When it comes to high quality living in Scotland, the place to be is Aberdeenshire, according to new research from the Bank of Scotland. This is the fourth time in seven years that the north-easterly region has been found to be quite a remarkable place to live.
The survey, which makes its conclusions based on a number of important factors like overall climate, employment opportunities, quality of schooling, health and life expectancy, commended Aberdeenshire’s consistent excellence.
“While not being the leading district across all measures, Aberdeenshire comes out on top because it scores consistently highly across nearly all indicators,” stated Nitesh Patel, an economist for the Bank of Scotland.
Some of the findings certainly do make for remarkable reading. For example, when asked about their health, 93.3 per cent of respondents reported that they feel fit and well. Indeed, this is backed up by a higher than average life expectancy, which is around 78.2 years for both sexes.
International movers considering a move to Scotland and are in the midst of looking for work will be enthused to hear that the region has a high employment rate, which stands at an astonishing 79 per cent.
Add to that the fact that many people enjoy full-time earnings that are 13 per cent above the national average, and it quickly becomes clear that Aberdeenshire is a special place to live and work.
“From our majestic mountains to stunning coastlines, Aberdeenshire has a lot to offer as Scotland’s hidden gem in terms of outdoor activities and opportunities,” commented Jill Webster, one of the region’s councillors.
“Aside from providing an extraordinary backdrop, this survey demonstrates that in Aberdeenshire our residents benefit from high rates of employment, first-rate education and good levels of health and fitness.”
Colin Mackenzie, chief executive of the council, added that the vision of the region over the next few years is to continue to build on this growing reputation and make it one of the best areas of Scotland to be in.
He expanded by saying that the survey once again confirmed Aberdeenshire’s strength, which is a result of the hard work and investment that has already gone into the region.
There are still many things to achieve in the area though. A case in point is tackling escalating house prices, which were shown to be 5.7 times higher than the average annual local income.
East Dunbartonshire came in second place for the best quality of life in Scotland, followed by the Shetland Islands, East Renfrewshire and then the Orkney Islands.