A Scottish town has been named one of the happiest places to live in the UK in a new list looking at the 20 top spots across the country.
The town, which is located in the Scottish Borders, was the only Scottish entry on the index with the East of England being the happiest region in the country.
Speaking of the Happy at Home index, Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert said: “Searching for new areas outside of the city that are still commutable on office days and looking for cheaper properties that are in need of renovation are just some of the actions we’ve seen determined movers take this year.
"The results of this year’s study highlights that residents continue to value living near green spaces and natural beauty, features that became all the more important during the pandemic. With moving to an area that makes them happy a key motivator for people looking for their next home, highlighting these types of features nearby could really help sellers looking to appeal to potential buyers”.
See the Scottish town named among the happiest places to live in the UK
The town of Galashiels was named among the UK's happiest places to live with the location coming in at 15 on the Rightmove list.
The Scottish Borders town was also found to be the cheapest on the list with an average house asking price of £163,634.
Rent was also found to be the cheapest in the index with an average asking rent of £700 per calendar month.
Speaking of Galashiels' entry on the list, Adam James, director at James Agent in the Scottish Borders, said: “Galashiels is the hub of the Scottish Borders, with something to love for every resident.
"The friendly people, strong community and good value for money means it remains popular with families each year, while the university, good choice of entertainment and job opportunities also makes it a favourite among younger people too.
“This is reflected in the different types of homes for sale – Galashiels has everything from large Victorian-era homes to affordable flats for first-time buyers.
"We also see a number of buyers making the journey up from the south to settle in Galashiels, attracted by the rural location and peaceful lifestyle on offer. Nothing quite beats some of the rural walks on offer in Galashiels and other locations in the Borders.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve seen the popularity of the area rise even further with the introduction of the Waverley line, which makes transport to Edinburgh much easier. So not only do residents of Galashiels have everything they could want on their doorstep, but for those also looking for some of the attractions of a larger city, they can also get that too.”
