How Scotland became Europe’s unhealthiest country
Scotland is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. Of course, I doubt there’s a nation in the world that doesn’t make that claim, but it’s particularly true in Scotland, which is famous for its lakes, mist-shrouded mountains and valleys, dramatic coast, medieval castles, architectural wonders like Edinburgh, and the rugged beauty of its islands.
Yet 20 years ago, the most common word in much of the UK to describe Scotland was not beautiful or paradise. In fact, it was probably the word shit-hole.
Everyone knew that there was stunning natural scenery up in the Highlands, of course, but most Scottish people didn’t live up there; they lived in cities like Glasgow, which was charmingly described by the World Health Organization in 2005 as “the Murder Capital of Europe”. If Glaswegians didn’t like that title, they had a choice of several equally lovely epithets, like “the Heroin Capital of the World”, “the Knife-Crime Capital of Europe”, or “the UK’s Sickest City”.
