The best place to live in Northern Ireland, revealed

Halifax's 2019 Quality of Life Survey has been released and Orkney in Scotland has come out on top as the best place to live in the UK due to low house prices, low crime rates, good schools and strong health scores.

Notably, not one Northern Ireland area features in the survey's top fifty areas to live, despite boasting stunning scenery and rich culture.

Though absent from the UK's top 50, Lisburn and Castlereagh was named as the best place to live in Northern Ireland.

Russell Galley, managing director at Halifax, explained the study's findings: “Orkney has consistently been considered one of the best places to live in the UK and Orcadians will be delighted to hear they have now taken the crown.

“Its remote location may not be for everyone, but this comes with the benefit of having high employment, low crime rates, smaller class sizes and more affordable housing.”

He added: “While the South East continues to have the most locations in the top 50, we’ve seen northern areas perform particularly well on education, while they also benefit from lower house prices when compared to average earnings.”

The top 50 places to live in the UK according to Halifax’s 2019 quality of life survey:

1. Orkney, Scotland2. Richmondshire, Yorkshire and the Humber3. Rutland, East Midlands4. Hambleton, Yorkshire and the Humber5. Eden, North West6. South Oxfordshire, South East7. Cotswold, South West8. Ryedale, Yorkshire and the Humber9. St Albans, East of England10. Derbyshire Dales, East Midlands11. Vale of White Horse, South East12. Waverley, South East13. Hart, South East14. East Hertfordshire, East of England15. Westminster, London16. Winchester, South East17. Rushmoor, South East18. Uttlesford, East of England19. Wychavon, West Midlands20. Harborough, East Midlands21. South Cambridgeshire, East of England22. Rushcliffe, East Midlands23. Ribble Valley, North West24. Surrey Heath, South East25. Wokingham, South East26. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber27. Babergh, East of England28. West Oxfordshire, South East29. South Buckinghamshire, South East30. Windsor and Maidenhead, South East31. Warwick, West Midlands32. Elmbridge, South East33. Chichester, South East34. Stratford-on-Avon, West Midlands35. Lichfield, West Midlands36. Malvern Hills, West Midlands37. Rochford, East of England38. Chiltern, South East39. Shetland, Scotland40. Richmond-upon-Thames, London41. West Berkshire, South East42. Basingstoke and Deane, South East43. South Hams, South West44. Fareham, South East45. St Edmundsbury, East of England46. Wycombe, South East47. Mid Suffolk, East of England48. Monmouthshire, Wales49. Daventry, East Midlands50. Selby, Yorkshire and the Humber