A UK city has been named prettier than spots in Greece, France and Italy according to a new study that determined Europe’s prettiest places for an Instagram photo
Santorini and the Amalfi Coast may be the kind of beautiful places you see all over your social media feeds, but one UK city has just beaten both destinations in new rankings of Europe’s ‘most Instagrammable locations’.
Despite Santorini being famed for its whitewashed buildings with blue dome ceilings, gorgeous ocean views and cobbled streets, it’s actually Edinburgh that’s been proving more of a hit with those in search of that perfect Instagram backdrop.
Considering the Scottish capital has a historic castle, cobbled streets, beautiful surroundings and a plethora of independent shops and eateries, it’s not difficult to see why it’s so popular with the Instagram crowd.
For example, Harry Potter fans regularly flock to Victoria Street, lined with colourful terraced buildings that have often been credited as the inspiration behind Diagon Alley, not to mention nowadays there’s a wizarding shop or two that you can explore.
Meanwhile those who want to be #smug about getting up early for a hike will no doubt want to head to the top of Arthur’s Seat, where you’ll be treated to unrivalled views of the city. Then of course there’s Edinburgh Castle which makes not only for a great selfie backdrop, but it’s well worth a visit if you want to while away a couple of hours and learn all about Edinburgh’s fascinating history.
Back down on the cobbled streets, you can delve further underground and explore the expansive network of tunnels under the city, which boast a turbulent history full of crime and reported hauntings, with many a walking tour on offer to guide you and teach you about some of the city’s spookiest stories.
Then there are the quirky boutiques on offer, the plethora of restaurants (and yes, plenty of options if you want to try haggis), and the countless events on throughout the year including the iconic Edinburgh Fringe Festival, literary festivals and the Instagram-worthy Hogmanay celebrations complete with candlelit walks and Christmas markets.
It’s therefore no surprise that Edinburgh featured so highly in the rankings of Europe’s most Instagrammable destinations, released by FerryHopper. The team behind the study looked at six different hashtag templates for each location to determine the winners, with factors such as how many posts are tagged across destinations, and the quality of photos.
Edinburgh came ninth in the overall rankings, beating out a number of destinations in France, Greece and Italy. (The top spot went to Paris, followed by Nice and Barcelona). You can check out the full rankings below:
Europe’s 15 most Instagrammable locations
- Paris, France
- Nice, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Valencia, Spain
- Ibiza, Spain
- Majorca, Spain
- Porto, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Santorini, Greece
- Provence, France
- Mykonos, Greece
- Bergen, Norway
- Amalfi Coast, Italy
- Cappadocia, Turkey
Looking for more staycation inspiration? Check out our UK holidays page that’s packed with destination recommendations, travel tips and deals we think you’ll love.
Do you have a holiday story you want to share? Email us at [email protected].