Dorset's stunning coastal scenery and beautiful seascapes are no secret to residents – and are gaining ever more celebrity in the rest of the country, with the county named the UK's official 'most-Instagrammed county'.

Weymouth was one of four Dorset areas that featured among the top 30 most-Instagrammed locations, taking the county to the number-one spot.

The resort notched up more than 11,000 Instagram photos in 2017, adding to Dorset's tally of 98,070. Bournemouth was the chief contributor with more than 62,000 – making it the second most-photographed location in the country, beaten only by Brighton in East Sussex.

The sights and delights of Poole and Sandbanks were Dorset's other two entrants on the top-30 list, garnering more than 17,000 and more than 6,000, respectively.

A spokesman for hotel chain Premier Inn, which compiled the data, said: "Whether you’re looking for a classic seaside experience with nostalgic piers and arcades or you’re after a more laid-back, beachy vibe, the UK has a coastal town for every taste.

"By looking at the number of hashtags used for every coastal town since the beginning of the year, Premier Inn has pinpointed the top 30 most picturesque coastal places."

Cllr Richard Kosior, who speaks on tourism for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, argued that the news showed that the area had a 'wealth of interesting things to see and photograph'.

"There is a national interest in Weymouth and Portland," Cllr Kosior said. "In the beach, the sculpture parks, the view from the Olympic rings, Chesil Beach, the cruise ships coming into the harbour, the visiting steam trains."

He also noted that films shot in the area – from The French Lieutenant's Woman to The Boat that Rocked and On Chesil Beach – had raised Dorset's profile at the national level.

In February this year, the Echo reported that Jurassic Coast sites Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door had been named on a list of the country's most-loved attractions according to Instagram users.

Durdle Door came in at number two on the list, which was based on tallies of hashtags such as #beautiful, #stunning and #romantic.

Premier Inn compiled the research to encourage people to take short breaks to these destinations. See premierinn.com/gb/en/short-breaks/coastal-breaks.html for more information.