Yahoo News Scotland's best staycation spots revealed as Aberdeenshire included in UK's top 20
Scotland's most luxurious staycation spots have been revealed, with Aberdeenshire among the five locations included in the UK's top 20.
Defender, a brand under Land Rover, embarked on a mission to identify the finest rural and high-end destinations to visit in Scotland this year.
The 'Defender Destinations Index' measures a location's population against its number of top-rated five-star hotels, golf clubs, Michelin-starred restaurants, wellness retreats, hiking trails and National Trust sites.
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Argyll and Bute, a secluded coastal destination, has been crowned as Scotland's top luxury staycation spot in the index, writes the Daily Record.
This is due to its modest population of just 86,220 residents, along with its two five-star hotels, four Michelin Guide restaurants, four five-star golf clubs, six high-end spa and wellness centres, five exceptional hiking trails and seven National Trust locations in the vicinity.
Argyll and Bute - with its wealth of National Trust properties including Ben Lomond mountain and the uninhabited islands around Loch Lomond - is a must-visit.
The region is also famed for its whiskey industry boasting over twenty distilleries - alongside five-star hotels and high-end restaurants.
Perth and Kinross came in second as the best Scottish destination for those seeking outdoor adventure coupled with luxury, offering the finest hiking trails in Scotland.
Aberdeenshire completes the top three scoring highly for its abundance of National Trust locations.
The research evaluated the quantity of five-star hotels, Michelin Guide restaurants, top-tier golf clubs, outstanding spa and wellness centres, superb hiking trails and National Trust locations in each area.
This then resulted in the top 10 destinations being picked to represent the best remote locations offering the highest quality travel amenities across the nation.
Scotland's top 10 best staycation locations
Scotland's staycation spots feature prominently in the list that includes all British locations, ranking fifth, joint sixth, twelfth, fifteenth and seventeenth.
Unsurprisingly, Scotland features six times in the top ten British destinations with the highest density of golf courses per population. Top scorers include Aberdeenshire, Shetland, Argyll and Bute, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, and Fife.
The Lake District takes the crown as the ultimate British upmarket staycation destination in the index, thanks to its modest population of just over 40,000, its ten five-star hotels, eighteen Michelin Guide restaurants, five 5-star golf clubs, twenty-five luxury spa and wellness centres, thirty-two excellent hiking trails and twenty-three National Trust locations in the area.
