The UK's most colourful places

From vibrant seaside towns to stunning spring blooms amid honey-washed villages and bold, bustling harbours, we've reviewed some of the UK's most colourful towns, villages and cities to bring you this beautiful colour palette.

We hope that our colour palettes will inspire you to discover some of these vibrant towns, cities and villages, all right here in the UK! 

Read on to discover the UK’s most colourful places. 

Colour palettes of the UK's most colourful places

Having reviewed 20 of the most colourful places across the UK, we are thrilled to reveal our colour palettes for each of these beautiful places that are truly Instagrammable.

The tones and combinations of the UK’s landscapes are incredible. From the sea blues, golden yellows and pastel pops of the coast to the lush greens and oranges of the countryside, the UK has it all.

Which is your favourite?

Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Pretty pastel colours, golden sands, bright blue waters, colourful sailing boats and a vibrant range of food offerings; it’s easy to see how beautiful Tenby made our list. 

We may be biased here, but with over 250,000 Instagram posts dedicated to this seaside town, it's clear that people love the pretty cobbled streets and spectacular views of seaside Tenby in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.  

St Ives, Cornwall, England

With its turquoise waters, golden sands and picturesque harbour and town, it’s no wonder this dazzling jewel made the list of the UK’s most colourful places.

Oh-so pretty cobbled streets and fisherman’s cottages add to the fresh palette of the gorgeous seaside town of St Ives. For even more visual treats, the iconic Tate St Ives Gallery is based here, offering fantastic artwork, a shop and a café. Art and a vibrant heritage are embedded in the culture of this creative, colourful seaside town.

Whitby, Yorkshire, England

Whitby's orange hues against a backdrop of gorgeous green caught our eyes in the hunt for the UK’s most colourful places - it certainly paints a pretty picture! 

This seaside town in Yorkshire is home to the looming Gothic Whitby Abbey, a perfect setting for Bram Stoker’s dark tale of Dracula.

Bibury, The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England

One of the prettiest country scenes on our list, Bibury is a super-sweet village in the Cotswolds. 

With its honey-coloured stones and lush rolling countryside, this quaint, fairytale-like village has found its way to the big screen on multiple occasions, with Bridget Jones’ Diary and Stardust being filmed here. The beautiful, historic Arlington Row is the centrepiece of many a Cotswold photo album.  

Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland

With its bright harbour-front buildings and eyecatching woodland views, it’s understandable that Tobermory was used as the setting for Balamory, the CBeebies TV programme. 

This picture-postcard town was built as a fishing port, with the town curving around the harbour and rising to the hillside beyond. Tobermory is now the main town on Mull, with plenty to catch the eye including a museum, shops, eateries and locally produced arts and crafts.

With a history as colourful as its vivid harbour-front, legend has it that a Spanish Armada ship sank here in 1588 with a ship full of gold bullion!

Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales

Lovely Llangollen is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site along eleven miles of beautiful flowing canal from Gledrid to the Horseshoe Falls via the striking Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. 

With beautiful surrounding hills and the postcard-perfect River Dee, it’s easy to see how Llangollen made it onto our pretty palette. Seated at the foot of the impressive Berwyn mountain range, this quiet area is home to a spectacular range of countryside colours. 

Edinburgh, Scotland

A rich blend of colours and beautiful architecture lies within Scotland’s capital city. 

With its medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and Neoclassical buildings, along with looming Edinburgh Castle dominating the skyline atop Castle Rock, there’s a lot to take in in Scotland’s capital city! 

Llanrwst, Conwy County Borough, Wales

The perfect countryside scene, Llanrwst is a handsome and historic market town in beautiful North Wales. 

The three-arched bridge across the Conwy is the setting for many a colourful photo and is thought to be the work of the 16/17th-century architect Inigo Jones. Across the pleasant flowing waters, you’ll find Tu Hwnt i’r Bont, a beautifully restored 15th-century house that looks good in any season! 

Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

The largest town and capital of the Isle of Skye, this colourful harbour town, surrounded by hills, is deliciously pretty and overlooks a scenic, sheltered bay. 

As the cultural hub for Skye, pretty Portree also boasts plenty to do including shopping, excellent leisure facilities, boat cruises and a cultural centre. 

This bustling harbour with its fishing boats and bright buildings makes for an idyllic addition to our colour palettes of the UK's most colourful places.

Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, England

Chosen for its rows of colourful beach huts, Brighton and Hove is certainly a vibrant seaside resort. 

Colourful and creative Brighton is also home to the Royal Pavilion, a truly spectacular exotic palace in the heart of Brighton with a history just as colourful. The Royal Pavilion was a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV and mixes Regency grandeur with the opulent styles of India and China. With plenty of art galleries and quirky shops along Brighton’s pretty cobbled lanes, a vast pebble beach and bustling Palace Pier, there’s a lot to cram into this fun palette.

We’re pleased to reveal that gorgeous Tenby made the list with its iconic pretty pastel houses that line the beautiful seafront. 

Are you feeling inspired to enjoy some colourful views on your next seaside holiday? Why not take a look at one of our sea view holiday cottages in West Wales or find the perfect family cottage in Tenby? 

We’ve even got more in-depth guides to Tenby’s beaches and places to eat packed full of useful information to get you ready for your next well-deserved break in West Wales.

Tenby cottages