Curious Travels Through the United Kingdom Quiz

Answer: Basalt

Part of the Staffa National Nature Reserve west of the Isle of Mull, Fingal's Cave is found within the high cliff walls on the side of the island of Staffa. While, at one time, this island was inhabited by a very small number of animals and a family or two, Staffa has been, by and large, quite isolated and quite empty. In the modern day it's overseen by the National Trust for Scotland.

This said, you can visit Fingal's Cave by boat and bear witness to the tall columns of hexagonal basalt that form the entrance and inner walls. Generally, visitors stay in their boat to pass by this natural marvel; very rarely can guests walk along the columns that lead to the cave entry. In spite of how difficult it may be to visit compared to other sites in the UK, it has long been used as an inspiration in music, art, and literature, having been visited by many Romantic and Victorian Era cultural figures.

Answer: Gloucestershire

At one time a location at which Romans mined for iron, Puzzlewood has since become a unique, wooded area that was shaped mostly by human influence. As a result of this open-pit mining, much of Puzzlewood is comprised of unique, maze-like tunnels formed by caverns, trees, and dislodged rocks. The geological formations found here, known as scowles, have next-to-no replicant anywhere else in the world, a consequence of the region's inland limestone deposits.

So distinct is this part of Gloucestershire, spanning approximately fourteen acres in the west of the county, that it's been used numerous times over as a filming location for fantasy films and TV shows, even acting as inspiration for settings in some of the most famous UK-written series out there (like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter").

Answer: Mount's Bay

There's something about Saint Michael, isn't there? After all, he's the namesake of both Mont-Saint-Michel (France) and St. Michael's Mount (UK), and both of those are tidal islands only accessible by causeway when the water is low enough to make the trip. While the island in Normandy is topped by an abbey, the UK version, found off the southern coast of Cornwall in the far south of England, is topped off with a castle and former monastery.

Beneath the Castle of St. Michael is a small parish and fishing town permanently occupied by only a few dozen locals; most people living here are across Mount's Bay in the town of Marazion, considered a Cornish tourist destination of note.

Answer: Callanish Stones

There is a surprisingly high number of Neolithic stone circles around the United Kingdom, and if you're just stopping with Stonehenge, you're probably missing out. The Callanish Stones, found on the Isle of Lewis, are nearly five millennia old, and the ones depicted here are just one set in a larger complex of stone circles, erected for what was believed to be religious ceremonies.

Archaeological efforts in the region have helped determine that in addition to their early uses, the stones were a site for Bronze Age farmers to gather at (they left a lot of items behind!). Their true use-- whether it might have been for some sort of observatory or some sort of purposeful ritual or otherwise-- is unknown to this day.

Answer: The Wash

One of the largest bays in England, 'The Wash' is found on the nation's east coast flowing into the North Sea. Containing a handful of small port cities, the Wash helps create the coastline of Lincolnshire and Norfolk counties. Quite shallow compared to the North Sea beyond its reaches, this region is known for, over time, shifting in shape and size due to sediment deposited along its coast; several cities that would have, at one time, been right along the water's edge, have seemingly moved over time (when, really, it's just coastal deposits).

A bit deeper inland you would find saltwater fens and marshland, making the region notable for conservation and wildlife sanctuary. This rather extensive ecosystem is also quite important for local agriculture, having been outfitted with well-engineered drainage channels, basins, and dykes that work with the Wash beyond to manage the environment in an ecologically-sound way.

Answer: Wales

Also known as Morfa Borth, visitors who make their way along the picturesque beaches facing out into St. George's Channel are likely to come across unique rocks that seemingly sprawl across the sand, reaching outward into all directions, but buried in the sand. The truth is that all of these rocks are actually part of a petrified forest dating back nearly five millennia, having been preserved beneath the surf for years by dense layers of peat.

At one time, it's believed that this 'Forest of Borth' was part of a seaside village on what is now Cardigan Bay, lost to sea in a long-bygone era. It's unsurprising that locals believe it to be a key part of the region's legends of a mythical land.

Answer: Glasgow

Found on the West Highland Line northwest of Glasgow, the Glenfinnan Viaduct curves around Loch Shiel at a height of one hundred feet, creating a picturesque bend that crosses the River Finnan. Opening in 1901, this stretch of track was at one time integral in supporting coastal industries; today, it's much more of a tourist attraction, being one of many sites in Scotland to be leveraged in the "Harry Potter" film series.

While you can't necessarily ride the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9 and 3/4 to this spot (at least not direct), you can take the train to and from Glasgow and out to Mallaigm, a port city with access to the Isle of Skye, on what is considered by travel outlets to be one of the most scenic train rides in the world.

Answer: The Dark Fences

Found in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, visitors looking for a spooky road under gnarled beech trees would find one of the better options out between the villages of Armoy and Stranocum, amongst the fields there. Planted in the mid-18th century, the beeches here grew into what became a natural tunnel, closing in the path with, originally, more than one hundred fifty fledgling plants.

While some have been felled over the years due to storms and poor health, the roadway has become a bit of a landmark for photographers and tourists looking for the perfect Instagram shot. It helps that it's yet another location featured in fantasy films and TV shows over the years; it's the famous 'King's Road' in "Game of Thrones".

Answer: The Fairy Pools

Glen Brittle, found along the side of the River Brittle in Northern Scotland, is home to a number of clear pools of freezing water that make for the basis of a beautiful hiking trail through the Highlands. Fed by water running off and through the Cuillin Mountains, the pools here range between tranquil on a quiet day to roaring after heavy rainfall, and generally they're surrounded by lush greenery and rugged peaks.

Further north, on the Isle of Skye, you could also walk through Fairy Glen, a similarly green expanse attributing itself to the creatures of myth and legend.

Answer: River Wharfe

Named as such because of its proximity to Bolton Abbey, 'The Strid' is a particularly dubious sight to visit because while it seems to be a narrow part of the River Wharfe that you could visit on a gentle hike, it's actually inconspicuously dangerous. The reason for this is the change in water current that occurs where the river narrows, creating a space where anything in the river's path gets sucked deeper below the surface instead of along it.

As a result of ages of erosion via these means, the space underneath the boulders here has widened, creating a deeper pocket in which solid materials can easily be trapped. It's because of this that The Strid is so deadly. People who slip into this stretch don't tend to make it out. Maybe watch your step?