It was described as “a daydream of a city”.
Scotland’s top city has been crowned(Image: George Pachantouris / Getty Images)
Scotland’s cities have been ranked by travel experts, with one destination that is described as “a daydream of a city” topping the nationwide list. The city was praised for its historic attractions, architecture, and its various cultural opportunities.
On Sunday, March 30, The Telegraph published an article detailing “Scotland’s eight cities ranked from worst to best”. The experts at the newspaper assigned each Scottish city an overall ‘visitor appeal’ score out of 10, based on a wide range of factors such as beauty and amenities.
Coming in at number one on The Telegraph’s ranking of Scotland’s cities is Edinburgh, which received a visitor appeal rating of nine out of 10. The Scottish capital brings visitors from around the world thanks to its history, culture, engaging attractions, and beautiful architecture.
The newspaper praised Edinburgh for its green spaces, including Holyrood Park, Princes Street Gardens, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The city also earned acclaim for its lauded restaurants and pubs, as well as its festivals and culture.
The Telegraph stated: “In any season or light, Edinburgh is a daydream of a city and the 21st-century incarnation of ancient Rome or Athens. It throws up world-class attractions and festivals on a whim and outstrips all the competition as the UK’s greenest city.
“Very little on this list can compete with the masterful moments of Holyrood Park, Princes Street Gardens and the Royal Botanic Garden. Plus, no other city is bonkers enough to build itself around a 350-million-year-old extinct volcano.
Princes Street Gardens(Image: georgeclerk / Getty Images)
“On the streets, you don’t have to look hard for great food (Lyla, Avery, Timberyard), great pubs (The Guildford Arms, Bennets Bar, Canny Man’s), or great hotels (The Balmoral, Gleneagles Townhouse, Prestonfield House). And only a simple glance up at soaring Castle Rock or the squiggles and spires of the Royal Mile will remind you where you are: in the capital of Scotland, a disproportionately fantastic place that’s envied by so many.”
Elsewhere, Glasgow was named the second-best city in Scotland by the newspaper. The largest city in Scotland, Glasgow is best known for attractions such as Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Pollok Country Park, and The Burrell Collection.
The Telegraph praised Glasgow for its trendy food and drink venues and its many renowned music venues, including the historic Barrowland Ballroom. Also noted was Glasgow’s locals, with the newspaper describing residents as honest, humorous, and cultured.
The Barrowland Ballroom(Image: Rob Sinclair, CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Telegraph wrote: “The real highlight is the Glaswegians themselves. They’re raw, hilarious and profound with no apologies, and they swagger fashionably on its streets, making its restaurants, bars and venues thrilling. To see a gig at the Barrowland Ballroom with a raucous, pie-eyed crowd is more life-affirming than any night out in New York or Paris.
“And if you need stats to back that up, know Scotland’s largest city was named the UK’s first Unesco City of Music and has more venues per 100,000 people than anywhere else in the world.
“As for more culture than you could shake a fizzing can of Irn-Bru at, there’s the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, The Burrell Collection and the Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum. This is a city that’s gone from a real-life episode of Taggart to knowing how to sell its humour and humanity like hit comedy Still Game.”
Coming in at number three on The Telegraph’s ranking is Stirling, which received a visitor appeal score of eight out of 10. Stirling is a city in central Scotland that is best known for its breathtaking scenery and historic attractions such as the ancient Stirling Castle that dates back hundreds of years.
Rounding out the top five on The Telegraph’s ranking of Scotland’s cities are Inverness and Dunfermline, placing fourth and fifth with scores of 7.5 and seven respectively. The former earned praise for the historic Inverness Castle that recently reopened to the public following a major restoration, while Dunfermline was noted for attractions such as Pittencrieff Park and Dunfermline Abbey and Palace.
For the full ranking of Scotland’s cities from worst to best, visit The Telegraph website.