Town

Living in Port Ellen: Liveability Score 39/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Port Ellen is 39/100, built from 8 categories. Measured against other towns, healthcare stands out most: 54/100 where the typical UK town scores 18/100. Furthest below the national norm is broadband, at 10/100 against a town median of 60/100.

On healthcare specifically, Port Ellen sits 14 points above the PA42 district figure of 40/100. That sits 11 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the middle half of the towns and villages we score. Below 30/100: transport (11), lifestyle (20) and schools (26). The same breakdown for the wider area is on the PA42 postcode district.

39
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.

Port Ellen scores 39 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Port Ellen.
Or compare:
PA42 7AB PA42 9AD PA42

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 1.4 · PM2.5 3.7 · PM10 6 µg/m³
87
Green Space 8
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
26
1 school in area
1Outstanding
  • Port Ellen Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2013
    Outstanding
Healthcare
54
A&E departmentsCumberland Infirmary137 mi
Hexham General Hospital167.5 mi
Community Paramedic Service169 mi
Hospital waitsUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust72.2 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks69.4%
A&E seen within 4 hrs64.2%
1 GP surgery in area
GP capacity2,192 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)21.8%
available across Argyll and Bute
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
1.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
1.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 22 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
51
Employment rate55.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.8%Unemployed0.9%Retired27.5%Student2.5%Other inactive12.3%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial23.3%Skilled & technical36.7%Routine & elementary40%
Degree-level (Level 4+) qualifications18.5%
Home ownership56%
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
11
No motorway junctions within 30 mi

No nearby stations or motorway junctions found.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
20
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 4
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Adequate 6
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not published for Scotland

Sold-price data isn't available for Port Ellen. 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 4.6 mi away ⇄
Bowmore 34 9.5 mi away ⇄
West Darlochan 0 23 mi away ⇄
Campbeltown 38 27 mi away ⇄
Carradale 26 28 mi away ⇄
Tarbert (Argyll and Bute) 43 34 mi away ⇄
Tayvallich 43 35 mi away ⇄
Ardrishaig 32 39 mi away ⇄
Brodick 47 41 mi away ⇄
Lochgilphead 38 41 mi away ⇄
Kames 37 41 mi away ⇄
Tighnabruaich 37 42 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Port Ellen a nice place to live?

Port Ellen has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Port Ellen is 39/100, 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 Port Ellen?

Among the top-rated schools in Port Ellen is Port Ellen Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Port Ellen in total.

Postcode districts in Port Ellen

PA42 36 ⇄

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