BREAK FOR A BORDER

Mull it over: if you live in England, enjoy the frisson of heading into Scotland

If that sounds too conservative, or if you haven’t been vaccinated and can’t cope with the thought of having to self-isolate after a trip overseas, you can still enjoy the frisson of crossing a border. If you live in England, how about heading into Scotland (telegraph.co.uk/tt-scotlandhotels) or Wales (telegraph.co.uk/tt-waleshotels), or vice versa?

There’s still some late-summer warmth to be had around now in the Highlands – there is a good reason that the Queen stays in Balmoral at this time of year (telegraph.co.uk/tt-scottishhighlands). And if you are after a greater sense of escape, you could get that psychological lift that comes with a ferry crossing and go for a British island escape. There are so many to choose from (telegraph.co.uk/tt-ukbyferry). Tiny Lundy, which is managed by the

Landmark Trust (landmarktrust.org.uk/ lundy), is one of my favourite island escapes. The cottages on this traffic-free island are heavily booked this autumn, but you might still find some cancellations. The Isles of Scilly (telegraph.co.uk/ tt-islesofscilly) are as close as Britain gets to subtropical beaches, and the Isle of Wight (telegraph.co.uk/tt-isleofwight) – especially the western end – has some lovely countryside and a wonderful coastline to explore on foot.

If you are a bit hardier, Anglesey (telegraph.co.uk/tt-anglesey) is an easy escape from the mainland – though you get there by bridge rather than boat. But it is Scotland that offers the greatest variety. I’m a big fan of Mull, and one day soon I hope to get all the way up to Orkney. From where I live in southern England, that really would feel like travelling.