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Having grown up in Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway was the place you’d always take visitors. Internationally recognised, visually impressive, geologically distinctive, culturally neutral: even at the height of the Troubles when other places may’ve been off-limits , the Causeway was the tourist destination. Rightly so: it’s a wonderous and crazy-looking place, with hexagonal columns formed by basalt cooling rapidly. No wonder in the days before we had an understanding of vulcanology the locals believed it was built by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill: a much more romantic explanation.

Trouble is, it’s (justifiably) extremely popular, and so viewing it without hordes of sightseeing visitors is nigh on impossible, except in publicity photographs. Apart from on a Friday night when there’s a World Cup match on, so most people are either glued to the telly or going out for the night. Result…

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the bay around the main causeway look as magical. The sea was calm, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and the sun slowly dropped towards the horizon, painting the vista with increasing saturated colours. With so few people around we felt like we had the place to ourselves, for which I was incredibly appreciative. Such emptiness made it easier to understand the scale and beauty of the natural features. Truly magical.

Click below for a full screen 360° view of the scene with Flash, to read more on Wikipedia, to see the location in Google Earth, or to view an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch compatible version.

Click below for a full screen 360° view of the scene with Flash, to read more on Wikipedia, to see the location in Google Earth, or to view an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch compatible version.

Stonehenge. One of the true wonders of the ancient world, and a jewel in the crown for English Heritage and the National Trust. Yet its continued existence seems more through good luck than planning: over the years it’s been damaged, pillaged, ignored, bypassed, and almost taken for granted. There’s a main road on either side of it, military bases surround it, and hundreds of thousands of people visit the site every year. There used to be a railway and an aerodrome next to it. When you consider all that, it’s surprising it’s lasted for so many millenia.

I was slightly underwhelmed by the scale of the the main ring of stones: don’t get me wrong, the stones are still pretty massive and imposing, but I always thought the area of the earthworks would be much wider than it actually was. It’s actually quite dinky.

This was the first time I’d been to Stonehenge, and it was a more fleeting visit than I’d intended as I dodged heavy rainstorms sweeping across Salisbury Plain. I’m happy I captured the site, although I’d love to have shot a pano from the centre of the main stone circle. However access is limited and genteel middle-aged anorak’d wardens ensure nobody breaches the barrier. It’s all very English…

Click below for a fullscreen 360° view of the scene in Flash, or for more info in Google Earth and Wikipedia.

Click below for a fullscreen 360° view of the scene in Flash, or for more info in Google Earth and Wikipedia.

A quiet moment at the altar, looking down the nave of this impressive Cistercian Abbey, part of the National Trust estate. It’s also a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Click below for a fullscreen 360° view of the scene in Flash or QuickTime format, or for more info in Google Earth and Wikipedia.

This is the view inside the cellarium (a mediaeval storeroom). Although Fountains Abbey suffered in the wake of King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, several parts of the extensive buildings have survived remarkably well. This is probably the best example, with an expansive and fine vaulted ceiling, and elegant columns illuminated by natural light.

Click below for a fullscreen 360° view of the scene in Flash or QuickTime format, or for more info in Google Earth.