Isle have some of that: Orkney is rated best place to live in the UK

With stunning scenery and a good choice of pubs, the Orkney Islands enjoy the best quality of life of any rural area in Britain, according to a survey.

Halifax said the isles came top of its annual list as they score strongly for employment rate, average earnings and average spend per pupil on education, as well as low anxiety levels and crime rates.

Wychavon in Worcestershire was the second most desirable place to live, scoring highly on average life expectancy and with 95% of adults there being in good health.

Wychavon residents also have some of the biggest homes in rural Britain, with an average of just over six habitable rooms, of which 98% have central heating and 92% of all houses have superfast broadband.

The Derbyshire Dales, Hambleton in Yorkshire and Purbeck in Dorset completed the top five, all performing well in terms of personal wellbeing and life expectancy, Halifax said.

Martin Ellis, an economist at the firm, said: “With one of the lowest population densities and traffic levels in Scotland, some of the most stunning scenery in the British Isles and the lowest levels of anxiety and highest life satisfaction ratings, the Orkneys offer a quality of life unmatched elsewhere.”

Mr Ellis said a leisure category included in the survey “shows that residents in the Orkneys have a good choice of pubs”.

House hunters searching for the good life in the Orkneys may also find it relatively affordable.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show average house prices there fell by 4.3% annually in January to reach £108,224. The average UK house price was £218,000 in January, according to the ONS.

Last year’s winner in Halifax’s survey, South Oxfordshire, tumbled to 10th place in 2017, but still scores strongly on earnings, employment rate and a low crime rate.

Halifax said the fall was partly due to the inclusion of the two new categories this year looking at the choice of pubs and the availability of health clubs and leisure centres.

The annual survey uses sources including the ONS, the Met Office, Ofcom and Halifax itself.