Five towns in Dumfries and Galloway are in the running to become the UK's "most soul destroying place to live"

Dumfries and Galloway have a handful of nominations for their towns being the most "depressing" place to live.

This annual poll made by iLiveHere.com changed their tradition asking where the most depressing place is to live rather than the “worst” giving the public the chance to give suggestions on what town they think falls under that category.

Annan, Dalbeattie, Dumfries, Gretna and Newton Stewart are voted the worst areas to live.

“The towns where you just exist rather than live.”

However, Mark Jardine from People’s Project in Dumfries says that the region has a lot to offer and was shocked to see the stated names mentioned in the pool.

“The people, the vibrancy of life across the region from Portpatrick to Gretna. The beauty of the landscape and its beaches to its mountains and moorlands. Dumfries and Galloway is a great place to visit because of its range of opportunities, even the peace and quiet on our roads compared to the rest of the UK.”

He also wants to remind people that Dumfries won three prestigious awards from Beautiful Scotland not that long ago:

“With the People’s Project, Dumfries won the Beautiful Scotland “Top Large Town” in no less than three occasions – in 2011, 2018 and 2019 – which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are a great place to live in.”

The region has a strong sense of community value and plenty to offer.

“From Stranraer with its Oyster Festival, Wigtown with its Book Festival, Dark Sky Park near Newtown Stewart, Dumfries with Burns, Bruce and Barry – and that’s just the Bees, what about Calvin Harris? And Gretna, the marriage capital of the UK.”