Hiking has significantly increased in popularity over the last few years, with 26.4 million posts about hiking in the UK on TikTok. Many travellers are visiting popular outdoor spots to catch a view of beautiful sunsets, TikTok searches for “best sunset spots” have increased by 200% in the last 12 months.
Auto Trader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace, analysed over 50 popular viewpoints across the UK and Ireland looking at social media posts, Google searches, weather conditions and online reviews to reveal the best sunset spots.
The top 10 sunset spots in the UK
| # | Viewpoint | TikTok Posts | Instagram Posts | Monthly Google Searches | Annual Sunshine Hours | Annual Rainy Days | Online review Score | Index Score (/300) |
| 1 | Durdle Door, Dorset | 22,600 | 327,000 | 102,000 | 1,904 | 117 | 4.7 | 273 |
| 2 | Stonehenge, Wiltshire | 33,600 | 959,000 | 145,000 | 1,699 | 127 | 4.5 | 251 |
| 3 | Beachy Head, East Sussex | 2,094 | 122,000 | 12,000 | 1,892 | 116 | 4.7 | 227 |
| 4 | Cheddar Gorge, Somerset | 5,608 | 104,000 | 59,000 | 1,539 | 130 | 4.6 | 219 |
| 5 | Dartmoor, Devon | 43,700 | 993,000 | 17,000 | 1,605 | 153 | 4.4 | 218 |
| 6 | Malvern Hills, Worcestershire | 4,191 | 203,000 | 15,000 | 1,583 | 119 | 4.5 | 212 |
| 7 | Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacon | 10,200 | 192,000 | 38,000 | 1,422 | 185 | 4.8 | 207 |
| 8 | Dunnottar Castle, Aberdeenshire | 2,351 | 67,900 | 22,000 | 1,447 | 132 | 4.9 | 205 |
| 9 | Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim | 8,437 | 363,000 | 35,000 | 1,441 | 181 | 4.7 | 204 |
| 10 | Corfe Castle, Dorset | 2,078 | 102,000 | 32,000 | 1,806 | 124 | 4.5 | 204 |
Durdle Door, Dorset, was named the best place to watch the sunset in the UK
Durdle Door is one of Dorset’s most photographed spots, known for its natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast. The Dorset beauty spot ranked highly across social media with 22,900 posts on TikTok and 327,000 on Instagram.
It also ranked as the sunniest spot in the top 10 with over 1,904 annual hours of sunshine and just 117 days of rain. For those travelling to see the sunset at Durdle Door, drivers have an abundance of transport options, including parking at Lulworth Cove or a park-and-ride option on Mount Pleasant which also has EV charging options.
Stonehenge, Wiltshire ranks in 2nd
Famously built to align with the sun on the solstices, Stonehenge was named the second best place to watch the sunset with a score of 251 out of 300. The pre-historic wonder receives an average of 959,000 Google searches per month, with an online review score of 4.5 out of 5, according to AllTrails.
English Heritage advises that while there is parking available near the site, it does get quite busy and recommends drivers use car-sharing options or nearby park-and-ride schemes.
Beachy Head, East Sussex, rounds off the top 3, with a score of 227.
The chalk cliffs, lighthouse and coastline make Beachy Head the perfect viewing spot to watch the sunset. The East Sussex coastline scored highly with visitors, with an online review score of 4.7 out of 5.
Visitors can expect a higher chance of bright and sunny days, with Beachy Head receiving 1,892 hours of sunshine a year.
Drivers will find a variety of parking options near Beachy Head, with EV charging options and disabled spaces along Beachy Road, perfect for parking up ahead of your sunrise or sunset trip.
Auto Trader spoke with photography expert Tom Fegredo on how to get the best pictures at sunrise and sunset. Tom advised travellers:
- Plan ahead
Take your time to look online for inspiration from other photographers of the best locations and shot types. Arrive at your location with enough time to reach your desired spot before sunset. For picture-perfect conditions, check out the weather forecast ahead of your trip.
2. Use your grid feature
Use the rule of thirds to position your subject, such as a key focal point of the skyline. This ensures that it’s off-centre rather than in the middle of the frame, creating a more dynamic feel to your photography. You can turn on the grid setting on your smartphone camera for help. Use the grid to position your main focal point where two grid lines intersect. To focus on the sky, ensure it fills two-thirds of the photo.
3. HDR setting
High Dynamic Range (HDR), is great for shooting high-contrast scenes like landscapes. Enabling this feature on your smartphone allows you to capture more detail in both bright and dark areas of your photos.
4. Play around with the exposure
By pressing down your smartphone screen before taking a picture, you can test different brightness levels. Test different exposure levels for your sunrise and sunset shots to achieve the best picture.
5. Experiment with editing apps
Once you’ve taken your photos, have fun editing your image. Experiment with cropping the image or adjusting the contrast, saturation and white balance to your liking.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader comments: “The UK and Ireland boast beautiful scenery, making sunset hikes increasingly popular. This growing trend on social media has led to a significant surge of interest in visiting these locations.
“For drivers who want to visit sunset hiking spots, having the right vehicle can make all the difference. Whether it’s extra boot space for camping and hiking gear, off-road capabilities for rural routes, improved fuel efficiency for longer journeys or advanced technology like navigation and entertainment systems, the latest models offer a range of features to enhance your adventures. With leasing, you can get your hands on cars with the latest tech and features that can help enhance your hiking experience. Leasing also gives you the flexibility to apply and switch to a new leased vehicle that suits your current lifestyle after every few years. “
To learn more about the benefits of car leasing and explore the latest deals, visit https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/leasing
