Glasgow North East neighbourhoods named 'loneliest in Scotland' - including Dennistoun, Riddrie, Sighthill, and more

Residents in Glasgow North East are the loneliest in Scotland, the largest-ever poll on belonging in the UK has revealed.

Two in five (40%) of those living in this region agreed that they feel lonely always or often, which makes it the second loneliest constituency in the United Kingdom after the London constituencies of Vauxhall and Camberwell.  Glasgow North features as the ninth loneliest constituency in the UK, with 38% feeling lonely often or always.

Glasgow North East is also home to the highest number of people in the whole of the United Kingdom who reported that they didn’t have a single close friend (17%) – despite Glasgow being Scotland’s largest city.

Two in five (20%) respondents also expressed dissatisfaction with their lives overall with, concerningly, one in four (25%) feeling unsafe to walk in the area after dark.

These results are significantly higher than in Edinburgh, where only 15% of residents across the capital experience loneliness, 11% report having no close friends, and 16% feel unsafe after dark.

The research aims to examine social isolation and people’s sense of belonging in modern Britain, as well as inform a series of policies and initiatives that the Belonging Forum will campaign for, known as the Charter for Belonging.

For communities across the country, these initiatives are likely to include improved shared green spaces, more inter-generational socials, and more local festivals and events. 

Kim Samuel, Founder of the Belonging Forum and author of On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation, said:“Our research – the first of its kind in the UK – has identified acute issues regarding loneliness and social isolation in communities across the UK.

“Whilst cities may seem to be places of hustle and bustle, these findings clearly demonstrate that loneliness can strike those who appear to be surrounded by it all – including those in Scotland’s largest city.

“Our Charter for Belonging will outline common sense and affordable ways to help people mix with different generations, overcome shared challenges, and form lasting connections with others in their community – whilst also providing the safe spaces to do so.

“We need our public, private and third sectors to come together to take decisive action to address this issue—and we now want to hear from the public about what policies and initiatives they want to see us campaign for.”