Scotland is home to 8 of the top 10 healthiest places in the UK

Research, carried out by Liverpool University, looked into a wide variety of lifestyle and environmental factors in different parts of the UK to establish where was healthiest.

Factors including access to fast food outlets, off licences and boozers and proximity to health services, parks and recreational spaces were all taken into account.

The top 10 healthiest places to live in the UK

1. Great Torrington, Devon

2. Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire

3. Fauldhouse, West Lothian

4. Foxbar, Renfrewshire

5. Marnoch, North Lanarkshire

6. Ryton, Gateshead

7. Ballingry, Fife

8. Coupar Angus, Perth and Kinross

9. Kinghorn, Fife

10. Kilsyth Bogside, North Lanarkshire

How was it measured?

The University worked with the Consumer Data Research Centre and Public Health England to collect data including air pollution statistics from the Environment Agency and information from GP surgeries, health centres, fast food shops.

Senior Lecturer in Health Geography, Dr Mark Green said, “The statistics reveal important insights about the concentration of certain amenities that may be damaging or promote health.”

And while some areas came out on top with access to green areas, good health serviced low levels of pollution, the average across the UK was more negative.

The study revealed that, on average, British people live as close to a pub as they do a GP, and 42 per cent are within one kilometre of somewhere they can gamble.

More deprived parts of the country were found to have a high concentration of fast food outlets and betting shops while rural towns and villages have less access to health services.

Deputy Director of the Consumer Data Research Centre Professor Alex Singleton said, “Our study found that access was not evenly spread across Great Britain – rural areas have poorer access to many health services, and those services which are seen as damaging to health are often concentrated in poorer areas.

“For example, 62 per cent of people who live in the 10 per cent most deprived areas are within one kilometre of a fast food outlet compared to 24 per cent in the 10 per cent least deprived areas.”

Six of the top 10 least healthy places to live are in London.

The top 10 least healthy places to live in the UK

1. Soho, Westminster

2. North Killingholme

3. Shotley Gate, Suffolk

4. St. Giles, Camden

5. Bank, City of London

6. Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets

7. Farringdon, Islington

8. Ottringham, East Riding

9. Finsbury, Islington

10. Barbican, City of London