Scotland

Whether it’s being entertained at the Fringe Festival or admiring some spectacular scenery, Scotland is attracting us in our thousands as a great place to live and work. The country could see a population increase of 58% if universal connectivity becomes a reality.

It might be Scotland’s flexible working ethos that makes it so attractive. 78% of Scottish businesses have some staff working flexibly. This is an increase of over 25% from 2004, when a MORI survey for the DTI found that working flexitime was available as an option to just 50% of Scottish employees, while only 20% were regularly working from home.

With such supportive bosses, the Scotland of the future could see quieter cities and the highlands and islands fill up, as universal connectivity enables people to work and live anywhere.

If rural delights are what you’re after, then you’ll be pleased to hear that those in rural parts of Scotland benefit from higher employment, higher wages, longer life expectancy and obtain better exam results than their counterparts in the cities. In fact, those in rural areas are generally much happier about where they live, with more people rating their neighbourhood as a very good place to live, according to Scotland’s Chief Statistician in its Rural Scotland Key Facts 2009 report. Consequently, the rural parts of Scotland have seen rising populations and associated rises in house prices.