These hidden gems in the UK have the staycation wow factor..

Avoid the crowds and soak up fantastic scenery and so much more at these eight great unspoilt holiday destinations.

1 The country’s third largest freshwater loch. Loch Awe, lives up to its name, stretching 25 miles through Highland scenery.The mountains and glens that surround it offer epic walking and cycling excursions.

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2 The Dark Hedges (main photograph) are captivating, and one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.Intended to impress visitors to the Stuart family’s Georgian mansion, the avenue of beech trees still impresses two centuries later.

3 Avebury henge and stone circles were built during the Neolithic period, roughly between 2850 BC and 2200 BC, and feature the largest stone circle in Britain.You can wander among the standing stones. The circle is most unusual as it has a village within it.

4 St Michael’s Mount, off the coast of Mount Bay, is one of few tidal islands in the UK that visitors can walk to - but only during low tide.This small island has a rich history from religious visions to wartime capture, and is the source of the fairy-tale ‘Jack the Giant Killer’.

5 The Black Rocks is an outcrop of natural gritstone, between Cromford and Wirksworth in the Derbyshire Peak District. The short, but steep climb up from the car park is rewarded with superb views.

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6 Be amazed by The Devil’s Appendix, the tallest single-drop waterfall in Wales and one of the tallest in the UK. It is formed where a small stream falls for 93 metres to reach slopes above a lake called Llyn Idwal.

7 Wistman’s Wood, Devon, takes its name from a small, magical oak wood. Stroll on a waymarked path from the Two Bridges Hotel and creep beneath ancient boughs. Legend has it Wistman’s Wood was a sacred grove of Druids.

8 Thornton-le-Dale, North Yorkshire, is picture book perfect, and is often described as the most beautiful English village.

A spokesperson for LeaseCar.uk, who compiled the list, said: “Nestled away from most of the tourist hordes are some places you need to see to believe.”

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