Aberdeenshire village named the happiest place to live in Scotland

Ruaraidh Britton

6 November 2024 at 9:03 am·2-min read

Aboyne was praised for its good local amenities including shops, pubs and cafés — -Credit: (Image: Google)

The Aberdeenshire village of Aboyne is the happiest place to live in Scotland, according to a new survey.

The tourism favourite was the highest rated location in the country in a list of the 70 happiest places by online store Furniturebox.

Locations were ranked according to the beauty of the surroundings and green spaces, provision of good state schools and affordable housing, as well as access to quality pubs, restaurants, independent shops and cultural attractions.

Melrose in the Scottish Borders took second place, while Newton Mearns near Glasgow came third in the rankings. Kinross was named the fourth happiest, while the South Lanarkshire town of Biggar rounded out the top five.

In Aberdeenshire, the top five included Banchory in second, Stonehaven third, fourth-placed Balmedie and Ballater in fifth spot.

Aboyne is a great place for outdoor enthusiasts, with activities including walking, mountain biking, and skiing, with the Glenshee and Lecht Ski Resorts nearby.

Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School is rated Good by Ofsted, while The Boat Inn in Aboyne is also highly rated.

Furniturebox polled 5,000 people, with panels in each big city and county including Aberdeenshire Aboyne was 12th on the main national list which was won by Stratford-upon-Avon.

A Furniturebox spokesperson said: "Aboyne is the happiest place to live in Scotland. All 70 places on the list would have been worthy winners and show why the UK is such a wonderful place to live, loved by visitors from all over the world.

"Most of the locations in the top 70 are not the most affluent in their localities and have access to some affordable housing. The survey shows that the happiest places are not defined by wealth but by the quality of life within them."

Find out the full list of the UK’s 70 happiest places in Furniturebox’s guide.

Top Ten Happiest Places in Scotland

1 Aboyne

2 Melrose

3 Newton Mearns - Glasgow

4 Kinross

5 Biggar

6 New Town - Edinburgh

7 Dunfermline

8 Inverness

9 Dunblane

10 Kelso

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Top Ten Happiest Places in Scotland

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