We’ve found our happy
Coupar Angus named as one of the healthiest places to live in the UK
fake news, but it is right, and shows we stand head and shoulders above the rest. “I am 69 years old and I have lived in Coupar Angus all my life, and I am as fit as a fiddle – I climbed three Munros yesterday – and so I was pleasantly surprised to hear the outcome of the survey. “They looked at health services, for example we have great access to our GP. “There are six doctors in a modern practice, there is a great Joe Richards pharmacy open full-time in the town, and we have a dental practice that can still accept NHS patients.
“NHS Tayside is also meeting their waiting times better than in other parts of Scotland – Ninewells Hospital is doing exceptionally well, and we are getting that benefit here in Coupar Angus.”
He continued: “Our physical environment is also particularly good.
“We have a large park on the edge of the town with the latest play equipment for children , and people are often running, cycling and walking there.
“The park has been a great asset to our town for many years, and last weekend we had a cycling festival there to promote fitness and reducing our carbon footprint.
“We also have a lot of green spaces, and recently a community woodland was installed in the town and we had great interested from the local school who planted trees there.
“What also enhances life here is the blue spaces – the amount of visible water – we have the River Isla at the back of the town, which is great for dog walking and fishing, and a local burn through the town.
“Children have recently helped design a plaque to explain the history of the burn and how it was used to give water to horses in the old days.
“The air quality is also exceptionally good, with very little contamination and no heavy industry – that was another big marker the researchers looked at.”
The researchers also focused on residents’ access to alcohol and fast food in the survey.
Mr Richards continued: “In terms of our retail environment, we have no betting shops in Coupar Angus, which is seen as a good thing, only two pubs and no fast food outlets.
“All of that comes together in Coupar Angus.
“When you drive into the town you see a sign saying Coupar Angus is the ‘Jewel of Strathmore’, and we can really claim that now.
“I am delighted at this survey and shows how our little town measures up in reality.”
The researchers at the university worked with the Consumer Data Research Centre and Public Health