Whether you call it ‘holidaying at home' or taking a 'staycation', there's no denying we're enjoying the marvels on our doorsteps much more nowadays. So where should you see before you die (or before your budget once more extends to trips abroad)? Here's our roundup of 10 of the best of the British Isles...

One for fans of sacred sites, England's pagan history and ancient monuments, Stonehenge is also steeped in myth and mystery. Built around 3100BC, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, rumours surround its two concentric stone rings of megaliths. Is it an ancient burial ground, a druid temple or a giant astronomical calendar? And how did those outer ‘bluestones' get there from South Wales? You can wander among the stones freely on the night/sunrise of the summer solstice; at other times, you can see the stones from a short distance away. Tip: visit neolithic Avebury site, 25 miles north of Stonehenge. It's possibly even more impressive than Stonehenge, is rich in sexual symbolism (!) and it's free.

Entrance to Stonehenge is £6.60. The nearest train station is Salisbury around 10 miles away or there are regular connections from coach stations. Click here for more on how to get there... 

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Watch a video 'behind the scenes at Stonehenge'

Around 50 million years, when Stonehenge was just a twinkle in a druid's eye, the Giant's Causeway was formed through volcanic activity. Northern Ireland's number one attraction is a UNESCO site on the northeast coast of County Antrim. It features 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns - up to 12m high and 28m thick - that appear to spill from the cliffs into the sea like stepping stones. It's one of the UK's top natural wonders and legend has it, built by Irish warrior Finn MacCool to facilitate a trip to Scotland for a fighting match. When his enemy was tricked into thinking Finn was a giant sleeping baby, he fled home, ripping up the causeway behind him. It's all true, every word...

Entrance is free though there is all-day parking, which costs £6. The Causeway is a kilometre from the road or there's a park and ride scheme in operation.

England's largest national park was immortalised by a Lancashire lad, Alfred Wainwright, who fell in love with the dramatic scenery of Lakeland, and spent his life writing in-depth pictorial walking guides. The guides are still popular today, covering much of the 2,292 square km of lakes and mountains that make up this area of Cumbria. Bases include Keswick for serious walkers and Windermere for lovers of watersports and lake cruises. For a budget family trip, visit Great Langdale, one of Lakeland's scenic valleys and camp at the National Trust site there - they also have yurts for around £300 a week for those after a glamping option. As well as the majestic views, there's picturesque hiking at the Langdale Pikes, on the northern side of the dale, and, for the superfit, a route to Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain.

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A look at long-distance footpaths, including Wainwright's Coast to Coast

‘Tired of London, tired of life', as Samuel Johnson once said, but you haven't experienced the UK until you have visited its capital city. London is a world-class city of pageantry, history and architecture, as well as an entertainment, shopping and cultural mecca. Pick your favourite attraction. The most popular free one is the British Museum; the most popular ticketed one is Westminster Abbey. Hop aboard the number 11 bus (one of to routes still served by the iconic Routemaster) for a cheap sightseeing ride past St Paul's, Bank of England, the Strand, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament - less than a pound with an Oystercard. Catch sunset in the 15th-floor bar of the St George's Hotel at the top end of Regent Street and try to make it to an event across the road at 33 Portland Place - a glorious old London townhouse where Amy Winehouse's Rehab video was filmed, and which hosts events from Kate Moss photoshoots to prohibition club nights and tango salons.

A theatre and hotel break in London costs from £48 per person with www.lastminute.com

As big as London is, its grandeur is equally matched in small-scale quirkiness by tiny local pockets of English eccentricity. From the World Coal-Carrying Championships in Ossett, West Yorkshire, to cheese-rolling on Coopers Hill, Gloucestershire, and from the World Toe-Wrestling Championship in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to shin-kicking at the Robert Dover's Cotswold Olimpicks, there's a weird English must-see for everyone. Download the full list of events to find one near you.

For one of the loveliest, unspoilt coastlines in the UK, head for the Gower Peninsula and Three Cliffs Bay in Glamorgan on the south-west coast of Wales - the UK's first ever designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Tour Gower's six castles, explore the series of bays and coves, swim on one of the many Blue Flag beaches or head for Mumbles, home to Bonnie Tyler and (occasionally) Catherine Zeta Jones. Three Cliffs Bay is the must-see and is one of Britain's best beaches - the views from Pennard Castle on the hillside are spectacular.

Swansea is the nearest connecting city. Gower guesthouse prices start from around £25 per night.

Another capital city but this time steeped in Scottish culture and heritage. One of the best vantage points to view Edinburgh Castle and the city skyline is nearby Calton Hill. Edinburgh Castle fortress itself is a must-see, as is the maze of historic streets in the Old Town beneath it, while Princes Street is one of the most scenic streets in Europe, running half a mile long and offering a panoramic view of the city's attractions. One of the best times to visit is in August for the Edinburgh Fringe when the world's largest performing arts festival takes over the city and doubles its populaton. The famous Military Tattoo at the Castle takes place at the same time - but note, it sells out a year in advance so book early.

A weekend break in a three-star hotel in Edinburgh in low season costs around £150 for two.

On the west coast of Ireland in County Clare, the dizzying Cliffs of Moher stretch for 8km and tower up to 214m above the Atlantic Ocean. Crawl to the edge for a truly vertiginous view over the drop. You can wander along the clifftop pathways or simply take in the views to Galway Bay and the Aran Islands on a clear day. The Cliffs are also finalists in a global online campaign to name the New 7 Wonders of Nature (winners announced in 2011).

The Isles of Scilly are three hours by sea from Penzance in Cornwall (or a 10 minute helicopter ride). Made up of five inhabited islands, the powdery white beaches are positively Caribbean, even if the weather isn't. You can island-hop via a well-scheduled fleet of boats to Tresco, St Mary's, St Agnes, Bryher and St Martins. St Martin's is a particularly nice spot. It has a Dive Centre where, for £36, you can snorkel with the local seal colony. Then head for the organic bakery for fresh cakes, bread and pizza every day (delivery an option). St Martins Campsite is a lovely budget choice in the relatively expensive Scillies. Located on a former daffodil crop field, it is just £10 a night, has a four-star rating and sits in a sheltered spot behind a sand dune on a lovely white sand beach. Now just pray for good weather...

Stop press: Frommer's, the travel publisher, has named the Isles of Scilly in its top 10 places to see in 2010
 

Fiona Cullinan blogs about travel and tourism at Tourist Vs Traveller