UK Road Trip?

Don't stop at Loch Ness. Real Scotland begins there. The road from Ullapool to Durness is spactacular.

Wherever you go, call in at the local Tourist Info Centre. Costs nothing, and will help you find all the quirky stuff (such as Highland Games events - do NOT miss that).

Have you been to Ludlow? www.ludlow.org.uk and the nearby Long Mynd, Stiperstones, Wenlock Edge and Mortimer Forest which are some of the most beautiful places in Britain.

A short and distinctly quirky side trip, but check the tide first. Leave the M6 at Lancaster, go to the Snatchems pub just outside the town http://www.snatchems.co.uk/ but only if the road is not under water. Then go a few miles along the road to Sunderland (the Lancashire village, not the town in the North-East), the country's only mainland village to be accessible only by a tidal road over the mudflats (it is a tarred surface, quite safe to drive on when the tide is out). Repeat - check the tide. If it comes in while you are at Sunderland you are there for several hours before it goes out and the road is clear again.

From Blackpool find your way back to the M6 and head North. Turn off at the Tebay junction, having just passed by the stunning scenery afforded by the Howgills (hills) on one side and the Lakeland fells in the distance on the other side. Head for Brough to join the A66 heading east over the roof of England (Pennines). Turn off the A66 and head for Barnard Castle then up the Teesdale valley through Middleton-in-Teesdale and over the tops to Alston. This is recognised as one of the world's greatest drives. Along the way you will pass close to High Force - the biggest waterfall in England. There are several other waterfalls near this route.

From Alston head east and then north to drive through Northumberland to Berwick-Upon-Tweed. This route takes you past or near to iconic places such as Alnwick Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle, Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne. Enjoy.

head to the lake District and drive over the hardknott pass and Wrynose pass

That's an awful lot of driving for one week.

And it's 'Liverpool' (all one word)

Southern downs and somerset for me - a dash of whales

The smallest house in Britain is in Conwy North Wales. So you should go to Blackpool before Liverpool.

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