The mistake made by most visitors to the United Kingdom — many British citizens too, actually — is to see it as one entity. But the Act of Union in 1707 masks that this is four distinct nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For outsiders that’s a holiday jackpot; it’s four countries for the price of one, each rich in heritage and gorgeous scenery in 15 national parks. Wales lives up to fantasies of green valleys and rugby singalongs, and its national pride and language is in rude health. And that’s the thing about the United Kingdom: it’s only by touring the country as a whole that you grasp what makes each nation distinct.

Source: The Times May 12, 2021 16:34 UTC