The most picturesque views in the UK according to experts in the matter – Britons – are of Loch Ness and Windermere.
Researchers asked the British public to vote for the views that inspire, delight and excite them the most and Loch Ness and Windermere came joint top with 27 per cent of the vote each.
The London Eye came second with 26 per cent, while the Tower of London, St Ives Bay in Cornwall and Ingleton in the Yorkshire were joint third with 24 per cent of the vote.
The view of Loch Ness came joint top when researchers asked the British public to vote for the views that inspire, delight and excite them the most. Rumours of the Loch Ness monster living in its waters have abounded over the decades, despite a distinct lack of hard evidence
The view across the Lake District’s Windermere, which came joint top in the public view vote. Measuring 5.69 square miles, Windermere is the largest natural lake in England and the body of water has 18 islands. This stunning picture of the lake was snapped by Instagram user @dianavonr
The London Eye came second with 26 per cent of the vote. The eye’s capsules travel at 26cm per second and it takes around 30 minutes for them to do a full rotation of the wheel
Other popular vistas were Snowdonia (fourth, 23 per cent), the Jurassic Coast’s Man O’War beach in Dorset (fifth, 20 per cent), the White Cliffs of Dover (joint sixth, 19 per cent) and Stonehenge (joint sixth, 19 per cent).
Completing the top 10 were Ben Nevis (joint seventh, 18 per cent), Cheddar Gorge (joint seventh, 18 per cent), York Minster (eighth, 17 per cent), Loch Lomond (joint ninth, 16 per cent), Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons (joint ninth, 16 per cent), Giant’s Causeway – as featured in Game of Thrones – (joint ninth, 16 per cent), Dorset’s Durdle Door (joint 10th, 15 per cent), London’s Westminster Bridge (joint 10th, 15 per cent) and Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh (joint 10th, 15 per cent).
According to the research, by London North Eastern Railway (LNER), a whopping two-thirds of Britons had desperately missed being able to visit UK beauty spots during the past year (67 per cent).
And 58 per cent hope to visit their favourite UK destinations as soon as restrictions are lifted, and it is safe to do so.
The study also discovered that the UK is a proud nation, as nearly half (47 per cent) insisted that Britain is blessed with some of the most beautiful views in the world, and a further 44 per cent admitted they are grateful to live somewhere that has such stunning scenery.
Two-thirds of Britons said they have British beauty spots and destinations on their own personal travel bucket lists (67 per cent).
The Tower of London has been a Unesco-designated World Heritage Site since 1988 and is the home of the Crown Jewels. It came joint third in the vote
An aerial view of Cornwall’s St Ives Bay, which came joint third in the poll. The bay is on the Atlantic coast of north-west Cornwall and stretches for four miles between St Ives and Godrevy Head
A bewitching shot of a pathway outside the picturesque village of Ingleton by Instagram user @real_yorkshire. Ingleton is nestled on the slopes of Ingleborough, a 2,372ft (723m) mountain in the Yorkshire Dales
When it comes to what it is about Britain’s views that make them so spectacular, 47 per cent of those polled said the UK has a great mix of both landscapes and urban cityscapes, 45 per cent think there’s lots of history to see in British views, while over a third said the proximity of city and countryside means you can be transported to a different view in minutes (36 per cent).
Despite Britain being a small island, 42 per cent of those taking part in the vote agreed that it is home to places that feel wild and undiscovered, with rural beauty spots like Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire coming joint 12th (13 per cent) in the stunning view ranking.
In fact, 57 per cent go as far as to say that a UK-based trip can be just as enjoyable – or even better – than a holiday abroad and that they like to explore destinations that offer plenty to discover (49 per cent), beautiful views and scenery (47 per cent) and going somewhere they have never been before (42 per cent).
The research also revealed that 77 per cent of Britons hoping to holiday this summer are intending to take a UK staycation first before planning a trip abroad.
Snowdonia, which came fourth in the picturesque vistas poll. The national park is home to the highest mountain in England and Wales – Snowdon, which is 3,560ft (1,085m) high
Fifth place in the vote was the Jurassic Coast’s Man O’War beach in Dorset, pictured. This incredible image of the beach was taken by Instagram user @macaloon and has been liked 539 times
Unsurprisingly, six in 10 (61 per cent) of the 2,000 people polled admitted they have found UK-based travel restrictions over the past 12 months to be frustrating.
David Horne, managing director at LNER, said: ‘It’s clear to see that as a nation we’re proud to be home to some amazing views, ranging from natural beauty like Loch Ness and the Yorkshire Dales to great cities like London and York.
‘Although restrictions are in place, for now, it is not difficult to see why so many of us will be looking to explore the beauty of Britain once it is safe to do so.
The White Cliffs of Dover, which stretch for eight miles and are up to 350ft (110m) high, came joint sixth in the public vote
Stonehenge, which came joint sixth in the vote. The pre-historic monument, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 1986
‘When people can travel again, it is pleasing to see that the staycation should return thanks to the ease of travelling around the UK, and an enjoyable, safe journey being a key priority.
‘We are not surprised to see destinations on the LNER route feature highly in the popular vote as we are blessed with some of the most picturesque spots in the UK.
‘With over 900 miles of track to explore, we’re looking forward to helping people discover their favourite views again soon.’