Town

Living in Bowmore: Liveability Score 34/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Bowmore comes out at 34/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is bills: 71/100 against a national town median of 47/100. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 9/100 against a town median of 60/100.

Against the wider PA43 district average of 39/100, that is 5 points below. That is 16 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom quarter of all UK towns and villages. Transport (6), lifestyle (10), schools (28) and healthcare (29) all fall below 30/100. For the surrounding area, see PA43 postcode district.

34
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Bowmore scores 34 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Bowmore.
Or compare:
PA43 7AB PA43

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
—

Crime is scored from the last 12 months of police street-level data. Police Scotland does not publish this, and there is no Scottish equivalent of the Police UK open data service, so crime has been left out of the score for this area. This is a gap in published data, not a sign of low crime.

Environment
63
Air Quality NO₂ 1.997 · PM2.5 3.616 · PM10 5.993 µg/m³
86
Green Space 7
Parks None
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
28
3 schools in area
3Good
  • Bowmore Primary Gaelic UnitPrimary · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Bowmore Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Islay High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
Healthcare
29
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary143.7 mi
Hexham General Hospital173.4 mi
Community Paramedic Service173.8 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust81.5 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks69.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs64.2%
Nearest GP surgeryIslay Medical Practice9.5 mi
GP capacity2,192 patients per GP

A&E, dentist and pharmacy data, and CQC ratings, are currently available for England only, not Scotland.

Broadband
9
Full fibre (FTTP)21.8%
available across Argyll and Bute
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
3.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
3.6%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
85.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 28 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
55
Employment rate65%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64.6%Unemployed1%Retired24.7%Student1.6%Other inactive8.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial28.3%Skilled & technical34.1%Routine & elementary37.6%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications25.7%
Home ownership55%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
71
Council tax Argyll & Bute · 2025-26
A £1,084
B £1,265
C £1,445
D £1,626
E £2,136
F £2,642
G £3,184
H £3,984
Energy South Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
6
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

No nearby stations or motorway junctions found.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
10
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 7
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Adequate 6
Takeaways None
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Bowmore. HM Land Registry's Price Paid dataset covers England and Wales only. Scottish sales are recorded separately by Registers of Scotland, which we don't yet include. This is a gap in the data we hold, not a sign of an inactive market.

Nearby places

Glenegedale 0 5.2 mi away ⇄
Port Ellen 39 9.5 mi away ⇄
Tayvallich 43 32 mi away ⇄
West Darlochan 0 32 mi away ⇄
Carradale 26 34 mi away ⇄
Tarbert (Argyll and Bute) 43 35 mi away ⇄
Campbeltown 38 35 mi away ⇄
Ardrishaig 32 37 mi away ⇄
Lochgilphead 38 38 mi away ⇄
Ardfern 37 41 mi away ⇄
Kames 37 42 mi away ⇄
Tighnabruaich 37 42 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Bowmore a nice place to live?

Bowmore has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Bowmore is 34/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

What are the best schools in Bowmore?

Among the top-rated schools in Bowmore are Bowmore Primary Gaelic Unit, Bowmore Primary School and Islay High School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Bowmore in total.

Postcode districts in Bowmore

PA43 39 ⇄

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