PR campaigns are designed to get people talking and Samsung’s latest effort looks set to do exactly that. Its ranking of the UK’s 20 most iconic views includes just four Northern locations, while London alone claims six places.
The technology giant commissioned a survey to celebrate bringing Galaxy Unpacked 2026 to London on 22 July, asking Brits to rank the UK’s most iconic views.
The result? London (predictably) claimed a whipping six places in the top 20, including the top two spots with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge, while just four Northern locations made the list despite being, as we all know, much more beautiful.
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Only Buttermere in the Lake District (13), Mam Tor in the Peak District (17), Castlerigg Stone Circle in the Lake District (18) and White Scar Cave in North Yorkshire (20) represented the North of England, leaving many of the region’s best-known landscapes absent altogether. The rest of the UK didn’t fare much better, with Northern Ireland represented solely by the Giant’s Causeway and Wales only by Portmeirion. Scotland performed slightly better thanks to Arthur’s Seat, Glencoe and the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye – though many would argue that’s still a modest showing for a country renowned for some of the world’s most dramatic scenery.
The campaign, commissioned to celebrate Samsung bringing its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 launch event to London on 22 July, also found that nearly half of Brits (49%) have travelled somewhere primarily because they had seen photos or videos of it online. Among Gen Z, that rises to 80%.
Meanwhile, 92% believe a beautiful view can instantly make a place feel more memorable, while 75% of those who photograph scenic locations say they’re disappointed when pictures fail to capture what they saw in person.
Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Samsung UK and Ireland, said: “We are so proud to be the host country for this Summer’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, where we will be unfolding innovative new form factors live from London on July 22nd.
“The UK is home to countless breath-taking views, and while this research captures only a fraction of them, it clearly shows the powerful role these places play in shaping how people experience and remember a destination. It also highlights the importance of having the right device to capture these moments, such as our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, preserving memories that can be revisited long after the journey ends.”
The UK’s 20 most iconic views (according to Samsung)
- Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, London
- Tower Bridge, London
- Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
- Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh
- St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall
- Durdle Door, Dorset
- Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
- Glencoe, Scotland
- Seven Sisters Cliffs, East Sussex
- Royal Observatory, Greenwich Park, London
- Portmeirion, Wales
- Sky Garden, London
- Buttermere, Lake District
- Richmond Hill, London
- Primrose Hill, London
- Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye
- Mam Tor, Peak District
- Castlerigg Stone Circle, Lake District
- The Ridgeway, Essex
- White Scar Cave, North Yorkshire
