Helensburgh has been rated one of the best coastal communities to live in Scotland.

A feature in the Sunday Times named towns and villages around the country as "the best places to live by the sea in the UK 2023".

Helensburgh was selected for Scotland alongside Arisaig in the Highlands, North Berwick in East Lothian, and Edinburgh's Portobello.

The town has repeatedly rated highly in national surveys or ratings, and more than once by the Times.

The paper said of the town: "With the Munros and ski slopes of the Highlands to the north, Glasgow within easy reach to the south and water all around, it’s hard to imagine a more auspicious spot to explore the possibilities of work-life balance.

"It’s certainly worked out well for Jenn Florence and her husband, Robert, who moved here from Glasgow six years ago to bring up a family and have fallen in love with their new home.

"'It’s very green, the school is great and it feels like a small village, but Glasgow is only half an hour away. But the No 1 thing is the community — you really feel like you’re part of something,' she says.

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"With some great places to eat and drink (Sugar Boat, La Jupe) and a good high street, Helensburgh is fertile ground for independent businesses.

"Florence runs one of them, Wylde Florence, a speciality cut-flower farm on the beautiful Ardardan Estate where you’ll also find a farm shop, park and tearoom.

"The best houses are as attractive as the setting — lots of Victorian and Edwardian villas on wide, leafy streets, which go for anything from £550,000 tThe o £1 million-plus."

The article noted some coastal communities in the UK face issues with deprivation or sewage dumped in the sea, or those that become destinations for holidays or second homes and "struggle" during winter.

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The paper said: "This selection of the best places to live by the coast includes lively commuter towns, coastal honeypots and spectacular scenery.

"All these contrasting locations have something to offer in every season, with the kind of communities, connections and practicalities that will keep the holiday feeling alive all year round."