IT will come as no surprise to those caught in rush-hour traffic or left idling on late trains.

But, on average, Scottish workers are spending a total of almost nine days a year – 214 hours – travelling to and from work every year.

And, at an annual cost of almost £700, according to new research by the Bank of Scotland published today, it’s not cheap.

Driving is the most popular way to travel, according to the survey. The car is the most used mode of transport for commuting across all journey types, with more than half (59%) of commuters completing their journey by motor.

Almost one third walk to work (31%), one in five (21%) take the bus, and 11% use the train – but only 7% cycle.

With an average journey time of 54 minutes each day, Scottish commuters are set to spend around 60 weeks’ worth of time (418 days) travelling to their job during their working life, at a total cost of £32,385.

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However, despite the time and expense, the nationwide analysis, part of the Bank of Scotland’s How Scotland Lives study conducted with polling company YouGov, found that more than half of workers (56%) enjoy their commute and one in 12 (8%) even go as far as to say they “love” their journey to work.

Commuting clearly divides opinion, however, with one in five (22%) workers disliking their commute, one in six (16%) saying it has become less reliable over the past five years, and one-quarter (24%) claiming it is more crowded than half a decade ago.

People living in and around Edinburgh have the longest commutes in Scotland with an average daily commute of 66 minutes, considerably longer than commuters in the Highlands and Islands (42 minutes), Dundee (47 minutes), Aberdeen (48 minutes), central Scotland (49 minutes) and Fife (51 minutes).

Those living in the west of Scotland (59 minutes) and Glasgow (58 minutes) also face higher-than-average commuting times.

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When it comes to cost, people living in central Scotland fork out an average of £64.22p each month on commuting costs, totalling £768 per year, the highest amount spent in any Scottish region.

Those in west of Scotland spend slightly less, at £63 per month on average (£56 a year), while workers in Dundee and in the Highlands and Islands have the cheapest journeys into work at £46 per month (£552 annually).

Bank of Scotland director Ricky Diggins commented: “Commuters in Scotland are spending almost £700 a year on their journey to and from work – the equivalent of a city break to sunny Europe.”