Isle of Skye voted 'most desirable place' to live in Britain

Cottages at Applecross and the mountains of South Skye (Alamy)

The Isle of Skye has been voted as the most desirable place to live in Britain.

With its rugged landscapes and pretty harbour town of Portree, Skye topped a survey of nearly 24,000 people by website Rightmove to discover where they would most like to live in Britain.

Seaside locations were popular in Rightmove’s survey, with Woolacombe in Devon placed second and the popular Cornish holiday destinations of St Ives, Padstow and Newquay also among the top 10.

Many of the most desirable places to live in Britain have house prices which are relatively cheap compared with the national average, the study found.

The average asking price for a home on Skye is just under £231,000, according to Rightmove – well under the average price tag of a home generally across England and Wales, at £305,670.

Pembroke in Wales was also among the most desirable places to live. And with the average asking price for a home there at £169,969, Pembroke is the least expensive place to live on the list of the most desirable areas.

But in Salcombe in Devon, which was also among the most desirable places to live, the average asking price for a home is £635,083 – just below the average asking price for a home in London, at £643,838.

Many of those surveyed also dream of setting up home where they can enjoy the views of the Lake District, with Ambleside and Keswick also appearing on the list.

Nowhere in London or the South East of England – where house prices tend to be higher – appeared in the top 10.

Rightmove’s research manager Abiola Oni said: “The nation clearly want to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city and settle down in some of the most beautiful places around Britain, from as north as the Isle of Skye to as south as the glitzy town of Salcombe.

“It’s interesting that none of the areas are in the highest priced regions of Britain – London and the South East – likely because the appeal of some of the big cities is the good job options and transport links rather than moving for the amazing scenery.”

Here are the most desirable places to live in Britain, according to Rightmove, with the average asking price for a home there: