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.
9. Edinburgh
The capital city just creeps within the top ten, with Edinburgh ranked as the 9th happiest place to live in Scotland. It is the 90th happiest place to live in the whole of the UK. | Getty Images
10. Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is the 10th happiest place to live in Scotland, climbing three places from 2022. It is also the 97th happiest place to live in the UK. | Paul - Adobe Stock
11. Glasgow
Just missing out on the top ten, Glasgow is the eleventh happiest place to live in Scotland and the 116th in the UK. | AFP via Getty Images
12. Aberdeen
Aberdeen is the 12th happiest place to live in Scotland. The north-east city is the 121st happiest place to live in the UK. | Getty Images