The UK’s best seaside town has been revealed, where dolphins swim near a “perfect” beach. 

Bamburgh, Northumberland, topped the Which? ranking for the fourth year running, based on over 10,000 visits to UK beaches. 

With just 400 inhabitants, visitors loved the peace and quiet, while the beach, seafront and scenery all helped earn it the top spot, with an impressive 86% overall destination score.

The esteemed title was based on 4,744 Which? members who visited seaside towns in the past year, assesing factors such as the beach or scenery, over 10,474 visits. 

Beating more than 120 other UK towns and villages, visitors loved the stunning views of Bamburgh Castle, which stands on a rocky outcrop above the windswept beach.

One January visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “The beach itself is miles of beautiful sand with the beautiful backdrop of Bamburgh Castle. While you’re strolling along you might even be lucky enough to see some dolphins a little way out in the sea.”

Another added: “You will never get tired of walking in this beautiful beach. Lovely. We were there in August and, despite its beauty, was not crowded. Just perfect.”

The North East, Scotland and Wales dominated the top five rankings, while not a single Cornwall beach reached the top 15.

Portmerion in Wales came in second, scoring a perfect five for its seafront and shopping, while St David’s also flew the flag for Wales, coming in fifth.

Inspired by Italian towns such as Portofino on the Mediterranean, Portmerion is known for its extravagant buildings complete with brightly coloured domes, colonnades and towers.

St Andrews placed a Scottish seaside escape in third place, scoring five for its a two-mile stretch of sand 15 minutes from the centre, which meant it also ranked high for shopping, with cafes and boutiques hidden in the winding streets.