- Outside London

Vineyard tour: THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD

No-one laughs at the notion of English wines anymore (well, not everyone), especially our sparklers. Anyway, if you can drag yourself away from the Big Smoke for a couple of days, why not take a short vacation break in a Gloucestershire vineyard, perhaps as an add-on to the London holiday? The Three Choirs vineyard offers a two day package that includes breakfast and dinner for around £220 per lodge

How to get there: you’ll have to take a train from London (Paddington) to Ledbury, (around two and a half hours, about £41 return) then catch a taxi from Ledbury station to the vineyard (about £30)

National Rail for train details

The Visit Britain website is also a useful source of information

Finally, read a review of the Three Choirs vineyard in The Guardian newspaper

BRIGHTON

On a warm summer day, to massage tired hot feet on smooth seaweeded pebbles, washed beneath swirling, foaming sea water, Brighton’s the place to do it. A day trip to the English south coast offers a blend of seaside, kitsch and modernity, the latter served by the back streets filled with Mediterranean type cafes and restaurants, boutiques and music shops...To eat, there's Bankers for well made traditional British fayre, including good ol’ fish and chips, or there are cheaper alternatives on the seafront

To slip away from the madding crowd for a while, hop on the 77, 78 or 79 buses – in thirty minutes you’ll be greeted by the South Downs countryside; whilst the town of Lewes also awaits with galleries and culture – it’s just a 15 minute train ride away from Brighton

For more ideas and information about the area, see the Visit Brighton website

To get there: one hour from Victoria or London Bridge train stations

www.railtrack.co.uk

Brighton Beach

EDINBURGH

The Scottish capital can't be enjoyed as a day trip, but must be savoured over at least a couple of days, as it takes at least four hours to get there. It is eminently visitable all year round, with its fresh air, beautiful castle, cobbled streets, five National Galleries and Museums and shopping that offers anything from cashmere to jewellery. Oh yes, and don't forget to try some haggis...

And then there’s the renowned August Edinburgh fringe festival: an explosion of plays, new films, music, writers’ talks, etc

If you get the chance, get taken on the Edinburgh spooky walking tour at night – it’s a scream

To get there: fastest is by GNER train from King’s Cross (around four hours); there is also a sleeper service between Euston and Edinburgh Waverley – the First Scotrail Caledonian

Visit the Edinburgh Tourist Board for information about what’s on and where, including details of the Edinburgh Festival and places to stay

Edinburgh Castle at night ©stuartyreynolds

Scone Palace, Perth

Don't believe everything you read in Shakespeare's plays: Macbeth was apparently a 'good' king who ruled Scotland for 17 years between AD 1040 and 1057 - not the tyrant as portrayed in that dark play...

But it was at Scone Palace where Shakespeare had him crowned king:

Ross: "Then 'tis most like/The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth

MacDuff: "He is already named and gone to Scone/To be invested"

(Act 2/Scene 4: lines 28-32)

Scone Palace - the former crowning place of Scottish kings and seat of parliament. Today the visitor is greeted by not a few noisy, ostentatious, magnificent peacocks, who have made their home quite well here. The Palace is said to be very beautiful, seated elegantly near the River Tay which stretches towards the city of Perth. A visit to the lovely Scottish Highlands calls for pause at this historic place, now the home of the Earl and Countess of Mansfield, descendants of that great eighteenth century judge, Lord William Mansfield.