The settlement features lush parks, tasty restaurants, and more.
The town is located in Fife and has a population of around 40,000(Image: Andrew Mitchell / Getty Images)
Looking for a place to live in Scotland can be an overwhelming affair. When deciding where to settle down, there are many things to consider.
For many people, affordability is the ultimate deciding factor when considering potential places to live. Most of us want to reside in the nicest place possible that is still within our budget.
As previously reported by the Daily Record, Glenrothes in Fife was recently crowned the UK’s most affordable town for families. It was named by Zoopla as the best choice for growing families looking for affordability and a good quality of life.
The experts quantified affordability by weighing up the average cost of a three-bedroom house with the average salary in the local area. Glenrothes topped the list as a result of the average price of a three-bedroom home in the town being just £136,900.
Glenrothes is located in central Fife and has a population of approximately 40,000. It is the third-biggest settlement by population in Fife, and 18th in Scotland.
Glenrothes dates back to the post-World War Two era. It was created as the second new town in Scotland, with the aim of enhancing economic growth in the centre of Fife.
Glenrothes was founded shortly after the Second World War(Image: alanfin / Getty Images)
The town was initially created in order to supply homes, industries, infrastructure to support the development of local collieries. However, after the death of the mining industry in Fife that provided much of the available jobs, Glenrothes’ economy diversified.
Today, Glenrothes is the administrative centre of Fife, home to the headquarters of Fife Council. It is also a significant service and employment capital in the area.
The town is well-known for its high-tech electronics and manufacturing, as well as its public art projects. There are more than 100 artworks located around Glenrothes, some of which date all the way back to the 1960s.
There are dozens of art installations located all over Glenrothes(Image: RRRW001, CC BY 4.0 )
Among the many public art installations are the concrete hippos dotted around town and its giant mushrooms sculptures. There are also many colourful murals located on walkways and underpasses.
In terms of things to do around Glenrothes, the town is perhaps best known for its various parks. Among the most popular is Riverside Park, which features large areas of woodland, as well as grassy playing fields and wetlands.
Elsewhere, there is also Gilvenbank Park. The scenic green space includes everything from a football pitch and playground to a cricket square.
Gilvenbank Park is one of many beautiful green spaces around Glenrothes(Image: Photo © James Allan (cc-by-sa/2.0))
One of the top destinations in Glenrothes for history lovers is the Balbirnie Stone Circle. Located on the edge of town, it consists of eight large stones arranged in a circle and is believed to date back thousands of years.
When it comes to shopping opportunities, the commercial centre of Glenrothes is the Kingdom Shopping Centre. The indoor retail and commercial complex is among the biggest single-level indoor shopping centres in the whole of Scotland.
The Kingdom Shopping Centre includes many big-name brands such as JD Sports, New Look, Sports Direct, and Game. The complex also features a large variety of food and drink businesses, such as Costa Coffee, Baynes, Fife Butchers, and Subway.
There is also plenty of choice when it comes to restaurants and cafés around Glenrothes. Highlights include The Madhouse Bakery coffee shop, The Fettykil Fox gastropub, and the Beijing Banquet Chinese restaurant.
More information about Glenrothes and its attractions can be found on VisitScotland.