Halfway between the beautiful Byron Bay and carefree Coffs Harbour is a tiny town that Airbnb has just named the best in all of Australia. However, almost 75 per cent of Aussies have never even heard of it. The town in question is Maclean, the self-proclaimed “Scottish town of Australia”, set on the banks of the Clarence River in NSW’s Northern Rivers region.
Maclean earned the top spot in Airbnb’s new Tiny Town Guide, which spotlights 50 pocket-sized destinations perfect for your next Aussie getaway. The guide was inspired by recent YouGov research that revealed almost 80 per cent of Australians are eager to explore a regional town they’ve never visited before. To make the list, towns had to be within a road trip’s reach from a major city and have a population of less than 3,000.
Home to just 2,778 residents, Maclean was named the very best tiny town in Australia, offering a charming blend of history, culture and tartan flair. You can adopt a Scottish accent for the day and wander the town’s historic streets decorated with hundreds of tartan-painted poles, eat freshly caught prawns by the river or take a scenic hike through the subtropical rainforest. Perhaps the best time for a road trip is in April 2025, when the 120th Maclean Highland Gathering will take place. Think Scottish games, highland dancing and, of course, bagpipes.
Maclean was the most recognisable among Airbnb’s top ten tiny towns, yet only 26 per cent of Aussies had ever heard of it. Other small towns spotlighted include Scamander in Tasmania, Monto in Queensland, York in Western Australia and Myrrhee in Victoria, which is the most under-the-radar with only 5 per cent of Aussies knowing about it.
Here are the top ten tiny towns in Australia:
- Maclean, NSW
- Scamander, TAS
- Monto, QLD
- York, WA
- Myrrhee, VIC
- Taranna, TAS
- Bremer Bay, WA
- Lake Bennett, NT
- Glen Alice, NSW
- Tumby Bay, SA
You can check out Airbnb’s full list of the 50 top tiny towns here.
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