Five more amazing vantage points in the UK

When we asked you, our scholars, for amazing vantage points in the UK, the submissions came flooding in and if the UK is one thing, it is beautiful so naturally, we had to bring you, ‘five more amazing vantage points in the UK’. These vantage points have been added to our list of ‘must-see’ places and we expect they will be added to yours too.

1. MINACK THEATRE, CORNWALL

Perched atop a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Minack Theatre is unique in both style and location. Created by Rowena Cade and Billy Rawlings, the theatre with a capacity of 750 sees 110,000 people watch performances between May and September. Visitors are also able to visit the theatre throughout the year to view the unique space.

Tililenji Phiri, Zambia

‘Apart from viewing beautiful natural scenery, what else can you do on a cliff side in Cornwall? You can watch your favourite play! How cool is that?!

When I saw the theatre, I was struck by the beauty, the creativity and the scenery – I just could not get enough. When I smelled the wonderful aroma of freshly baked pies coming from the café next to the theatre, all I could think was, ‘how much more British can one feel in a day?’

No amount of pictures can do justice to the beauty of this theatre. You just have to visit it to believe me!’

Angelia Khaterine, Indonesia

‘Five Cheveners and I took a road-trip from Scotland to Cornwall to see Minack Theatre; an open-air theatre with a view of Porthcurno Bay. We chose Cornwall as our destination because we wanted to experience summer with beach panoramas in the UK. In this photo, I was really mesmerised by the natural beauty of the UK and how the UK, despite its cold weather, also has such beautiful beaches.’

2. INGLETON FALLS, YORKSHIRE DALES

At 4.3 miles, the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail in the Yorkshire Dales is one of the most popular walking trails in the area due to the spectacular waterfall and woodland scenery that can be seen throughout the route. Following an article in the ‘Lancaster Guardian’ in 1885, the trail gained popularity and by 1888, saw 3840 people visit in a single day.

Ludo Chube, Botswana

‘Ingleton Falls in the Yorkshire Dales was quite a marvel. This was my first travel experience outside of Manchester and I was with all four of my flatmates. What inspired me to take this photo was the stillness, serenity and scenic character of this view. It looked like a picture you would expect from a postcard and was simply breath-taking. We hiked for more than 3 hours that day but we did not notice because the entire view was too beautiful and too distracting for one to pay attention to how long they had walked uphill! I look forward to many more adventures before heading home!’

3. CAMEL TRAIL, CORNWALL

The Camel Trail is an 18 mile free trail in the Cornish countryside which can be accessed by walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and wheel-chair users. The surfaced and largely level trail follows an unused railway line near the River Camel and extends from Wenfordbridge to Padstow.

Rahma Adzhani, Indonesia

‘A woman enjoying the beautiful view at the Camel Trail in Cornwall. 

In spring, my friends and I were biking the Camel Trail in Cornwall. This is one of the best bike trails in the UK, providing access to the beautiful Cornish countryside along a disused railway line between Wenfordbridge, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow. I enjoyed the lush green views on one side and beautiful blue sea on the other side of the trail. At the end, we arrived in Padstow which is a fascinating village town. We enjoyed fish and chips while enjoying the beautiful beach in perfect sunny weather with local musical performances next to us.

When going back, I saw a woman sitting alone and enjoying the view on the side of the Camel Trail. She seemed grateful for what she saw.’

4. HOLYROOD PARK, EDINBURGH

Holyrood Park in the centre of Edinburgh is a royal park with human activity dating back to at least 5000 BC. The park has a large number of hills, lochs, glens, ridges and more within its 650-acre landscape. At the centre of the park is Arthur’s Seat which is the highest point in Edinburgh. With such an extensive history combined with a truly beautiful landscape, there are many vantage points throughout the park that make it a place you have to see.

Haleemah Alaydi, Jordan

‘Last December, a group of friends and I decided to visit one of UK’s most beautiful cities, Edinburgh. We spent three days touring the city’s attractions, famous museums and castles. 

My favourite vantage point was Holyrood Park, which lies in the heart of the city. I couldn’t leave the city without scrambling up to the highest point in Holyrood Park so I made my way to Arthur’s Seat which is an ancient volcano and a place which gives an excellent view of the city whilst capturing the beauty of Edinburgh’s greeneries and grasslands. It took us about an hour to climb up to the top to admire the spectacular panoramic views of the city and wander around the landmark. Since Arthur’s Seat offers so many views, we stayed there until the sunset and enjoyed the views overlooking Edinburgh Castle and Old Town making sure to take many photos to keep as memories.’

5. DURDLE DOOR, DORSET

On the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset sits Durdle Door – one of the most famous natural arches in the world with a history going back circa 10,000 years. Durdle Door has been classed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with the arch and adjacent beach under the protection of UNESCO teams. The beach is accessible by car, train, and bus.

I Gusti Ngurah Agung Riyandi, Indonesia

‘I have been a big fan of dinosaurs since my childhood. As a child, I often dreamed of going to places where I could find dinosaurs, well, at least their fossils. I initially thought of Costa Rica which is the filming location for Jurassic Park but then I discovered the UK has a UNESCO heritage site where many dinosaur fossils have been found!

Driving along the coast from Dorset AONB to Bournemouth with my housemates, we decided to stop in Seven Sisters to catch the sunset. I explored the area nearby and realised there is a natural limestone arch called ‘Durdle Door’ that was made by water erosion.

I couldn’t believe my eyes because the limestone arch looks almost the same as one we have in Bali, Indonesia; the place where I grew up. The arch looks like a door that takes you to another dimension… perhaps to the past where dinosaurs were actually living there. As I sat there in the same place daydreaming and lost in thought, I didn’t realise it was getting dark until my housemate called for me to continue the trip. As I walked to the car, I realised how amazing the UK really is.’

Thank you to all of our scholars who submitted pictures and stories to this theme.

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