The secrets out! Some of Yorkshire’s best-kept secrets have been revealed in a list of the top 20 hidden gems to visit in the UK. Amongst them were other places in the UK such as Orkney’s Rousay Island, the Cotswold Canals, and Malham in the Yorkshire Dales are also among the top 20 best-kept secrets.

While Talisker Bay on the Isle of Skye, Flamborough Head in Yorkshire and Ilfracombe in Devon also featured. A survey of 2,000 adults found that a whole host of Yorkshire attractions were firm favourites of adults in the UK.
Graham Donoghue, chief executive of Sykes Holiday Cottages, which commissioned the survey, said: “Getting to experience places that aren’t so well known and have a sense of secrecy about them is really exciting.



“In the UK, there are so many of these hidden gem locations within easy reach that many people have perhaps not even heard of, never mind visited.”
The study found 40% of people will “go out of their way” to visit the less popular locations, and 89% “take pride” in finding lesser-known places to visit.
62% of the people surveyed said they prefer to be able to relax in places with fewer crowds, which is the main reason for a lot of the secret spots. And, more than 53% of people surveyed said lesser-known places in the UK made them feel like they were getting the most out of their country.
Half of those polled enjoy telling people about their newly discovered places – but a third would rather keep it to themselves to ensure the locations remain less popular.
Half the people surveyed said they enjoy telling people about their finds, whilst a third said they would keep it to themselves. For various reasons, it seems that half of those surveyed are planning a staycation this year.
Check out the list of the top 20 “hidden gems” in the UK below:
- Iona Island, Inner Hebrides
- The Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye, Scotland
- Lundy Island, Devon
- Stone Age sites, Rousay Island, Orkney Islands
- Cotswold Canals, the Cotswolds
- Malham, Yorkshire Dales
- Ilfracombe, Devon
- Talisker Bay, Isle of Skye, Scotland
- Flamborough Head, Yorkshire
- Hawes, Yorkshire Dales
- Mullion, Cornwall
- Blackgang Beach, Isle of Wight
- Skipton Castle, North Yorkshire
- The Devil’s Pulpit, Stirlingshire, Scotland
- Bodnant Gardens, near Colwyn Bay, Conwy, North Wales
- Ladybower Reservoir, Peak District
- The Bays, Harris, Outer Hebrides
- Heights of Abraham, Derbyshire
- South West Coastal 300, Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire
- Castle Combe, Wiltshire
Read More: The 11 Most Beautiful, Quaint Villages To Visit In Yorkshire
[Featured image: Andrzej Sowa/Adobe Stock]