30 beautiful places you won't believe are in Britain
As spring beckons, forget queuing at Gatwick or Dover – these beauties can be found on British soil
![Portmeirion](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-portmeirion.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this Tuscany?
No, it's the Welsh village of Portmeirion.
Writing for Telegraph Travel, Marcel Theroux said: "It may be the oddest holiday village on earth; a dreamlike place which, in spite of its small size, is somehow capable of displacing reality.”
“There are odd structures everywhere you look: a columned rotunda, domes, and a big tower that wouldn’t be out of place on a Tuscan hillside." Plan the ultimate holiday in Wales with our guide.
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![Tresco Abbey](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-tresco.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this Madeira?
No, you're actually in the Isles of Scilly – the gardens of Tresco Abbey, to be precise. Along with 20,000 exotic plants from 80 countries threaded through walled enclosures and terraces, it also has a collection of figureheads and decorative carvings from shipwrecks.
Plan the perfect holiday in the Isles of Scilly with our guide.
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![Luskentyre](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2021/GettyImages-1338099510.jpg?imwidth=160)
Am I in the Caribbean?
Far from it. This is the white sand beach of Luskentyre, on the west coast of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides. The water is colder than the Caribbean, but – thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream – not as cold as it might be.
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![Horsepond Farm](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2021/GettyImages-108348946.jpg?imwidth=160)
Welcome to Provence
Blue skies and the sweet scent of lavender – it could only be the south of France. Not even close. This is Somerset Lavender at Horsepond Farm near Radstock.
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![National Monument of Scotland](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-edinburgh.jpg?imwidth=160)
Are we in Athens?
Nope. This is actually the unfinished National Monument of Scotland, which overlooks Edinburgh from its perch on Calton Hill. Dedicated to those who died fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, construction was halted in 1829 due to a lack of funds.
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![Neasden](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-mandir.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this India?
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is actually found in the rather less exotic surroundings of Neasden, in the London Borough of Brent. Inaugurated in 1995, it was Europe's first traditional Hindu stone temple and cost £12m to build.
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![Dunrobin Castle](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-Dunrobin.jpg?imwidth=160)
Welcome to the Loire Valley
Sorry, but you're not in France. This is Dunrobin Castle, built to resemble a French chateâu but most definitely located in the Scottish Highlands.
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![Kew Gardens](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2021/GettyImages-520403522.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this China?
Kew Gardens, actually. Its 10-storey pagoda has stood for more than 250 years.
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![This is somewhere in Tibet, right?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2021/GettyImages-1068726022.jpg?imwidth=160)
This is somewhere in Tibet, right?
You're not even close – it’s somewhere in Dumfries and Galloway. Founded on the banks of the River Esk in 1967, Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery was the first Tibetan Buddhist Centre to be established in the West. The monastery is open all year round to visitors.
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![Harrogate](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-harrogate.jpg?imwidth=160)
This must be Japan
Britain does cherry blossom too, you know. Who needs Kyoto when you've got Harrogate? The Stray, 200 acres of parkland in the Yorkshire town, is renowned for its pink spring blooms.
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![Ah, isn’t that Copenhagen?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/May/uk-islands-mull.jpg?imwidth=160)
Ah, isn’t that Copenhagen?
Afraid not - this is the too-twee-to-be-true harbour of Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull. It’s one of the top tourist destinations in the Western Isles. It’s just a ferry ride away from Oban and plays host to a whole host of cultural events, including a classical music festival every July.
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![Harrogate's Turkish Baths](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2018/August/harrogate-bath.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this Istanbul?
No, we're back in Harrogate. Yorkshire may not be the first place you would expect to find Moorish arches and arabesque ceilings, but the town's Grade II-listed Turkish Baths have actually been welcoming visitors since 1897. Traditional Turkish baths were in fact surprisingly commonplace in Victorian Britain – more than 600 were built in the 19th and early 20th centuries – but just a handful remain, with Harrogate's being the best preserved example.
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![Cheddar Gorge](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-cheddar.jpg?imwidth=160)
Don't tell me, these are the karst mountains of Guilin?
Sorry to disappoint you, but this is Blighty – Cheddar Gorge, in Somerset, to be exact. Gouged through the Mendips, this is Britain’s grandest limestone ravine. Its floodlit show caves help to attract half a million visitors a year.
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![Are we in Rome?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/August/scotland-orkney.jpg?imwidth=160)
Are we in Rome?
Nope, Orkney. The Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm, to be exact, built by Italian POWs during the Second World War.
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![Castell Coch](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-castel-coch.jpg?imwidth=160)
Bavaria?
It's Castell Coch in South Wales, actually. The Gothic revival castle was built in the late 19th century and is open to the public. The interiors are just as OTT.
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![Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the majestic redwoods of California!](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/August/scotland-redwood.jpg?imwidth=160)
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the majestic redwoods of California!
No, but you’re not too far off: this is Redwood Avenue in Benmore Younger Botanic Garden, Argyll and Bute. Set in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, these trees were planted by the park’s wealthy American owner in 1863.
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![Dorking](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-denbies.jpg?imwidth=160)
A toast to Bordeaux! Or how about Dorking?
Denbies Wine Estate on the edge of the Surrey town is England's largest vineyard, with 265 acres of vines and 300,000 annual visitors. In 2010, Denbies Chalk Ridge Rosé won the IWC international Gold award, beating more than 360 competitors from 21 countries – we'll drink to that.
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![Skye](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-skye.jpg?imwidth=160)
That's Iceland, surely?
In fact it's Skye. Go in early spring to see lambs frolicking against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks, spring flowers carpeting an already glorious landscape, and seabirds, including puffins, returning to nest on its coastal fringes.
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![Brighton's Royal Pavilion](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-brighton.jpg?imwidth=160)
Isn't that the Taj Mahal?
Er, no. It's Brighton's Royal Pavilion. The Prince Regent’s farmhouse turned pleasure palace is Brighton’s most distinctive icon, and a visit here is like gorging on too many cream cakes. Built between 1787-1823, this mock-Mughal extravaganza is a riot of jelly-mould domes and twiddly minarets. The best, most excessive bits though, are inside. There you’ll find flying dragons, swirly carpets, a much-gilded Banqueting Room, nodding mechanical Mandarin figurines, and sublime hand-painted Chinese wallpaper.
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![Ben Nevis](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-ben-nevis.jpg?imwidth=160)
Welcome to the French Alps
The Grampian Mountains, actually. This is Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak. Hiking to the top is quite possible, but best done in summer. For the best views, go via Carn Mor Dearg.
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![Minack Theatre](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-minack.jpg?imwidth=160)
That's Taormina, isn't it?
This open-air stage is actually found on the Cornish coast, not the Mediterranean. The Minack Theatre has been hosting productions for almost a century (but don't be surprised if the seascape steals the show).
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![Old Harry Rocks](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-old-harry-rocks.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this the Great Ocean Road?
Victoria's coastline has nothing on Dorset's. Old Harry Rocks marks the most easterly point of the Unesco-listed Jurassic Coast. Alongside the magnificent geological formations, those who visit in spring and summer can expect to see scarlet pimpernels, poppies, sheep's bit and harebells, alongside distinctive pink pyramidal orchids. Chalkhill Blue butterflies can also often be found feeding from yellow kidney vetch flowers, while it is not uncommon to see peregrine falcons hunting for food for their young.
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![Is that Dubai's newest attraction?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/August/scotland-usher-hall.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is that Dubai's newest attraction?
No. This spectacular place is actually Usher Hall in Edinburgh, built in 1914. Its staircase was given a modern twist in 2009.
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![St Michael's Mount](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/May/mount-new.jpg?imwidth=160)
Are we in Normandy?
It's a dead ringer for Mont Saint-Michel, but this is Cornwall's version: St Michael's Mount. Managed by the National Trust, the tidal island is home to a castle and chapel.
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![Mealt Falls](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/April/britain-mealt.jpg?imwidth=160)
That looks like Hawaii
Nope, we're back in Skye. Mealt Falls, to be precise.
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![I've always wanted to go to Norway](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/August/scotland-lights.jpg?imwidth=160)
I've always wanted to go to Norway
But you can see the Northern Lights in Scotland (sometimes). This was taken at Belhaven Bridge.
Find the best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK in our guide.
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![That's Menton isn't it?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2018/February/wales-menton.jpg?imwidth=160)
That's Menton, isn't it?
Looking an awful lot like the sundrenched town of Menton on the French Riviera, the harbour town of Tenby is one of the country's most popular beach locations. Pembroke Castle and Caldey Island are found nearby, while the Pembrokeshire coast offers some beautiful walks and the chance to spot dolphins in the summer months.
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![Is this a trick question? This has to be Nantucket](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2018/February/wales-lighthouse.jpg?imwidth=160)
Is this a trick question? This has to be Nantucket
Coastal grass thinning over sandy dunes, a solitary white lighthouse with a red top – this has to be Nantucket right? While it does look remarkably like the Brant Point Lighthouse on Nantucket Island in the US state of Massachusetts, it is in fact the Point of Ayr Lighthouse (also known as the Talacre Lighthouse) in Holywell, North Wales.
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![SEC Centre](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2017/August/scotland-exhibition.jpg?imwidth=160)
Welcome to Sydney
It ain't the famous Sydney Opera House, I'm afraid, but Glasgow's SEC Centre. The similarities are striking.
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![I didn't know pineapples grew in Scotland](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/2016/October/landmark-trust-pineapple.jpg?imwidth=160)
I didn't know pineapples grew in Scotland
They do – but only atop this folly in Dunmore. You can stay there with The Landmark Trust.
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