Holidays - United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Englis Channel and the Irish Sea. The UK's official language is English,a West Germanic language descended from Old English which features a large number of borrowings from Old Norse, Norman French and Latn. London has always been one of the world’s leading cities and this trend shows no sign of changing in a city where visiting galleries, shopping going to the theatre and nightclubbing go hand in hand with visiting some of the world’s most famous attractions, such as Big Ben, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace. For many, UK attractions are all about the island's areas of outstanding natural beauty. Wordsworth's words immortalised the Lake District in Cumbria and led to many heading out of the cities to explore a country of patchwork fields, hedgerows and stunning scenery quenched by rain and dappled by the shadows of clouds. Buckingham Palace is the most famous UK palace and has been at the centre of regal affairs since 1837. With 775 rooms Buckingham Palace plays host to many official events and receptions for visiting heads of state, The UK offers a mouth-watering array of shopping opportunities for those whose idea of fun is to spend, spend, spend. For many shopping is the leading UK attraction with all well-known brands represented in every high street and shopping centre and some of the world’s leading fashion designers working and selling out of UK outlets, most notably in London.

Great Britain lies just off the coast of mainland Europe. Scotland, England and Wales are three different countries that make up Great Britain (GB), but add Northern Ireland and you have the United Kingdom (UK).