Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Stretching for 2 miles north to south, Aberdeen beach is one of the city's unheralded highlights, a sandy expanse that offers huge lowering skies in the winter and recreational opportunities in the summer. The beach connects the two rivers that gave Aberdeen its ancient Gaelic name, the Dee to the south and the Don to the north. For visitors wondering what the wooden walls are that stripe the beach, they are breakwaters (known locally as groynes), designed to keep the sand on the shore. The North Sea's longshore drift has been burgling sand from this site for centuries, so the groynes were built to limit those losses. They also provide a useful measuring stick for walks along the Esplanade, the walkway just back from the angled concrete sea walls.

Holyrood Park
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

On a clear day, visitors at the top of the famous volcanic crag of Arthur's Seat can see Ben Lomond, nearly 97 kilometers (60 mi) away. Sometimes, though, the fog is so thick you can't even see your toes. Winds can be fierce up here, so pack a jacket. Wear comfortable shoes, too, for the stones are slippery from being trod on by millions of visitors over the centuries, including poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. Situated in the royal Holyrood Park, Arthur's Seat stands 251 meters (823 ft) high, offering a brisk walk. The easiest ascent is from Dunsapie Loch on the east side. If the sky is clear, the view is well worth the climb—you'll be able to see from the Pentland Hills to the south of the city, all the way to the distinctive white roofline of the Scottish Parliament Building.

Charlestown Road,
Blackley, Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Boggart Hole Clough is an ancient woodland area blessed with a number of cloughs, natural ravines highly characteristic of the geography of northwest England. This is a great place to chill out with friends on a sunny day. More energetic activities are available in the form of boating, athletics, cross-country runs, and mountain bike races. An annual bonfire and fireworks display takes place every November 5 to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. Boggart Hole Clough is consistently awarded a "green flag," meaning that it is a sanctuary of environmental preservation and cleanliness. Its wildlife ranges from rare birds to ducks, foxes, rabbits, and squirrels.

College Park, Botanic Avenue
Belfast, United Kingdom

One of Belfast's loveliest outdoor spaces, the Botanic Gardens also feature several unique buildings that play an important role in the preservation of Belfast's Victorian heritage. The greenhouse was one of the first such structures ever built and exhibits a graceful steel and curved glass design. Various plants and trees can be found within several gardens here, including a rose garden, a bowling green, and an alpine garden. The Gardens are located just east of the Queen's University campus, making for a great stop on a walking tour of the area. 

Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve
Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom

Known locally as The Vat, this glacial pothole is believed to have been formed thousands of years ago when a large rock lodged in the riverbed caused the water to carve out the underlying granite bedrock. A loop trail in the Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve leads to this geological curiosity and its waterfall. The secluded location was used by notorious bandit Patrick Gilroy Macgregor to hideout from authorities during the 17th century.

The Cliffs/B3135 Off of A371
Cheddar, Somerset, United Kingdom

This enormous gorge is an important archaeological site where Britain's earliest (9,000 years old) human skeleton, the Cheddar Man, was found. Scientists believe that the gorge, which reaches a depth of 113 meters (371 feet) at its deepest point, was formed by million-year-old Ice Age riverbeds. The caves have spectacular rock formations and colonies of greater horseshoe bats. Visitors may visit a museum exhibiting the paleontological findings and a children's entertainment center called the Crystal Quest. Jacob's Ladder, a path of 274 steps with a watchtower at the top, offers a great view of the surrounding areas, including the village of Cheddar, which is famous for its namesake cheese.

Off of A591
South of Keswick, Cumbria County, United Kingdom

This park encompasses one of England's few mountainous regions and includes lakes, fells, beaches, villages, and towns. Established in 1951 to protect the picture-perfect scenery of the mountains and lake, the park is spread over 2,292 square kilometers (885 square miles) and includes verdant valleys, hidden tarns, and splendid waterfalls. In the fall, the red oak forests offer a dramatic contrast to the brown bracken of the slopes and the beginnings of milky-white frost on the mountain peaks. The park is definitely a trekker's delight. The beauty of the Lake District has inspired many artists and writers, such as William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and John Ruskin, to name a few.

Yardley Wood Road
Moseley, Birmingham B13 9JX, England, United Kingdom

R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, moved to the Birmingham village of Sarehole with his widowed mother in 1896. A nearby nature reserve known as Moseley Bog is believed to be Tolkien’s inspiration for the setting of his books, which is a lush fantasy world called Middle-Earth. Featured in The Lord of The Rings as a mill in Hobbiton, Sarehole Mill also is a real place near the author’s childhood home. Today, visitors can explore the bog on trails.

Dan yr Ogof

Off of A4067
Abercrave, Swansea, United Kingdom

This 16-kilometer-long (10-mile-long) cave system in South Wales is probably the largest in Europe. Two brothers, Tommy and Jeff Morgan, were the first to explore the caves in 1912, armed with candles, primitive equipment, and a revolver. The brothers discovered a world of stalactites and stalagmites but were prevented from proceeding further by a large lake. They eventually did cross the lake, and three more lakes after that, using a coracle. Explorer Martyn Farr wrote a book about the system, claiming that the caves actually extend for another 160 kilometers (100 miles). Voted in 2005 as Britain's greatest natural wonder, some of the cave's nearby chambers contain human and animal bones.

Off of B6465/Ashford Lane
Southeast of Manchester
Derbyshire, United Kingdom

This park is one of the earliest national parks in the British Isles, designated in 1951. An area of remarkable biodiversity, it encompasses the moorland and grit stone geology of the northern Dark Peak and the limestone-based southern White Peak. The park offers a host of outdoor activities, including hiking or hill walking trails stretching for over 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles). Mountain bikers and horse riders make extensive use of bridle paths, like the Tissington Trail, converted from former railway lines. The park's reservoirs afford sailing, fishing, and canoeing, and the grit stone formations offer fine rock-climbing experiences. Hang gliding, paragliding, birdwatching, and cave explorations are also popular.

1 Promenade
Portobello, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Portobello Beach, a few miles from Edinburgh city center, has 1.2 kilometers (two miles) of sand, making it perfect for swimming and sunbathing. The beach draws large crowds in good weather and, along with the promenade, hosts a number of popular events, including the annual Big Beach Busk, international volleyball competitions, and triathlon events. A Victorian swimming pool and Turkish baths are also located here. There are several bars and cafés on the promenade as well as restaurants and gift shops. The market in Brighton Park runs on the first Saturday of every month, selling fresh local produce as well as crafts.

– Information provided by VisitScotland