A town in the Scottish Borders has been crowned as the happiest place to live in Scotland.
Each year real estate firm Rightmove asks residents to share what makes them happy about where they live, and what they believe makes it special. Their Happy at Home Index, now in its 12th year, surveyed 26,000 people living across the UK to gauge their opinion of their area based on 13 happiness factors.
From residents’ sense of pride and belonging to the local services and amenities on offer, Rightmove then pulled together a list of the happiest places to live in the UK based on the scores people gave their local area.
For the second year in a row Galashiels has taken the top spot as the "happiest" place to live in Scotland, with Richmond upon Thames taking the crown from St Ives as the happiest place to live in whole of the UK.
According to the survey, it's often less tangible things such as community spirit as well as a sense of belonging which contribute toward people's opinions of their homes, though for 2023 living near green spaces and natural beauty is another highlight.
Without further ado, here are the 15 happiest places to live in Scotland.
1. Galashiels
Located in the Scottish Borders, Galashiels is the happiest place to live in Scotland and the fifteenth happiest place in the UK. In addition, Gala is also one of the cheapest places to be included in the list. | Amanda Aiken - stock.adobe.com
2. Inverness
Climbing from its 2022 position, Inverness is the 2nd happiest place to live in Scotland. The capital of the Scottish Highlands came in at 53 in the national rank. | Getty Images
3. Dumfries
Dumfries has been recognised as the 3rd happiest place to live in Scotland. The market town is just two places behind Inverness in the national ranking at 55. | Jozef - stock.adobe.com
4. Dundee
The fourth biggest city in Scotland, Dundee is also the 4th happiest place to live in Scotland, maintaining its 2022 position. | Getty Images