Not a massive fan of labelling towns ‘shit holes’. Most places have their good and bad sides – I should know coming from Bolton!

The other link though does throw up a couple of places that whilst aren’t bad places, they seem to fail to live up to expectation. One of those must surely be Fort William. The Outdoor capital of the UK has so little to offer and spectacularly fails to live up to its potential.

For me, another is Skipton. Gateway to the Dales but (IMHO) a fairly drab place with so much unfilled potential.

So where else??

Wrong forum! Sorry mods please move!

No one goes to Fort William because of what it is, they go for where it is and it’s busy enough at that. Imagine how even more busy it would be if the town was as decent as the location?

Brexit?

Buckingham Palace

London.

The greatest city on earth….. 😆

Stone henge

Newport. concrete jumble, nothing in order, not far from the border.

lowestoft

The most easterly part of Britain and nothing there worth seeing

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eijc2tGe-zM[/video]

Gainsborough, the place sounds like a fancy painting, not some wharfs and warehouses on a flat muddy Trent.

Any market town. They’re all shit.

Fort Willy could be great but I imagine it needs some financial input!

What is there around there? A distillery & an Ally smelting plant? (or something) Forestry stuff? Where do all the local working people actually work?

I’ve been to Fort William about 100 times & am always disappointed with the actual town. It’s just a grey, miserable dump.

Any market town. They’re all shit.

Leyburn, Boroughbridge?

Scotland does a good line in towns that sound nice and promise so much yet deliver so little.

Aviemore, Mallaig, Fort William, Campbelltown, Banff, Thurso I’m thinking of you.

I was up near Banff for work and met a group of Dutch folk on a tour. They were funny but a bit odd – they took a holiday every year exploring the nether regions of the UK. They loved run down seaside towns and ex mining back waters. They were very excited by it all. This year was “NE Scotland excluding the nice bit” tour. I suggested they try South Lanarkshire next time, maybe North Ayrshire.

I thought Biggar would be.

Llanelli. And worse, Ammanford. Ammanford is at the western end of the Brecon Beacons so surely must have something going for it? Nope.

Llanelli, in its defence has good transport links so that you can leave reasonably quickly, something I do daily.

Newport. concrete jumble, nothing in order, not far from the border.

As a regular visitor to a place right next door to the Motorpoint auction site, I have to agree, although it does have that spectacular Victorian cable carriage jobbie, which looks amazing.

I think most UK coastal towns fall into this category. There’s this emotional attachment to places like Felixstowe, with its quaint little beach houses and amusement arcades but, in reality, it’s just a worn out Victorian-era resort with nothing going for it at the end of a road.

Lowestoft also fits in that category, saved slightly by the Broads being close by.

Brecon. I’ve worked there for over 10 years and it’s a hole which is surprising given its location and other nearby towns such as Hay and Crickhowell.

Just booked tickets for legoland and judging by the reviews on trip advisor it must be high up on the list of disappointing places.

Historic Market Towns usually a bit shit.

Aviemore is great , how could you put it into this list . Good restaurants , pubs , it’s clean busy , safe , and appears prosperous .

Haworth – just full of really weird shops.

And is full of both holiday makers and folk that have moved to live here, so enough folk like it.

However, the main street is a complete eyesore and is unlikely to be improved when they build three retail units on what was Santa Claus Land.

Dan yr ogof show caves. Just take a trip down any French show cave to realise just how rubbish they are as a visitor attraction. Get beyond the show bit though and it is a fantastic cave 🙂

And Llandrindod Wells must have a special mention as one of the most bizarre and out of place towns in the UK

Land’s End.

Dunno what I was expecting though.

Newton Aycliffe, conjured up an image in my mind off a quaint little town and turned out a horrible concrete shopping centre approached thru an industrial estate.

Fort William and Llanberris for me, both have a great mountian destination promise but in reality are just tired places. Tourism and poor local opportunity never helps things either.

Llanberris

Is Pete’s Eats still going? Only reason to stop in town on the way home.

Is Pete’s Eats still going? Only reason to stop in town on the way home.

After the most uninspiring offerings of cheese on toast that wouldn’t make it out of my kitchen and a breakfast that was frankly cheap/crap I decided not to go back. Like most things seems to be going on reputation when I was last there.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDAX2z4VN6Q[/video]

Birmingham.

Britain’s second city, so much potential, reasons to visit – not one.

Brentwood. The whole time I worked there, I didn’t see a single vajazzle.

Couldn’t disagree more about brum.

Yorkshire.
Expected more varied/interesting landscape but surprised at how flat a lot of it was and not all that bucolic. Very overrated.

Land’s End.

Dunno what I was expecting though.

This?

Or this?

But you saw:

(Last two pics are actually Land’s End. The first is Wren’s Nest, Dudley, which, to be fair, exceeded expectations)

Chester.
Very pleasant, but dirty.
Loads of litter everywhere and the wall seems to be in current use as a public toilet.

Warwick

Just a nothing place

Not sure about including

And worse, Ammanford.

as disappointing as I’m not sure what you’d expect going there? (my family are from up the road in Garnant, Mum lives in Betws). It amazes me it’s as OK as it is considering there’s no jobs/industry around it.

Also not sure I’d be disappointed by going to Newport, again what would you expect to be there? Hasn’t exactly got a great reputation, suppose you might be disappointed if you didn’t see a fight or something!
(note – I lived there for 10 years and genuinely loved it, I’d quite happily move back)

Agree with a lot of the others, Brecon and Llanberis particularly when you compare them to “outdoor activity” towns/villages in the Lakes, so much potential you’d think.

Jedbergh. Appears to be always about to close.

Fort William does deserve a special mention

The horrible loch frontage is an act of environmental vandalism

and the locals don’t seem to have cottoned on to the fact its meant to be a tourist destination.

Aviemore has a shabby main street but its all together more pleasant