Verstehen · Kapitel 9
Nature & Landscape
Great Britain is astonishingly green, surprisingly wild, and more diverse in its landscapes than most expect. From the dramatic Highlands to the gentle Cotswolds and spectacular coastal paths — British nature rewards anyone who leaves the cities behind.
National Parks & Landscapes
Great Britain has 15 National Parks and 46 AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The most important ones:
- Lake District (England) — England's most beautiful national park: 16 lakes, dramatic fells, Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. UNESCO World Heritage
- Scottish Highlands — The most remote landscape in Europe: Munros, moors, lochs. Home to red deer, golden eagles, and (perhaps) Nessie
- Snowdonia/Eryri (Wales) — Wales' highest mountains (Snowdon, 1,085 m), former slate quarries, dramatic waterfalls
- Cairngorms (Scotland) — Britain's largest national park: subarctic plateaus, ancient Caledonian Pine Forests, reindeer(!)
- Peak District (England) — The "backbone of England" between Manchester and Sheffield: moorland, gritstone cliffs, caves
- Yorkshire Dales (England) — Limestone landscape with dry stone walls, waterfalls, and the most charming villages in Northern England
- Dartmoor (England) — Mysterious moorland: wild ponies, neolithic stone circles, mist. Inspiration for Conan Doyle's "Hound of the Baskervilles"
Coastal Paths
Great Britain's coastline is over 31,000 kilometers long — and a large part of it is accessible via long-distance hiking trails:
- South West Coast Path (1,014 km, Devon & Cornwall) — England's longest hiking trail
- Pembrokeshire Coast Path (300 km, Wales) — Dramatic cliffs and hidden beaches
- West Highland Way (154 km, Scotland) — From Glasgow through the Highlands to Fort William
Hedgerows — England's Green Hedges
England's hedgerow landscapes are an ancient cultural heritage — many hedgerows are over 800 years old and form a network of wildlife corridors. In spring, blackthorn, hawthorn, and wild roses bloom; in autumn, they bear berries and nuts. These hedgerows shape the typical image of the English countryside, which you can see most beautifully in the Cotswolds and Sussex.
Wildlife
Great Britain has a surprisingly rich wildlife:
- Puffins — April to July on the Farne Islands (Northumberland), Skomer Island (Wales), Isle of Staffa (Scotland), and Lundy Island (Devon)
- Red Deer — The largest land animals in Great Britain. Living freely in the Scottish Highlands, Exmoor, and Richmond Park (right in the middle of London!). The rut in October is spectacular
- Seals — Grey seals along the entire coast, especially in Norfolk (Blakeney Point), Cornwall, and the Scottish islands
- Golden Eagles — In the Scottish Highlands. The Cairngorms National Park is the best place for sightings
- Dolphins & Whales — Bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth (Scotland), orcas off the Shetland Islands, basking sharks off Cornwall and the Isle of Man (May–September)
- Highland Cattle — The iconic shaggy cattle with long horns are not wild, but more photogenic than any other livestock in the world
- Wild Ponies — Semi-wild ponies roam freely on Dartmoor, Exmoor, and in the New Forest
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