head north on the motorway.

Southern England: From Jane Austen to Thomas Hardy

We also spent plenty of time in London, a city I never tire of visiting.

But some of my favourite moments were in the countryside south of the capital.

The South Downs, for example, remain surprisingly overlooked by international visitors.

Here you'll find beautiful chalk hills, spectacular coastal walks, the famous Seven Sisters cliffs, traditional villages and some of England's most interesting vineyards.

Brighton, meanwhile, is wonderfully eccentric, colourful and full of character. It's a seaside city with great restaurants, independent shops and a personality entirely its own. It's also the setting for Graham Greene's classic novel Brighton Rock.

We explored areas where wine is now being produced to an extraordinarily high standard, visited breweries and passed fields where hops have been grown for generations.

Further west, Salisbury has one of England's most magnificent cathedrals, complete with the tallest church spire in the country.

And beyond Salisbury lies Dorset, one of my favourite parts of England.

This is Thomas Hardy country, with its rolling countryside, beautiful villages, dramatic Jurassic Coast and a sense of timeless rural England. Hardy's novels, including Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d'Urbervilles, were inspired by these landscapes and communities.

Southern England is also full of locations associated with Downton Abbey, including Highclere Castle, while Jane Austen's England is never far away, from Bath to Hampshire, where she lived and wrote.

You could easily spend two weeks exploring southern England without ever setting foot in London.

Why Do We All Visit the Same Places?

All this got me thinking.

Most Americans visiting Britain for the first time will spend a few days in London, perhaps venture into the Cotswolds, and if they have more time, head to Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands.

Some will add Dublin or a little more of Ireland.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. They're wonderful destinations.

But it's rather like someone visiting the United States and seeing New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, then deciding they've seen America.

What about Montana, Maine, Wyoming, Oregon or the Deep South?

Britain and Ireland may be relatively small geographically, but the diversity of landscapes, accents, traditions, food and local culture is extraordinary.

Travel just a couple of hours in almost any direction and you can find yourself somewhere completely different.

And that's before we even start talking about Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, all of which deserve far more attention than I can give them here.

My Advice? Go Back. Or Just Go.

If you've already visited Britain, for goodness' sake, go back.

But this time, do something different.

Choose one or two rural areas that most tourists never reach. Spend some proper time there. Don't rush from one famous landmark to the next.

Rent a beautiful country house for a week and pretend you're English or Scottish. Stay in a gorgeous country hotel, or find a traditional pub with rooms, excellent food and walking trails straight from the front door.

Visit a local market. Meet a farmer. Go fishing. Take a cooking class. Walk for miles and finish the day with a pint.

And if you've never been to Britain, well, don't be so rude. Get over there!

Find an excuse.

Celebrate a big anniversary. Go to a Premier League football match. Plan a walking holiday. Visit some extraordinary gardens. Taste English sparkling wine, explore the whisky distilleries of Scotland, or go in search of the best fish and chips you've ever eaten.

Enjoy a proper English afternoon tea.

Visit the castles, stately homes and villages where Downton Abbey and countless other period dramas and films were made. Follow in the footsteps of James Herriot, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter or Thomas Hardy.

Or simply rent a cottage somewhere beautiful, light a fire and do very little at all.

You can make a trip as active, cultural, luxurious, relaxed or adventurous as you like.

A Final Thought

After nearly two months in Britain this summer, I came away reminded of something I've known for years but perhaps occasionally taken for granted.

Some of the best travel experiences aren't necessarily found in the most famous places.

They're found in the unexpected conversations, the little villages you stumble across, the local pub someone recommends, the beautiful walk you hadn't planned, or the people you meet along the way.

I've spent much of my life encouraging people to explore the world. This summer reminded me that there's still an enormous amount of my own backyard left to discover.

So whether it's your first visit or your tenth, don't just tick off the usual sights.

There's so much more to Britain and Ireland than you might imagine.

And if you'd like some ideas about where to go, where to stay and how to experience the best of it, give me a call.