These are the top 20 hidden gems in the UK

A tiny Scottish island which is just 1.5 miles wide has been voted the UK's top tourist 'hidden gem'.

Iona Island in the Inner Hebrides topped a list of 20 lesser-known beauty spots that also included the Fairy Polls on the Isle of Skye and Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel.

Research polling 2,000 adults revealed Stone Age sites on Orkney’s Rousay Island, the Cotswold Canals and Malham in the Yorkshire Dales are also among the top 20 best-kept secrets.

While Talisker Bay on the Isle of Skye, Flamborough Head in Yorkshire and Ilfracombe in Devon also featured.

Other underrated attractions included Somerset’s Cheddar Gorge, York Minister and Kew Gardens in London.

Graham Donoghue, chief executive of Sykes Holiday Cottages, which commissioned the survey, said: "Getting to experience places that aren't so well known and have a sense of secrecy about them is really exciting.

“In the UK, there are so many of these hidden gem locations within easy reach that many people have perhaps not even heard of, never mind visited.”

Seeking less popular destinations

The study found 40 per cent ‘go out of their way’ to visit the less popular locations and nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) ‘take pride’ in doing so.

Half of those polled enjoy telling people about their newly discovered places but a third would rather keep it to themselves to ensure the locations remain less popular.

For 62 per cent, being able to relax more due to the lack of crowds was the top reason for choosing these secret spots.