The Isle of Arran, often described as a ‘geologists paradise’ and The Isle of Skye also appear on the list compiled by Avis, one of the world’s best-known car rental brands, analysing the most popular destination searches on its website in March 2019 versus the same period last year.
The Orkneys, Shetland Islands and
Prestwick – the gateway to the Isle of Arran has seen the biggest increase in searches this year, with over 93 per cent more searches in 2019 compared to last year. It was closely followed by the Orkney island capital of Kirkwall, up almost 66 per cent, in second place.
Renowned for its beautiful driving routes, Inverness saw an increase of more than 30 per cent this year – acting as the gateway to Oban, Skye and the Outer Hebrides. Lerwick, the harbour capital and largest settlement of the Shetland islands also saw an increase of 25 per cent in search traffic.
While staycations have become de rigueur, TV shows such as Game of Thronesare providing dramatic and inspirational backdrops. The scenery accompanied with the opportunity to capture the perfect photo opportunity appears to be encouraging creative holiday makers to explore what the more remote parts of the UK have to offer.
Nina Bell, Managing Director, UK & Scandinavia, Avis Budget Group says:“The UK offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, but traditionally the scenic islands surrounding the mainland often don’t get a look in – until now it would seem. With all the locations on the list now easier than ever before to explore by car, and without the need to worry about a passport, we are preparing for a busy summer in some of our more remote locations as curious Brits look set to venture further afield in their homeland this year.”
Table One: Year on year increase for popular UK islands from 2018 to 2019*
| Location | YoY increase |
| Prestwick | 93.20% |
| Kirkwall | 65.91% |
| Inverness | 30.11% |
| Lerwick | 25.45% |
Source: Avis Car Rental 2019
