Broughty Ferry has the DNA of a great place, according to local people responding to the news of another accolade for the area.
The Ferry has been named one of the top five best urban places to live in Scotland, in a list of 50 places drawn up by the Sunday Times.
A number of factors, including crime rates, house prices and school performance, were considered before the top 50 list was compiled and an overall winner will be announced on Sunday.
The other areas in the Scottish top five are Old Aberdeen, Aberdeen; The Grange, Edinburgh; Stockbridge, Edinburgh, and Park District, Glasgow.
The locations were selected for combining the best of city life such as quality culture, great cafes, restaurants and shops, buzzing nightlife and entertainment, as well as access to good schools and transport links.
Architect Willie Watt of Nicoll Russell Studios said he believes Broughty Ferry has the “mix and vibrancy” to win the title.
He said: “Broughty Ferry has the DNA for a good place. I think if you wanted to design a village from scratch Broughty Ferry is an example of how you would want to do it. You can work, rest and play all in the same place.
“Fundamentally that’s a good thing because there are actually a lot of different people living in Broughty Ferry and there is a great deal of social inclusion.
“There is a variety of house prices in central Broughty Ferry so people who want to step on to the housing ladder, or rent, can find spaces in Broughty Ferry, while the more mature person who may have more money can equally get somewhere that they like and that is quite unusual to have that level of diversity in a small place.
“This breath of accommodation means that the inner part of Broughty Ferry is quite well populated which ultimately supports the shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars.
“I think everything you would like to live close to is only five minutes walk away and that’s how good places should be.
“There are also quite a few community events that take place and as a result people have a very strong sense of community which makes people happy to live here.”
He added what was good for locals was also appealing to visitors who come from far and wide to visit Broughty Ferry, boosting the economy.
Kate Simpson, 31, said she moved from Australia to Broughty Ferry after meeting her husband.
She said: “My husband grew up here and we met while he was backpacking in Australia.
“When I came over I just fell in love with this little town. I grew up in Sydney which is a big city and it didn’t have the community feel this place has. I just like the convenience of everything in the Ferry.
“I am not surprised at this recognition at all. Broughty Ferry is just a beautiful place to live.”
Michael Farmer, 62, said the area is sometimes perceived as having a ‘touch of snobbery’ but he did not think this is the case.
He said: “This recognition has not come as a big surprise. The schools are very good here and Broughty Ferry has it all, really.
“I rarely have to go into Dundee except sometimes to do my Christmas shopping.”
Wendy Robertson, 49, was born in Dundee, brought up in Arbroath and moved to Rhode Island in America but said she always enjoyed visiting Broughty Ferry to see her mother who still lives there.
She said: “I love Broughty Ferry it is so beautiful, especially with it just being on the water with its beautiful views.
“It has a mix of everything you need, with restaurants and shops.”
Sandro Paladini, gallery owner and spokesman for Broughty Ferry Traders’ Association, said: “I am absolutely delighted to learn that Broughty Ferry has once again been singled out within a national context as a desirable and attractive place to live.
“This latest acknowledgement comes shortly after Broughty Ferry was awarded runner-up in the UK-wide Great Neighbourhood awards, and once again we are reminded of how lucky we are to live in this wonderful town.”