Which part of Scotland should I choose to live in?

For anyone considering Scotland as their new home, one of the most important decisions will be which part of the country to live in.

Countryside, seaside or city living?

Scotland has an excellent public transport network. You can travel easily within Scotland and explore all that is on offer.

City life

Scotland's six cities offer something unique and exciting for  residents. See what Scotland has to offer within Art and culture, food and drink, sports and leisure.

Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third largest city with over 200,000 residents. Although there are many companies such as the Rolls Wood Group involved in the oil industry, renewable energy looks like it will be a large part of its future.

Dundee
The fourth largest city in Scotland with a population of around 150,000, Dundee is known for its biological companies such as Cyclacel and digital businesses such as Real Time Worlds. 
 
Edinburgh

Scotland's capital has the strongest economy of any city outside London. Education, health, finance, retailing and tourism are the main industries while unemployment is as low as 1.9%.

Glasgow

The largest Scottish city, Glasgow has over 1,750,500 people living in and around its centre. Some of the main industries in Glasgow include finance and business services, communications, creative industries, healthcare and tourism.

Inverness

Ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for its quality of life, Inverness is the capital of the Highlands. High-tech businesses play a large part in the city’s economy, with medical research companies such as LifeScan employing many people.

Stirling

Scotland's smallest city with around 41,000 people, Stirling is a centre for local government, higher education, retail, and construction.

Country living

Thanks to its relatively small size and good transport links, the Highlands are only a few hours away from most parts of the country. Mountain biking, skiing and hill climbing are popular weekend alternatives to the gym for those trapped in the city from Monday to Friday.

There are also 790 islands around the coast, with good connections by ferry between many of them.

Transport

Motorways and dual carriageways link many of the main cities and towns in Scotland. This allows easy access to different parts of the country.

The primary road network extends over most of the country except for a few smaller or remote areas. In remote areas there are single track roads with passing places (this means that you have to park in to one side to let other drivers pass or overtake).

Rail travel is also popular with good connections to most places.

Next steps

Find out more about life in Scotland, including interviews and features about people who have moved here from outside the country.

Related links

• Transport
• Map of Scotland
• Moving to Scotland