Best places to live in Scotland (2024)

FAQs

What is the best part of Scotland to live in? ›

Glasgow, Scotland

In the 2022 Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards, Glasgow scooped the top spot for the friendliest city in the UK, and came in fourth in 2023. Considering that the city's slogan is 'People make Glasgow', perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, and to many locals, it isn't.

Scotland is also known for its friendly people, excellent education system, and strong economy. Additionally, Scotland is a great place to explore, with plenty of outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and skiing. The cons of living in Scotland include its unpredictable weather, with cold winters and wet summers.

For a similar European-feeling getaway to the Emerald Isle, skip the trip across the pond and head to North Carolina. Believe it or not, the United States Appalachian Mountains were once connected to the Scottish-Irish Highlands in the days of Pangea, so the mountains aren't only a good dupe, but distant relatives.

You can live comfortably, covering expenses and setting aside money for savings, in Scotland with a monthly salary of £2,500, which is below the average salary.

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.

Visa Process to move to Scotland from the USA

If you have a valid American passport you can stay in Scotland for 6 months without any visa. However, if you want to move to Scotland from the USA for a longer term than 6 months or want to settle down in this country, then you need to hold a proper visa.

If we're talking about the average cost of living, it is generally cheaper to reside in Scotland rather than the U.S, as Scotland is 1.6 times more expensive than the U.S.

There is no citizenship requirement to buying (and unlike in England, there is no extra property tax for overseas buyers) but owning a property in Scotland does not allow you to live here. Our Immigration team can assist you to explore all the available immigration options for international clients to move to the UK.

Scotland offers a welcome and continued goodwill that has Americans, Canadians and most nationalities waxing lyrical.

What US state is comparable to Scotland? ›

And Scotland is not only smaller than the United States, it's smaller than quite a lot of the individual states, too. You can find a comparison with most other countries/US states here. I was interested to see that out of the various states, Scotland seems to be closest in size to South Carolina.

New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut. Aka mostly the North East part of the coastal American nation ahs a similar to identical climate the the UK. The UK being that of the differing climates of say England, Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland.

1. Orkney Islands. Orkney consistently ranks among the best places to live in the UK, thanks to its vibrant community, unique professional opportunities, and high quality of life. With a crime rate of 228 crimes per 10,000 people, it offers a safe environment.

In contrast to the rest of the UK, is a happy place to live, according to Rightmove's Happy at Home study, which lists the 14 happiest places to live in Scotland 2022 including Galashiels, Perth, Stirling, Dundee, Inverness, Falkirk, Paisley, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, Ayr, Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen.

Life expectancy was highest in East Renfrewshire at 84.0 (±0.6) years for females and in East Dunbartonshire at 79.9 (±0.7) years for males.