Edinburgh ranked ‘most vibrant place in Scotland’ in new nationwide social and economic study

Edinburgh has topped a list of the most vibrant places in Scotland, according to business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK.

The capital came top of 32 areas in the country, in a new Vibrant Economy Index, which measures areas based on six key social and economic objectives to create an overall score.

Grant Thornton has published the findings as part of its wider Vibrant Scotland initiative, aimed at sparking debate and dialogue about how greater collaboration and innovation could unlock more sustainable long-term growth. The Vibrant Economy Index looks beyond GDP as a single measure of success, exploring aspects including:

While Edinburgh was ranked number one for overall vibrancy, and for dynamism and opportunity, Aberdeen achieved top ranking for prosperity.

The Orkney Islands were ranked number one for community, trust and belonging and also health, wellbeing and happiness. Neighbouring Shetland Islands was ranked top for inclusion and equality and Highland was the best performing local authority for resilience and sustainability.

The data, generated by studying current official statistics and demographic analysis for each local authority area highlights some of the challenges facing Scotland.

Dundee (25th) and Glasgow (31st) both scored poorly in overall vibrancy but performed more strongly in the dynamism and opportunity category (4th and 10th respectively), suggesting that while long-term socio-economic problems exist, the cities could have optimistic long-term prospects with good access to education, increasing employment opportunities and a rise in inward investment.

Another trend highlighted in the Vibrant Economy Index was the health, happiness and wider environmental divide between rural and urban areas, with island and remote communities performing more strongly in these areas.

Andrew Howie, Grant Thornton UK’s Managing Partner in Scotland, said: “Our Vibrant Economy Index has involved extensive research into the raft of official data which currently exists, enabling us to get a much clearer picture of Scotland today. The vibrancy of any local place is about so much more than GDP and we’re hoping to spark new conversations and new thinking about the places in which we live, work and play. We already have our own pre-conceived ideas about the characteristics and achievements of Scotland’s diverse towns, cities and communities, but our data allows us to go far deeper, unlocking answers and building a much clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities ahead.

“Edinburgh’s flourishing cultural and business environment, and internationally recognised quality of life, have helped to place it firmly in the top spot for overall vibrancy - but it too faces its own challenges, including inclusion and equality, where it was ranked 22nd.

“From Kirkwall to Kirkcaldy, it’s clear that Scotland’s challenges are unique to each local area. We need to come together on a national scale and start a wider dialogue about how we build a more vibrant Scotland, based on inclusive, sustainable growth. From the business world to grassroots community groups, real vibrancy is the result of collaboration between people and public, private and third sector organisations. We hope our research will play its part in helping to facilitate greater discussion and positive long-term action.”