This NSW town has been named Australia's best tiny town by Airbnb

Set on the banks of the Clarence River, halfway between the world-famous Byron Bay and the carefree coastal town of Coffs Harbour, you’ll find Maclean – the self-proclaimed “Scottish town of Australia”. And while you – along with almost 75 per cent of Aussies – might have never heard of it, this quaint little town has just ranked as the best tiny town in all of Australia.

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. The other NSW town to make the list was Glen Alice, a magical village on the edge of Capertee Valley (the second-largest canyon in the world) in the Central West of NSW.

Here are the top ten tiny towns in Australia:

1. Maclean, NSW
2. Scamander, TAS
3. Monto, QLD
4. York, WA
5. Myrrhee, VIC
6. Taranna, TAS
7. Bremer Bay, WA
8. Lake Bennett, NT
9. Glen Alice, NSW
10. Tumby Bay, SA

You can check out Airbnb’s full list of the 50 top tiny towns here.

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