United Kingdom trivia: 45 questions and answers

London. London, on the River Thames, is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.

The Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency: it belongs to the Crown but is not part of the United Kingdom. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the UK's four nations.

False. False. Great Britain is the island with England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland lies on the island of Ireland, which is why the country's full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis, 1,345 m, in the Scottish Highlands, is the highest mountain in the UK and in the British Isles.

False. False. No law names an official language for the whole UK; English is the official language in practice. Welsh is official in Wales by law, Gaelic has been official in Scotland since 2005, and Scots joined it in 2025.

William of Normandy. William of Normandy defeated the English king Harold II, who died in the battle. William, now 'the Conqueror', was crowned on Christmas Day 1066.

James VI. James VI of Scotland became James I of England when Elizabeth I died without children. This was the Union of the Crowns: one king, but two kingdoms.

The Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement, signed on 10 April 1998 and approved by voters on both sides of the Irish border, largely ended about 30 years of conflict known as the Troubles.

2020. The referendum was held in 2016, and the UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020.

False. False. Hadrian's Wall lies entirely in England and has never been the border with Scotland, although many people think so.

True. True. Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022 after 70 years on the throne, and Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.

Scotland. Haggis is Scotland's national dish, made famous by Robert Burns's poem 'Address to a Haggis' and eaten on Burns Night, 25 January.

Beef. Yorkshire pudding is the traditional partner of roast beef, with gravy. Lamb comes with mint sauce and pork with apple sauce.

False. False. Welsh rarebit is toast with a melted cheese sauce. It was first called 'Welsh rabbit' in 1725, probably as a joke.

True. True. The Cornish pasty has had Protected Geographical Indication status since 2011, so it must be prepared in Cornwall to the traditional recipe.

True. True. Fish and chips was never rationed during the war, and it helped keep people's spirits up.

Haddock. Cullen skink is made with smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and milk. It comes from the fishing town of Cullen on the Moray coast.

Liverpool. The Beatles came from Liverpool, a port on the River Mersey, where they played at the Cavern Club.

True. True. Inverness, the unofficial capital of the Scottish Highlands, became a city in 2000 and is the northernmost city in the UK.

True. True. Big Ben is the great bell. The clock tower has been called the Elizabeth Tower since 2012, although most people call the whole thing Big Ben.

Salisbury. Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain, about 13 km north of Salisbury.

Northern Ireland. The Giant's Causeway, with about 40,000 basalt columns, is on the north coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

An extinct volcano. Edinburgh Castle sits on the plug of an extinct volcano, with steep cliffs on three sides.

Westminster Hall. Westminster Hall, built in 1097, survived the fire, along with a few smaller parts such as the Jewel Tower. Most of the palace was rebuilt afterwards in Gothic style, with its famous towers.

False. False. York Minster is not a World Heritage Site as of 2026; York's historic centre is on the UK's tentative list. Stonehenge, the Tower of London and the City of Bath are on the list.

Wales. Wales is not on the flag, because it was treated as part of the Kingdom of England when the first union flag was made in 1606. The flag combines the crosses of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The unicorn. The unicorn is Scotland's national animal. On the royal coat of arms, a unicorn for Scotland faces a lion for England.

True. True. The first line opened on 10 January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon, with steam trains.

False. False. By tradition each new monarch faces the opposite way: Elizabeth II faced right and Charles III faces left.

Anglesey. The village is on Anglesey, an island in north Wales. The long name was probably made up around 1869 to attract visitors to the railway station.

True. True. Loch Ness is about 230 m deep, so it holds more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined.

Liverpool. Liverpool's waterfront was removed from the list in 2021 because of new building, only the third site ever to be removed. Bath and Edinburgh are still on the list.

The elevator. A 'lift' in a building is the elevator.

Potato chips. Crisps are thin potato chips from a bag. 'Chips' in Britain are what Americans call French fries.

False. False. British chips are thick-cut fried potatoes, like French fries. The thin slices from a bag are called crisps.

A round-trip ticket. A return ticket takes you there and back: a round-trip ticket. A one-way ticket is called a 'single'.

Thanks. 'Cheers' is a casual way to say thanks, and also goodbye, as well as a toast.

On the London Underground. 'Mind the gap' warns passengers about the gap between the train and the platform on the London Underground, where it has been heard since around 1968.

False. False. 'You alright?' is simply a friendly hello. A cheerful 'Yes, fine thanks, you?' is the usual reply.

Could I have the bill, please?. In Britain you ask for 'the bill': 'Could I have the bill, please?'

False. False. UK speed limits are in miles per hour: usually 30 mph in towns (20 mph in Wales) and 70 mph on motorways, and distances are in miles.

999. 999 is the UK's own emergency number, and the European number 112 also works. 911 is the North American number, 111 is for non-urgent medical advice and 101 for non-emergency police matters.

Type G, with three rectangular pins. UK sockets take Type G, with three rectangular pins, so visitors from mainland Europe and North America need an adapter.

True. True. As of 2026, most visitors who do not need a visa, including US and EU citizens, must get an ETA before they travel. It costs £20; Irish citizens do not need one.

Nothing extra is needed. Nothing extra is needed: if a service charge is already on the bill, you do not have to tip again.