Edinburgh has been named as the second best large city in the UK for tourists, while Highland town Fort William has been ranked as one of the country’s worst small locations to visit.
The Scottish Highlands are regularly included among the most beautiful places to visit in the country, which is why it may come as a surprise to learn that the “outdoor capital of the UK” is so poorly regarded by visitors.
It’s according to new research conducted by consumer magazine Which?, who surveyed almost 4,000 people to ask about their experiences visiting towns and cities in the UK across the last two years.
Each location on the list was given a score out of five based on criteria such as food and drink, accommodation, cultural sights, shopping, crowds, value for money and more.
Liverpool was named the top large city, with Edinburgh in close second, while Bath was voted as the best medium sized city, beating out the likes of Oxford and Dundee. Meanwhile, Wells was named as the best among the UK’s small towns and cities with St Andrews in third and others, including Stirling also among the best for visitors.
With most of the towns and cities included in Which’s guide already considered tourist destinations, here are the best and worst locations to visit in Scotland as decided by visitors.

9. Aberdeen
The last big city in Scotland, Aberdeen was given a fairly poor score of 60%. The Granite City received four stars for its lack of crowds, but three stars for its accommodation, cultural sights and value for money, and two stars for its food and drink scene, shopping, ease of getting around and parking. | s_karau - stock.adobe.com

10. Fort William
Finally, the worst small town to visit in Scotland according to visitors, Fort William received a score of just 58%. Known as the outdoor capital of the UK, the Lochaber town is a hub for those looking to climb hills, mountain bike and more. It earned four stars for its lack of crowds, but just three stars for its cultural sights, parking and value for money, then just two stars for food and drink, accommodation, shopping and getting around. | UAV4 - stock.adobe.com


