Minack Theater named as one of the best British ‘bucket list’ experiences

Two places in Cornwall have been named as top must-do experiences in the UK. A holiday company asked people to rate popular activities they think should be on the country’s bucket list.

Topping the list was seeing the Northern Lights from the Isle of Skye, Scotland – with a visit to Cornwall’s Eden Project coming in second. Seeing a play at the Minack Theatre was also in the top 20 things to see and do.

Further down the list, surfing in Newquay came in 25th. Other popular experiences less than a million miles from home included visiting Stonehenge, seeing Cheddar Gorge in Somerset and watching the murmuration of starlings at the mouth of the River Exe in Devon.

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The activities were put together by Sykes Holiday Cottages and British travel expert Richard Madden. Graham Donoghue, CEO of Sykes Holiday Cottages, conducted a survey of 2,000 adults to get their views. Mr Donoghue said: “There is so much on our doorstep when it comes to holidays and activities, and Cornwall has a wealth of exciting things to see and do.

“Some of the activities at the top of our bucket lists may be just a stone’s throw from where you live. And now that summer has officially begun, there’s no better time to get out and explore.”

Money (50 percent), unpredictable weather (35 percent) and work commitments (22 percent) were cited as the top three reasons why British travelers don’t explore the UK as often as they would like.

Award-winning novelist and travel writer Richard Madden added: “During my time as a travel writer I have discovered that Cornwall has no shortage of unforgettable locations, historic landmarks, unique experiences and impressive wildlife. will spark ideas for trips closer to home this year.”

Top 30 British experiences, curated by experts, Brits would most like to try:

1. Seeing the Northern Lights from the Isle of Skye, Scotland
2. A visit to the Eden Project in Cornwall
3. Visit the Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland
4. Visiting Stonehenge in Wiltshire
5. Driving along the coast of the Isle of Arran in Scotland
6. A visit to the Cheddar Gorge in Somerset
7. Spend the day in Portmeirion Village in North Wales
8. A tour on the Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig
9. Fossil hunting along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset
10. Watch otters play in the Avalon Marches in Somerset
11. Seal spotting at Blakeney Point, Norfolk
12. Visiting Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands in Northumbria
13. Hire a canal boat on the Kennet and Avon Canal (Reading to Bristol)
14. Visit Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes
15. A visit to Brownsea Island in Dorset to spot the red squirrels
16. Seeing a play at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall
17. Starling watching in the River Exe Estuary (Devon), in Dungeness (Kent), in Leighton Moss (Lancashire) or from Aberystwyth Pier (Ceredigion)
18. Visit Fountains Abbey, a World Heritage Site in Yorkshire
19. A visit to Housesteads Fort on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland
20. A visit to the Gower Peninsula in Glamorgan, Wales
21. Riding the SteamLights on The Bluebell Railway in East Sussex
22. Walking Glastonbury Tor, a 510-foot (157-meter) hill in Somerset
23. Visit to Sir Winston Churchill’s family home in Kent
24. Attending the Dark Skies Festival in Yorkshire in February
25. Surfing in Newquay, Cornwall
26. A visit to the burial place of Raedwald, King of East Anglia, at Sutton Hoo Ship Burial in Suffolk
27. A visit to WWT Slimbridge, a wetland nature reserve, in Somerset
28. Birdwatching in the St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve in Berwickshire, Scotland
29. Cycling or walking on The Ridgeway in Wiltshire/Buckinghamshire
30. Watching Cooper’s Hill’s annual cheese rolling competition in Gloucestershire