Edinburgh has emerged as the UK's most photographed holiday destination, securing ninth place in a European ranking with more than 13 million posts on social media. The Scottish capital outperformed renowned Mediterranean hotspots, including Santorini and the Amalfi Coast.
A new analysis examined Instagram hashtag data across European destinations to identify the most photogenic locations.
Edinburgh's strong performance placed it well ahead of other UK destinations in the research by ferry tickets provider Ferryhopper.
The study found that the historic city's visual appeal resonates strongly with Instagram users looking for memorable travel photography. To find out more about Edinburgh's appeal, see the GB News guide on how to beat the crowds in the capital's quaint hidden gem.
Edinburgh was the only place in the UK on the list
GETTYResearchers looked at six different hashtag templates for each location to determine the most snap-worthy European destinations. Paris dominated the rankings with 155,949,193 total Instagram posts, representing a 61.2 per cent increase over second-placed Nice.
Nice attracted 96,758,275 posts across various hashtags, while Barcelona secured third position with 77,112,126 posts. Unsurprisingly, Spanish destinations showed particularly strong performance, with Valencia, Ibiza and Mallorca all featuring in the top 10. This comes as part of Spain was voted the trendiest holiday spot for 2025.
Portuguese cities Porto and Lisbon ranked seventh and eighth respectively, with 14,724,135 and 13,922,533 posts. Santorini completed the top 10 with 9,577,225 posts, despite its iconic white buildings and blue domes.
Edinburgh's 13,178,384 posts placed it significantly ahead of the Cotswolds, which ranked 19th with 3,070,114 posts.
The full European top 10
- Paris, France - 155,949,193 posts
- Nice, France - 96,758,275 posts
- Barcelona, Spain - 77,112,126 posts
- Valencia, Spain - 32,558,358 posts
- Ibiza, Spain - 20,967,809 posts
- Mallorca, Spain - 16,078,715 posts
- Porto, Portugal - 14,724,135 posts
- Lisbon, Portugal - 13,922,533 posts
- Edinburgh, Scotland - 13,178,384 posts
- Santorini, Greece - 9,577,225 posts
The top 10 consisted of a mix of cities and beach destinations, suggesting these are the main types of holidays Britons are looking for in 2025.
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Paris was the most picturesque holiday destination
GETTYCEO of Ferryhopper Christos Spatharakis commented: "These results show that classic European cities continue to capture people's imagination and their Instagram feeds.
"While cities like Paris and Barcelona lead the rankings, it's interesting to see island destinations performing so well. Many of these top Instagram destinations are accessible by ferry, offering travellers both stunning photo opportunities and memorable journey experiences."
The findings align with Office for National Statistics data showing Spain as the most visited country by UK residents in 2023, accounting for 21 per cent of all visits abroad. France ranked second at 11 per cent, reflecting the Instagram popularity of destinations like Paris and Nice.
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