A SCOTTISH town has, for the first time, been crowned the best place to live in the UK by The Sunday Times. . . and it's right here in East Lothian.

Seventy-two locations from throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland are included in the prestigious annual list.

The comprehensive guide was released this morning (Friday) and an abridged version will be published as a magazine supplement on Sunday.

Top of the list is North Berwick, which is the first Scottish winner in the 12-year history of the Best Places to Live survey. And another East Lothian location was also singled out by judges.

Describing North Berwick, the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide said: “It was picked for its combination of a great high street, a great school, the great outdoors and family-friendly houses.

“The judges were impressed by its easy connections to Edinburgh and the way life revolves around the town’s two beaches as well as the wealth of activities available whatever your age.

“They also highlighted the town’s thriving high street and its many independent shops as a sign of the positive effect that small businesses can have on a community.”

North Berwick impressed the judges to reach the number one spot

North Berwick impressed the judges to reach the number one spot

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, highlighted the purpose of the guide.

She said: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024, from Dunkeld to Knutsford, Falmouth to Leeds.

“Wherever you are on the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.

“These are all places where you can feel grounded as well as upwardly mobile: they have a mature sense of community, lively, supportive high streets and an eye to the future, whether that is eco-friendly measures, transport and regeneration, or imaginative inclusion of new housing.”

And the list, which can be found at www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live, is a double celebration for East Lothian.

North Berwick impressed the judges to reach the number one spot

North Berwick impressed the judges to reach the number one spot

With North Berwick named the overall UK winner, seven other locations in Scotland were selected as 'area winners', including East Linton. The others were:

  • West End, Dundee
  • Dunkeld, Perthshire
  • Falkland, Fife
  • Kerrera, Inner Hebrides
  • Leith, Edinburgh
  • Newlands, Glasgow

The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street.

A short summary of East Linton notes: “There’s a strong entrepreneurial streak in this affluent and gloriously leafy corner of Scotland.

East Linton also made the list. Image: Copyright Jennifer Petrie and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

East Linton also made the list. Image: Copyright Jennifer Petrie and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

“It is riding even higher since the opening of the village’s £15 million railway station that has finally connected this honey-coloured East Lothian jewel with Edinburgh.

“There are two pubs, a farm shop that does great coffee and a bakery whose cheese croissants draw pastry lovers from miles around.”

Previous winners of the Best Places to Live in Britain title are:

  • Stamford, Lincolnshire (2013)
  • Skipton, North Yorkshire (2014)
  • Newnham, Cambridge (2015)
  • Winchester, Hampshire (2016)
  • Bristol (2017)
  • York (2018)
  • Salisbury, Wiltshire (2019)
  • Altrincham, Cheshire (2020)
  • Stroud, Gloucestershire (2021)
  • Ilkley, West Yorkshire (2022) and,
  • Wadhurst, East Sussex (2023).