TWO Scottish towns and a Hebridean island have been named among Britain’s best staycation spots as people seek alternative spots for home holidays.
Kilwinning and Motherwell are listed as top ‘safecation’ destinations in a new poll based on social distancing, open spaces and free activities.
5
5
The report, from money.co.uk, ranks locations out of 100, based on factors including safety, the number of visitors, and nearby campsites and beaches.
The Isle of Harris, known for its stunning beaches, is the third Scottish spot in the top 10.
The positivity around the vaccine rollout and the hope that restrictions will be eased for the summer has led to a surge in Brits opting for home holidays rather than flying abroad.
5
5
5
And lots of people are eying up trips to Scotland thanks to the outstanding natural beauty north of the border.
The usual popular spots, such as big cities Edinburgh and Glasgow, may be shunned in favour of safer, less crowded destinations.
Scotland having many open spaces and the lowest crime rate of the UK locations on the report, means there are a number of prime spots for alternative trips.
Kilwinning was ranked third in the money.co.uk list, with a rating of 71 out of 100.
The Ayrshire town had the joint-lowest crime rate in the report, it scored highly when looking for value for money, and Eglington Country Park was seen as a great spot to get outdoors, especially for dog-walking.
UK’s top 10 ‘safecation’ destinations
The best socially-distanced staycation spots, as ranked by money.co.uk
- Gower – 76.5/100
2. Keswick – 73/100
3. Kilwinning – 71/100
4. Armagh – 70/100
5. Northwich – 69/100
6. Motherwell – 68/100
7. Isle of Harris – 67/100
8. Milford – 66.5/100
9. Leigh – 66/100
10. Windsor – 65.5/100
Motherwell and Harris, like Kilwinning, had low crime rates, with minimal crimes being reported in December 2020.
Strathclyde Country Park helped Motherwell into sixth position on the list, with a score of 68, thanks to its open spaces and low-budget activities.
Harris was on place lower with a score of 68, thanks to its low visitors, numerous campsites and world-renowned beaches.
Dog friendliness, contactless payment availability and car parking were also among the criteria in defining safecation spots.
Gower, in West Glamorgan, Wales, topped the list for the best socially-distanced staycation in the UK, scoring 76.5 out of 100.
Salman Haqqi, money.co.uk’s consumer spending expert, said: “Campsites, holiday parks and hotels all over the nation are ready and waiting to welcome guests back, but even with social distancing guidelines in place, overcrowding can still be a problem in tourist honeypots.
“Our report shows that a destination like Glasgow can only host around 8 per cent of the usual annual visitors to the area taking one-metre social distancing into account, whereas there is plenty of space for everyone in Gower.
“It’s not just wide open spaces that need to be considered when booking, the report found that 52 per cent of the new destinations had contactless payment options available for parking, food and drinks, shopping and leisure activities.”
We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5300