The UK’s most picturesque places to move to – Taite Floor

Britain is home to bountiful countryside, quaint villages, charming market towns and stunning cities, and with the UK property market enjoying a boom since last July, demand for property is still strong and prices are still on the rise.  

Our latest Home Improvement Trends Report revealed that more than a quarter of UK homeowners (29%) want to move house this year to get more outside space, and 25% want a bigger home.

So, to offer some inspiration for people looking to relocate, we analysed hashtags for over 500 towns and cities in the UK to reveal which are considered the most picturesque. Taking into account population size for each place, we’ve dug into which have the most photos taken per capita, to discover the most photographed places around the UK.

If you’re keen to upsize but would prefer to improve and not move, find local tradespeople who can help with kitchen extensions, loft conversions or take a look at our cost guides to see how much different jobs could cost.

The UK’s top 20 most picturesque places to live in

Durham Castle and Cathedral on their rock above the city, and Framwellgate Bridge spanning the River Wear.

Newquay Beach on a hot summers day

Old narrow cobbled street with stone houses, Barn Hill and All Saints Place, Stamford, Lincolnshire.

Scarborough, Yorkshire.

Manchester City building

Deckchairs on Brighton Pier

Beautiful view of college in Cambridge with people punting on river cam

Falmouth waterfront seen from the sea. Cornwall.

York shambles alley

Warwick Castle

Albert dock in Liverpool during a sunny day.

Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs, is a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane in Oxford.

Classic view of the Iconic Tyne Bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead

Street view of the historic Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland

London, England – The bank district of central London with famous skyscrapers and other landmarks at sunset with blue sky.

View of historical Ely Cathedral from Cherry Hill Park in summer. Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Medieval half-timber houses and Stour river in Canterbury Old Town, Kent.

Babbacombe beach in Torquay, Devon coast, view from above

View of sea at low tide and beach in Kingsgate Bay in Margate.

Inverness Castle in the Highlands of Scotland

Our research shows Durham is the most Insta-worthy place to live in the UK. More than 2.5 million photos of Durham have been shared on Instagram; with a population of just over 50,000, that means for every inhabitant, 50 photos are shared online, making it the most photographed place in the UK.

Cornish surfing town Newquay follows as the second most scenic place in the UK with 42 photos shared per capita, and Stamford in Lincolnshire is third, with 32 photos shared per person.

Scarborough, with almost 2 million Instagram photos and a population of just over 60,000, boasts 31 photos per resident, which lands the North Yorkshire town in fourth. In fifth, with 30 Instagram shots per capita, it’s the northern city of Manchester, with a whopping 16.5 million shots and a population of just over 550,00.

The top 100 most photographed places in the UK (positions 1 -50)

Top five most photographed places in the South East

Deckchairs on Brighton Pier

Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs, is a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane in Oxford, England,UK, Europe – city landmark

Medieval half-timber houses and Stour river in Canterbury Old Town, Kent, England

View of sea at low tide and beach in Kingsgate Bay in Margate, UK

Chichester Cathedral and Surrounding Grounds

One of the UK’s most famous seaside destinations takes the top spot in the South East. It’s no surprise really that Brighton, with two piers, an expansive beach and vibrant culture, is the most photographed place.

Top five most photographed places in the South West

Newquay Beach on a hot summer day

Falmouth waterfront seen from the sea. Cornwall, England, UK.

Babbacombe beach in Torquay, Devon coast, United Kingdom, view from above

Salisbury Cathedral

Bristol Cityscape, natural colours

Cornish surfer town Newquay boasts stunning natural scenery and one of the most famous beaches in the UK, Fistral Beach. Home to one of Europe’s biggest beach festivals and previously part of the professional surfing circuit, the quaint laid-back town also offers tropical gardens, a zoo and an aquarium.

Top five most photographed places in Yorkshire and the Humber

Scarborough, Yorkshire, England

York shambles alley sunset dusk, York Englsnd UK

Leeds town hall used for concerts and civic functions. image no 219.

Harrogate Bridge Yorkshire

The view of the fountain in the Peace Gardens with the neo-Gothic building of Sheffield Town Hall on the background. Sheffield. England

Britain’s ‘original seaside resort’, Scarborough, averages 31 photos on Instagram per resident, the highest of all places in Yorkshire and the Humber. Boasting two beaches, exciting attractions and a rich history, visitors have been holidaying in Scarborough for almost 400 years!

Top five most photographed places in the East Midlands

Old narrow cobbled street with stone houses, Barn Hill and All Saints Place, Stamford, Lincolnshire, England,UK

Picturesque view of typical stone buildings in Buxton from the park gardens.

View of historical houses in the old town of Nottingham, England

Aerial photo of the beautiful beach in the town of Skegness showing the large sandy beach on a beautiful sunny say

Winter sunlight falls on East Bank Lighthouse famous for The Snow Goose, against a stormy sky in Sutton Bridge, River Nene, Spalding, Lincolnshire

Widely regarded as one of the UK’s finest towns, Stamford has a host of 17^th and 18^th century stone buildings, old timber-framed buildings and five medieval parish churches – and with 653,624 photos posted on Instagram, and a population of just over 20,000, it’s the most photographed place in the East Midlands.

Top five most photographed places in the West Midlands

Warwick Castle

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage where Shakespeare courted his future wife Stratford-upon-Avon

Worcester Cathedral in Worcestershire, England, seen across the River Severn on a fine spring evening. The Cathedral was built between 1084 and 1504.

Lichfield Cathedral from above

Kenilworth Castle at sunset

Perched on the river Avon – the county town of Warwick, is known for its medieval castle, which was founded by William the Conqueror. Almost a million photos of Warwick have been shared on Instagram, which means it takes the top spot for the most photographed place in the West Midlands.

Top five most photographed places in the East

Beautiful view of college in Cambridge with people punting on river cam

View of historical Ely Cathedral from Cherry Hill Park in summer, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Aerial view of Norwich Cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk

Photo of lavenders taken in a farm in Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Reflections on the waters of the river Lea

Well known for its prestigious university, Cambridge is perhaps one of the UK’s most famous cities. It’s not surprising so many visitors flock here every year. Located on the river Cam, just 55 miles from London, Cambridge offers punting on the river, exquisite architecture and a world-leading university.

Top five most photographed places in the North East

Durham Castle and Cathedral on their rock above the city, and Framwellgate Bridge spanning the River Wear

Classic view of the Iconic Tyne Bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead

St Marys lighthouse at low tide from the rocks

Longsands beach, Tynemouth

Stairway down to Seaham Hall Beach in County Durham.

According to our research, Durham is the most picturesque place to live in the UK, and it’s also the most photographed place in the North East, with a whopping 50.18 photos taken per capita. Locals are spoilt for choice, with Durham’s cathedral, castle, River Wear and botanical gardens all providing perfect backdrops for photographs.

Top five most photographed places in the North West

Manchester City building

Albert dock in Liverpool during a sunny day

Blackpool Tower and Central Pier Ferris Wheel, Lancashire

Miller Park, Preston, showing features from the ornamental fountain

St Bartholomew’s Church, Wilmslow

Steeped in industrial history, Manchester was a textile powerhouse in the 18^th century. Often dubbed the capital of the north, Manchester is not only the city that gave birth to Oasis, it’s rich in culture and Victorian architecture and it makes a great place to explore or live in. 

Top five most photographed places in Northern Ireland

The Belfast City Hall at Donegall Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Bangor Marina and sea front

Derry, North Ireland. Aerial view of Derry Londonderry city center in Northern Ireland, UK. Sunny day with cloudy sky, city walls and historical buildings

Ruins of medieval Dunluce Castle, cliffs, bays and peninsulas. Northern coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. Aerial view.

Silent Valley Mountain Park, Newry , Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, with well over 3 million photos posted to Instagram, is the most photographed place in Northern Ireland. Famously, it was also the birth place of the Titanic.

Top five most photographed places in Scotland

Street view of the historic Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland

Inverness Castle in the Highlands of Scotland

Photo of ancient Elgin cathedral in Scotland

Stirling Castle on a wintery Scottish day just before sunrise hits the castle

Bridge across the Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland

The Scottish capital, Edinburgh, is also the most photographed place in Scotland. Home to one of the world’s top universities, along with Scotland’s crown jewels and the majestic Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh is steeped in history and it’s a magical place to live or visit.

Top five most photographed places in Wales

Cardiff Bay, Pierhead Building, Wales Millennium Centre

Rhossili Bay in Swansea, Wales

Penarth waterfront with flowers on a summer morning with Penarth Pier in the background.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, built by Thomas Telford, and a World Heritage Site, reflecting in the River Dee, with people walking across, near Llangollen, County Borough of Wrexham, Wales.

Aerial view, photography of the famous Welsh holiday destination Prestatyn near Rhyl and Southport, Glorious beaches and safe family holidays by the seaside in Wales

Wales’ capital, Cardiff, was recently described as the ‘epitome of cool’ by the Lonely Planet Travel Guide. The cosmopolitan city is a friendly, affordable and exciting destination that’s home to around 350,000 residents. With almost 4 million photos shared to Instagram, it’s also the most photographed place in Wales.

The top 100 (positions 51-100) most photographed places in the UK

Methodology

To create the index of the most picturesque places in the UK, Instagram hashtag data was calculated for the 500 largest towns and cities in the UK. Population data was sourced from: https://www.thegeographist.com/uk-cities-population-1000/.

Some place names were removed from the analysis if the word was associated with something else, for example Rugby had to be discounted as many of the photos on Instagram were related to the sport and not the place.

The total number of photos for each location’s key hashtag, for example #London, #Truro, #Ely, was then divided by the population for that place to reveal the Instagram photos per capita. The higher the number, the more picturesque the place.

Data correct at 15.08.21

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