United Kingdom

Introduction 

The United Kingdom is an island that is made up of four countries namely England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is the 10th largest country in Europe, known for the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace,  Castles, tasty food, beautiful nature and much more. The time zone of the United Kingdom is British Summer Time which is four and half hours behind the Indian Standard Time. 

Location and Population: – The United Kingdom is located in the northwestern part of Europe. It shares marine borders with Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, Norway and the Faroe Islands. The geographical area of the United Kingdom is 2,43,610 km2

According to the census conducted in the year 2021, the population of the United Kingdom is 67,281,039.  

United Kingdom’s History: – The history of the United Kingdom goes back to the 18th century when the United Kingdom was formed by the union of the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. It was in the year 1815, the United Kingdom had fought war versus the French army of Napoleon in which they emerged victorious. In the 19th century  the United Kingdom entered both World wars and they suffered heavy damage. The cities were being bombed by German warplanes. There was loss of life, unemployment, etc. The United Kingdom eventually recovered itself from the damages of the World Wars and during the mid 19th century, the United Kingdom became a founding member of NATO as well as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Facts you should know about the United Kingdom: – There are some really interesting facts that the tourists should know about the United Kingdom before they visit it. These are as follows: –  

• Did you know that Chicken Tikka, which is an Indian dish, is the national dish of the United Kingdom ? 

• The United Kingdom is home to one of the oldest monuments in the world that is the monument of Stonehenge. 

• Queen Elizabeth the second was the longest-reigning monarch in the UK until her passing in 2022.

• The UK has a variety of national animals, with England’s national animal being the lion, Scotland’s national animal being the unicorn, and Wales’s national animal being the dragon. Northern Ireland’s symbol, however, is the Flax flower.

• London’s Shard is the tallest object in the European continent which is standing at 1,107 feet. 

Culture and Food: –  The people in the United Kingdom have a good sense of humour and they value their privacy. The people are sports lovers and they are huge fans of football and cricket. The families in the United Kingdom are small, with two parents and one or two children. The religion in the United Kingdom is Christianity. 

The British cuisine is different from other cuisines of the world. It includes more meat such as Beef, Chicken, Lamb etc. They also use vegetables, but now this cuisine uses ingredients which are popular in other countries like spices, condiments etc. Some of the popular dishes of British cuisine are  Fish and Chips, Shepherd’s Pie, Yorkshire Pudding, Toad in the hole, Scones, etc. The people prefer tea over coffee. 

Things to explore in the United Kingdom: – There are various things for the tourists to explore in the United Kingdom like festivals, events and adventure activities which are as follows: – 

• Glastonbury Music festival: – The Glastonbury music festival is one of the most popular festivals that happens in the United Kingdom during the month of June. The festival includes contemporary music, dance, circus and much more. Besides, it is known for popular artists like Van Morrison, The Killers, Arctic monkeys, Orbital etc.  

• Spirit of Speyside: – It is one of the most popular festivals in Scotland that is held in the month of May at Speyside. The tourists will get to taste some of the most exotic whiskeys of Speyside and visit some of the popular distilleries in Speyside such as Benromach Distillery, Cardhu Distillery, Aberlour distillery, etc. 

• Sports matches: – The tourists can visit sport venues in the United Kingdom and watch some exciting sports  such as Wimbledon which is a lawn tennis competition.Football is gaining popularity in the United Kingdom and the tourists can watch the Premier League football games at the iconic stadiums depending on the fixtures such as the Manchester Derby, West London Derby, etc. Besides, the tourists can tour some popular football stadiums such as Old Trafford, Etihad Stadium, Stamford Bridge, etc.  

• Skydiving: – The tourists can skydive in the United Kingdom from a plane at 15,000 feet and witness a breathtaking view from the sky. Some of the places that the tourists can visit in the United Kingdom for skydiving are Morecambe bay, Salisbury, etc. 

• Rock Climbing: – Rock climbing is one of the most popular sports in the United Kingdom.  Some of the places that the tourists can go for rock climbing, especially the youngsters, are Pembroke in Wales, Isle of Skye in Scotland, Malham Cove in Yorkshire, etc.  

• Kayaking: – The tourists can do Kayaking at the English rivers in the country with proper safety and fulfil their bucket list. Some of the places are the Cornish Coast, River Spey, The Caledonian canal, Lagan Valley Regional Park, etc.

Things to buy in the United Kingdom: – There are various things that the tourists can shop for in the UK to check off their wishlist. Some of them are Umbrellas, British Tea and Coffee, Souvenirs, Jams, Clothing, Chocolates, Perfume, Scarfs, Football Jerseys, British Alcohol like Gin, Wine, etc.

Best time to visit: – The best time to visit the United Kingdom is during the spring season that is between March to May and during the summer season that is between June to August as the temperature would be pleasant, making it ideal to explore.Besides, the tourists can also visit the United Kingdom during the winter season if they are excited to watch the snowfall in the country.    

Places to visit in United Kingdom 

• England: – The country which is the largest and the most populated in the United Kingdom is England. The capital of England is London and it is one of the most popular tourist hubs in Europe. The tourists can visit the Buckingham Palace which is one of the most popular places in the United Kingdom and it is the residence of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. It is situated in Westminster city and is known for its architecture. The Palace has around 775 rooms. It also has a Throne room wherein the Royal family plan ceremonial receptions. Besides, the tourists can also see the change of Guards ceremony that happens at the Buckingham Palace at 10:45 AM UK time. The tourists can explore the Madame Tussauds Museum that is known for making Wax statues of various popular Celebrities, Political leaders and many more. Some of the popular wax statues of Madame Tussauds are Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh Khan, Scarlett Johnson, etc. The tourists can also visit the London eye, which is an observation wheel that is very popular in London to get a good view of the city. There are 32 big glass capsules in the London eye. The tourists should visit the London eye in the evening to witness the stunning sunset or they can go at night when the London eye is fully lit with lights. They should also add  popular places in London such as the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, etc to their list.

• Scotland: – The country which is the second largest in the United Kingdom is Scotland. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. The tourists can visit the Edinburgh castle which used to be the residence of the Scottish Monarchs but now is a museum. The castle stands on a Volcanic crag which is known as Castle rock at 443 feet above sea level and the tourists should visit the Castle at 1 PM UK time as they could see the guns fired from the castle. Besides, there are various things to see in the Castle such as the Stone of Destiny, Honours of Scotland, St Margaret’s Chapel, The Great Hall, Mons Meg, etc. The tourists can explore the Glenfarclas Distillery which is one of the most popular distilleries in the country. The tourists can get to know about how whisky is made and they can taste some of the popular whiskies of Glenfarclas Distillery. The tourists can also visit the St Giles Cathedral which is the most popular Cathedral in the old town of Edinburgh. The Cathedral is known for its beautiful architecture and the tourists can visit the Thistle Chapel.

• Wales: – The country that is situated on the western side of the United Kingdom is Wales. The capital of Wales is Cardiff. The tourists can explore the Snowdonia national park which is one of the most popular parks  situated in the Northwestern part of Wales. The tourists can do trekking at the park to the beautiful mountains and they can also indulge in various outdoor activities such as Horse riding, mountain Climbing, etc. The park is home to Wales highest peak and Wales’ largest natural lake. It is also known as Eryri national park. The tourists can explore the world’s oldest international football stadium in Wales, The Racecourse ground which is the home stadium of Wrexham AFC and the total capacity of the stadium is around 10,700 people. Besides, Cardiff Castle is one of the most popular castles that tourists should visit in Wales. The Cardiff Castle was built during the 11th century by Norman invaders at the Roman fort. The castle is a good spot to conduct weddings, meetings, etc. The tourists can visit the Castle apartments, see the military equipment at the castle that is Trebuchet, Roman walls, Roman Chariot corner, etc.  

• Northern Ireland: – The country which is the smallest member of the United Kingdom is Northern Ireland. The capital of Northern Ireland is  Belfast. The tourists can visit the Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest distillery in the world that makes whisky. The tourists can see the production process of the whiskeys and taste some popular whiskeys of the Distillery such as the Black Bush, Bushmills original, Bushmills 10 year old whiskeys, etc. The tourists can visit the Giant’s causeway which is one of the most breathtaking places in Northern Ireland. It is an area near the sea that contains 40,000 basalt columns and it gives a good view of the sea. It is the spot where some scenes of the “Game of Thrones” series were shot  and it is situated in County Antrim. Besides, the tourists can explore the Titanic museum in Belfast that talks about the history of the Titanic ship that was sunk after it hit the iceberg and the sister ships of Titanic that are RMS Olympic and HMHS Britannic. The museum is also known for its beautiful architecture.  

How to reach the United Kingdom from India: – The tourists can reach the United Kingdom from India through flights and there are direct flights as well as 1 stop flights available. Some of the airlines that fly to the United Kingdom are Air India, Emirates, Indigo, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Vistara etc. Besides, the tourists cannot go to the United Kingdom  by road or train.    

Popular Packages: – Here is a list of popular packages to travel to the United Kingdom which also includes packages to travel to other countries including the United Kingdom. They are as follows: – 

Frequently Asked Questions 

• What is the currency of the United Kingdom? 

Ans: The currency of the United Kingdom is Pound Sterling. 

• What is the language spoken in the United Kingdom? 

Ans: The language spoken in the United Kingdom is English. 

• What are the eateries that serve Indian food in the United Kingdom? 

Ans:  A portion of eateries that serve Indian food in the United Kingdom are Mother India, Dishoom, The Empire Restaurant, Himalayan Restaurant Belfast, etc. 

• What is the national sport of the United Kingdom? 

Ans: The national sport of the United Kingdom is Cricket. 

• Which places are popular for shopping in the United Kingdom?

Ans: There are various places to shop in the United Kingdom such as Oxford Street, Mayfair, Princess Square, Tweedmill shopping outlet, Victoria Square Shopping centre, etc.