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Living in Penicuik: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Penicuik comes out at 59/100 on the 8 categories we can score here. Lifestyle is where Penicuik most outperforms the national norm: 67/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Notably, nothing falls below 45/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse.

That sits 9 points above the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the top 10% of the towns and villages we score. Broadband (84) and environment (82) sit at 80/100 or above. Wider context for the surrounding area: EH26 postcode district.

59
OUT OF 100
Average
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.

Penicuik scores 59 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Penicuik.
Or compare:
EH26 0AA EH26 6AA EH26 8AA EH26 9AA EH26

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
82
Air Quality NO₂ 4.1 · PM2.5 4.4 · PM10 7.5 µg/m³
82
Green Space 81
Parks Ample 7
Sports Pitches Ample 25
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Adequate 3
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 23

Services

Schools
45
6 schools in area · 8 within 4km
5Good1Requires Improvement
  • Beeslack Community High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Cornbank Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Mauricewood Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2016
    Good
  • Penicuik High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2014
    Good
  • Strathesk Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Sacred Heart Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
54
A&E departmentsCommunity Paramedic Service62.3 mi
Cumberland Infirmary64.8 mi
Hexham General Hospital73.7 mi
Hospital waitsThe Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust47.1 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks72.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.5%
2 GP surgeries in area 3 within 4km
GP capacity1,324 patients per GP

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

Broadband
84
Full fibre (FTTP)91.8%
available across Midlothian
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
92.8%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
92.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 430 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
59
Employment rate62.1%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed61.9%Unemployed1.8%Retired25.4%Student2.7%Other inactive8.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial41.6%Skilled & technical32.8%Routine & elementary25.6%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications33%
Home ownership71.1%
Around the Scotland average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
76
Council tax Midlothian · 2025-26
A £1,111
B £1,296
C £1,481
D £1,666
E £2,189
F £2,707
G £3,263
H £4,082
Energy South 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
46
Curriehill 5.9 mi
Wester Hailes 5.9 mi
Kingsknowe 6 mi
J1 M8 7 mi
J2 M8 9 mi
J2 M8 9.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
67
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 15
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 7
Retail Shopping Ample 44
Takeaways Ample 11
Fitness Adequate 4

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Penicuik. 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

Bush 54 1.9 mi away ⇄
Roslin 52 2.6 mi away ⇄
Bilston (Midlothian) 54 2.8 mi away ⇄
Rosewell 48 3.3 mi away ⇄
Loanhead 55 3.9 mi away ⇄
Bonnyrigg 63 5.1 mi away ⇄
Riccarton 58 6.5 mi away ⇄
Gorebridge and Mayfield 55 6.8 mi away ⇄
Danderhall 62 6.9 mi away ⇄
Edinburgh 76 7.1 mi away ⇄
Dalkeith 58 7.2 mi away ⇄
West Linton 37 7.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Penicuik a nice place to live?

Penicuik is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Penicuik is 59/100, placing it among an 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 Penicuik?

Among the top-rated schools in Penicuik are Beeslack Community High School, Cornbank Primary School and Mauricewood Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 6 rated schools in Penicuik in total.

Postcode districts in Penicuik

EH26 57 ⇄

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