Stunning town famous for royalty and rugby is named best destination in Scotland
HOLIDAYS at home are more popular than ever.
The only problem you may have is deciding which of the hundreds of amazing places to visit. There are just so many to choose from.
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But according to consumer advocates Which? Some Scottish places are ideal for a stay or just a day visit.
And the best of the best in her book is Melrose – home to an ancient abbey and resting place of Robert the Bruce.
They surveyed over 9,000 people Which? Members were asked to rate their experiences visiting inland towns and villages in the UK over the last year.
The criteria included scenery, food and drink, tranquility, tourist attractions and good value for money.
And Melrose in Roxburghshire, Inveraray in Argyll and Pitlochry in Perthshire all made the rankings of the best destinations in Scotland and finished in the top 20 across the UK.
Melrose achieved a target score of 78 percent and ranked 14th overall on the list of nearly 100 destinations.
Unsurprisingly, the town, surrounded by the peaks of the Eildon Hills, received five stars for its scenery and attractiveness.
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It also received four stars for its tourist attractions, which include Melrose Abbey, which dates back to 1136.
It is also home to the world-famous rugby sevens and two National Trust for Scotland gardens.
The city’s food and drink offerings also received four stars and four stars for value for money.
Inveraray came 15th along with picturesque Pitlochery, both scoring 77 per cent, beating popular tourist towns such as Keswick and Ambleside in the beautiful Lake District and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.
Both received five stars for scenery and Inveraray again achieved the same rating for attractiveness, which is not surprising considering it overlooks the beautiful Loch Fyne, while Pitlochery only achieved four.
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Film and TV favorite Wells in Somerset was featured on Which? named the UK’s top travel destination. Overview of the best inland towns and villages
The South West dominated the top three, with Wells, one of the UK’s smallest towns, scoring 83 per cent. Close behind were Avebury in Wiltshire (82 percent) and Corfe Castle in Dorset (80 percent).
The highest rated Welsh destination was Llangollen with 79 percent.
At the bottom of the list of most popular locations was popular wedding destination Gretna with 49 percent, followed by Bodmin in Cornwall with 50 percent.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “From famous tourist towns to lesser-known villages, this year’s survey captured the range of unique destinations Britain has to offer.”
“While the picturesque South West took the top spots, beautiful towns and villages in Scotland, Wales and across England are in the top ten – meaning there’s a fantastic place to visit, right on your doorstep, no matter where you live .”
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