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    These are the UK’s most instagrammable secret beaches

    Fall off the radar and in love with these secluded summer spots

    Niamh McCollum's avatar
    By Niamh McCollum
    Published 20 July 2020 In Features

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    Fall off the radar and in love with these secluded summer spots

    After months stuck on Zoom, and with lockdown restrictions easing ever so slightly, we’re all keen to set aside some time for a dreamy getaway in the British sunshine – with research from ONS indicating that 1 in 4 of us are ‘very likely’ to plan a summer staycation this year.

    But with more Brits staycationing than ever before, there’s a worry that if too many flock to the same places, social distancing guidelines could well be forgotten – as was seen with the overcrowding of several beaches on the Southern coastline back in June.

    And so a mighty dilemma falls upon us: choosing a staycation location that is both as breathtaking as the white sand beaches of Sicily but little known enough that it’s also SD-friendly.

    Although it might seem a mammoth task, ShowersToYou.co.uk has done the lion’s share, by searching Instagram to find the UK’s least tagged, and prettiest secret beaches for us to discover this summer.

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    Topping the list with just four hashtags is Coves Haven beach. With high sand dunes and steep cliffs providing a beautiful view of Holy Island’s coast, this little-known gem is also the most remote beach on our list to visit.

    Up next with 27 hashtags is the award-winning Strathy Bay, situated in the Scottish Highlands. With the River Strathy on one side and the north coast’s epic cliffs on the other, this hidden spot was nominated as one of Scotland’s best beaches in 2019 and is well worth a visit.

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    And renowned for its waterfalls, the Lake District has a plethora of beautiful spots dotted across its coastline. Take, Drigg, for example. The most popular of the least tagged beaches (garnering 658 hashtags), it’s a beautiful spot for a picnic and just so happens to be secluded enough that should a cheeky skinny dip be on the cards, well...who's to know?

    As this round-up shows, England and Scotland are home to some of the most beautiful secret beaches we’ll come across. Staycation 2020 doesn’t seem so bad after-all, eh?

    Ranked in order of the least hashtags to the most, these are the UK's top 15 secret beaches

    Coves Haven, Holy Island, England

    AKA: #coveshaven

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    Total number of hashtags: 4

    A photo posted by on

    Strathy Bay, Highland, Scotland

    AKA: #strathybay

    Total number of hashtags: 27

    A photo posted by on

    Shepherd's Chine, Isle of Wight

    AKA: #shepherdschine

    Total number of hashtags: 86

    A photo posted by on

    Sinclairs Bay, Highland

    AKA: #sinclairs bay

    Total number of hashtags: 142

    A photo posted by on

    Gammon Head Beach, Devon

    AKA: #gammonhead

    Total number of hashtags: 153

    A photo posted by on

    Porthbeor, Cornwall

    AKA: #porthbeor, #porthbeorbeach

    Total number of hashtags: 188

    A photo posted by on

    Rumbling Kern, Northumberland, England

    AKA: #rumblingkern, #rumblingkernhowick

    Total number of hashtags: 244

    A photo posted by on

    Speke's Mill Mouth, Devon

    AKA: #spekesmillmouth, #spekesmillmouthbeach

    Total number of hashtags: 299

    A photo posted by on

    Langamull Beach, Isle of Mull, Scotland

    AKA: #langamull, #langamullbeach

    Total number of hashtags: 314

    A photo posted by on

    Fidden, Isle of Mull

    AKA: #fidden, #fiddenbay, #fiddenbeach

    Total number of hashtags: 319

    A photo posted by on

    Traeth Mawr, Glamorgan, Wales

    AKA: #traethmawr

    Total number of hashtags: 410

    A photo posted by on

    Traeth Bychan Beach, Anglesey, Wales

    AKA: #traethbychan

    Total number of hashtags: 537

    A photo posted by on

    Traeth Llynfn, Pembrokeshire, Wales

    AKA: #traethllyfn, #traethllyfnbeach

    Total number of hashtags: 583

    A photo posted by on

    Drigg, Lake District, England

    AKA: #drigg

    Total number of hashtags: 658

    A photo posted by on

    Niamh McCollum
    Niamh McCollum
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    Niamh McCollum is Features Assistant at Marie Claire UK, and specialises in entertainment, female empowerment, mental health, social development and careers. Tackling both news and features, she's covered everything from the rise of feminist audio porn platforms to the latest campaigns protecting human rights.

    Niamh has also contributed to our Women Who Win series by interviewing ridiculously inspiring females, including forensic scientist Ruth Morgan, Labour MP Stella Creasy and ITV’s former Home Affairs Editor Jennifer Nadel.

    Niamh studied Law in Trinity College Dublin. It was after enrolling in a Law & Literature class on her year abroad in Toronto that her love of writing was reignited. In no particular order, her big likes are Caleb Followill, hoops, red wine, sea swimming, shakshuka and long train journeys.

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