IT’S one of the most photographed locations in Scotland with scenery to rival the white sands and azure waters of the Caribbean.
Now the island of Harris has been named one of the “must shoot” locations in the world and joins a series of international destinations essential for globetrotting travellers.
It joins Old San Juan in Puerto Rico and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe which have also been all named as locations likely to appear on social networking sites.
Island locations such as Luskentyre, Scarista and Huisinis beaches helped win favour among a digital generation who recorded their visits on sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to St Clement’s Church in Rodel, Harris Distillery in Tarbert and the island’s Harris Tweed industry was also popular among visitors.
The Outer Hebridean island’s accolade came as £5 million funding was announced to promote scenery, wildlife and culture in the Highlands and Islands in picturesque locations such as Glen Coe,
Areas such as Isle of Skye, however, have struggled to cope with number of visitors attracted to the area.
The top ten “must photograph” travel destinations for 2019 were revealed by mobile phone firm Huawei which analysed more than 1.3 million posts among individuals across multiple social media platforms.
Among the “camera-ready” destinations joining Harris are the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo; Kobe and Yokohoma, Japan; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda; Baden-Baden, Germany; Old San Juan, Puerto Rico; Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; Kartarpur, Narowal District, Pakistan; Wadi Rum, National Park, Jordan; Icy Strait Point, Hoonah, Alaska.
Research was conducted by the mobile phone firm between September last year and January 2019.
Justin Costello, director of marketing, Huawei UK and Ireland, said: “Being able to stay connected no matter where you are in the world and being able capture to scale, colours and beauty of these amazing locations so you can share your major life experiences through the power of photography will always be important to those who have firmly caught the ‘explorer’ bug.”
The analysis also found men were more likely to select travel destinations based on how ‘Instagrammable’ they are than women
It also found 38% of Brits believed their area had some of the UK’s most photo-worthy hidden gems.
Just under half (41%) of 18-25 year olds (41%) looked for places their friends haven’t been.
More than a third of those quizzed (34%) wanted to be the first to find new places and post their photographic evidence online.
Of those questioned, 16% of “Generation-Zs” specifically chose locations most ‘Instagrammable’ when planning their travels.
The Outer Hebridean island’s accolade came as £5 million funding was announced to promote scenery, wildlife and culture in the Highlands and Islands.
The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) finance will provide cash for businesses which will benefit the area and visitor experience.
Ten new projects which create and sustain employment, businesses and services in the local community will share the funding.
Francesca Osowska, chief executive of the heritage body said: “This new fund presents fantastic opportunities to show how investing in the environment and culture of the Highlands and Islands can bring significant economic benefits for rural communities.
“SNH has already met with over 100 prospective applicants at events across the region to discuss their project ideas.”
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