cottages4you blog: inspiration for your cottage or villa holiday in UK, Ireland and Europe

Have you ever wanted to take a step through time, in order to walk with the big names and be a part of the standout moments of years gone by?

Well, I’m afraid I haven’t had the time to create a wonderful time machine which allows you to jump from decade to decade, century to century.

But don’t walk away just yet, as I can still have you strolling through history in an instant. All it involves is taking a trip to the majestic British haven of the Isle of Wight.

No, this destination is not living in the past but it does have so many links to some of the world’s greatest people and moments.

Bookworms among you will be able to get up close to some of the sights and sounds which inspired a collection of the greatest words ever wrote.

For instance, I bet you didn’t realise that the early works of John Keats’ Endymion were penned when the poet took a break in Carisbrooke.

Charles Dickens also wrote two drafts of his famed tale David Copperfield while on the Isle of Wight and Lewis Carroll searched the British destination for inspirations for creating the character of Alice.

Hey, you never know, settling into the island yourself could give you the confidence to pick up a pen and paper and start scripting a masterpiece yourself.

If you’re more attached to your kings and queens, the Isle of Wight has many attractions linked with our great Royal Family too.

King Charles I made the southern English region his temporary home in 1647 when he escaped from prison in Carisbrooke Castle, while the island’s Osborne House once accommodated Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Why not live like a powerful king or an elegant queen yourself and discover the royal links which are chained together through the spine of the Isle of Wight?

Posted by David Sollberger, cottages4you

I bet you’re ready to enjoy that brilliant summer British holiday, with a climb up Mount Everest in the morning, followed be a rest on Ayers Rock during the afternoon.

Wait, what? Unless my geography teacher was telling me some huge porkies when I was trying to learn, I am almost certain that these two locations are much further away from Blighty.

And yet, a new survey by OnePoll for Journeys of Distinction has seen at least half of us Brits claiming that Everest is England’s tallest mountain.

Despite dominating a large part of the skyline in Asia, many people are confident that they can begin scaling it without stepping abroad.

Good luck to them, but in reality it is in fact Scafell Pike in the Lake District which presents people with the chance to reach England’s highest point.

Those of you who were paying attention to your geography teacher will also be able to realise that Ayers Rock is one of Australia’s famous landmarks – and yet about a quarter disagreed and thought they could find it in England.

I think they will have a better time trying to find Stonehenge on home turf, although I’m a bit surprised to hear that five per cent of people surveyed thought this was a foreign site.

Honestly, it would be bad enough if a foreign tourist wouldn’t be able to identify one of our most iconic landmarks, but our own countrymen!?

I’m not the only one concerned though, with Karen Gee, managing director of Journeys of Distinction, stating that “it’s such a shame, because the UK has so many national treasures for people to experience, right here on their doorstep”.

Let me give you a word of advice, take a look at what the UK really has to offer and I will bet my bottom dollar that you will write up a list as long as your arm of must-see sights and sounds.

Are you sitting next to a window right now? If so, just take a minute to pull your eyes away from your computer screen and have a peer outside.

Chances are you will see the faint ray of sunshine and the smell of spring in the air, so what better way to ring in this jolly season than taking a stroll outside.

This is not just some easy stroll in the park though – come on, we all want to shake off some of those niggling winter pounds.

Instead, I suggest you head to cottages in Scotland and participate in a trip along the Cape Wrath Trail, known for being the UK's toughest long-distance trail.

I know it sounds like a challenge, but where is the fun in life if you don't push yourself just a little bit?

Just in case you are feeling jittery about the task laid out ahead though, author Iain Harper has already set up a website to give a list of tips for completing the trail without so much of a hitch.

Harper is already launching a guidebook to the Cape Wrath Trail later this year, but has decided to go online too for holidaymakers looking to head to the most north-westerly point in Scotland in the weeks ahead.

Highly-regarded by backpackers from any part of the country, the trail stretches from Fort William to the extreme north-west of the breathtaking country of Scotland.

Along the way, you have the chance to feel like you are walking above the earth along some of the UK's highest cliffs, while seals, seabirds and colourful wildlife usually accompany you for many steps of the way.

Commenting on his new website and how it can help in the challenging trail, Mr Harper said: "The Cape Wrath Trail is unique in that there are so many potential variations and this is an aspect that can be better explored via a website than a book."

Posted by Matt Smith, cottages4you