Poll names Inverness as the best city to live and work in the UK

QUALITY of life has helped Inverness retain top place on a list of the best cities to live in the UK.

The Highland capital came number one out of 11 cities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the study of the best places to live and work in the devolved nations of the UK.

Above average scores in jobs, income, transport and the environment helped Inverness retain its top slot on the Demos-PwC devolved administrations index.

However, the city’s recent success is coming at a price, the report warns, with an impact on affordability and work-life balance with owner occupation and the house price to earnings index all under-performing.

The devolved administrations index used data from Demos-PwC’s UK-wide Growth for Cities Index of 42 cities throughout the UK. The list, which uses a range of indicators including life and well-being factors not covered in most economic surveys, saw all seven Scottish cities perform well, with Edinburgh and Aberdeen among the top 10 locations to live in the UK.

Stewart Wilson, head of government and public sector for PwC Scotland said: “Scotland is in an incredibly advantageous position as the world moves into a new age where digitalisation and climate change dominate business and political agendas. With huge natural resources and a commitment to lower emissions, this year’s index shows that Scotland’s key cities are outperforming the national average in carbon emissions and in improving skills.”

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