Scotland’s NC500 voted Britain’s most romantic drive

FANCY taking your other half for a romantic trip this Valentine’s?

Then you won’t do better than Scotland’s famed North Coast 500.

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Often dubbed Scotland’s Route 66, it has just been ranked the most romantic drive in Britain.

As part of their Drive-Thru Index, the team at Select Car Leasing took a seedlist of the UK’s most romantic drives, based on the volume of Instagram romantic hashtags each location has, and revealed the best ones to pay a visit to this Valentine’s Day.

The North Coast 500 came top with 154,046 posts and if you want to witness the beauty of Scotland in all its glory, is a must-visit route.

Spanning 500 miles, this sensational road trip takes you around the north coast of Scotland, starting and ending at Inverness Castle.

Along the way, you’ll pass empty beaches, old distilleries and picturesque sea caves.

For those who love the sea, there is even an opportunity to get out on the water and go whale watching and white water rafting – an ideal Valentine’s date!

Cheddar Gorge, Somerset came second with 91,159 posts. Previously coined as Britain’s most lovely road, this 14-mile long road trip takes you on an enchanted adventure through limestone pinnacles and hairpin bends.

The road then goes into sweeping curves where the rocks are replaced by trees.

Coming in third is The New Forest, Hampshire with 58,202 posts.

Situated less than a mile off the M27 it is consistently named as one of the finest places to take a drive in the UK.

For couples wanting to stop off for some delicious grub along the route, they’ll be pleased to know that the route links two popular New Forest pubs – The Ferryman Lymington and The Foresters Arms Frogham.

For those wanting to see various stunning sights, another route to take is Lymington to Ringwood via the New Forest, which takes you past the villages of Hinton Ampner and New Cheriton.

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The stunning and spooky-looking Dark Hedges in Stranocum, Northern Ireland took fourth spot with 35,141 posts.

This beautiful avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century along Bregagh Road between Armoy and Stranocum in County Antrim.

They were intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House.

Two centuries later, the trees remain a magnificent sight and have become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.

In fact, the iconic trees have been used as a filming location in Game of Thrones, representing the Kingsroad.

The Snake Pass in the Peak District in England was fifth on the table with 19,239 posts. Crossing the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower Reservoir at Ashopton,the journey along The Snake Pass is an adventure like no other.

Featuring stunning sights of beautiful hills and not to mention the River Ashop, this winding path is an idyllic route to drive on.

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