Roughly 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland are the stunning Orkney Islands, a series of 70 islands where the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean at the Pentland Firth. The islands are known for their dramatic coastline where spectacular clifftops look out to panoramic views. However, the destination has another impressive draw, having been named as the “safest place to live” in the UK.
Given that just 20 of the 70 islands are inhabited, it’s no surprise the destination has been described as a peaceful haven.
An expert team from Rest Less analysed data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and compared each destination’s crime rate to the UK national average of 79.52 per 1,000 people.
Based on their research, the team named the Orkney Islands as the safest place to live in the nation, stating: “With a crime rate of 16.41 per 1,000 people, your chances of being a victim of crime are vastly lower than anywhere else in the UK – and months can go by without a single crime being reported.”
The Daily Record reports that the majority of them were crimes of dishonesty such as fraud and embezzlement.
Locals, who are known as Orcadians, are described as being “warm and hospitable” with a “vibrant community”.
According to the most recent data from Rightmove, properties in Orkney Islands had an overall average price of £202,589 over the last year.
The Rightmove report stated: “Overall, sold prices in the Orkney Islands over the last year were five percent down on the previous year and nine percent up on the 2021 peak of £185,523.”
There are a few different ways to get to the Orkney Islands. You can fly to Orkney from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness or Shetland. Alternatively, you can also travel by car or coach to the ferry port in Aberdeen that goes to Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney.
There is also another ferry port further, north in Caithness. This transports passengers to Orkney’s second-largest town, Stromness.
One of the fastest ferry journeys is operated by John O’Groats Ferries exclusively for foot passengers, and takes just 40 minutes, travelling from John O’Groats to Burwick.
Once on Orkney, you can get inter-island flights and ferries from Kirkwall.
