Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh safest cities in UK

Scotland's three biggest cities have been ranked the safest in the UK.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Feb 2016, 12:14 BST
Updated 23rd Feb 2016, 13:15 BST
Aberdeen is classed as the safest city in the UK along with Edinburgh and Glasgow. Image: Ian RutherfordAberdeen is classed as the safest city in the UK along with Edinburgh and Glasgow. Image: Ian Rutherford
Aberdeen is classed as the safest city in the UK along with Edinburgh and Glasgow. Image: Ian Rutherford

New York-based consulting firm, Mercer found Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh to be the most secure in Britain in a survey that looked at the quality of living in 230 cities worldwide.

The organisation ranked all cities on a range of criteria including internal stability, the effectiveness of law enforcement, crime levels and the nation’s relationship with other nations.

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Baghdad (230th) and Damascus (229th) were the world’s most unsafe cities, with Luxembourg the safest followed by Bern, Helsinki and Zurich all tied in second place.

Aberdeen was placed in joint 44th position with Glasgow and Edinburgh in terms of safety - a higher position than their counterparts south of the border.

The Granite City, along with the other two Central Belt cities, were above other cities such as London (72nd), Belfast (64th) and Birmingham (54th).

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Aberdeen council leader Jenny Laing said: “We have relatively low unemployment, fantastic leisure facilities including a beach and award-winning parks, amazing architecture and a fascinating history, and we’re world-leading for technology and education.

“I hope many more people come and discover for themselves how fantastic a city Aberdeen is to live or visit for a holiday.”

European cities dominated the Mercer list for overall quality of living, with Vienna and Zurich taking the top two spots ahead of Munich in fourth. Auckland in third position and Vancouver in fifth were the only non-European cities to make the top five.

Slagin Parakatil, Mercer Principal and the man responsible for the quality-of-living research, added: “Managing safety and health issues is of utmost importance, especially for employees who relocate with a family. Our surveys enable companies to take adequate precautions for them.”

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