Scotland and Italy 'most popular countries for Americans to elope to'

Scotland is the second most popular country in the world for eloping Americans, according to new research.

The study, conducted by Las Vegas church Chapel of the Flowers, analysed “worldwide elopement trends” and Google searches from the past year to discover where US couples were searching to elope worldwide.

The research found that “wedding venues Scotland” receives 3,500 average searches every month from across the globe, while #Scotlandwedding has 384,000 hashtags on Instagram.

Choosing to elope in secret alone or with a few select friends and family has been on the rise in the last few years, with couples opting to save money, splash out on a lavish honeymoon or save for a house instead.

Scotland’s reputation as a place for couples to elope to stretches back hundreds of years and is most famously known for Gretna Green.

Las Vegas still remains the number one destination for eloping Americans, while coming in second is Italy.

The research said: “Ranking in third place is Scotland.

“Many couples are drawn to Scotland for its breath-taking landscapes and historic castles, with destinations such as the Isle of Skye, Loch Lomond and Edinburgh being popular with couples looking to elope.”

Spain ranks as the fourth most popular destination to elope worldwide, while the rest of the top ten is made up of Nashville, New Orleans, Iceland, Greece and New York City.