UK & Ireland

Our overseas members choose to visit the UK and Ireland to:

• Look up friends, family and work colleagues
  
• Get a taste of all things English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish: enjoy a spot of croquet and a cream tea, visit historic hotels and castles, or embark upon less gentle pursuits, like fell walking in the highlands or rolling countryside
• Dine well, go to the theatre and party in the big cities

From Stonehenge and Loch Ness to Tintagel and the Giants Causeway, the UK an Ireland are full of history and legend amid wistful green countryside, thatched villages, dramatic coastline, canals, wild and windy moors, and mountains. If the countryside is not your cup of Earl Grey, you can go to the cities and enjoy striking architecture, rich history, great shopping and lively nightlife.

Most of the Ten team are based in the UK so whatever your ideal travel agenda,  we can fix it and offer you the inside track. Let us inspire you.

CHECK IN: CASTLES AND COUNTRY HOTELS

Members who like  properties with a little history choose the medieval moated Amberley Castle (West Sussex), Fife's Myres Castle and the splendid Capella Castlemartyr, a 17th-century country manor house that sits adjacent to the ruins of a 1,000-year-old-castle in West Cork (its private whiskey-tasting sessions are legendary).

For more contemporary country lounging, Whatley Manor and Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds are popular for their cutting-edge design. The on-site stables at New Park Manor in the New Forest are also popular with members.

Lewtrenchard Manor in South Devon boasts four-poster beds and burnished antique furniture. It also has an exceptionally good chef's table, the only one in the South West.

Our members also like the cosy B&B we found in a Welsh valley near prize-winning beaches and the self-catering property in East Kent where the owner provides golden-yolked organic eggs, wine from a superior cellar and a members-only welcome basket for Ten guests.

We can suggest boutique country hotels or town houses, B&Bs by the sea, stone cottages and restorative spa breaks (even a renovated train on the Cardiganshire coast or vintage Airstream trailers on the Isle of Wight).

CITY SIGHTS

The industrial powerhouses that are Leeds and Manchester are full of stylish shopping streets and bars, while Belfast and Cardiff are becoming increasingly popular for city breaks.

Oxford and Cambridge appeal to those after a classically English holiday, with rowing, centuries-old pubs, spires and college chapels. The thermal baths and sweeping Georgian crescents of the World Heritage City of Bath are irresistible, and cathedral-city York, encircled with 13th-and 14th-century walls, is popular with members who want to absorb some history.

If you're in the party spirit, head for the bright lights of the rejuvenated centre of Liverpool and lively seaside resort Brighton. We can check what's on where, book tickets for gigs, gain access to members-only clubs and get invites to VIP parties.

SANDCASTLES TO SEASIDE SUPPERS

Despite unpredictable weather, the UK has some breathtaking beaches and coastline. Recharge on the pebble beach in Hove, grab a kite and make for Camber sands, go sailing in Anglesey, coasteering off the dramatic Pembrokeshire coastline and whale watching off the west coast of Scotland.

Famed for its long stretches of sandy beach and surf, the western tip of Cornwall is a Mecca for foodies. Our members love Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen at Watergate Bay, who will catch mackerel for your supper. Wherever you choose to go, we can help you plan what to do while you're there.

EATING AND DRINKING

British cuisine is not always for the faint of heart, and if you're not brave enough to sample London's jellied eels, Highland haggis or Welsh laverbread, opt for traditional seaside fish and chips, unbeatable Sunday roasts and afternoon teas, or world-famous smoked salmon. We can tell you where to sample a wee dram of whisky, a fancy cocktail or Great British beer and cider. The George in Rye offers some lovely organic English wines (plus gorgeous rooms if you enjoy it too much).

Headline-grabbing restaurants include The Fat Duck in Bray, that serves innovative dishes such as radish ravioli of oyster and snail porridge, and Midsummer House, Cambridge, both of which have Michelin-stars. Members also recommend The Sportsman, hidden up a coastal road in Seasalter near Whitstable, for a pint pot of shrimps, roast rump and a pint of Kentish Ale. We keep a keen eye on new openings and client feedback on old favourites (see Eating Out for more details).

CULTURE

Tate Galleries in London and St Ives are must-visits and the newest, in Liverpool, proves there is more to the city than The Beatles and football. Of course as 2008's European City of Culture, we're promised a year full of exciting events.

Theatre buffs can head to Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, an open-air amphitheatre built into rocks where you can see a play or watch the dolphins perform in the bay beyond. Talk to the entertainment team about your interests and we'll recommend some venues and forthcoming events nationwide.

UK YEAR

Many members time a UK break with one of the many big events throughout the UK year: Cowes Week, The British Grand Prix at Silverstone, The Proms and the Edinburgh Tattoo are most requested. Summer music festivals are popular from Bestival to The Big Chill too. We can access VIP tickets to each of these. If your taste is a little more cerebral, try the Hay-on-Wye literary festival and Harris Arts Festival.

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

Myths and legends abound within these fair shore,s and there are some marvellous castles and palaces, cathedrals, country estates, such as Longleat and Chatsworth, and ancient sites like Stonehenge and Hadrian's Wall to visit.

Sites synonymous with both historical and fictional heroes are hugely popular. King Arthur was said to have been born in Tintagel  Castle, Cornwall and buried at Glastonbury Abbey, Jane Austen wrote in Alton and Wordsworth was inspired by the Lake District. The outside of Northumberland's Alnwick Castle is likely to be familiar to many as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films, and several stunning Scottish houses stole as many scenes as Helen Mirren in The Queen: Castle Fraser in Aberdeenshire, Balmoral, the Glenfeshie Estate and glorious Culzean Castle which dates back to the 1400's.

TALKING OF TARTAN

The Edinburgh International festival and the Fringe in August is a real draw for members and when you're not taking in a show or two, there's the castle, the medieval Old Town, tours of the Scottish Parliament, some spectacular restaurants (The Witchery showcases the best of Scottish game and seafood) and hip bars on George Street. For a particularly luxurious highland fling, members love being escorted along a red-carpeted platform by a bag-piper, before boarding the Orient Express Royal Scotsman for an unforgettable tour of the glens, peaks and lochs (and distilleries) of Scotland.

AROUND THE UK

Even if you live in the UK or Ireland, we can introduce you to some gems that you may not know about. We can source you a spa that welcomes kids, an intimate cottage hideaway for two, or an exclusive-use hotel for that much needed catch-up break with friends. We can even plan you a week-long itinerary, taking in some of those glorious places you've always meant to go to.