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Safest place to live in Scotland

Shetland is the safest place to live in Scotland on police figures: 203 recorded crimes for every 10,000 people in 2025-26, against 569 across Scotland. Here is every council area, with violent crime, break ins and the change on last year.

Last updated 29 October 2026 · Figures checked 29 October 2026

Quick answer · Safest place to live in Scotland

Shetland

203 crimes for every 10,000 people in 2025-26, the lowest of Scotland's 32 council areas and under half the Scottish rate of 569.

1. Shetland: 203 per 10,000
2. Western Isles: 236 per 10,000
3. Orkney: 245 per 10,000
4. East Renfrewshire: 253 per 10,000
5. East Dunbartonshire: 280 per 10,000

Recorded crime, 2025-26Source Scottish Government

The full ranking

All 32 areas, safest first

Ranked by every crime the police recorded, for every 10,000 people living there. Violent crime is mostly common assault. The last column compares 2025-26 with 2024-25.

RankAreaCrimes per 10,000Violent crimeHousebreakingOn last year

1
Shetland
Crimes per 10,000203
Violent crime
61
Housebreaking
2
On last year
Up 13%
2
Western Isles
Crimes per 10,000236
Violent crime
66
Housebreaking
2
On last year
Up 7%
3
Orkney
Crimes per 10,000245
Violent crime
63
Housebreaking
9
On last year
Up 5%
4
East Renfrewshire
Crimes per 10,000253
Violent crime
63
Housebreaking
7
On last year
Down 3%
5
East Dunbartonshire
Crimes per 10,000280
Violent crime
59
Housebreaking
8
On last year
Up 17%
6
Aberdeenshire
Crimes per 10,000294
Violent crime
86
Housebreaking
5
On last year
Up 2%
7
Scottish Borders
Crimes per 10,000409
Violent crime
120
Housebreaking
12
On last year
Up 5%
8
Argyll and Bute
Crimes per 10,000411
Violent crime
119
Housebreaking
6
On last year
Up 4%
9
Perth and Kinross
Crimes per 10,000424
Violent crime
105
Housebreaking
9
On last year
Up 8%
10
Angus
Crimes per 10,000425
Violent crime
103
Housebreaking
14
On last year
Up 4%
11
Highland
Crimes per 10,000430
Violent crime
114
Housebreaking
7
On last year
Down 0%
12
Moray
Crimes per 10,000441
Violent crime
134
Housebreaking
8
On last year
Up 6%
13
Stirling
Crimes per 10,000449
Violent crime
129
Housebreaking
11
On last year
Up 13%
14
South Ayrshire
Crimes per 10,000462
Violent crime
115
Housebreaking
7
On last year
Up 0%
15
East Lothian
Crimes per 10,000482
Violent crime
110
Housebreaking
21
On last year
Up 17%
16
Midlothian
Crimes per 10,000499
Violent crime
123
Housebreaking
16
On last year
Up 1%
17
South Lanarkshire
Crimes per 10,000501
Violent crime
123
Housebreaking
10
On last year
Up 4%
18
Clackmannanshire
Crimes per 10,000519
Violent crime
155
Housebreaking
12
On last year
Up 2%
19
Renfrewshire
Crimes per 10,000532
Violent crime
121
Housebreaking
10
On last year
Up 4%
20
East Ayrshire
Crimes per 10,000538
Violent crime
126
Housebreaking
11
On last year
Up 2%
21
North Ayrshire
Crimes per 10,000544
Violent crime
131
Housebreaking
9
On last year
Down 4%
22
Fife
Crimes per 10,000545
Violent crime
141
Housebreaking
13
On last year
Up 8%
23
Dumfries and Galloway
Crimes per 10,000552
Violent crime
145
Housebreaking
13
On last year
Up 4%
23
Falkirk
Crimes per 10,000552
Violent crime
164
Housebreaking
14
On last year
Up 10%
25
West Lothian
Crimes per 10,000553
Violent crime
137
Housebreaking
16
On last year
Up 3%
26
North Lanarkshire
Crimes per 10,000588
Violent crime
147
Housebreaking
14
On last year
Up 4%
27
Inverclyde
Crimes per 10,000594
Violent crime
111
Housebreaking
14
On last year
Up 16%
28
Aberdeen
Crimes per 10,000667
Violent crime
172
Housebreaking
11
On last year
Up 8%
29
West Dunbartonshire
Crimes per 10,000695
Violent crime
161
Housebreaking
15
On last year
Up 6%
30
Edinburgh
Crimes per 10,000744
Violent crime
140
Housebreaking
22
On last year
Up 4%
31
Glasgow
Crimes per 10,000849
Violent crime
193
Housebreaking
13
On last year
Up 5%
32
Dundee
Crimes per 10,000929
Violent crime
196
Housebreaking
21
On last year
Up 18%

Cities

Safest city in Scotland

Aberdeen has the lowest recorded crime of the four cities, with 667 crimes for every 10,000 people. Edinburgh has 744, Glasgow has 849, Dundee has 929. For the two biggest side by side, see Glasgow vs Edinburgh.

Method

Worth knowing

Recorded crime counts crimes reported to and recorded by the police, from the Scottish Government's Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2025-26. Crimes nobody reports are not in it.
Cities look worse because their rates are per resident, but shoppers, workers and nights out bring in far more people than live there.
Small numbers move a lot. The island councils have very few crimes, so a handful either way changes their rate.
Safety is not the only thing. See the best places to live in Scotland for pay, jobs, poverty, health and schools too.

More rankings

Keep exploring

Straight answers

Questions people ask

What is the safest place to live in Scotland?

Shetland has the lowest recorded crime of Scotland's 32 council areas: 203 crimes for every 10,000 people in 2025-26, under half the Scottish rate of 569. Western Isles and Orkney are next.

What is the safest city in Scotland?

Of the four cities, Aberdeen has the lowest recorded crime, 667 for every 10,000 people. Edinburgh has 744, Glasgow has 849, Dundee has 929. Cities draw in shoppers, workers and nights out, which pushes their rates up.

Where is crime highest in Scotland?

Dundee has the highest recorded crime, 929 for every 10,000 people, followed by Glasgow at 849 and Edinburgh at 744.

Is crime going up in Scotland?

Recorded crime rose in 28 of the 32 council areas between 2024-25 and 2025-26, and fell in 2. Across Scotland it went from 539 to 569 crimes for every 10,000 people.

What is the safest place to live in Scotland for families?

Crime is one part of it. The best places to live in Scotland for families also weighs school results, child poverty and health, and ranks every area.