WALES

Lying to the west of England, Wales is a nation with firm Celtic roots, its own language and rich history. Humans might have been shaping the land for millennia but there are plenty of lonely corners left to explore, lurking behind mountains, within valleys, and along surf-battered cliffsides. A vast network of paths makes Wales true hikers paradise - thousands of people visit for this reason alone.

• Cardiff - The capital of Wales since only 1955, Cardiff has embraced its new role with vigour, emerging as one of Britain's leading urban centres in the 21st century.

• Pembrokeshire - Wales' western extremity is famous for its beaches and coastal walks, as well as being home to one of Britain's finest Norman castles.

• Snowdonia National Park - (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) founded in 1951 and annually receiving around 350,000 people to climb, walk or take the train to the summit of Mt Snowdon, Wales' highest mountain.

• Conwy Castle - The most stunning of all Edward I's Welsh fortresses - with commanding views across the estuary and Snowdonia National Park.

SCOTLAND

Despite its small size, Scotland has many treasures crammed into its compact territory – big skies, lonely landscapes, spectacular wildlife, superb seafood and hospitable, down-to-earth people. From the cultural attractions of Edinburgh to the heather-clad hills of the Highlands, there's something for everyone.

• Edinburgh - From the imposing castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the Royal Yacht Britannia, every corner turned reveals views and unexpected vistas – green sunlit hills, a glimpse of rust-red crags, a blue flash of the distant sea.

• Isle of Skye - Head north through the Scottish Highlands to experience the epic scenery of this rugged island - a 50-mile-long smorgasbord of velvet moors, jagged mountains, sparkling lochs and towering sea cliffs.

• Glen Coe - Scotland's most famous glen combines the two essential qualities of Highlands landscape: dramatic scenery and deep history.

• Glasgow - Standing in complete contrast to the capital, the city of Glasgow offers a unique blend of friendliness, energy, dry humour and urban chaos, and also boasts excellent art galleries and museums.

• Loch Lomond & the Trossachs - Loch Lomond have long been Glasgow's rural retreat - with the main tourist focus on the loch's western shore. Nearby Trossachs is a region famous for its thickly forested hills and scenic lochs.

• Stirling Castle - Parallels to Edinburgh Castle aside, the 14th century Stirling Castle is considerably more atmospheric – the location, architecture, historical significance and commanding views combine to make it a grand and memorable sight.

• Inverness - Primary city of the Highlands - with a great location astride the River Ness at the northern end of the Great Glen. Inverness is the perfect jumping-off point for exploring Loch Ness and northern Scotland.

• Loch Ness - Deep, dark and narrow, this 23-mile lake stretches between Inverness and Fort Augustus. Its cold waters have been extensively explored in search of the elusive and mysterious Loch Ness monster, but most visitors see her only in cardboard cut-out form at the monster exhibition.

• North Coast 500 - The stunning coastline of northern Scotland has become hugely popular, with thousands of people completing the 500-mile route by car, campervan, motorbike or bicycle.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Dragged down for decades by the violence and uncertainty of the Troubles, Northern Ireland today is a nation rejuvenated. Belfast has become a happening place with a famously vibey nightlife and the stunning Causeway Coast gets more and more visitors each year.

BELFAST

Once part of a list of cities to avoid at all costs, Belfast has pulled off a remarkable transformation from bombs-and-bullets pariah to hip-hotels-and-hedonism party town. The city centre is compact with the imposing City Hall in Donegall Sq the central landmark. The old shipyards on the Lagan continue to give way to the luxury apartments of the Titanic Quarter, whose centrepiece is the stunning, star-shaped Titanic Belfast centre, the city's number-one tourist draw. The Belfast Visitor Pass (1, 2 or 3 days) allows unlimited travel on bus and train services in Belfast and around, and discounts on admission to Titanic Belfast and other attractions.

CAUSEWAY COAST

Ireland isn't short of scenic coastlines, but the Causeway Coast between Portstewart and Ballycastle (and the Antrim Coast between Ballycastle and Belfast), are as magnificent as they come. The spectacular Giant's Causeway rock formation – Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage site – is one of Ireland's most impressive and atmospheric landscape features, a vast expanse of regular, closely packed, hexagonal stone columns looking for all the world like the handiwork of giants.

DERRY / LONDONDERRY

Northern Ireland’s second city will come as a pleasant surprise to many visitors. Not only was the city centre given a handsome makeover pre-2013 - now sporting the new Peace Bridge, Ebrington Square, a redevelopment of the Waterfront and Guildhall area making the most of the city’s riverside setting - the city’s lively pubs are home to a burgeoning live-music scene. But perhaps the biggest attraction is the people themselves: warm, witty and welcoming.