Best of Britain: hotels, walks and attractions

Best of Britain: hotels, walks and attractions:
Brighton
Our comprehensive guide to the best of Britain, from hotels and pubs to walking routes and unusual attractions.
Brighton manages to be both hip and quaint in a very British seaside kind of way; it’s also a shopping mecca.
Knoydart Peninsula, Highlands

Often described as Britain's last wilderness, the remote and rugged Knoydart Peninsula is cut off by road from the rest of the Scottish mainland by a ring of forbidding mountains. Those who do make the sea crossing from Mallaig to get there will be rewarded by pristine highland scenery in all its glory. There are walks to suit all fitness levels, ranging from gentle coastal meanders with views across to Skye to more challenging ascents of munros and corbetts such as Ladhar Bheinn and Sgurr Coire Choinnichean.

The latter gives spectacular views across the peninsula and conveniently starts and finishes at the Old Forge, the only pub in the tiny village of Inverie (population 80). The weather this far north can be unpredictable and those who are not familiar with this terrain are advised to use the services of the local rangers who run guided walks.

Alternatively they could sign up for a tour with an adventure company such as Wilderness Scotland , which operates winter walking holidays with tuition on using crampons and an ice axe.

Edinburgh city break guide

Edinburgh city break guide:
The joy of Edinburgh is that you never need an excuse to visit. There is always something going on, something different to experience, something new to catch your eye. If you only think about the city at Festival time or Hogmanay, boy, are you missing out. You can get high just gazing at the architecture, from the craggy Castle to the mysteries of its Old Town medieval closes, from the Georgian splendour of the New Town to the contemporary tang of Leith. Then weather there’s the clutch of galleries – all nicely do-able in size – and fanfare of museums and attractions, offering a tantalising choice for even the pickiest family.

In truth, you don’t need to do the “arts-culture-history” thing to get a zing out of Edinburgh. Mosey around the streets – particularly just off-centre, say in Stockbridge or around Grassmarket – and you’ll chance on a quirky shop, artisan deli or laidback café. This is a city perfect for browsing, sitting back, or just doing nothing but blessing your cleverness for finding this little place. There are five Michelin-starred restaurants alone, while drinking options range from whisky-fuddled pubs to designer bars.And did we mention food?

Yes, it can get busy; yes, it can rain. But this city pushes so many buttons, you’d have to be a frigid Philistine to visit and remain unmoved.
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Freighter travel- Phil Davis's

Freighter travel- Phil Davis's

We've rented the same cottage in Dunwich on the Suffolk coast for seven years and I'll do it forever. There's just a pub, a fish and chip shop and a shale beach and it has a very austere kind of beauty. It's a bucket-and-spade holiday with my wife Eve, my little girl Amy, nine, and my son Hugo, 15, who joins us because he lives in Suffolk with his mother, my former partner Madeleine. We have a lovely time. It depends on the weather of course, but if it's sunny we can laze about in the garden, go for walks or drive to friends. Suffolk is very trendy now but I have history there. I've been in love with it since I bought a little cottage in Orford in 1984. That bit of the coast from Orford down to Woodbridge is my favourite place in the world.

Last Easter we stayed at the Elysium Hotel in Paphos. It was absolutely wonderful; a five-star hotel with lovely rooms and amazing food. We had a dinner and breakfast deal and I wasn't expecting much, I thought we'd eat out most of the time but we didn't go anywhere else. They also had a fantastic pool and the staff were charming.At other times it was part of the Hellenistic world.