The UK in late April/early May - suggestions?

mooseontheloose · Jan 3, 2019

I have an upcoming trip to the UK in late April/early May for a conference in Birmingham. Due to Japanese holidays (Golden Week/coronation of the new emperor) I'll have about a week after the conference to do some exploring/photography. I'm most interested in heading straight up to Scotland after the conference, but I'm considering other places as well, such as the Peak or Lake District, Northumberland, Wales, etc. if this is a particularly good (scenic) time of year to visit those areas (weather, wildflowers, etc.). In addition to landscapes, I particularly like ruins or other ancient sites (abbeys, castles, standing stones, etc.) as opposed to more restored/manicured locations, but also like iconic structures like bridges or viaducts. Although I like hiking, I wouldn't say I'm a particularly experienced hiker, and with my iffy knees, would prefer areas that are easily accessible with shortish hikes (up to about an hour one way). I also want to spend some time in a couple of cities/towns as that appeals to the historian in me (in addition to giving me a place to stay dry in case of bad weather). I plan on hiring a car for the landscape/rural part of my travels. Long drives don't bother me (I'm Canadian - a 12-hour journey is a day trip for me) as long as there are interesting places along the way to photograph and explore.

So, if you had 6-7 days, what would you recommend? For Scotland I would absolutely spend at least 3 days in Edinburgh/Glasgow, so would probably not do any of the islands (save those for a bigger, longer trip). That leaves 3-4 days for other explorations. I was thinking of doing a loop from Glasgow to Edinburgh going up to Fort William/Glencoe down through Trossachs NP or perhaps spend time following the coast from one of those cities. For other parts of the UK, I haven't had time to do some serious research into other areas (at the moment I'm mostly going from memory from past planned, but never taken, trips). The more I discover, the more places I want to visit, but I really have a limited amount of time so want to make the most of it (also considering the season). Suggestions are welcome!

winger · Jan 3, 2019

People who live there can help you more than I can, but I was there in May of 2002 for a couple of weeks. I don't know exactly which highways we used, but it seemed like there was a castle off practically every exit. We went up to Scotland (stopping to see Hadrian's Wall) and to northern Wales (Conwy was where we stayed and we saw a few places in the area - highly recommend) and to western England (Stonehenge and Tintern Abbey). I'm sure you'll get better advice. Have fun!!

mooseontheloose · Jan 3, 2019

Thanks Bethe! I know, there's so much to see and do - I think I could spend several months just exploring the entire island, if I could afford it (and had the time). I've already spent some time in the south (London, Cotswolds, Stonehenge/Avebury, Oxford, etc.) and barely scratched the surface there, but I really would like to experience another part of the country.

mshchem · Jan 4, 2019

Go to London, museums, museums. The V&A was amazing, lots to see. Scotland sounds lovely ,I've never been. I loved London, walked or the great black cabs. They take credit cards, £, €, $ maybe ¥.

mooseontheloose · Jan 4, 2019

mshchem said:
Go to London, museums, museums. The V&A was amazing, lots to see. Scotland sounds lovely ,I've never been. I loved London, walked or the great black cabs. They take credit cards, £, €, $ maybe ¥.

I’ve been to London twice before, and while there’s still a lot for me to see there, I want to explore other areas of the country. That said, I may end up with a day there before I head back to Japan.

Alan Johnson · Jan 4, 2019

Check out Joe Cornish Photographer on Youtube. He is a leading UK landscape photographer and has a gallery on the North York Moors where he lives.

mr rusty · Jan 4, 2019

So, if you had 6-7 days,

This isn't so long. I suggest you target one area and explore it. London is another country to many Brits - It's London but nowhere else in the UK is like it. April/May is a great time to explore north western Scotland - dramatic scenery, castles, history, wildlife etc, and this time of year is before the voracious scottish midges usually appear. If you "do" Glasgow and Edinburgh, you will be the archetypal "tourist" - if that's what you like, then great, but they wouldn't be my first recommendations. Cornwall is also a great area to explore, but here the history is mainly industrial and coastal - great coastal walks, tucked away villages, but perhaps 6-7 days isn't enough time to get under the "skin" of Cornwall. I think my recommendation for a first time visitor to the UK outside London would be to organize a small road-trip bounded by lancaster harrogate york whitby durham penrith windermere. Use tripadvisor to find the best recommended pub accommodation and hotels - few ideas - Swinton Park Hotel, Whitewell Inn, Drunken Duck - lakes. Swinton Park in particular would be a good base for a couple of days - Masham, Thirsk, Ripon, Fountains Abbey, even Whitby are all good days out from there. You can arrange to drive 50-80 miles a day and still have loads of time in between. You won't drive so many motorways, the roads are not so congested and the scenery in between these places is wonderful, especially in spring. I would avoid the industrial towns in the NE - Middlesborough, stockton darlington hartlepool - Interesting places under the skin, but superficially maybe not as attractive. Don't be too ambitious - the UK is so diverse, it is far better to pick a single region and explore it.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 4, 2019

mooseontheloose said:
I have an upcoming trip to the UK in late April/early May for a conference in Birmingham. Due to Japanese holidays (Golden Week/coronation of the new emperor) I'll have about a week after the conference to do some exploring/photography. I'm most interested in heading straight up to Scotland after the conference, but I'm considering other places as well, such as the Peak or Lake District, Northumberland, Wales, etc. if this is a particularly good (scenic) time of year to visit those areas (weather, wildflowers, etc.). In addition to landscapes, I particularly like ruins or other ancient sites (abbeys, castles, standing stones, etc.) as opposed to more restored/manicured locations, but also like iconic structures like bridges or viaducts. Although I like hiking, I wouldn't say I'm a particularly experienced hiker, and with my iffy knees, would prefer areas that are easily accessible with shortish hikes (up to about an hour one way). I also want to spend some time in a couple of cities/towns as that appeals to the historian in me (in addition to giving me a place to stay dry in case of bad weather). I plan on hiring a car for the landscape/rural part of my travels. Long drives don't bother me (I'm Canadian - a 12-hour journey is a day trip for me) as long as there are interesting places along the way to photograph and explore.

So, if you had 6-7 days, what would you recommend? For Scotland I would absolutely spend at least 3 days in Edinburgh/Glasgow, so would probably not do any of the islands (save those for a bigger, longer trip). That leaves 3-4 days for other explorations. I was thinking of doing a loop from Glasgow to Edinburgh going up to Fort William/Glencoe down through Trossachs NP or perhaps spend time following the coast from one of those cities. For other parts of the UK, I haven't had time to do some serious research into other areas (at the moment I'm mostly going from memory from past planned, but never taken, trips). The more I discover, the more places I want to visit, but I really have a limited amount of time so want to make the most of it (also considering the season). Suggestions are welcome!

Lake District,Yorkshire Dales.prepare yourself for a disappointment with Scotish landscapes.I found them most boring but always enjoyed the churches in the small towns in England.

Ian Grant · Jan 4, 2019

Rachelle, come pay a visit to some of us near Birmingham while your here A day out on the Severn Valley Railway for instance.

Flights are cheap from Birmingham to Edinburgh, the Peak District is worth a visit only an hour from Birmingham.

Ian

mooseontheloose · Jan 4, 2019

Ian Grant said:
Rachelle, come pay a visit to some of us near Birmingham while your here A day out on the Severn Valley Railway for instance.

Flights are cheap from Birmingham to Edinburgh, the Peak District is worth a visit only an hour from Birmingham.

Ian

It might work Ian! I have to wait and see what the conference schedule is like (i.e. when I'm presenting), but I'm hoping I can take at least one of the conference days off to go exploring in the local area.

mooseontheloose · Jan 4, 2019

RalphLambrecht said:
Lake District,Yorkshire Dales.prepare yourself for a disappointment with Scotish landscapes.I found them most boring but always enjoyed the churches in the small towns in England.

Well, I'm not much of a landscape photographer, although I have had some success with it. But I don't want to base my entire trip around it, which is why I think a mix of city and country would be good for this trip. If I really love the landscapes I can plan a bigger, better trip later on, and if not, I haven't lost too much time to it. I do like like the old towns in the English countryside, but not the ones that are overly manicured/prettified up - photographically speaking, that just doesn't interest me. In any event, I still haven't made up my mind about where to go yet.

mooseontheloose · Jan 4, 2019

mr rusty said:
This isn't so long. I suggest you target one area and explore it. London is another country to many Brits - It's London but nowhere else in the UK is like it. April/May is a great time to explore north western Scotland - dramatic scenery, castles, history, wildlife etc, and this time of year is before the voracious scottish midges usually appear. If you "do" Glasgow and Edinburgh, you will be the archetypal "tourist" - if that's what you like, then great, but they wouldn't be my first recommendations.

That's good to know about the weather/midges - it seems spring is a good time to go before the midges and tourists overrun everything. I wouldn't say that visiting only the cities is a typical tourist thing either - most people (from what I've read online and in forums) go to Scotland to visit the countryside, so that's not any less touristy. Besides, you are assuming I want to do touristy things in the cities, and I don't. I'm working on a portfolio of cemetery images and both Glasgow and Edinburgh have plenty of cemeteries that I would like to explore - which is why they are the first priority, not the countryside. That said, I'm eager to photograph old abbeys (in ruins or not) with graveyards attached - it seems the entire British countryside is littered with them, but especially Scotland. However, I don't want to make the entire trip about cemeteries, which is why I'm interested in other recommendations.

mooseontheloose · Jan 4, 2019

Alan Johnson said:
Check out Joe Cornish Photographer on Youtube. He is a leading UK landscape photographer and has a gallery on the North York Moors where he lives.

I'm aware of Joe Cornish of course, but I hadn't seen this video - which is reminder of how landscape photographs are really dependent on the light conditions - something hard to control or predict while travelling. But looking at this area (and Scotland as well) has made me more aware of how many Canadian place names comes from the UK. I was born in Calgary, went to York University for both my masters degrees, and lived in North York in Toronto (all in Canada of course). I know it's just coincidence (there are UK place names all over the Commonwealth), but still. I'll dig a little deeper into researching a possible road trip into the area.

Frank53 · Jan 4, 2019

When in Glasgow, don’t miss Necropolis.
Regards,
Frank

mooseontheloose · Jan 4, 2019

Frank53 said:
When in Glasgow, don’t miss Necropolis.
Regards,
Frank

I won't!

Craig75 · Jan 4, 2019

Another vote for north yorkshire. You have ruined abbeys (see rievaulx, jervaulx, etc etc) - some are busy tourist destinations but others such as jervaulx are much quieter and you could photograph in relative peace and solitude. There is the huge ribblehead viaduct, lots of follies, old abandoned smelts and mine works. Accomodation is relatively cheap and available compared to other regions too.

West coast of scotland is much better for birds and animals though in my experience. Flowers might be a problem too as its mainly windswept moorland

BrianShaw · Jan 4, 2019

Some of the most satisfying and successful photography I’ve ever done involved the abbeys of North Yorkshire. Beatitiful ruins, plus fascinating history. Most are a bit remote, which really helps ensure that there are no crowds to deal with... especially on a weekday when they are open but you may find yourself completely alone to explore and photograph. Admission is very affordable... often by putting money in a drop box. Parking is generally reasonably close but never intrusive on the historic site. Walkways tend to be well maintained. Google will provide locations and descriptions.

While there, there are historic towns like York that is crowded but photogenic. Or smaller towns like Knaresbourough and Harrogate that are stops on the rail line... and can be easily explored on foot.

Lachlan Young · Jan 4, 2019

I don't know where the dismissal of Scotland as having 'disappointing' landscapes comes from - possibly only if you want something in the vein of generic prettified Joe Cornish-esque landscapery (not very interesting once you go beyond the surface glaze). I personally like bizarre & strange uses of the landscape & the built environment, so I find the sort of stuff left lying around all up the west coast of Scotland utterly fascinating...

If you can make it over to Fife, St Andrews, Crail & Culross might satisfy your needs for old buildings - Stirling Castle is worth visiting too. Plenty of 18th century onwards buildings scattered around the whole country too, if that's more your thing.

The other main advice is don't expect to travel fast on the roads up through the Trossachs & out to the west - they can be pretty busy & downright lethal to the unwary.

Otherwise, I think the main thing in Scotland is if you avoid the usual tourist picture sites, you'll find lots of fascinating things to photograph.

The UK in late April/early May - suggestions?

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