Best places to live in Scotland revealed – did your area make the list?

Ever wondered where the best place to live in Scotland is? Well, Garrington Property Finders has unveiled their list of the best places to live in Scotland.

Bridge of Allan has been crowned as this year’s best place to live, it has been revealed. 

Garrington Property Finders ranked more than 160 communities across Scotland according to four key criteria – natural beauty, wellbeing, employment and connectivity plus value for money.

Bridge of Allan, which is just three miles from central Stirling and dotted with handsome Victorian villas, scored highly in all four of the categories that determine the overall ranking.

The town first surged in popularity during the 19th century, when its spa attracted the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and Charles Dickens.

Bridge of Allan. © David Wilkinson – Scotdrone

At £245,544, an average home in the area costs more than the Scottish national average of £189,000.

Nearby Dunblane, childhood home of Andy Murray, came second in the overall ranking and scooped the top spot in the natural beauty category thanks to its stunning countryside and riverside walks. 

‘Property prices in Scotland rose 50% faster than they did in England, and twice as fast as those in Wales, in 2024, and nearly everywhere in Scotland saw average prices increase,’ said Jonathan Hopper, CEO of Garrington Property Finders.

‘Our team of experts across Scotland is already seeing a surge in interest from buyers who’ve decided to kickstart their previously paused moving plans in 2025.’

Dunblane. © David Wilkinson – Scotdrone

Here’s the top 20 ranking in full:

1. Bridge of Allan, Stirling
2. Dunblane, Stirling
3. Loanhead, Midlothian
4. Penicuik, Midlothian
5. Queensferry, Edinburgh
6. Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire
7. Perth, Perth and Kinross
8. Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
9. Tullibody, Clackmannanshire
10. Cockenzie and Port Seton, East Lothian
11. Kirkwall, Orkney
12. Dunbar, East Lothian
13. Cupar, Fife
14. North Berwick, East Lothian
15. Erskine, Renfrewshire
16. Alloa, Clackmannanshire
17. Musselburgh, East Lothian
18. Dunoon Argyll and Bute
19. Banchory, Aberdeenshire
20. Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire

Dunoon. © David Wilkinson – Scotdrone

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