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Two British lakes have been crowned the ‘most picturesque’ in the world

A new study has ranked the prettiest bodies of water on the planet – and two Scottish lakes made the cut

Amy Houghton
Written by
Amy Houghton
Contributing writer
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness in Scotland, UK
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Britain’s lakes are things of beauty, heck we’ve even got a whole national park named after them. From Buttermere in Cumbria to the Fairy Pools of Skye, there’s just something about those dazzling expanses that instills immediate calm. Not to mention the gorgeous cragged scenery that surrounds them. 

All of that said, our beloved bodies of water can often be overlooked for bigger, bluer lakes elsewhere (there are over 100 million lakes on the planet). But not anymore. A new study has named two lakes here in the UK among the top ten ‘most picturesque’ in the world. 

Even though the region has inspired many a romantic verse, neither of those lakes are in the Lake District. They actually belong to Scotland. The study named Loch Lomond the eighth most picturesque lake on the globe and Loch Ness the ninth. 

Loch Lomond in Scotland, UK
Photograph: Shutterstock

The ranking was based on Instagram hashtag count, the idea being that the lakes that have been photographed the most, are the most picturesque. So, if you’re after somewhere with less crowds and cameras, it might be worth looking elsewhere. You can see the full list of the world’s most picturesque lakes in Europe here and America here.

Britain by water

If you’re a bonafide water baby, make sure to check out the UK’s most beautiful wild swimming spots, best outdoor pools, prettiest seaside towns and most impressive hidden beaches, as chosen by experts at Time Out. 

Did you see that the UK is officially one of the world’s best countries to live

Plus: The Scottish Highlands could be the next UK destination to introduce a tourist tax

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.  

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