A SCOTTISH city, which is blessed with "stunning natural beauty", has been named one of the happiest places to live in the whole of the UK.
Perth, one of the largest settlements in Scotland, was named alongside locations across the country, including York and Caernarfon in Wales.
Why Perth is one of the happiest places to live in the UK
Selected for the list by The Guardian, Perth's "appealing position" at the "gateway of the Highlands" has long made it "prime real estate" for settlers, with historians tracing habitation here back to the prehistoric period.
The "rich bounty" of archaeological finds from the region’s past is on display at the recently refurbished Perth Museum.
Containing a small population of some 47,000, the Scottish city "punches above its weight as a cultural hub".
The location features a "small but mighty" art gallery, a theatre, a concert hall and an art deco cinema.
There is also its annual arts festival, Potfest, the UK’s biggest ceramics event.
Despite a difficult few years for Perth's high street, it enjoys a network of independent establishments, which include "gems" such as Concorde Music, Scotland’s oldest family-run record shop, and The Bean Shop for top-tier tea and coffee supplies.
Perth has no shortage of high-end provisions, with gourmet spreads being acquired from Provender Brown Delicatessen and Italian goodies being available from Casella & Polegato.
The city is well connected, with its central train station allowing passengers to reach Edinburgh within 24 minutes and Glasgow in just over an hour.
For those who love the great outdoors, the city's position within the heart of rural Perthshire makes it the ideal place to live.
One such natural location frequently praised by visitors is the nearby Kinnoull Hill, with users on Tripadvisor giving the spot a 4.7/5 out of 314 reviews.
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One person said: "Peaceful walk on the clearly marked paths on the way to the top of this dormant volcano with great views at the top."
Another said: "This view is absolutely breath-taking. Sometimes it's easy to read reviews and look at the pictures and think eh, maybe it's not worth it, but it is.
"Scotland has some incredibly dramatic landscapes, and everywhere you look, you feel like you've just stepped into a painting of some sort."
