RESIDENTS in the West of Scotland are more likely to have lived there all their life compared to people in other parts of the country, according to new research.

Just like Still Game's Jack and Victor, who are famously settled in fictional Craiglang in Glasgow, more than one third (34 per cent) of people in the west have remained in the region, with the main reasons listed as family being nearby, liking the location and always having lived there.

Central Scotland came second in the poll, with 29 per cent of residents living there all their lives, with Mid Scotland and Fife following closely behind.

The research by the Bank of Scotland also showed people in the Lothians are the least likely to have lived there their entire lives.

Robin Bulloch, managing director of Bank of Scotland, said it was clear from the findings that family is a key factor in people deciding where to live.

He said: "It's not often research looks at why people live where they do, so it's been interesting learning more about the communities we live in.

"While a good proportion of Scots have never moved away from the area they grew up in, living in an area they like has been an important factor for many.

"However it's evident that whatever the reason for many of us living where we do, family plays a central role in people being happy where they live."

The top reasons for living where we do in Scotland were given as always having lived there and liking the area.

In the West of Scotland, more people than in any other area said they liked the fact that they have family close by (39 per cent), followed again by Central Scotland at 33 per cent.

Bank of Scotland said this may explain why so many people have never moved away from these areas.

More than a quarter of people in Fife (28 per cent) also valued their families being close by, while 17 per cent of people in the South of Scotland and 16 per cent in Mid Scotland agreed.

Engineer Walter Given, who was born and brought up in Springburn in Glasgow and now lives in East Kilbride in Lanarkshire, said family and work were the two main reasons he has stayed in the West of Scotland.

The 63-year-old, who works for forklift firm Linde Scotland in East Kilbride, and his wife Margaret, 61, who works as a shop assistant in the town, raised their children Steven, 40, and Julie, 37, there.

Mr Given said: "I was born and brought up in Springburn and Margaret was born and brought up in Govan. When we were first married we moved to Dennistoun and then we moved to East Kilbride in 1975.

"We had my son and daughter here and we didn't really need to leave East Kilbride after that.

"I still have family in Glasgow and my brother lives nearby in East Kilbride, so I suppose the main reason has been family.

"But we both worked locally too so that was also a factor, and I do enjoy living here. Sometimes you go abroad and your head turns but you soon realise that the grass isn't always greener.

"We've had a good standard of living here in the West of Scotland, we had good jobs, we have a nice family and our son and daughter have been well educated here."

The research shows that, across the country, more than one fifth (22 per cent) of 45 to 54-year-olds and almost one quarter (24 per cent) of 25 to 34-year-olds are still living where they grew up.

However, the home-bird mentality seems to have skipped a generation with just 16 per cent of 35 to 44-year-olds staying put.

Demography expert Professor Robert Wright, of Strathclyde University, warned it is not always a good thing for people to stay where they were raised.

He said: "This is actually a UK-wide issue, the mobility of people in the UK, including in Scotland, is much smaller than in other countries around the world.

"People are much more reluctant to move, but if you're willing to be more mobile you can move towards job opportunities, rather than limiting yourself to opportunities in the area where you live."

The Bank of Scotland research also showed that house prices, transport links and peacefulness are also considerations for people when deciding where they want to live.