Airbnb unveils lesser-known city as Britain’s most exciting destination for 2026

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London isn’t exactly old news, but Scotland certainly seems to be all the rage.

Whether it’s new train routes or new hype from the biggest names in travel, more people are exploring Scotland instead of a one-off trip to London.

Don’t believe us?

Take it from Airbnbs latest report, packed with insightful nuggets for your adventures in 2026.

Although you won’t find a recognizable British outing, numerous European highlights are mentioned.

But there’s one destination ‘across the pond’ that will blow your mind as it’s loaded with storybook castles, traditional pubs, a beautiful riverside to explore and the legend of one of the world’s most famous mysteries for you to solve once and for all.

Inverness: a picture postcard city without tourism overload

You may know Glasgow and Edinburgh, but Inverness remains under the radar.

Growing up, my grandparents lived on Inverness Drive in Tyler, Texas. Even when we knew that connecting streets had a Scottish theme, such as Aberdeen Drive and Edinburgh Drive, none of us could ever believe that Inverness was a real place, and I was an avid National Geographic subscriber at the time.

Yet this lesser-known city isn’t even a household name these days, like other major British destinations.

It is quite small in size, housing only 48,000 people, but is in the ideal spot between nature and city comfort, without the urban chaos found elsewhere.

Situated on the banks of the River Ness you can easily wander around Inverness for hours discovering well-preserved Victorian buildings, many of which house traditional pubs dating back to centuries-old buildings.

Inverness is not only a charming city itself, but also the perfect springboard to the famous Scottish Highlands for an epic rural landscape packed with lush greenery, historic castles and tranquil lochs.

Rarely will you see an unsightly crowd here, even at the most popular sights, making it one of the most enticing visits to Britain, while other cities are going through a record-breaking crack.

Airbnb hypes Inverness as a solo destination

In their own words, Airbnb says: “As “me time” replaces “plus one”, solo explorers are putting together some of the year’s most intriguing getaways” and guess which Scots followed…

Yes — Inverness.

Look – I would have no problem hopping on a plane and exploring London on my own – until the bill came…

$25 for so-so fish and chips, $10 for a pint of beer you can’t pronounce – yeah, that can be hard to swallow if you don’t split the cost.

Inverness is much lighter on the wallet.

Being an Airbnb subject, we’d be remiss not to do a little digging to see how many vacation rentals it takes.

You can find entire apartments in the city center for around $100 a night this spring, so it’s doable.

Of course there are hostels And nice bed and breakfasts also as an option…

The point is that while it’s not the biggest city to get lost in for a whole week, there’s plenty to do and see, all while stretching your budget if you choose to brave Inverness on your own terms.

Be that as it may castle tourswhiskey tastings, city ​​walks or beautiful walks (after winter), you will definitely have a lot of fun!

And that’s not to say couples don’t enjoy Inverness either. It’s safe to say that Inverness is one of the most romantic locations in all of Britain.

Is the legend of ‘Nessie’ over?

Put aside the tourism statistics and trend forecasts for a moment. If Scotland has one claim to fame it may sound strange, but it is the Loch Ness Monster (also known as “Nessie”).

The legend of Nessie all started in the 1930s when a local couple made a fuss and said they had seen an unknown creature.

Stories have been passed down for decades, including a famous photo that resembles a tentacle protruding from the waters of Loch Ness.

Nowadays you can still continue boat trips hoping to catch a glimpse of what appears to be Scotland’s version of Bigfoot.

But this popular attraction recently came to a halt when former researcher Adrian Shine claimed he has given up on the elusive lake dweller, claiming that it simply cannot be true and must be explained by natural phenomena or simply by a misidentified species.

Real or not, Nessie has created an entire tourism subculture industry. In any case, it’s nice to chat over a pint with the locals.

Sam Sears

Sam, our lead writer and San Diego-based journalist, has visited 36 countries and written more than 1,000 articles with an emphasis on sharing his own travel experiences and highlighting lesser-known gems.