Bath may be no more than 13 miles from the city of Bristol but it is incredibly different in a great many ways. Bath is much more leisurely than its neighbour. With its Georgian buildings, elegant crescents and countless open spaces it is an amazingly popular take a short city break.

The city has been important for at least two thousand years. Because of the hot springs, unique in Britain, it was a shrine to the Celts. It was not until the arrival of the Romans that, because of their technical expertise, best use of the springs was made. Right up until today the Roman Baths are a popular tourist attraction.

Until the 16th century Bath was just a town, In the year fifteen ninety Queen Elizabeth I granted the town a Royal Charter, having paid a visit to the town in 1574. In the eighteenth century the city of Bath became an incredibly popular spa resort where etiquette was primary and Beau Nash ruled the social scene.

It was during this time that Jane Austen, who lived in the city, wrote Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, and where Gainsborough, the artist, became a famous portraitist and landscape artist. If you are interested you can can discover more about Jane Austen, Bath's most famous resident, at the fascinating Jane Austen Centre.

There are masses of visitor attractions in Bath including, the already mentioned Roman Baths, The Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey and The Holburne Museum of Arts. The Assembly Rooms is a must see tourist attraction and this is where you will find the interesting Museum of Costume which displays a selection of historical and modern dress.

Many people choose to visit Bath for a day but if you would rather not rush around it is far better to stay for a few days and walk around peacefully exploring all the city has to offer.

If you are planning a vacation in Bath it is important to know that although there are many hotels and guest houses in Bath finding Bath bed and breakfast can sometime be rather difficult. It is because of this that it is crucially important to book your accommodation at the earliest opportunity.

Finally I would like to wish that you have a thoroughly enjoyable vacation in the amazing city of Bath, England.

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The Western Isles are an archipelago situated not too far off the Scottish West coast.  The isles of the Inner & Outer Hebrides have been inhabited since the Mesolithic period and throughout their history the language and culture has been immensely influenced by various races and today the culture of the Hebrides is a blend of Norse, Celtic, Scottish and English influences. The majority of people speak in the Gaelic language and although many talk in English, it is commonly their 2nd language. Not too many years ago visits to the Inner and Outer Hebrides were only for folk with plenty of money and those who could afford plenty of time. These days it is far, far to get to the Western Isles/Outer Hebrides, you can travel by car and ferry or take a flight to a number of destinations on the islands. Regrettably it is not possible to get all of the way by train but it is possible to travel coast and then travel by coach for the rest of the journey. Often the only problem that can turn up is sorting out accommodation especially if  you are searching for accommodation for groups on the Isle of Harris which is more often than not booked up twelve months in advance.

One of the most common factors in attracting visitors to the Outer Hebrides is that the the landscape and the culture of the Isles are dramatically unique.  On the Isle of Harris are to be found some of the most breath takingly beautiful golden sandy beaches in all of Scotland, and many folk say the U.K. Here and there you will notice a standing stone on the Harris coastline however it is on the Isle of Lewis that you will discover the best stone circle at Calanais not a huge distance from the town of Stornoway the only town in the Outer Hebrides. The Calanais standing stones is said to be second only to Stonehenge in England.

Deciding which island, Harris or Lewis, to stay on is often a difficult decision and more and more people are settling to spend a short time on each. B&B accommodation on Lewis is frequently available than Isle of Harris accommodation, so you should try to book as early as possible.

Bed and breakfast in Stornoway is is far easier to book but again to be certain book well in advance. Virtually all accommodation in the Hebrides is of a very high standard and the hospitality is the best you are likely to witness and the folk friendly and helpful.

Besides the Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Harris there are a few other inhabited isles that are easy to visit. The most popular are North and South Uist, Barra and Benbecula and you will find a ferry which runs from North Uist to Harris at Leverburgh, a small village on South Harris.

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