New research has revealed that Edinburgh is the second most recommended city in the UK by travel guidebooks.
With the surge in popularity of staycations following the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis, people across the UK are looking for picturesque and interesting spots around the nation to head for a holiday.
While TripAdvisor, TikTok, and Instagram have taken the travel world by storm in recent years, research has indicated that guidebooks are still the most influential source of travel information for tourists. With some of the more remote parts of the UK having poor access to mobile phone service and Wi-Fi, a physical pocket-size travel encyclopedia can provide you with information no matter where you are.
To help people choose where in the UK to head on a holiday, experts at Independent Cottages scraped over 3 million book to find which UK cities have the most and the least guidebooks written about them. Edinburgh placed first for Scotland, and second in the UK overall, with 205 books written about it.
The Scottish capital has countless things to see and do, from the picturesque Arthur's Seat to the historic Edinburgh Castle and Real Mary King's Close. For those wanting to stay indoors and avoid the winter weather, there is also the National Museum of Scotland, Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, and many more museums and galleries.
Commenting on the city, Independent Cottages wrote: "In second place is Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, with the historic city having 205 guidebooks written about it. Its medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town draw tourists all year round to its attractions including Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat and the world-renowned comedy festival."
Topping the list with a staggering 1637 books written about it is London. Other Scottish cities to feature in the top 10 are Glasgow in fourth position and Aberdeen in 10th, with 100 and 32 books written about them respectively.
More information about Independent Cottage's research and its methodology can be found on its website.
The UK Cities With The Most Guidebooks Written About Them
- London - 1637
- Edinburgh - 205
- Cambridge - 102
- Glasgow - 100
- Manchester - 46
- Birmingham - 36
- Liverpool - 36
- Bristol - 36
- Oxford - 34
- Plymouth - 32
- Aberdeen - 32
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