A COASTAL path which begins in Somerset has been named the world's happiest walk.

The South West Coastal Path, which starts in Minehead and ends in Cornwall, was found to be the walk that produces the biggest smiles among walkers worldwide.

The study, from outdoor holiday provider Inghams, analysed over 300 Instagram posts to reveal which walking trails make people smile the most.

Smile-recognition software was used to see which popular trails around the world are bringing the biggest smiles to walkers' faces.

The software analysed the scale of the smiles in pictures of people conquering trails and summits around the world, to generate a happiness score.

This score could then be recorded and compared, to reveal a tangible measurement of happiness for some of the world's most naturally beautiful walking spots.

The South West Coast Path came top of the list with an overall happiness score of 99.30.

The trail is the longest national path in England at 630 miles long, and takes walkers along the coastlines of popular English walking destinations such as Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.

A spokesperson for Inghams said: "A grin is sure to appear on walkers’ faces as they explore this trail and admire some of Britain’s most delightful beaches and clifftop views, hear the seabirds calling, smell the salty air and enjoy an ice-cream in a picturesque seaside village. "

The Somerset path ranked above the Blue Mountains in Australia, which ranked third with a score of 98.38, as well as the Candian Rockies (93.67) and the Alps (93.66).