Best of Britain – the nation’s favourite beauty spots revealed
The UK’s best staycation and beauty spots announced
York, Glen Coe, The Jurassic Coast and St Michael’s Mount all rank amongst the nation’s most loved destinations
Scenery and quality photo opportunities increase Brit’s fondness for a location
A new survey into the most beautiful locations across the UK has revealed the South West as the nation’s favourite UK destination. Celebrated for its beautiful beaches, stand out landmarks and historic cities, South Western counties ranked as the top three in the UK, with Cornwall scooping the top spot for the most popular staycation destination the UK has to offer.
The research, which was conducted by photo printing specialist CEWE, found Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Northumberland were also within the top five destinations, with York being voted as the most beautiful city in the UK and Stonehenge topping the charts as the nation’s most loved landmark. Scotland was also celebrated as the most photogenic region across the UK.
The study also revealed a continuing trend into Brit’s opting to holiday at home, rather than travelling abroad, with 83% of Brit’s looking to staycate, with the majority (63%) revealing convenience and cost were key considerations when choosing to take their main summer holiday in the UK. The study also found peace, isolation, exploring somewhere new, and – most importantly – beautiful scenery were also major driving factors for those choosing to ditch the passport and holiday at home.
The top 10 staycation locations were voted as:
Cornwall
Devon
Dorset
Somerset
Northumberland
Norfolk
Yorkshire
Edinburgh
London
Lancashire
The top 20 UK cities to visit were voted as:
York
Edinburgh
Bath
London
Oxford
Cambridge
Chester
Canterbury
Birmingham
Bristol
Truro
Liverpool
Aberdeen
Bradford
Durham
Winchester
Belfast
Wells, Somerset
Brighton & Hove
Cardiff
The top 20 UK landmarks to visit were voted as:
Stonehenge, Wiltshire
Buckingham Palace, London
White cliffs of Dover
Tower of London
St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall
Tower Bridge
Lake Windermere, Cumbria
The Jurassic Coast, Dorset
Edinburgh Castle
York Minster
The Houses of Parliament
Windsor Castle, Berkshire
Loch Ness, Inverness-shire
St Paul’s Cathedral
The Needles, Isle of White
London Eye
Mount Snowdon, Gwynedd
Lindisfarne, Northumberland
Ben Nevis
Bath’s Roman Baths, Somerset
The top 20 most photogenic locations were voted as:
St Michael’s Mount
Isle of Skye
Glen Coe
Snowdonia
Loch Lomond
Bibury, The Cotswolds
Orkney
Loch Ness
Torquay
Bamburgh Beach
Scarborough
Fairy Glen, Conwy
Robin Hood’s Bay
Rannoch Moor/Queen’s View, Pitlochry
Bath
Cheddar Gorge
Dunnottar Castle
Lakes
North York Moors Beach
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Clare Moreton, Digital Marketing Director at CEWE, commented: “We already know from the amazing images we receive on a daily basis as part of our photo competition and the beautiful photobooks our customers make that the UK is bursting with amazing staycation locations, so it’s fantastic to see that the trend of holidaying at home seems to be here to stay.
“The UK is spoilt for choice when it comes to beauty spots, and this really comes across with our research, from the stunning York bars walls, to the Cornwall coast and further afield, there’s so much choice and beautiful scenery that the UK has to offer. The hard bit now is choosing where to visit first!”
The CEWE research forms part of a free photographic travel guide the company has compiled for those looking to take advantage of the diversity Britain has to offer. Those looking to holiday at home can access a range of travel guides on the CEWE website, complete with best spots to take stunning photos, the most delicious eateries the UK has to offer and hints and tips on what to do and where to stay.
