Town

Living in Dornoch: Liveability Score 41/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Dornoch scores 41/100 overall, across 8 scored categories. Broadband is where Dornoch most outperforms the national norm: 98/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. It scores 7 points above the IV25 postcode district as a whole, which averages 34/100.

Its broadband score runs 82 points above the IV25 district's 16/100. That is 9 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. Transport (9), schools (15), lifestyle (20) and healthcare (28) all fall below 30/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: IV25 postcode district.

41
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.

Dornoch scores 41 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Dornoch.
Or compare:
IV25 3AA IV25

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
67
Air Quality NO₂ 1.2 · PM2.5 4 · PM10 6 µg/m³
86
Green Space 23
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses Ample 3
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
15
2 schools in area
2Good
  • Dornoch AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Dornoch PrimaryPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
Healthcare
28
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service195.2 mi
Cumberland Infirmary210.2 mi
Hexham General Hospital214.3 mi
Hospital waitsNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust164.8 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks82.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs91.1%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

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

Broadband
98
Full fibre (FTTP)62.1%
available across Highland
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
99%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 80 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
61
Employment rate50.8%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed50.7%Unemployed2.3%Retired34.4%Student3%Other inactive9.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial36.5%Skilled & technical38.5%Routine & elementary25%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications33.5%
Home ownership69.8%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
66
Council tax Highland · 2025-26
A £1,018
B £1,188
C £1,357
D £1,527
E £2,006
F £2,481
G £2,990
H £3,741
Energy North Scotland region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Scottish Water
Average bill regional £456/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
9
Tain 4.7 mi
Golspie 6.4 mi
Fearn 7.3 mi
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
20
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 11
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Adequate 13
Takeaways Some 2
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Dornoch. 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

Embo 38 2.1 mi away ⇄
Tain 51 5.1 mi away ⇄
Fendom 0 5.4 mi away ⇄
Golspie 49 6.7 mi away ⇄
Portmahomack 46 8.1 mi away ⇄
Balintore 41 9.6 mi away ⇄
Brora 48 11 mi away ⇄
Bonar Bridge 45 12 mi away ⇄
Nigg Ferry 0 12 mi away ⇄
Invergordon 46 14 mi away ⇄
Cromarty 51 14 mi away ⇄
Alness 45 15 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Dornoch a nice place to live?

Dornoch has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Dornoch is 41/100, 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 Dornoch?

Among the top-rated schools in Dornoch are Dornoch Academy and Dornoch Primary, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Dornoch in total.

Postcode districts in Dornoch

IV25 34 ⇄

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