Relaxing winter escapes: East Midlands spot named UK’s 'Best Countryside Destination'

A Christmas break may be just the ticket to recharge your batteries ahead of the festive season. East Midlands’ residents need not look too far, as a local spot has been named the UK’s best countryside destination.

New research from Browns CBD has revealed the best UK areas to go for the most relaxing break this winter, with Rutland, East Midlands crowned top.

Rutland, England’s smallest county, took the top spot as the best UK staycation destination for a relaxing country escape this winter.

The idyllic Scottish Highlands rank second whilst Torridge in Devon came third in the UK.

Browns CBD say they analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and from online resources including Bing Maps and Booking.com, to reveal the best relaxing breaks this year.

Here is the full list of top winter staycations in the UK 2024

(Index score out of 100)

1 Rutland, East Midlands 64.17

2 Scottish Highlands, Scotland 61.78

3 Torridge, Devon 61.54

4 Malvern Hills, Worcestershire 60.50

5 Argyll and Bute, Scotland 60.43

6 Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland 60.07

7 High Peak, Derbyshire 59.58

8 Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland 58.92

9 Sevenoaks, Kent 58.67

10 Eden, Cumbria 57.50

11 Northumberland, North East 57.40

12 South Lakeland, Cumbria 56.81

13 West Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire 56.72

14 South Kesteven, Lincolnshire 56.26

15 Na h-Eileanan Siar (Outer Hebrides), Scotland 55.94

1 Rutland

The findings reveal that Rutland in the East Midlands is the best relaxing countryside destination for a staycation in the UK. The area appears perfect for a getaway this winter, scoring top across the country in the index, achieving 64.17 out of 100.

According to the study, the average combined size of parks, public gardens and playing fields within a 1,000m radius (m2) scored a perfect 10 out of 10 in the index. The East Midlands area also scored well for its distance to an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’—highlighting the area’s appeal for those hoping to find some serenity in nature.

2 Scottish Highlands

Second on the list is the Scottish Highlands, making up the most northern part of mainland Scotland, the area often celebrated for its wealth of natural beauty scored 61.78 out of 100 in the index study.

The findings identified that the area has, on average, around 176% more spa hotels per 100,000 population than the average across all countryside destinations analysed in the study—equating to 7.98 out of 10 in the index. Additionally, the Highlands scored an impressive 9.53 out of 10 for its distance to the green spaces analysed, ranking fourth in the UK.

3 Torridge

Located in northwest Devon, the Torridge district ranks third among the best relaxing staycation destinations in the UK this winter. The area achieved an index score of 61.54 out of 100 for its relaxing offerings.

The Devonshire district scores highly for ‘happiness’ among locals, according to the findings—with ONS reporting the area achieved a score of 8.05/10. This is the fifth-highest score of all rural districts analysed in the study, equating to an index score of 8.71 out of 10.

The analysis compiled 11 factors into an index study to reveal a score out of 100 for 96 rural council districts across the UK.

The factors that could contribute to a relaxing break analysed in the study included the following:

• the reported well-being levels in each area based on people feeling ‘worthwhile’, ‘life satisfaction’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘happiness’, according to ONS;
• the average distance to the nearest park, public garden or playing field, and the average size of those green spaces within 1,000m radius;
• the percentage of woodland cover in the area;
• the distance to the nearest ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’;
• the reconciled crime rate per 10,000;
• the number of spas and spa hotels per 100,000 population.

These factors were scored and aggregated to reveal the areas with the highest index score out of 100, ranking the best destinations this winter.

Laurence Brown, director of BROWN'S CBD, said: “The festive season can be a hectic and even stressful time for many, with an often-packed social calendar and lots of Christmas preparation—from gift shopping to getting ready for hosting family and friends.

“Year-on-year, this results in many people failing to take some time for themselves, and risking burnout.

“Therefore, this list provides the best places across the country where people can take some time out of their usual, busy routine to switch off and enjoy some relaxation—from spending time in nature to visiting a spa, offering well-needed opportunities to decompress.

“Whether you would prefer a weekend mini-break, a mid-week escape before the festivities, or a quick day trip getaway, the list highlights the best areas across different corners of the country that will help you reset this season.”