Eight out of the ten healthiest places to live in the UK are in Scotland, according to a study.
The research, which looked at pollution, access to green space and health services, rated Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire as the most healthy place to live in Scotland and the second best place in the UK behind Great Torrington in north Devon.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool assessed a range of lifestyle and environmental measures to come up with a list of healthy and unhealthy locations.
Other factors taken into consideration were the prevalence – or lack – of pubs and takeaway food outlets.
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Scottish towns and villages dominated the list. Fauldhouse in West Lothian was third, Foxbar in Paisley, Renfrewshire, was fourth while Glenboig in Lanarkshire took fifth spot.
Ballingry and Kinghorn in Fife, Coupar Angus in Perthshire and Kilsyth in Lanarkshire also made the top 10.
Academics looked for low pollution, good levels of access to parks and recreational spaces and provision of GPs and other health services.
The study found that Soho in central London was the unhealthiest place in Britain as it had the greatest access to health-sapping fast food outlets, pubs and off licenses, combined with highly polluted air and a shortage of parks.
Dr Mark Green, senior lecturer in health geography at Liverpool University, said Scottish areas had done well due to having generally good access to health services, clean air and higher levels of green space. “The natural environment was very good in many of these areas which is positive for health through less pollutants, and therefore better respiratory health, as well as individuals generally being happier in greener and more natural environments,” he said.
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The research was carried out using information from sources such as GP surgeries, Health Centres, fast food outlets themselves and air pollution statistics published by the Environment Agency.
Dr Green added: “The statistics reveal important insights about the concentration of certain amenities that may be damaging or promote health.” For example, the average person lives as close to a pub or bar, as to their nearest GP (both 1.1 km).
“We also found that 42 per cent of people are within 1 km of their nearest gambling outlet. These statistics reveal troubling issues with the neighbourhoods we live in and how they may be damaging to our health.”
Remote parts of Scotland with limited access to a full range of health services scored lowest in the study. West Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands was named the unhealthiest place in Scotland while North West Skye was second.
Professor Alex Singleton, Deputy Director of the Consumer Data Research Centre, said levels of deprivation were also a significant factor. “Those services which are seen as damaging to health are often concentrated in poorer areas. For example, 62 per cent of people who live in the 10 per cent most deprived areas are within 1 km of a fast food outlet compared to 24 per cent in the 10 per cent least deprived areas.”
The findings of the study were presented at the International Medical Geography Symposium in New Zealand on Monday.
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