London can be the perfect jumping off point for these off-the-beaten path ways to experience the U.K.

In the 18th century, Samuel Johnson suggested that anyone who is tired ofLondon is tired of life. However, you don’t have to be tired of London to fancy a change of scenery for a few days. A short train ride or flight from the English capital allows you to hunt for game in Scotland, spend a day or two exploring a quintessential seaside town, learn to fly-fish while staying in a fabulous 17th-century manor house, or follow in the steps of Roman soldiers alongside Hadrian’s Wall in the outstanding Northumberland countryside.


Inverlochy Castle: Heaven in the Highlands


Charlie Chaplin was one of the first superstars to wend his way to this fine Scottish palace, and many have followed in his footsteps. The original 13th-century castle has become a picturesque ruin that lies just a couple of miles down the road from its current namesake, built in the 19th century. Inverlochy Castle is one of Scotland’s finest country-house hotels, located among the glens, lochs and mountains of the West Highlands. In September 1873, during a trip toBalmoral, Queen Victoria spent a week here sketching and painting. She wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot.” Apparently, her opinion still holds: Inverlochy was voted Best Hotel in Europe by Travel +Leisure magazine in 2006.

The British Royal Family regularly pops up to Scotland for a spot of hunting and shooting, and there’s no reason why the rest of us can’t do the same at Inverlochy. The season for a variety of game birds begins on the Glorious Twelfth—as August 12 is known—and continues until January 31. The season for deer is staggered through the year, depending on type. Guests can book hunting trips through the castle.

Inverlochy advertises its surroundings as the “Outdoor Capital of the U.K.” So, if hunting isn’t your bag, you’ll find plenty of other activities on offer, from whitewater rafting and off-road driving to more gentle pursuits, like pony trekking or the ancient art of falconry. Scotland is also one of the great salmon-fishing regions in the world.

Then there’s the food: salmon, lobsters, West Coast prawns, oysters and mussels, plus superb Angus beef.

From London, flight time to Inverness is approximately 1.5 hours. Arrangements can be made for airport pickup—in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, for instance, should you wish to start your visit with a splash.

LOCATION: 1.5 hours by plane. NW of London in Scotland.

INFORMATION: inverlochycastlehotel.com

FOOD & LODGING: When staying at the castle, you won’t want to eat elsewhere.


Walking the Wall: Hadrian’s Legacy

The Romans invaded Britain in A.D. 43, but Hadrian’s Wall was not built until about A.D. 122. Thousands of soldiers are believed to have taken six years to complete the job.

Hadrian’s Wall is the largest structure the Romans ever made, and today it is classified as a World Heritage Site. It stretches 73 miles from Wallsend on England’s northeast coast to Bowness in the west, dividing England from Scotland—as the Romans intended. Created by Roman emperor Hadrian almost 2,000 years ago, it wends its way across a landscape that hasn’t changed much since the Roman soldiers walked the wall to protect England from northern invaders.

During your visit to the wall, you will come across Roman remains of forts, garrisons and barracks. The excellent museum at Vindolanda has some extraordinary objects on display, like Roman leather shoes and wooden tablets on which the disgruntled soldiers wrote their complaints about the weather, the local people and the shortage of beer.

If you’re short on time, take a few circular walks. Walkers can take the convenient Hadrian’s Wall Bus to move from section to chosen section. Housesteads is the best-preserved Roman fort in Britain and a good place to start walking close to the wall. The bus departs from Newcastle and takes1.5 hours to reach Housesteads, stopping at five places along the picturesque route. (Information, including a full timetable, is available at hadrians-wall.org.)

Northumberland is a beautiful, unspoiled part of England, with perhaps the best beaches in the U.K. It is the least densely populated county in the country, with wide-open landscapes. Newcastle-upon-Tyne makes a good home base for explorations of the wall. An attractive, bustling city, it offers excellent accommodations and shopping. Directflights from London’s Heathrow Airport to Newcastle take 45 minutes.

LOCATION: 45 minutes by plane. NW of London in Newcastle.

INFORMATION: Hadrian’s Wall Bus: northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/hadrianswallbus; walks: nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall

FOOD & LODGING: Stay at the Jesmond Dene House in Newcastle (www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk) and dine at Café 21 (cafetwentyone.co.uk).


Brighton: The City by the Sea


When Londoners want to get out of town for a few days, their thoughts frequently turn to the seaside—and the southern coastal town of Brighton, just under an hour away by train.

Brighton is slick and sophisticated, but it also has a small whiff of Coney Island about it. Walk down Marine Parade to the Palace Pier to see a fine example of Victorian seaside architecture. Then take a stroll to the end of the pier, past the candy-floss kitsch, and you can have your own Titanic experience as you gaze across the waters of the English Channel.

Brighton became popular in the early 18th century with the Prince Regent, later to become King George IV, who built a magnificent seaside palace there called the Royal Pavilion. In the mid-19th century, it was rebuilt by architect John Nash, who created the extraordinary building we see today—a strange mix of Indian domes and minarets, with a lavish Chinese-style interior.

The Lanes, the oldest part of Brighton, was the first part of town reconstructed after the original village was burnt to the ground by the invading French in the 16th century. Its narrow lanes are lined with small cafés and gift shops, many housed in the original buildings.

Brighton Beach is nothing like its sandy counterpart in New York. Here, you crunch along the seaside instead of walking on it—it’s pebbles, pebbles all the way.

Save an evening for the beautiful Theatre Royal, a very special place for Brightonians. In a building first opened in 1807, the company presents an eclectic mix of West End musicals and plays, along with opera and ballet. The theater has presented many celebrated actors, including Sarah Bernhardt in the 19th century and Flora Robson, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall and Bette Davis in the 20th.

LOCATION: Less than one hour away by train. S of London in Brighton.

INFORMATION: visitbrighton.com

FOOD & LODGING: Stay at Drakes Hotel (drakesofbrighton.com) and dine at English’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar (englishs.co.uk).


Winchester: Where to Spot Flying Fish

What better way to spend a short break from the bright lights of the capital than to indulge in a weekend of fly-fishing? The country’s most famous place for this tranquil sport is Winchester, an hour by train from London.

Winchester was chosen by King Alfred the Great in A.D. 827 as the capital of England, and it remained so for hundreds of years. Today, it is no longer the capital but remains a beautiful little town, famous for its historic cathedral and college. Former U.S. president George Bush Sr. regularly visits the hotel to cast his line and enjoy the peace of the surrounding countryside.

Conveniently placed for fishing and excursions to town, Lainston House Hotel is an elegant William and Mary house built in the 17th century. It sits on 63 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside, as well as on the doorstep of two of the most celebrated fly-fishing rivers in the world, the Test and the Itchen. The hotel’s food, produced by its award-winning chef, is equally fabulous. A professional fly-fishing instructor is available for all levels of expertise.

This part of England has long-time fishing connections. Izaak Walton, regarded as the father of angling, lived in Winchester and published The Compleat Angler in 1653—now the most reprinted fishing book of all time. Frederick Halford invented dry fly-fishing in the Winchester rivers in the 1870s.

The attractions of the city itself are also not to be missed. Winchester is packed with historic buildings, but if you have limited time, aim for Winchester College and the cathedral. The college was founded in 1382 as a public school for boys (in the U.K., a public school is the equivalent of a U.S. private school, and vice versa). Many of Britain’s greatest politicians, writers and artists began their education here. Take the guided tour, keeping an eye out for ancient graffiti etched on the old stone walls by generations of students.

LOCATION: One hour away by train. SW of London in Winchester.

INFORMATION: lainstonhouse.com/exclusive_hotels/fishing.aspx

FOOD & LODGING: Another hotel option is the Hotel du Vin (hotelduvin.com). Dine at the Chesil Rectory (chesilrectory.co.uk).