Gogarth North Wales Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve in Llandudno has ranked as the UK’s most picturesque nature reserve for wildlife watching.
With 52% more staycation holidays planned this year compared to normal, wildlife reserves are a unique idea to guarantee adventure, and they won’t make a dent in your holiday budget — nearly all of them are free to enter.
Ditchling Beacon in Sussex came second in the list, while Looe Island in Cornwall ranked third.
READ MORE: Five reasons why North Wales really is the best place in the country
Located in Llandudno on the Western slopes of the Great Orme, Gogarth is a special location to spot some beautiful species.
It sits on a steep grass bank which can make walking difficult, but you can find incredible views from Marine Drive, a road slightly higher up.
Look out for wildlife including Chough birds which are small crows with red beaks, Silver-Studded Blue butterflies, grazing sheep and goats, and glow worms which come out at night, as well as a variety of wildflowers.
Looking down, you may also spot grey seals and harbour porpoises.
Silver-Studded Blue butterflies even have a sub-species native to the Great Orme.
The limestone in the grassland is a perfect environment for wildflowers like the common and hoary rock-rose, wild thyme, pyramidal orchid, eyebright, carline thistle and tormentil, all of which are lit up by glow worms by night.
The research, conducted by wildlife experts Ark Wildlife , looked at how photogenic each nature reserve was based on how many Instagram pictures were posted per hectare of land.
The data found Gorgath to be the most picturesque nature reserve, with 845 pictures posted per hectare.
Sean McMenemy, wildlife expert and director at Ark Wildlife, said: “Nature reserves are vital for conservation work to help to protect our wildlife and to protect our planet for future generations.
“I hope that a visit to a nature reserve will inspire you to create your own wildlife area back home — whether that’s letting an area in your garden grow wild or creating a wildlife haven in a community space.”
The top 10 in full
Gogarth, North Wales
Ditchling Beacon, Sussex
Looe Island, Cornwall
Northumberlandia, Northumberland
Crickley Hill, Gloucestershire
St Catherine’s Hill Nature Reserve, Hampshire
Bowness on Solway, Cumbria
West Bexington, Dorset
Flamborough Cliffs Nature Reserve, Yorkshire
Falls of Clyde, South Lanarkshire
Have you visited Gogarth? Let us know in the comments section below.
