Orkney drivers face '˜fastest car insurance rise' in the UK

Pedestrians and traffic in Victoria Street, Stromness. Drivers on Orkney have faced steep rises in the cost of car insurance. Picture: Allan Milligan/TSPL

But residents in Orkney are paying the price for living on their island idyll - thanks to the rising cost of car insurance.

Drivers on the archipelago have seen the cost of their premiums rise faster than anywhere else in the UK, according to data compiled from July - September by Confused.com for its quarterly car insurance price index.

Orcadians are now paying an average of £712 to insure their vehicles for a year - the most expensive in Scotland.

The cost of comprehensive car insurance on Orkney has risen 47 per cent year-on-year, a rise of £227 compared to 2015.

At a regional level, drivers in the Borders have seen the cost of premiums rise 23 per cent year on year.

“Car insurance premiums are influenced by a range of defining factors – from the population of an area to the number of claims,” said Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com

“With drivers in Orkney facing not only the UK’s highest annual and quarterly increases, they have also been hit by the most expensive premium in Scotland. Despite this soar in the cost of a comprehensive premium, drivers from Orkney are still paying less than the average UK policy which currently stands at £737.

“Our advice to all motorists is to shop around.”