It is cheap, it is stunning and it is fascinating, sometimes too fascinating.

Turkey has increasingly lured Scottish holiday-makers away from traditional Mediterranean hotspots.

But British tourists have long been warned not to get too interested in the nation’s complex and sometimes troubled politics.

“Sporadic demonstrations take place in cities across Turkey, some of which have, in the past, become violent,” warns the Foreign Office. “You should avoid all demonstrations and leave the area if one develops. Police have used tear gas and water cannon extensively to disperse protests.”

Some 1.7 million UK tourists have been heading to Turkey in recent years. There remains advise against straying close to the border with war-torn Syria or eastern areas where there has been conflict between government forces and Kurdish rebels.

This weekend’s opposition election victories in Istanbul, a major tourist draw, come after a period of relative calm following the July 2016 failed coup.

“The security environment, however, remains potentially volatile,” said the Foreign Office, urging British visitors to avoid protests in central squares of Istanbul, Izmir and the capital Anakara.