While the UK is certainly not known for being a particularly sunny country, we do have our moments of sunshine, when pub gardens fill up and families take day trips down to the coast. And while, even in summer, we do get the odd rainshower and gloomy days, there are some sunny spots in the UK that make for perfect choices for summer staycations.
The Isle of Wight tops the list, with an average of five hours and eight minutes of daily sunlight between 1991 and 2020. Located just off the coast of Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight is a 20-minute ferry journey from the city, but it feels like it's a world away. Sharing the list of sunniest spots in the UK, Conde Nast Traveller declared that this is "something special" about this stunning island.
The Isle of Wight also has the approval of the Royal family, with the island being loved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, so much so that they even had a royal residence built there.
Osborne House was built between 1845 and 1851 to fulfil the Queen’s desire for a "place of one’s own" where she could enjoy some peace and quiet away from the general public.
Visitors to this stately home, which is now owned and run by English Heritage, can see the sumptuous interiors and art collections inside while also enjoying the marvellous gardens outside and the unique Swiss Cottage, where the royal children played when they spent time at the residence.
The island is also home to numerous storybook villages, with thatched cottages and winding pathways.
One of these, Shanklin, has become famed as the location in which Charles Darwin wrote his iconic Origin of Species during an 18-month-long visit to the town.
Perhaps one of the most iconic destinations on the Isle of Wight is the Needles, which offer stunning views of the island and its coastline.
Just take the chairlift up to the rocks and coloured sands and make the most of the sunlight while enjoying these views.
And it's not just the Isle of Wight that offers hours of sunlight, with CN Traveller sharing that Kent came in second place with four hours and 46 minutes of sunlight, just ending out East Sussex by one minute.
Surprisingly, the popular staycation destination of Devon didn't make it onto the list, although its neighbour Cornwall did round off the top ten with an average of four hours and 29 minutes of sunlight.
