Remote life is secret of happiness
City dwellers less content
A SLICE of the good life is the secret to peace of mind, new research has revealed.
Country dwellers in the remotest corners of Scotland are almost 10 per cent happier than the rest of the population.
A strong sense of community and the great outdoors seem to outweigh shopping and the bright lights.
The joint study, by Aberdeen University’s Business School and the city’s James Hutton Institute, found: ‘Those in remote rural – but not accessible rural – areas reported greater life satisfaction than their urban counterparts. Living in a remote rural area was estimated to increase the probability of being “completely satisfied” with life overall by almost 8 per cent.
‘This pattern reflects a genuine place effect – that despite the disadvantages associated with remoteness there are benefits of remote rural living which result in higher overall levels of life satisfaction.
‘Such an effect could relate to social factors – greater social capital and stronger communities in rural areas – or factors such as greater access to natural environments and outdoor recreation opportunities.’
Around 5.2 million people live in Scotland, with almost 1 million of them living in rural areas. Around a third of rural dwellers live in the remotest parts – and their numbers have grown by nearly 6 per cent in a decade.
Rural areas are classed as settlements of less than 3,000 people, with a drive time of more than 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more.
Accessible rural areas are settlements of less than 3,000 people, within half an hour of a settlement of 10,000 people or more; and the non-rural rest of Scotland is settlements of over 3,000 people.
Almost 2,150 Scottish residents were asked to judge their level of life satisfaction, which the report said was rarely examined.
Instead, it added, previous studies concentrated on the material disadvantages of rural life ‘including limited labour market opportunities, limited availability and/or access to health services, training and education’.
The report, published in the Journal of Rural Studies, said that living in remote rural areas was better for mental wellbeing.
It said: ‘Residents in remote rural areas systematically report higher levels of life satisfaction than those based in non-rural parts of Scotland.
‘There are also non-material characteristics of rural areas which positively affect wellbeing, such as supportive communities and positive environmental externalities, and the possibility that rural residents value things differently.’
‘Supportive communities’