Bushmills has been named as one of the UK's top Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Park hidden gems

Bushmills has been named as one of the UK's most picturesque villages

The pretty conservation village on the Causeway Cost Antrim is home to the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed working distillery in the world, and is surrounded by some of the UK’s most iconic attractions, including the Giant’s Causeway.

Bushmills was listed fourth out of 50 hidden gems in the third annual Hidden Gem Index compiled by HomeToGo, coming just behind Bala, Snowdonia, National Park, Hathersage, Peak District National Park and Chipping Campden, Cotswolds, which took the number one spot.

The index pinpoints picturesque and well-appointed places in the UK that have managed to stay more under-the-radar than most – with none appearing in in the list of the top 1,000 most-searched locations for summer 2023 and beyond.

In the listing, HomeToGo points out a fun fact about Bushmills, which is that the Alphabet Angel - a bronze statue in the village - was created to celebrate the unique Ulster-Scots language.