Town

Living in Castlebay: Liveability Score 37/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Castlebay scores 37/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Healthcare is where Castlebay most outperforms the national norm: 42/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is broadband: 10/100 versus a median of 60/100.

That sits 13 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the bottom quarter of the towns and villages we score. Environment (83) sits at 80/100 or above. Below 30/100: schools (7), lifestyle (8) and transport (22). For the surrounding area, see HS9 postcode district.

37
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.

Castlebay scores 37 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Castlebay.
Or compare:
HS9 5AB HS9

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
83
Air Quality NO₂ 1.53 · PM2.5 3.013 · PM10 4.881 µg/m³
89
Green Space 69
Parks None
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
7
1 school in area
1Good
  • Castlebay SchoolOther · inspected 2019
    Good
Healthcare
42
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary225.8 mi
Community Paramedic Service243 mi
Hexham General Hospital249.7 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust174 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks69.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs64.2%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity1,513 patients per GP

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

Broadband
10
Full fibre (FTTP)9.6%
available across Na h-Eileanan Siar
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
7.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
7.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 16 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
55
Employment rate59.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed59.4%Unemployed3%Retired27.2%Student2.2%Other inactive8.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial31.4%Skilled & technical39.4%Routine & elementary29.2%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications28.5%
Home ownership74.5%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
67
Council tax Na h-Eileanan Siar · 2025-26
A £925
B £1,080
C £1,234
D £1,388
E £1,824
F £2,256
G £2,718
H £3,401
Energy North Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band E
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
22
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

No nearby stations or motorway junctions found.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
8
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 5
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Some 5
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Castlebay. 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

Uachdar 38 37 mi away ⇄
Crossapol 0 39 mi away ⇄
Dervaig 0 56 mi away ⇄
Portree 42 58 mi away ⇄
Tobermory 41 58 mi away ⇄
Arisaig 33 62 mi away ⇄
Mallaig 43 63 mi away ⇄
Broadford 36 63 mi away ⇄
Breakish 0 64 mi away ⇄
Lower Breakish 0 65 mi away ⇄
Isleornsay 0 65 mi away ⇄
Salen 43 66 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Castlebay a nice place to live?

Castlebay has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Castlebay is 37/100, 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 Castlebay?

Among the top-rated schools in Castlebay is Castlebay School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Castlebay in total.

Postcode districts in Castlebay

HS9 37 ⇄

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