Kingdom

Gambling on sunshine at Loch Lomond

I love Loch Lomond in autumn. I’d start with a walk around Balmaha village and a stretch of the West Highland Way, pretending I’m there for the scenery rather than earning the right to eat something massive afterwards. Autumn is when it looks best: orange hills, cold air, dramatic clouds and the constant Scottish gamble of whether you’ll get sunshine, sideways rain, or both within 10 minutes. I finish, if I’m not driving, with a wee dram to properly round things off.
Pete

Cornwall’s wild autumn seas

The rough beauty of Cornwall’s sea views appeals to me. A great autumn day involves walking along the staggered cliff edges between Godrevy and Portreath. The isolated nature of the coastal paths makes me feel as if the sea is singing just for me, while below the waves go wild, waiting to be admired. On this walk, you will be rewarded with the most breathtaking views, lone benches and burnt orange sunsets.
Oliwia

A hydro-powered house in Northumberland

When I first visited the National Trust’s Cragside in Northumberland, a staff member at the entrance made the bold claim that it was “the best place in England”. In autumn you can really see their point. The estate’s 1,000 acres are covered with a huge variety of trees that transform the landscape into a mixture of reds, oranges and deep greens, contrasting perfectly with the often misty Northumberland weather. It’s a perfect autumn day trip for woodland walks, possibly stopping for a picnic at one of the many lakes or gardens, and visiting the extraordinary hydro-powered Victorian house with its pioneering gadgets.
Everly

– back sections make it manageable without losing the drama.
Bonita Philp

Deep in the forest in the Scottish Borders

Glentress Forest in the Scottish Borders is hard to beat on a crisp autumn day. Start with a walk or mountain-bike ride through the forest, when the trails are surrounded by copper, red and gold, and climb high enough for brilliant views across the Tweed valley. Afterwards, warm up with coffee and something sweet at the cafe before heading into nearby Peebles for a wander along the river and around its independent shops. It feels properly remote despite being less than an hour from Edinburgh. And, whether you’re cycling or walking, autumn is when the forest is at its most spectacular.
Remi Lapeyre

Birmingham’s secret oasis

Winterbourne House and Garden at Birmingham University is a wonderful little oasis in Edgbaston, just outside the city centre. A beautiful Arts and Crafts style house, set in stunning gardens, it is a lovely place for a wander and is especially beautiful on a sunny day in early autumn when everything is golden. See herons at the reservoir, talk to friendly robins by the walled garden and browse the bookshop. Have coffee there and then head into nearby Harborne for lunch or dinner.
Rachel

Rivers and ruins in a Lancashire valley

Rocky Brook is the name given by locals to the River Roddlesworth, which flows through a wonderful wooded valley at the edge of the West Pennine Moors. The woodland, planted by Liverpool Corporation Waterworks, provides plenty of autumn colour. A network of paths allows exploration of the woods and the ruins of Hollinshead Hall and well house. There’s a public car park, cafe and pub (the Royal Arms) at Ryal Fold, and for those who walk north-west through the woods there’s also the Hare & Hounds at Abbey Village. Four buses a day run from Blackburn to the Royal.
Graham Dean

Twisted oaks and fungi in the Peak District

The Longshaw estate in the Peak District is perfect for an autumn stroll. Both Oaks Wood and Bolehill Quarry have a huge variety of fungi in their hidden depths. The twisted oak trees in Padley Gorge look at their most spectacular on early autumn misty mornings. It’s easy to explore pathways on the estate with the friendly free social walk every Wednesday. Finish a wonderful day with a treat in the cafe.
Katharine

A lime tree avenue in Nottinghamshire

Clumber Park is a must-visit at this time of year. The National Trust property features peaceful woodlands with golden leaf carpets, crisp lakeside views and an ornamental bridge. You’ll want to keep your camera handy as you enter a double tree avenue of 1,296 limes stretching three miles (one of the longest in Europe), which provides a gorgeous golden canopy. The walled kitchen garden is a favourite with its massive apple collection and seasonal displays. The apple juice I’ve tried here is some of the best I’ve tasted.
Asma

A Roman autumn at Hadrian’s Wall

My perfect autumn day is walking Hadrian’s Wall from Steel Rigg, when the moorland turns copper and gold and every climb rewards you with another enormous Northumberland view. Pack a flask, sturdy boots and something waterproof – the weather changes its mind even faster than I do. You only pay for parking, and shorter out- and

Winning tip: Steaming through north Wales

My perfect autumn day out is a trip on the Llangollen Railway in north Wales. There’s something magical about travelling through the Dee valley on a steam train when the leaves have turned orange and gold. We start in Llangollen, grab something warm to drink, then climb aboard for the journey alongside the River Dee, watching the autumn scenery through the window. Afterwards, we wander around Llangollen, exploring the little shops. It’s simple, nostalgic and feels like autumn properly arriving – especially when you hear the steam train whistle through the valley.
Chelsea

SAN FRANCISCO: Saudi Arabia is building an integrated model to attract leading artificial intelligence companies and help them expand globally, Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha said in Silicon Valley on Friday.

Speaking at the fourth edition of the Frontier Leaders Forum 2026, held under the theme “AI Forward: A Global Frontier,” Al-Swaha said the Kingdom’s approach was centered on providing AI companies with three key resources: computing capacity, capital and access to customers.

He cited Grok as an example of this approach, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s partnership with US AI company xAI and Saudi AI company Humain to deploy Grok in the Kingdom and develop large-scale AI computing infrastructure.

Al-Swaha said the Kingdom aimed to build on that experience and attract more global AI companies, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Saudi Arabia is working with the private sector to develop more than 14 gigawatts of computing capacity, he said, providing infrastructure for advanced AI companies while helping reduce operating costs and improve efficiency.

Humain is developing a range of AI infrastructure and platforms in the Kingdom, including AI cloud and high-performance computing services designed to support training, fine-tuning, inference and other AI workloads.

Al-Swaha also highlighted the Kingdom’s expanding use of generative AI, AI agents and augmented-reality applications across sectors including healthcare, government services, transportation and logistics.

He said Saudi Arabia would continue working with Silicon Valley around talent, technology and trust while providing the computing capacity, customers and capital needed to help the next generation of AI companies scale internationally.

Al-Swaha held a series of meetings during his visit with technology and investment executives to discuss expanding AI investment in the Kingdom, developing advanced models and applications and integrating them with infrastructure and computing capabilities being developed by Humain.

He met General Catalyst’s CEO Hemant Taneja to discuss expanding the investment firm’s AI and advanced-technology activities in Saudi Arabia, enabling its portfolio companies to develop and deploy applied AI solutions and using Humain’s computing capabilities to accelerate implementation in priority sectors.

Al-Swaha also met Arcee AI’s founder and CEO Mark McQuade to discuss expanding the use of the company’s Trinity open and enterprise models and deploying them across Humain’s infrastructure.

He held talks with Engramme’s co-founder and CEO Gabriel Kreiman on AI memory and continuous-learning applications designed to allow organizations to build models that learn from their own data, knowledge and operating environments.

Infrastructure was another focus of the meetings. Al-Swaha met Supermicro’s founder and CEO Charles Liang to discuss AI factory solutions, including integrated systems, liquid cooling and high-density architectures aimed at improving energy efficiency and supporting large-scale AI data centers.

He also met Upscale AI’s CEO Barun Kar to discuss high-performance AI networking and improving connectivity between computing accelerators, memory and storage to maximize the use of computing resources.

A further meeting with Velaura AI’s co-founder and CEO Rajiv Khemani focused on integrating energy-efficient computing technologies into Humain’s infrastructure and supporting the expansion of AI applications and autonomous systems.

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, said on Tuesday the Kingdom will not hesitate to defend itself against Houthi attacks.

Speaking from Russia’s capital, the minister said the Kingdom would use all available means to protect its interests.

“Houthi militia resorts to violence whenever it finds itself in a difficult situation. The Houthis are trying to export their domestic problems inside Yemen to Saudi Arabia,” he added.

The minister said the door for diplomacy was open for the Houthis but that they resorted to violence whenever they found themselves in a difficult situation.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said Houthi attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia were unacceptable.

“Security and freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait must be ensured,” he added.