The kindest areas in Scotland have been named, according to new research.
The Outer Hebrides is officially the most caring area, boasting the highest number of charities per 100,000 people and some of the lowest carbon emissions in the country.
The research, by care experts Guardian Carers, used the latest data from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency), the ONS, and Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to explore recycling rates, the number of registered charities and the kilotons of CO2 emitted per square Kilometre in Scotland, in order to discover which Scottish region is the most caring of all.
The Borders ranks second on the list of the most caring areas, with some of the highest recycling rates, a high number of charities per 100,000 people and one of the lowest levels of CO2 emissions in the whole of Scotland.
Angus came third, while Moray, Perth and Kinross and Argyll and Bute also rank high on the index with Argyll and Bute having the lowest amount of carbon emissions – zero kilotons per square kilometre - in the whole of Scotland.
At the other end of the scale, Glasgow ranked lowest on the index, with the highest carbon emissions (13.7 kilotons per square kilometre) in Scotland. Glasgow also has one of the lowest percentages of recycled waste (29.6%) in and a lower number of registered charities than other areas in the country.
A spokesperson for Guardian Carers said: “This data offers us a compelling insight into which areas of Scotland dominate when it comes to kindness in terms of charity support and environmental awareness.
"Interestingly, it is the less well-known and more rural areas of Scotland, such as Na h-Eileanan Siar and the Scottish Borders which lead the way when it comes to charity work and helping others, as well as kindness to our environment, above the major cities”
RANKED: The most caring areas in Scotland
Area |
% of waste recycled |
No of registered charities |
Charities per 100,000 |
kt CO2 per km2 |
Overall index score |
Na h-Eileanan Siar |
34.6 |
349 |
2670.03 |
0.2 |
27.19 |
Scottish Borders |
52.8 |
809 |
1443.30 |
0.1 |
25.19 |
Angus |
57.9 |
563 |
996.74 |
0.3 |
24.02 |
Moray |
54.9 |
513 |
1081.62 |
0.3 |
23.86 |
Perth and Kinross |
49.4 |
938 |
1254.11 |
0.2 |
23.72 |
Argyll and Bute |
31.2 |
860 |
2013.25 |
0 |
23.95 |
Stirling |
47.8 |
549 |
1209.86 |
0.3 |
23.18 |
Orkney Islands |
23.4 |
257 |
2303.07 |
0.3 |
23.62 |
Highland |
35.7 |
1902 |
1647.67 |
0.1 |
23.10 |
South Ayrshire |
55.3 |
422 |
787.15 |
0.4 |
22.61 |
Shetland Islands |
18.4 |
273 |
2351.02 |
0.3 |
22.96 |
East Lothian |
52.4 |
452 |
871.58 |
1.6 |
21.59 |
Midlothian |
47.3 |
432 |
964.59 |
1.2 |
21.40 |
North Ayrshire |
52.1 |
412 |
645.29 |
0.9 |
21.09 |
Aberdeenshire |
40.8 |
1349 |
1040.76 |
0.3 |
21.25 |
East Renfrewshire |
56.6 |
274 |
595.15 |
2.2 |
20.70 |
Dumfries and Galloway |
30.1 |
880 |
1219.26 |
0.1 |
20.31 |
East Ayrshire |
41.1 |
366 |
620.94 |
0.4 |
19.45 |
Fife |
43.7 |
1418 |
780.20 |
1.9 |
19.48 |
East Dunbartonshire |
50.9 |
262 |
497.30 |
2.3 |
19.23 |
Clackmannanshire |
48.6 |
184 |
733.10 |
3.2 |
19.18 |
Renfrewshire |
49.1 |
517 |
595.76 |
3.2 |
18.68 |
West Lothian |
45 |
511 |
565.47 |
2.4 |
18.43 |
South Lanarkshire |
40.5 |
730 |
469.87 |
0.9 |
18.34 |
Inverclyde |
37.1 |
217 |
587.47 |
1.7 |
17.67 |
Aberdeen City |
45.6 |
890 |
780.67 |
5.6 |
17.11 |
West Dunbartonshire |
36.8 |
229 |
542.18 |
2.4 |
16.91 |
North Lanarkshire |
39.4 |
639 |
387.19 |
3.8 |
15.68 |
Falkirk |
51.2 |
366 |
465.38 |
7.2 |
15.57 |
City of Edinburgh |
37 |
3013 |
1169.44 |
7.7 |
15.74 |
Dundee City |
34.7 |
664 |
924.57 |
9.4 |
13.06 |
Glasgow City |
29.6 |
2824 |
905.59 |
13.7 |
8.96 |
Don't miss the top culture and heritage stories from around Scotland. Sign up to our twice weekly Scotland Now newsletter here.
