We've gathered together the best of Great Britain and Ireland season by season, taken from Where to Go When: Great Britain and Ireland. So whether you want to plan a day-trip or a longer break, get literary at the Hay festival in the spring or cruise the Cheshire Ring in the summer, we've got something for you!
Spring
Isles of Scilly, England
Lying way out in the Atlantic off the western tip of Cornwall, the gloriously sub-tropical, unpopulated and unspoilt Isles of Scilly don't really feel like a part of England at all. Late spring is one of the best times to visit, just before the main season gets underway. The main pastime for holidaymakers is island-hopping. Each morning tripper boats leave St Mary's quay for expeditions to the smaller off-islands: Tresco, St Martin's and St Agnes. The real charm of Scilly lies in its simplicity - boating, walking, splashing about in sheltered coves, or just admiring the extraordinary seascape and rare wildlife.
Hay Literary Festival, England
Every spring, the Hay Festival - described by former President Bill Clinton as "the Woodstock of the mind" - brings some 85,000 literary pilgrims to 10 days of readings, masterclasses, debates and entertainment. Hip young families and cultured book-lovers might rub shoulders with authors, poets and performers, as well as a horde of TV commentators and journalists. Famous names that have made an appearance include Alan Bennett, Carol Ann Duffy, Sting and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Hay Fever, the parallel children's festival, offers younger visitors a hands-on chance to make their own puppets and pottery.
West Highland Way, Scotland
One of the great joys of Scotland is the ease with which your can leave behind the city life and plunge into wild open country. The West Highland Way is the perfect way to do this. Its southern end wends its way through the genteel suburbs of Glasgow and the rolling hills near Loch Lomond before traveling on over wild heather moors and through bleak but beautiful glens to the foot of Ben Nevis at Form William. It's a challenging - but not too challenging - venture and well worth the effort; no other long-distance walk in Britain offers such stunning contrasts and beautiful scenery.
Summer
Powerscourt Estate, Ireland
There can be few finer views in the British Isles than those from Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow, the 'garden of Ireland'. The estate's gardens are in their full glory in summer and there's much to explore. If you do nothing else, walk down the monumental staircase to the lake, then stroll around the lake and look back on the handsome mansion or out to the distant peak of Great Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Cheshire Ring, England
Taking to the water on Britain's historic canal network gloriously uncomplicates your lifestyle for a week or so, and in the heat of summer it can provide the perfect relaxation fix. One of the most diverse circular routes is the 156km Cheshire Ring, which takes in a total of six canals. You'll travel through Manchester city centre on Bridgewater Canal, wind between atmospheric backdrops of Victorian warehouses along Rochdale Canal and skirt brooding Peak District Hills on Macclesfield Canal whilst navigating this diverse and captivating route.
Snowdonia, Wales
Breathtaking walks above the clouds, exhilarating scrambles to boulder-strewn summits and enthralling views down to icy lakes and razor-edged ridges are the highlights of a visit to Snowdonia, where the rocky shoulders of Mount Snowdon dominate the landscape. Several routes of varying difficulty lead to its summit, or for an easier way to conquer Snowdon, hop aboard the Snowdon Mountain Railway. And there's more to Snowdonia than this jewel in the crown; countless activities await the adventurous, such as biking, rafting, canyoning and canoeing, as well as woodland and costal walks.
Autumn
Galway Oyster Festival, Ireland
The emphasis of the four-day Oyster Festival is on fun, food and, of course, filling up with Guinness - the national drink. There is more than enough craic (fun) to go around at the last festival of the season, with the highlight being the 'cracking' Guinness World Oyster Opening Championships. The festival's line-up, which includes a Mardi Gras party complete with jazz bands, continues to draw crowds from overseas every year. All the events are guaranteed sell-outs, and the entertainment is frequently described as some of the best in the world.
Lower Wye Valley, England
If Britain had a 'fall foliage' to rival New England's, it would be the Lower Wye Valley gorge. The mixture of native forest of ash, beech and oak produces one of the country's best displays of autumn color. The winding river and high slopes of the gorge make this an enticing landscape to explore, and the soaring roofless remains of Tintern Abbey rank among the most evocative of ruins.
The New Forest, England
Originally a huge swathe of uninterrupted woodland, the New Forest is a scenic sanctuary for stressed urbanites and wildlife enthusiasts. Today, the National Park is far less a forest than a vast, diverse patchwork of heathland, grassland, wetland and woodland, embracing a rich ecological diversity and a wonderful range of wildlife. If you tire of the natural wonders of the forest visit Beaulieu, where you can wander around Palace House, Beaulieu Abbey, the National Motor Museum or some stunning gardens.
Winter
Giant's Causeway, Ireland
At the Giant's Causeway an army of basalt columns - around 40,000 of them - gathers en masse at the shoreline and marches haphazardly out to sea. As the sea and winter mists swirl around their disappearing forms, it's almost possible to imagine the giants of Irish legend - allegedly the builders of the Causeway. As you stand atop the columns in the winter wind, watching the relentless pounding of the waves, you can appreciate the ferocity of the storms that eroded them over the centuries. The lack of crowds in this quieter season makes their lonely beauty more intense.
The caves of Buxton, England
Over millions of years, water trickling through the limestone hills and peaks of the Peak District has carved out a fantasy land of stalactites, stalagmites and crystal rock formations - a netherworld that is beautiful and bizarre. Bad weather is good news for cave visitors, as melting snows or rainfall increase the volume of underground waterfalls and rivers, making this hidden realm all the more magnificent. One cave that has a special appeal is near the town of Buxton. The two-million-year-old cave network at Poole's Cavern on the edge of town has the 'frozen waterfall' rock formation and Derbyshire's largest stalactite, 'Flitch of Bacon'.
Glasgow Winterfest, Scotland
Offering a pulsating program of events, Glasgow's Winterfest easily justifies a visit to Scotland's biggest city, even at this chilly time of year. Winterfest is an umbrella organization that brings together all of Glasgow's winter festivities. Its hub is George Square, where you can don full winter garb and join the throng on what becomes the largest open-air ice-skating rink in Britain. In the lead-up to Christmas there's also a winter market here, with all kinds of tempting seasonal produce on offer. And Winterfest continues on into the New Year, when, on New Year's Eve over 25,000 people pack the square to celebrate Hogmanay, with a massive party including chart-topping bands and traditional pipers.
For more on these and the best of the rest of Great Britain and Ireland check out Where To Go When: Great Britain and Ireland.
