Revealed: Survey uncovers what Scots hate most about Scotland

Midge, potholes, and weather such that light cloud cover and temperatures just in double figures is enough to signal 'taps aff!' have been unveiled as the things people living in Scotland hate most about their country, in a new poll unveiled today.

The YouGov survey also reveals that the country’s biggest loves are the breathtaking landscapes and unsurprisingly, the Scottish people.

The survey, commissioned by the National Trust for Scotland, comes as part of the heritage charity’s “For the Love of Scotland” campaign which takes the unconventional approach of asking people both what they love and hate about the country.

Over a third of people (35%) cited the country’s landscapes as their number one love in Scotland, while 19% claimed it to be the people and 9% the banter.

The country’s history and heritage was voted as the number one love by 13%, the coastline was chosen by 7%, the mountains by 4%, wildlife by 3% and the country’s arts and culture by 2%.

The weather came out tops as the most hated thing about Scotland with 18% citing it. Potholes and midges battled it out for the number two spot on the most hated list, with 16% of those surveyed opting for them as their most hated. Dark winters were also unpopular with 10% claiming to hate them the most, followed by litter on the beach voted for by 7%.

The YouGov survey also reveals that the countrys biggest loves are the breathtaking landscapes and unsurprisingly, the Scottish people.

And although Scots clearly love their fellow countrymen, they hate it when “Taps Aff” season arrives with 5% of people claiming to hate it most about the country. And showing our love for our national football team, Glorious Defeat is only cited as the number one hate by 2% of those surveyed, as was poor phone signals.

The survey comes on the back of a new three minute film by the National Trust for Scotland which features some of Scotland’s most recognisable public figures including Gerard Butler, Brian Cox and Sir Chris Hoy talking about their loves and hates for the country. For the Love of Scotland is the the charity’s most ambitious campaign to date and aims to boost member numbers by more than a third to 500,000, double paid visits to 1 million and increase regular donors and member visits over the next five years.

Mark Bishop, Director of Customer and Cause at the National Trust for Scotland said: “It didn’t come as a huge surprise to us to see the country’s breathtaking landscapes and our history and heritage as some of the most loved things about Scotland, and that’s exactly why the work we do in caring for some of Scotland’s most significant natural and cultural heritage is so crucial.

“Our new campaign has certainly stimulated plenty of debate around our loves and hates for Scotland, but above all, it’s making people appreciate what makes Scotland Scotland and celebrate the work that we do to protect our country for generations to come.”