Shutterstock©New research from Lottie — a later living marketplace — has revealed the 7 best locations for later living in Scotland. Do any of them tick your boxes?
With Scotland’s population ageing rapidly — elevating later living across the nation has never been more important.
Deciding where to live later in life is a huge decision and choosing the best location for you can offer a wealth of health and wellbeing benefits during your golden years.
New research from Lottie has analysed several lifestyle factors crucial later in life (popularity, affordability, investment, air pollution, crime rates and wellbeing) to reveal the best later living locations across Scotland: with Haddington being crowned in 1st place, Stonehaven in close 2nd, and Glenrothes coming in 3rd place:
Provided by Lottie.
Will Donnelly, Care Expert and Co-Founder of Lottie, shares “Basing our insights on a number of key lifestyle factors, we’ve found the happiest place to retire across Scotland.
“Our research has found that several locations in the South-East appear in our list of the top 7 best places for later living in Scotland – including Haddington – which has been crowned the ultimate later living location.
Our new research shows that locations offering a balance of affordability, community spirit and security are the best places for later living in Scotland as we look ahead to 2023.”
7 Best Locations For Later Living In Scotland
1: Haddington
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Lottie’s research has revealed Haddington is the best location for later living in Scotland with a total score of 23.
Not only does Haddington offer beautiful countryside, coastal adventures and historic streets filled with quaint cafes and tearooms — Google searches for ‘care homes in haddington’ have surged by 126% over the last 12 months.
It’s no surprise demand for later living in Haddington has increased in popularity. When it comes to investment, affordability, and overall wellbeing scores, Haddington is a great investment for your later years.
2: Stonehaven
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Famous for its picturesque harbour, scenic coastline and its community spirit, Stonehaven is the second best location for later living in Scotland — with a score of 22.
Based on our analysis, Stonehaven is one of the most affordable later living locations in Scotland — scoring positively for crime-rate and wellbeing.
Stonehaven offers the perfect balance of affordability and community spirit, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of Scotland’s top locations for later living.
3: Glenrothes
The third location for later living in Scotland is Glenrothes, a town in the east of the country — with a score of 21.
Glenrothes boasts some of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes and is famous for its historical past. With plenty of outdoor activities to try and great transport links across Scotland, Glenrothes makes the perfect later living location for outdoor lovers and thrill seekers.
Glenrothes has seen the highest increase in popularity over the last year, with more people than ever before searching for ‘care homes in Glenrothes’. They’re in huge demand — with searches rising by 129% over the last 12 months.
4: Fraserburgh
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Fraserburgh is in fourth place for the best later living location in Scotland. Famous for its scenic port, sandy beaches and breathtaking cliff top views, there’s lots of surprises to be discovered in Fraserburgh.
Our research has revealed Fraserburgh is a great location for affordable living and happiness levels — scoring some of the top scores for affordability, crime rates and wellbeing.
5: North Ayrshire
In fifth place for the best place for later living in Scotland is North Ayrshire.
North Ayrshire boasts open countryside and green moorlands — perfect for outdoor lovers. As well as plenty of opportunities for thrill seekers to enjoy watersports activities across the county’s coastline.
North Ayrshire offers the best later living investment scores across Scotland — with house prices increasing by 15% in the last year.
6: Airdrie
Known for its industrial past Airdrie is a historical town located 12 miles away from the centre of Glasgow and is the sixth top location for later living in Scotland.
Our data has revealed Airdrie offers the perfect balance of affordability and investment prospects as house prices increased by 13% of the last year.
7: St Andrews
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Finally, St Andrews, is the seventh location for later living in Scotland. Well known for its scenic coastline, sandy beaches and range of outdoor activities — including world-renowned golf courses, there’s plenty of activities to enjoy in St Andrews.
St Andrews has surged in popularity with older adults in the last 12 months and offers the perfect balance of affordability and quality of life — scoring positively across all lifestyle factors analysed.
Read more research from Lottie that showed the ultimate playlists for those living with dementia.
Jacqueline Munro I am the Digital Content Editor at "The People's Friend", looking after our website, social media channels and podcast.
