21 joyous pictures of Britain to raise your spirits on the first day of Spring

It's official: Spring is finally here. And there's never been a more important time to get out into the countryside, smell the roses and count your blessings.

There may be a lot we can’t do at the moment, but there are still a lot of things we can do — and to inspire you, we’ve chosen 20 beautiful images from across England, Scotland and Wales to celebrate the beauty of this island.

Bluebells growing on an open hillside in Snowdonia National Park in spring.

How rude! A newborn lamb sticks its tongue out in the lambing sheds at The Olde House, Chapel Amble, Cornwall.

Bluebells in a wooded area in rural Shropshire during spring.

Beech tree-lined road in evening sunshine, Wimborne, Dorset.

Young ducklings and their mother at a pond.

Daffodils and blossom in spring, Hampton, Greater London.

Flowering thrift on the clifftops above Hartland Quay, North Devon.

English country garden in spring with pots of tulips on the patio in Haslemere, Surrey.

A pretty Sprawler Moth Caterpillar, Asteroscopus sphinx, walking along a twig at the edge of woodland.

The first rays of the rising sun can create spectacular rainbows when conditions are right.

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland.

Swallow (Hirundo rustica) collecting nest material and mud from a garden pond in Scotland.

The New Forest, Hampshire.

Borders of white tulips and forget-me-nots with mature shrubs and trees sweeping lawns in Spring at the Dorothy Clive Garden, Willoughbridge, Staffordshire.