Galashiels is Scotland’s ‘happiest place to live’

Galashiels' Heartland Market has been cited as one of the reasons the townsfolk are happy.

Galashiels ranked as Britain’s second happiest overall in Rightmove’s Happy at Home index, which asked 21,000 people how they felt about where they live.

It was only kept off of the top spot by St Ives in Cornwall.

The Borders town got top marks for the “friendliness and politeness of its people”.

It is the first time an area of Scotland has been ranked in the top three since 2016.

Alice Brown, a valuer at estate agent Rettie & Co, said: “Steeped in history, Galashiels has a wide variety of housing from classic period properties to new builds, offering something for every type of buyer.

“The countryside surrounding Galashiels also has much to offer, especially for those with an interest in rural pursuits such as walking, trail running, biking, wild swimming, etcetera.

“In terms of entertainment, a variety of amenities are on the doorstep, including a cinema, gyms, a swimming pool, supermarkets, shops, cafes, a retail park, restaurants and well-regarded schools.

“The recently-established Heartland Market brings together the town and local businesses.”

Locations were ranked based on factors such as whether people feel there is a sense of belonging, the proximity to green spaces, local amenities and whether there is a community spirit.

Other Scottish places to feature on this year’s list include Stirling (9th).

However, there is something of an irony in Galashiels taking the top spot given its motto of ‘soor plooms’ (sour plums).

Galashiels coat of arms shows two foxes reaching up to eat plums from a tree, and the motto is a reference to an incident in 1837 when a raiding part of English soldiers were picking wild plums close to the town and were caught by Scots who came across them by chance and slaughtered them.

However, it’s of no surprise to Galashiels councillor, and leader of Scottish Borders Council, Euan Jardine.

He said: “I was recently in Edinburgh visiting a friend. I noticed that nobody seemed very happy. I went into a bookshop, and nobody said hello or smiled.

"I never thought much about it until I saw the news that Galashiels was named the happiest town in Scotland and second happiest in the UK.

"Then it made me think that perhaps living in Galashiels and mixing with the community, I had taken the happiness we have here for granted and expected it to be the same across the country.

“It is always so easy to jump on the bandwagon and be pessimistic about the place where you live. So, it is refreshing that we have a great spirit of happiness in Galashiels, which gets us recognised nationally. I hope it will encourage people to visit the town to take a bit of our joy home with them.”