England, Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland and many other smaller islands lie between the North Atlantic and the North Sea and thus comprise the territory of the United Kingdom. With a total area of approximately 243,610 square kilometers (94,060 sq mi), the geology of the United Kingdom ( UK ) is very diverse and complex. The Kingdom has many mountains, hills, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a long coastline. Similarly in the past, the United Kingdom had vast forest lands, much of that are deforested with the passage of time. There are many other tremendous rocks, cliffs, caves, fossils and islands that exist in the United Kingdom.
We are here drawing your attention to the 7 famous natural wonders of the United Kingdom;
1- The Needles : The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wright, England, close to Alum Bay. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation. Built in 1859, it has been automated since 1994.
The Needles ( The United Kingdom ) – Image: Sameer Gharat
2- The White Cliffs of Dover : The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the English Coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliffs have great symbolic value in Britain because they face towards Continental Europe across the narrowest part of the English Channel.
The white cliffs of Dover – UK ( Image: Karen Roe )
3- High Force Waterfall: The High Force Waterfall is the natural wonder of located in the Durham county of the United Kingdom. This waterfall is considered as a phenomenal natural wonder of the Kingdom.
High Force Waterfall – The United Kingdom at Durham county – Image: Leah Makin
4- Scafell Pike : This natural wonder of the United Kingdom is the highest mountain in England at 978 metres (3,209 ft). It is located in Lake District National Park, in Cumbria. Scafell Pike consists of igneous rock dating from the Ordovician geologically part of the Borrowdale Volcanics.
Scafell Pike – The highest mountain of England – Image: Earthwatcher
5- Loch Lomond : Loch Lomond is the natural wonder of the United Kingdom which is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fall. It is the largest loch / lake in Great Britain by surface area. The loch contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the loch itself is smaller than many Irish loughs.
Loch Lomond – The largest loch of Scotland – Image: Jose Hernandez
6- Cheddar Gorge : This natural wonder of the United Kingdom is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be over 9,000 years old, was found in 1903.
Cheddar Gorge – The limestone gorge of the UK – Image: Daves Portfolio
7- Fingal’s Cave: This natural wonder of the United Kingdom is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, part of a National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust of Scotland. It is formed entirely from hexagonally jointed basalt columns within a Paleocene lava flow, similar in structure to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Island and those of nearby Ulva.
Fingal’s Cave: The famous sea cave of the UK – Image: kimhollingshead
The geography of the United Kingdom is no doubt full of natural beauty and diversity. 7 famous natural wonders of the United Kingdom reflect the extensive coastline, lush landscape and complex history of the Kingdom in a unique way.
