A new study has ranked 71 towns and cities across England and Scotland, assessing how each performs in five key travel categories: family, sustainability, culture, food, and the outdoors. This research comes as many families start planning UK city breaks for the summer holidays.
The study used data from sources such as the Office for National Statistics, the Met Office, AllTrails, and VisitScotland. It evaluated factors like the number of green spaces, child-friendly attractions, walking trail ratings, and average annual sunshine hours. Each metric was adjusted for population size to ensure fairness and combined into a final score out of 100.
York emerged as a standout destination, especially for families and outdoor lovers. It has the highest number of child-friendly museums per capita, including popular spots like York Castle Museum and York’s Chocolate Story. The city offers over 790 child-friendly activities, making it a top choice for family visitors. Additionally, York has easy access to green spaces, with an average of 4.4 parks, gardens, or playing fields within one kilometer, and more than 200 family-friendly restaurants.
For outdoor enthusiasts, York also ranks highly, featuring 89 walking trails with strong user reviews and the most botanical gardens and nature reserves per capita in England. The Met Office data shows York enjoys over 1,500 hours of sunshine per year, giving it an advantage over other cloudier destinations.
In Scotland, Falkirk was named the best destination for families, while Inverness topped the list for outdoor activities. Other category winners included Newcastle and Aberdeen for sustainability, Edinburgh and Brighton for food, and Stirling and Cambridge for culture.
David Flesher, Commercial Director at LNER, said the research helps travelers know what each city excels at, making it easier to plan special trips. He added that the guide aims to help people make informed choices for day trips or longer holidays, celebrating the many great destinations along the LNER route.
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