Pretty town 30 minutes from Edinburgh is crowned ‘Scotland's happiest place to live’

It comes as The Guardian shared its list of Britain's happiest towns and cities, with England’s northernmost town taking the top spot overall.

Introducing its list, The Guardian says: 'What makes a place somewhere good to live? Where might we be happiest if we had the choice of going anywhere? It’s an almost impossible question, as we do not all thrive on the same things, but there are some that are universally agreed to be conducive to cheeriness.

‘When we tried to work out the happiest places for Guardian readers, easy access to countryside and parks, sea, lakes and rivers were high on the list of ingredients, as studies have shown that getting out and about in nature can help improve your mood.’

Sharing the title of Scotland's happiest place to live with Perth is the East Lothian town of Haddington.

The Guardian said: ‘Drive 30 minutes from Haddington in one direction and you can be in Edinburgh city centre, catching a fringe show or jetting off from the airport. Drive 30 minutes the other way and you can be riding horses along the beach in the shadow of Tantallon Castle or eating lobster and chips while gazing out at Bass Rock.

‘But to describe Haddington solely in terms of its proximity to nearby attractions would be a disservice to this small, friendly town that has a good deal going for it in terms of amenities and community spirit.#

‘Away from the coast and just off the A1 with no train station of its own, Haddington flies under the radar compared with other pockets of East Lothian. In-the-know locals have no problem catching the express bus when they fancy a jaunt into the city but there’s plenty to keep them occupied nearby too, whether they’re meandering the Tyne river path or hunkering down in one of the many cosy pubs.'

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Berwick-upon-Tweed, which sits just 4km south of the Anglo-Scottish border, was crowned as Britain's happiest place to live.

The Guardian said: ‘Today, Berwick-upon-Tweed remains an often overlooked jewel. Yet people who know it, adore it – it is a great place to live with community spirit in bundles.

‘The biggest draw for many is the heritage and the architecture that tells its story, with the Elizabethan town walls considered some of the best preserved in Europe. They were built to keep out marauding Scots, resolute that Berwick was not English, and were the most expensive undertaking of England’s golden age. Walking them takes about 45 minutes but is well worth it. Close your eyes and you can feel the history, open them and the views are sensational.'

You can see The Guardian's full list of Britain's happiest places to live here.