Motherwell fits the bill to rank among UK staycation hotspots
Forget Florida, how about Forgewood? Or what about swapping Spain for Strathclyde Park?
A new Safecation Report from money.co.uk has revealed the best UK destinations for a summer getaway with added social distancing.
And Motherwell has made it into the top 10 according to the new survey.
One of the town’s favourite sons, Tam Cowan, said:“i was born and brought up in Motherwell and it must have been enough for me as I stayed at my mum’s until I was 33. You couldn’t get me out of the place.
“I remember during the first lockdown reading the paper and seeing a family had been stopped trying to get up from London to Motherwell on holiday.
“During the restrictions my favourite restaurant, De Claudios, has been doing deliveries so I would recommend that along with a wee drive down the Duchess or Strathclyde Park.
“I don’t know if it’s essential travel but you also can’t beat a haddock supper at Onesti’s, the old Rex, in Windmillhill Street.
“When restrictions are lifted I would highly recommend the Bentley Hotel which an old pal of mine used to own and where
I had a lot of good times during my formative years.”
In May, a family from London were caught attempting to sneak into Motherwell for a lockdown holiday.
Four people were caught on the M6 at junction 43 near Carlisle as they made the long journey for a mini break.
At the time a spokesperson for Cumbria Road Police said:“this car has just been stopped on the M6 north at J43.
“It had a family of four on board heading from London to Motherwell for a three-day break, an 800 mile round trip.
“All four were reported for Covid breach and advised to return to London.”
The safecation criteria included space, contactless payment availability, free activities and dog friendliness.
The report took a list of the UK locations that are home to the largest public parks (according to Ordnance Survey) and compares them against the UK’S most-visited staycation destinations to reveal the safest staycations.
Money.co.uk’s consumer spending expert Salman Haqqi said:“campsites, holiday parks and hotels all over the nation are ready and waiting to welcome guests back, but even with social distancing guidelines in place, overcrowding can still be a problem in tourist honeypots.
“Our report shows that a destination like Glasgow can only host around eight per cent of the usual annual visitors to the area taking one metre social distancing into account, whereas there is plenty of space for everyone in Motherwell.
“It’s not just wide open spaces that need to be considered when booking, the report found that 52 per cent of the new destinations had contactless payment options available for parking, food and drinks, shopping and leisure activities.”