Exotic Britain

FOR THOSE of us who are fortunate enough to be inveterate tourists and travellers, summer is often a time for escape; the time when we’re most likely to leave these shores and explore the wonders of ‘Abroad’.

Abroad is brilliant. The mountains are soaring, snow-capped, towering wildlife – and no-one can understand why we make a fuss about murky lumps of rock like Kinder Scout. Even when you try to tell the people of Abroad about the ‘mountains’ of the Lake District, Snowdonia or the Highlands, they nod along in the sort of politely indulgent way that you might do to an excited small child describing their stick collection; and even though it’s not a competition (it’s not like they built their mountains, is it?) you feel somehow diminished. Abroad is where the big thrills are found: the bona fide adventures, the serious stuff, the kind of thing that gets the most likes on Instagram.