Skegness ranks bottom in Which? best seaside destination survey - but magazine says 'at least resort made 87th'

That is the response of Which? after the popular Lincolnshire resort once again failed to be the “toast of the coast” in the annual review by the consumer magazine..

This time Skegness scored 49%, gaining three stars for its beaches and just one star each for shopping and peace and quiet.

However, when Lincolnshire World asked Which? why Skegness was again rated so poorly, a spokesperson said: “The story speaks about the best resorts and there are plenty of UK coastal towns that didn't make it onto the list - arguably Skegness is the 87th best.

“ I picked out lots of the positives comments respondents made about Skegness and our travel editor's quote and column also encourages tourism to the resorts around the bottom of the table.”

Coming out top was the tiny village of Bamburgh in Northumberland with an overall destination score of 87 per cent.

The survey asked more than 4,300 visitors to rate coastal resorts they have visited across a range of categories including quality of beaches, seafront, tourist attractions, food and drink, scenery, peace and quiet and value for money.

Wales has three of the top six seaside towns, with budget-friendly Llandudno claiming second spot overall with a score of 86 per cent. The town’s biggest draw is the Great Orme, a limestone headland which rises to nearly 700ft and boasts “incomparable” views.

Third-placed St Andrews is the highest-ranked Scottish seaside destination with an 84 per cent score. The city heaves with history, hosting Scotland’s oldest university, a world-famous golf course and a network of medieval streets to explore. It’s one of three places that scored five stars for food and drink (alongside Padstow and Lytham St Annes) thanks to its variety of cafés and food shops. Visitors said St Andrews “oozes golf” while praising the university city’s “youthful vibe”, quaint streets and historical sites, testament to its winning blend of sport, culture, sand and sea.

Which? say the results shine a spotlight on the sheer quality of Britain’s coastline: 51 destinations scored an impressive 70 per cent overall or higher.

Further down the table, Skegness is rated alongside Bognor Regis, Southend-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth and Burnham-on-Sea made up the bottom five, with destination scores no better than 51 per cent.

Despite its low ranking, holidaymakers did have highlights to share from their trips to Skegness. Many recommended the Natureland seal sanctuary, with one visitor calling it “the sort of thing you expect to see on a David Attenborough programme”. Gibraltar Point nature reserve and a “very welcoming population”, nostalgic attractions and amusement rides for children made Skegness a “proper” British seaside resort in the eyes of some respondents.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, told Lincolnshire World: “Despite Skegness being one of the lower-ranked destinations, it won praise from some holidaymakers. Visitors noted the seal sanctuary and amusement rides among the attractions they enjoyed most.“It’s really positive to see investment in the town and there’s every reason to believe Skegness will be on the up in the years to come.”