DUMFRIES and Galloway has been ranked near the bottom of a list examining the suitability of Scottish areas for remote work.
Free digital tool provider TinyWow analysed several factors including average internet download speeds, house prices, household energy and gas consumption, distance to green space and the proportion of houses with garden access.
Each area was given a total score out of 100, with internet accessibility, home prices and energy consumption weighted as the most important factors within each area’s overall score for remote working.
And this region ranked 26th out of 30 local authorities with a score of 47.9 – just one spot in front of the Western Isles.
Only 18.8 per cent of residential premises have access to Ultrafast Broadband, the area was found to have the fourth worst internet download speed of 53.7Mbit/s, and the average distance to the nearest park is over 1.4km.
West Dunbartonshire tops the list as it offers the best internet download speeds in the country (154.8Mbit/s), the closest distance to green space (0.28km), as well as some of the country’s lowest house prices. Meanwhile, Argyll and Bute ranked as the least remote work friendly area.
A spokesperson for TinyWow said: “The covid pandemic has certainly accelerated the public’s awareness of and interest in remote working over the past few years.
“While many have since been keen to return to the office, overall demand for remote work across the UK only seems to be increasing.
“Internet access, affordability of housing and access to public and private green space are all important factors to consider when accessing the longevity of working from home.
“For those seeking a role in an industry that facilitates remote work, it’s worth evaluating which aspects of work are the most important to you, and whether your home setting can provide them.”
