A beautiful but previously underrated region has become the UK’s top destination for 2025.

Bordering both the North Sea and Scotland, Northumberland is becoming increasingly popular, according to the latest data from UK holiday letting agency, holidaycottages.co.uk.

It boasts an incredible 70 castles and stunning beaches including Rumbling Kern, Beadnell Bay and Ross Back Sands. Recently, TikTok users seeking hidden gems have re-discovered attractions such as Cragside House and Gardens.

Cragside House is a National Trust site originally built by inventor William Armstrong, and is considered Britain’s first “smart home,” featuring innovative hydro-electricity and hydraulic systems.

The gardens, spanning 1,000 acres, were transformed by Armstrong and his wife into a fantasy mountain landscape with engineered lakes, towering trees, and vibrant flower beds.

Known for its charming eateries, quaint villages, and picturesque coastline, visitors can enjoy tranquil beaches, rugged moorlands, wildlife nature reserves, traditional tearooms, and castles.

Popular places to go in Northumberland include Alnwick, Hexham, Berwick upon Tweed, and Morpeth.

Alanwick is a medieval town filled with cobbled streets, stunning gardens with an 11th century castle that is the second largest inhabited castle in England after Windsor Castle and appeared in the first two Harry Potter movies.

If you’re looking for some adventure, you can go to the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast whcih is rich in history and in wildlive with seals, puffins, and home to hundreds of thousands of seabirds.

Berwick-upon-Tweed boasts a river that goes through the centre along with the impressive Royal Border Bridge, a castle, Britain’s oldest barrack buildings and old remparts.

New Forest came in second place for its charming towns of Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst filled with cosy pubs, coffee shops and local boutiques and rivers.

Scotland took third place for its natural landscapes with breathtaking views, lochs and the Highlands.