Browse By

PICTURESQUE PATHWAYS: RESEARCH REVEALS THE UK’S MOST INSTAGRAMMED WALKS PER KILOMETRE

New research from Premier Inn has revealed where in the UK has the most picturesque walks, by analysing the walks with the most Instagram photos per kilometre.

Ramblers love using photo sharing platform Instagram to snap fantastic images of their walks, capturing and sharing the scenery, weather and landmarks seen on their journey. With Brits enjoying walks more than ever, the UK’s biggest hotel brand wanted to find out which scenic routes up and down the country were getting shared the most online.

By looking at the number of hashtags relating to popular UK walks, Premier Inn found the routes that have been shared on the photography platform the most, and cross-referenced this data with the length of that particular route, to reveal which walks have been inspiring the most photos across the UK.

London is home to the most Instagrammable urban walks

The most Instagrammed city walk in the UK was revealed as London’s Parkland Walk, which stretches from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace, and measures just under five kilometres in length. The route follows an old course of a railway line and has several points of photographic interest along the way, including sculptures and graffiti artworks. So, it’s no surprise that this stunning walk ranks in position one, with 2,131 hashtags per kilometre of the route.

Following the Parkland Walk were several other London walks including: The Queen’s Walk in Southbank in second place with over 850 hashtags per kilometre, and Regent’s Canal Walk ranking in fourth place with 447 hashtags per kilometre of its 14.5km route.

Though walks in the south of the UK dominate the top five, plenty of northern urban routes rank in the top ten. The 56km Forth and Clyde Canal Towpath in Scotland ranks in 8th place with 193 hashtags per kilometre, whilst routes in Durham and Leeds rank in 9th and 10th places respectively.

The Top 10 Most Instagrammed Urban UK Walks Per Kilometre

Rank

Walk Location

Approx.
length (KM)

Hashtags
per KM

1

Parkland Walk, London

5.0

2131

2

The Queen’s Walk, Southbank
London

6.0

856

3

Bath City Walk, Somerset

9.6

820

4

Regent’s Canal Walk, London

14.5

447

5

Thames Path

294.0

349

6

Derry City Walls Walk, Londonderry

1.6

343

7

Cambridge Colleges Walk,
Cambridgeshire

7.6

234

8

Forth & Clyde Canal Towpath

56.0

193

9

Durham (River Banks
& Maiden Castle)

5.4

182

10

Leeds (Civic Centre & Canal)

7.5

129

Brecon Beacons walk ‘Pen Y Fan’ ranks as most Instagrammable rural walk

Welsh route Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons takes the top spot of the UK’s most Instagrammable countryside walk, with an incredible 22,437 hashtags per kilometre of the 6.4km route (144,424 overall). The gentle 4-mile ‘Motor Way’ route takes you right to the top of the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons, providing stunning views of the wild open moorland.

Following the Brecon Beacons in first place is the Mam Tor and Great Ridge walk in the Peak District, with 8,669 hashtags per kilometre of the 10.4km route which goes through the national park’s valleys.

Slightly further north of the country, the Lake District is home to several Insta-worthy walks, with the Scafell Pike walk ranking in third place with 7,955 hashtags per kilometre. The Old Man of Coniston walk in the Lake District, which has 2,975 hashtags per kilometre, also ranks in the top 10 most Instagrammed rural walks (5th).

While most of the top 10 most Instagrammable rural walks can be found in the country’s stunning national parks, and well-known peaks, the Fife Coastal Path takes ramblers 101 kilometres across the Scottish coast, meaning those walking along the route can breathe in the sea air while snapping their latest Instagram posts.