Britain has a bit of a reputation for being severely lacking in sunshine. Yes, it does rain a lot here and yes, we have to put up with more grey and gloomy days than most, but we are graced with the sun's presence now and again (promise!).
If you want to chase the sunshine and maybe even attempt a modest tan, listen up. The Independent has done god’s work and dived into Met Office data to reveal the sunniest places in the country.
Turns out, the small town of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight is the brightest patch of all. The paper’s research revealed that between 1991 and 2020, the Isle of Wight got to enjoy the more hours of sunshine per day on average – five hours and eight minutes of it, to be exact.
Back on the UK mainland, as a country Kent boasts the most sunshine, with an average of four hours and 47 minutes per day. Folkestone, in the south of the county, is particularly balmy. Third on the sunshine rankings is neighbouring East Sussex, which is just one minute behind with a daily average sunshine time of four hours 46 minutes.
Take a moment for the Scottish and Welsh people in your life, though – every single one of the UK’s ten brightest places are in England.
Wales just missed out on a place in the top ten, with Barry (nicknamed Barrybados) landing in 11th place. The resort enjoys an average of four hours and 28 minutes of sun per day.
And Scotland isn’t all bad either. Its sunniest city, Dundee, bathes in four hours and one minute of daily sunshine on average. That said, Scotland also has the dullest city in the whole of the UK: residents in Inverness only get to revel in the sun’s glorious rays for an average of two hours and 53 minutes a day.
The sunniest spots in the UK and their average amount of daily sunshine, according to the Independent
- Isle of Wight 5h08m
- Kent 4h47m
- East Sussex 4h46m
- West Sussex 4h42m
- Essex 4h35m
- Dorset 4h34m
- Suffolk 4h34m
- Hampshire 4h32m
- Surrey 4h29m
- Cornwall 4h29m
When a sunny day comes around, make the absolute most of it by heading to one of the UK’s most beautiful places, most stunning national parks, most gorgeous hidden beaches or prettiest seaside towns.
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