5 Facts You Didn't Know About The British Isles

1. It is not all in the English breakfast

Famed for its rich and sometimes raw history, visitors flock to Belfast to enjoy its museums, see its murals and learn about its history. The Giant’s Causeway is renowned for its other worldy beauty and the recently built Titanic museum is a spectacle not to be missed.

But did you know? Belfast is king of the fried breakfast – the Ulster Fry

CONTAINS: sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns, potato bread, soda bread, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and sometimes, chips (just in case you hadn’t already had enough carbohydrates already)

2. A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub

Public houses, Guinness, traditional music and cobbled streets. Dublin is renowned for being home to some of the friendliest people in the world and no visit here is complete without a trip to the Guinness Storehouse.

But did you know? You can walk through Dublin without passing a pub

In Ulysses, James Joyce mused that 'a good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub' – and despite there being 666 licensed pubs in Dublin – the puzzle is solvable. Thanks to Rory McCann’s mapping algorithm.

3. It is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish store

Capital of Pop, birthplace of the Beatles and currently the most successful footballing city in England, Liverpool boasts is a city of culture with a thriving nightlife and a fantastic repertoire of cuisine.

But did you know? Women are legally permitted to go topless in Liverpool – if, that is, they work as a clerk in a tropical fish shop.

4. A seal-y affair

An archipelago of five inhabited islands, St Mary’s, Tresco, St Martin’s, Bryher and St Agnes; the Isles of Scilly lie 28 miles off Land’s End, the most South-Westerly point of the UK. The archipelago is famed for its outstanding beauty, fishing industry and flowers. The Scillian Isles receive 14% more sunshine on average per year than London.

But did you know? The islands are home to a large population of Atlantic Grey Seals and other unique marine and birdlife who return to the Isles to breed every autumn.

5. The Channel Islands are part of Great Britain but not the UK

Clustering just off the coast of France but belonging to the British Isles, Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Herm and Alderney are an archipelago of islands that are known as the Channel Islands. The islands are famed for their exquisite coastlines, old-world charm and fantastic seafood. The Islands fuse together British, French and Portuguese influences, and despite being closer to France than the UK, are British Crown Dependencies.

But did you know? Currency across the Channel Islands is GBP. They do however, have their own notes including paper bills for £1.

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