A slight breeze ruffles the silvery-grey olive leaves. A bird calls high above. In the distance a goat bleats and the sun beats down onto a scene unchanged for hundreds of years. A giant T-shaped stone stands in the middle of a circled stone wall, another T-stone leans tipsily against...

The giant lobster towered over me, its huge red claws wafting in the breeze. A man in a top hat waved to the people gathered round, then trundled off with his cart, pulling his inflatable crustacean through the crowds. I was at Milford Waterfront Fish Festival, in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire...

Stepping on to Piel Island is to take a trip back in time in the most unexpected way. This tiny speck off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness in south Cumbria, is a microcosm of all that is special about Morecambe Bay. It’s got ancient history, abundant bird-life, friendly people, great views...

The soft whiffle of horse’s breath ruffles my hair but I don’t open my eyes. I’m too relaxed, too chilled, too blissed-out to do more than vaguely register that a 3/4 ton Clydesdale horse is towering over me, his gentle, protective energy calming and soothing. I’m on a Full Circle...

‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe’ has got to be one of the quirkiest openings to any piece of literature in the history of writing … Jabberwocky, penned by Lewis Carroll, first saw the light of day in 1871 when Through the Looking...

Peering over the edge of the cliff, the drop didn’t seem that impressive; difficult to imagine it piled high with buffalo carcasses … At the quirkily-named, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump I was trying to picture a scene of carnage described on the information board. The drop was originally more than 60 feet...

Dolphin Fresco from Knossos – photo Armagnac “To the Greeks, Crete seems the most authentically Greek of all the islands, because of the length of its history and its relative remoteness from the ancient centres of war and diplomacy.” So wrote Grecophile Lawrence Durell, renowned author and brother of naturalist...

David Hockney looking at a picture of fellow Yorkshireman Alan Bennett – photo Salts Mill You may have heard of, or even been to see, the new David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain in London. One of this country’s most loved and respected artists, Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937,...

It looked a lot bigger than I had imagined. It also looked a lot prettier, covered in views of Canada’s splendid scenery. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Once you get on the road, you’ll soon forget its size and be enjoying yourself behind the wheel.” I was at the Cruise Canada pick-up centre...

With his hands clutching his long, flowing coat tightly around him, Sir William Hillary (1771-1841) stands high above Douglas Harbour, ready to face everything the weather can throw at him.  As founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution he was well aware of the changeable  meteorological temperament of his home,...

In this article in the World Travel Blogger series, photographer Angus Matheson describes The North Coast 500, a memorable road trip he did with his wife in the Highlands of Scotland. North Coast 500 – the greatest motoring adventure in the British Isles North Coast 500 In 2015 the North Coast...

The Toy Train to Shimla As we clattered along the narrow track, the mountains gradually emerged like shy ballerinas peeking out from behind a curtain of lush green foliage. Glimpsed intermittently at first, the foothills of the mightiest mountain range on earth rose amidst tiny hamlets and towering pine trees....

In our latest ‘World Travel Blogger‘ article, Canadian writer Cindy Baker shares her favourite things to do the beautiful city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal. The clatter of old trams, the smell of sardines on the grill, the haunting melancholy of fado music. In Lisbon, these traditions combine with a...

“No offence, but I want to be THERE, not here.” This was the response from Amber, a participant in one of my recent ‘Introduction to Travel Writing’ Workshops. The group had been given a table covered in travel magazines and I was asking them what had made them choose the one...

Barry McCann explains the history of a northern tradition that dates back centuries and illustrates it with some of photos from this year’s celebrations. Mayor of Preston in Guild Hall Procession There is a saying in Lancashire that goes “Once every Preston Guild” which is probably unfamiliar to anyone outside the county....