Chapter 4: A Modern, Thriving Society

Places of Interest

Last checked: 15 July 2026

• 1The UK has a large network of public footpaths in the countryside, and 15 national parks in England, Wales and Scotland — areas of protected countryside open to everyone.
• 2Many museums are free; famous buildings and gardens are open to visitors.
• 3The National Trust (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the National Trust for Scotland are charities that preserve important buildings, coastline and countryside; the National Trust was founded in 1895 by three volunteers, and there are now more than 61,000 National Trust volunteers.
• 4Big Ben — strictly, the nickname of the great bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster); many people also call the clock itself Big Ben.
• 5Big Ben's clock is over 150 years old; in 2012 the clock tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
• 6The Eden Project — in Cornwall, south-west England: giant greenhouse "biomes" housing plants from around the world; focused on environmental education.
• 7Edinburgh Castle — a dominant fortress in Scotland's capital, defended over the centuries against attack; maintained by Historic Scotland.
• 8The Giant's Causeway — on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland: a land formation of thousands of mostly hexagonal columns of rock formed about 50 million years ago; legend links it to the giant Finn McCool.
• 9Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park — in the west of Scotland; Loch Lomond is the largest expanse of fresh water in mainland Britain (about 23 miles / 37 km long).
• 10The London Eye — a giant Ferris wheel on the south bank of the River Thames, 443 feet (135 metres) high, erected as part of the millennium (year 2000) celebrations.
• 11Snowdonia — a national park in North Wales covering 838 square miles (2,170 sq km); its most famous landmark is Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.
• 12The Tower of London — first built by William the Conqueror after 1066; tours are given by the Yeoman Warders ("Beefeaters"); the Crown Jewels are kept and displayed there.
• 13The Lake District — England's largest national park, covering 885 square miles (2,292 sq km); famous for its lakes and mountains; its largest lake is Windermere.