Stunning nature spot where visitors suffer 'withdrawals' named UK's most popular

26 August 2023 , 09:53

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Each year visitors flock from across the globe to places like Grasmere and surrounding areas (Image: Getty Images)

The Lake District has been named number one in a study to find the most popular attractions in Britain.

A new analysis looked at social media to find the most popular destinations across Britain, according to users of Instagram. The beauty spot came top with the most hashtags of any attraction in the UK.

There are over 4.9 million #LakeDistrict hashtags on Instagram, cementing the stunning Cumbrian spot as most popular with users of the platform. And it's easy to see why, England’s largest National Park and also a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Lake District draws thousands of visitors each year to glory in the area’s natural beauty.

The steep hills with gorgeous views, stunning blue lakes and ancient forests make the Lake District a huge hit with hikers and nature lovers. While its quaint towns draw tourists from across the globe. The are is so beautiful that hikers have complained of "suffering from lake district withdrawal symptoms" after leaving the area. While the Lake District came first on the list, several other well-known attractions featured high up as well, the Star reports.

A waterfall on river Allt Coir a Mhadaidh at Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In the capital, the London Eye received over 3.4 million hashtags with #Londoneye coming in second overall, according to the study by insurance experts, InsureMy. The massive marvel of engineering lifts visitors high above London’s skyline, allowing breathtaking views of the city’s most famous sights from Big Ben to the Tower of London to the massive Shard building. Big Ben itself comes in at number three on the list, with #bigben a must-see on many visitor’s trips to London.

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The quintessentially English chocolate box villages and thatched roof cottages of the Cotswolds is one of the most popular spots outside London. #cotswolds has had over 2.4 million views. Meanwhile the Peak District comes in at number five with 2.1 million posts #peakdistrict. The spot in central England encompasses the lively city of Manchester but also miles of beautiful rolling hills with old stone walls and tiny farms and villages across the counties of Derbyshire and Cheshire.

From walking trails galore to rock climbing and windsurfing to barren moors and spectacular caves and windswept hills, Peak District National Park has everything. Another famous national park, The New Forest, is also on the list of top spots. The ancient woodlands, famous for their wild ponies and miles of off-road cycle routes amassed 1.8 million posts with the hashtag #newforest.

The regal splendour of Buckingham Palace came in seventh place, with #buckinghampalace getting 1.8 million hashtags, while Snowdonia’s incredible mountain peaks come in at number eight. Dartmoor, in the South West came in at number nine with its diverse array of landscapes including heathlands and thick forests. Finally the Scottish island of Skye was the tenth most Instagrammable destination with a million posts.

Jane Memmler