10 Best Viewpoints in the UK

Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch in Dorset and the sort of view that just begs to be shared. It’s part of the famous Jurassic Coast and even resembles some prehistoric leviathan taking a drink from the English Channel.

The best view of the door and the shingle beach it protects is available from a lookout point a short walk to the west, in the direction Butter Rock and Bat’s Head. Alternatively, you can walk along the headland itself and see Durdle Door to your right and Man O’War Beach to your left, which is almost as impressive.

Beachy Head provides a striking view along England’s southern coast from the top of a 531-ft vertical drop into the English Channel. So long as you’ve got a head for heights, it certainly earns its place among the best viewpoints in the UK. With a road passing almost directly behind the cliff edge, it’s one of the more accessible, too.

The view over Eastbourne and along the sheer chalk cliffs is splendid. See if you can spot all of the Seven Sisters – the chalk hills in the cliffs that line the sudden end of the South Downs. There’s also the Beachy Head Lighthouse to see just off the shoreline. Its 141-ft height is dwarfed by its namesake headland.

Snowdonia National Park is, of course, home to Snowdon – the tallest peak in Wales. On a clear day, the stunning panoramas available from 3,560 ft up can include 24 counties, 29 lakes and 17 islands, incorporating England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man (and Wales, obviously). Fortunately, with the Snowdon Mountain Railway available, you don’t need to be a mountaineer to enjoy one of the best viewpoints in the UK. If you do fancy a challenge, there are several paths to choose from, offering different degrees of difficulty.

If mountaintop views aren’t really your thing, Snowdonia National Park offers some noteworthy alternatives. Check out Caernarfon Castle and Conwy Castle or ride one of the romantic heritage railways through the rolling countryside. You can even head underground and explore subterranean quarry mines at Llechwedd.

Visiting Arthur’s Seat is one of the top things to do in Edinburgh, and it’s not hard to see why. The view that this former volcano gives you across the rooftops of Scotland’s capital is exceptional. Don’t worry – the volcano last erupted about 350 million years ago, so it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll find the seat getting too hot to sit on.

Arthur’s Seat forms the majority of Holyrood Park, at the eastern end of the Royal Mile. The hike up to the top can be challenging but well worth the effort, as you'll reach one of the best viewpoints in the UK. Edinburgh surrounds you in all directions, with the Firth of Forth visible to the north and other highlights easily spotted from this 823-ft-high hilltop.

The Giant’s Causeway is a formation of about 40,000 basalt columns, each seeming to perfectly interlock with the next to the extent that it looks almost manmade. Remarkably enough, it is entirely natural – the result of a volcanic eruption about 60 million years ago, after which the gradual cooling of the erupted lava created the iconic look. The legend that the causeway was built by an Irish giant who was challenged to a fight by a Scottish giant is more fun, though.

While you’re visiting this highlight of County Antrim’s north coast, you should check out the visitor’s centre to learn more about its formation. Be sure to wrap up warm and put on some sturdy footwear for when you’re ready to walk on the causeway itself, though, as the wind off the Irish Sea can be very brisk.

Cheddar Gorge has around 9,000 years of human history and even more natural history. And, of course, England’s most famous cheese. Cliff Road runs right through the gorge, making it very easy to discover this rugged landscape and its cathedral-like caves.

If you’re feeling adventurous, there are nearly 400 climbing routes on the north side of the gorge as well as the 2 main caves that are open to the public – Gough’s Cave and Cox’s Cave. There are also a few walking paths leading off the road if you want to get a few different views. If you’d rather have a more easy-going visit, the Cheddar Man Museum of Prehistory is worth a visit. It’s vest to visit Cheddar Gorge during the week and early in the morning if you can, as it’s very busy at weekends.

There may be no more emblematic view of England than that of the White Cliffs of Dover. The sheer wall of chalk towers up to 350 ft above the waters of the English Channel at their narrowest point, making the cliffs visible from France on a clear day. The strip of vibrant white on the horizon has been a symbol of defence and defiance since Roman times.

Despite what Vera Lynn would have you believe, you’re not actually likely to see bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover tomorrow or any other day. Instead, you may see peregrine falcons, ravens, skylarks, swallows and entire colonies of gulls. There’s also the nearby Dover Castle – England's largest castle – and its Roman lighthouse as well as a Victoria-era lighthouse to see.

Loch Ness is perhaps better known for the monster that may or may not live in the lake’s frigid waters than for offering spectacular views of the Scottish countryside. However, the scenery surrounding Britain’s largest lake (by volume) is undoubtedly impressive and well worth seeing.

The highlights around the second-deepest and second-longest lake in Scotland include Urquhart Castle, the Falls of Foyers and Aldourie Castle Estate. However, if you head to the southern end of the lake, you’ll find the Loch Ness Viewpoint and a spectacular vista right along its length, with forested hills framing both sides. While you’re there, look over your right shoulder to see the old Fort Augustus Lighthouse.

Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in South Wales and deserving of its name, which translates as ‘Top Peak’. On a clear day, you can see the Bristol Channel, Swansea Bay, the Gower Peninsula, the Cambrian Mountains, the Clee Hills in Shropshire, Exmoor and most of Mid and South Wales from the top. It’s a breathtaking view, to say the least.

While there are no restrictions on access to Pen y Fan – indeed, hundreds of thousands of walkers summit it each year – it’s worth remembering that the British Army uses it to weed out all but their toughest soldiers. They’re required to take the most challenging route to the 2,907-ft-high peak, and there are significantly easier options, but the point remains that it can be a challenging climb and the weather can be very changeable. It’s wise to prepare accordingly.

Primrose Hill is the highlight of a pleasant park in Camden, a stone’s throw from Regent’s Park. This smaller and less famous green space has the honour of being one of the highest natural points in London. From its 210-ft-high summit, you can enjoy a pretty good view of central London if you look south, Hampstead if you look north at an engraved quotation from William Blake if you look down.

You can easily walk to Primrose Hill from St. John’s Wood Tube station and, being a fairly low hill, getting to the top isn’t very trying. Exploring the rest of the park, you’ll find an old oak tree planted in 1864 to mark 300 years since William Shakespeare’s birth. The park was once a popular place for duels and prize fights, but it’s now a peaceful escape and pleasant patch of green among London’s sprawl.