Marriage has fallen out of fashion in Scotland’s major cities, a new Scottish Government survey has revealed.
In Dundee 42.3% of people describe themselves as “never married singles” which may include people co-habiting.
Only Glasgow recorded a higher figure with 47.2% in this category while Aberdeen city recorded 41.8% and Edinburgh 41.7%.
The pressures on traditional marriages are also recorded, with 4% of people in Perth and Kinross separated well above the national average of 2.8% while Shetland topped the figures with 5.7% of the population divorced or separated.
The trends are revealed in a new Scottish Government study, the largest of its kind.
Stuart Valentine, chief executive, Relationships Scotland, believes marriage and partnerships have never been under such stress, especially from casual dating sites like Tinder.
“The normal issues of relationship difficulties can come from a whole range of different factors,” he said. “From compatibility issues to infidelity, to financial pressures.
“But new technology can put an additional strain on relationships thanks to the availability of meeting other people through the internet.
“There are just so many different online routes to meet people now.
“There are specific websites for married people to have affairs as well as ordinary dating sites and anything from Facebook to Twitter, where you can get in touch with old boyfriends and girlfriends of years gone past.”
A spokeswoman for the Shetland CAB said: “From the inquiries our clients raise we can see significant levels of many of the problems which can put a strain on a relationship.
“Debt was our most-raised area of enquiry in the last financial year.”