Study finds Highlands is one of the safest places to live in the UK
The Highlands is the second safest UK region to live in, with just 0.47 burglaries per 1,000 people in the region last year.
That’s according to the latest study by Confused.com (Q4, 2022), which analysed police data across the UK.
The research investigates burglary rates across the UK from 2017-2021, ultimately revealing the safest UK region to live in.
Home burglary rates in the Highlands have dropped by 5.33 per cent on average each year since 2017.
The research has found East Dunbartonshire is the safest region in the UK to live in, with just 0.44 burglaries reported per 1,000 people in 2021. The rate of burglaries in the region has dropped by 26.94 per cent each year, on average, since 2017.
This is the second biggest average annual decrease in reported burglaries in the study, second only to Folkestone and Hythe (27.52 per cent decrease).
Aberdeenshire is the third safest region in the UK overall, with just 0.50 burglaries per 1,000 people last year.
Stirling places fourth, with just 0.56 burglaries per 1,000 people in 2021.
According to the data, Dundee tops the list as having the highest burglary rate in Scotland last year.
In 2021 there were 2.09 burglaries reported per 1,000 people in Dundee. Despite this being 2.95 per cent more thefts than Edinburgh (2.03 per 1,000), it is still 19.61 per cent below the UK’s national average (2.90).
Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, commented: “Although burglary rates seem to be dropping year on year, it’s still as important to make sure your home is safe. Secure door locks and burglary alarms aren’t only a great deterrent from potential thieves but having them will reduce your home insurance prices.
“Our guide to protecting your home from burglars outlines some of the most effective ways of keeping your home safe. One of our top recommendations is investing in home security.
"Nowadays, technology has advanced to give us cheap, easy-to-instal smart home devices such as doorbells and automated lights. These will let you know who is lurking outside without you needing to go near the door.”
