The beautiful British Isles – New research reveals the top secret Instagrammable AONBs in the UK

New research by online savings platform BravoVoucher analysed hundreds of hashtags to reveal the most and least Instagrammable Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Scenic Areas (NSAs) from up and down the UK, resulting in the ultimate list of staycation musts and some real hidden gems.

Scotland revealed as top under-explored Instagrammable area

Scotland not only features twice in the top 10 most Instagrammable AONBs and NSAs with the Shetland Islands and Hoy and West Mainland taking 4th and 9th position but also claims most the UK’s hidden gems. Boasting 7 of the 10 least Instagrammed scenic areas, Scotland is arguably an undiscovered world of natural beauty, according to the new research.

The South of England shines bright in top 3

Cornwall, the Isle of Wight & Isles of Scilly sit in gold, silver, and bronze medal positions respectively with over 11 million hashtagged posts between them. According to the data, that’s almost double the total number of hashtag posts belonging to AONBs in the rest of the top 10.

Cornwall, England
Isle of Wight, England
Isles of Scilly, England
Shetland Islands, Scotland
Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland
Dorset, England
Anglesey (Ynys Môn), Wales
Cannock Chase, England
Hoy and West Mainland, Scotland
Gower (Gŵyr), Wales
Islands claim close to half of the top 10 Instagrammable spots

With 4 of the top 10 positions taken by islands from around the UK, it is clear to see that there is something magical about being close to the water and cut off from the rest of the world. In England, the Isle of Wight & Isles of Scilly take 2nd and 3rd place with the Isles of Scilly benefiting from access via the top spot Cornwall. For Scotland, the Shetland Islands come in 4th, offering a whole archipelago of stunning choices and in Wales, Anglesey sits in 7th position as the country’s most Instagrammable location.