EXPLORER 12 Days in BRITISH ISLES

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the UK. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. It is a friendly, bustling town with imposing 19th C buildings, vibrant theatre life, the most talked-about independent music scene outside the USA, and the city's buses and metro system make it easy to explore. Read more about Glasgow, Great Britain

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, and is currently experiencing a successful tourist boom. One of the most visited cities in the UK, Belfast has plenty of attractions and is a good base from which to visit virtually anywhere else in the North. In the city centre concentrate on the glories resulting from the Industrial Revolution – grandiose architecture and magnificent Victorian pubs – and the rejuvenated area from Ann Street to Donegall Street now known as the Cathedral quarter. Read more about Belfast, Great Britain

Douglas, located at the mouth of the River Douglas and a sweeping bay, is the capital and the largest town of the Isle of Man. Douglas has a number of attractions and items of interest, such as the Tower of Refuge, a small castle-like shelter built upon Conister Rock in Douglas Bay that was a sanctuary for shipwrecked sailors. From spring to early autumn, take a trip back in time to when the way of life was much slower. Read more about Douglas, Great Britain

The Isle of Islay - pronounced ‘eye-la’ – is the southernmost of the 35 islands of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. It is known as "The Queen of the Hebrides". Today one quarter of its 3000 inhabitants speak Scottish Gaelic. Read more about Isle of Islay, Great Britain

Read more about Ardnamurchan, Great Britain

Read more about Ardnamurchan, Great Britain

John o’Groats is a fishing village at the northern tip of Scotland, famed because of its location, the (almost) most northerly point on the island of Britain. At Land’s End in Cornwall, 972 km in a direct line to the SSW, is the most (almost) southerly point of Britain. It is a popular effort by tourists in Britain to pay homage to both locations. Read more about John o'Groats, Great Britain

Dundee, officially the City of Dundee, is Scotland's fourth largest city and the 51st most populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. Situated in the Tay estuary, Dundee is Scotland's sunniest city. When you visit Dundee you will see a city transformed. Read more about Dundee, Great Britain

Stornoway is an attractive town and the administrative centre of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The shape of the town is defined by the harbour, and is home to a beautiful, rugged landscape of rolling grassy hills and crinkly inlets of the sea. Take a leisurely stroll round the harbour and see everything from the ferries to cargo boats and small visiting yachts, as the harbour is definitely an asset to the town. Read more about Stornoway, Great Britain

Fair Isle is a small island in northern Scotland, lying around halfway between mainland Shetland and the Orkney islands. It is famous for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. The permanent bird observatory was founded in 1948, because of its importance as a bird migration watchpoint and many rare species of bird have been found here. Read more about Fair Isle, Great Britain

Copinsasy is one of the smallest of the 70 or so Orkney Islands in north Scotland. It lies just off the east coast of Orkney Mainland. Copinsay is uninhabited since 1958 and managed as a bird reserve. Read more about Copinsay, Great Britain

Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 160 km off the north coast of mainland Great Britain. Open to shipping in all weathers, it operates around-the-clock. Lerwick has strong ties with Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway, and this is reflected in the street names of the port. Read more about Lerwick, Great Britain

Bergen, the second largest city in Norway, is located in the county of Hordaland on the SW coast of Norway. Surrounded by seven mountains, Bergen is the starting point for fjord tours and cruises as it is located midway between the main Sognefjord and the Hardangerfjord. The city was one of nine European cities honoured with the title of European Capital of Culture in the Millennium year. Read more about Bergen, Norway