They may be 100 miles from the mainland, with biting cold winds, no trees and barely three hours of daylight in the depths of winter, but the Shetland Islands are the best place in Scotland to live, a quality of life survey claimed yesterday.

The Bank of Scotland said the remote conurbation's above-average earnings, virtual zero unemployment and long life expectancy put it ahead of Aberdeenshire, which came in second in the poll, and East Dunbartonshire, which was third.

Residents of the islands yesterday hailed the stunning scenery, vibrant music scene and close-knit community as prevailing attractions, saying they were not surprised by the results of the survey.

While the 12-hour ferry trip or airfare of £140 to the mainland represent an obvious hurdle, the Shetlands have not suffered the same economic depression and depopulation that has proved devastating to the Hebrides, but have thrived on the back of North Sea oil revenues.

Tom Morton, the BBC broadcaster who has lived in Shetland for 20 years, said the islands were a "hidden gem" whose quality of life was hard to exaggerate.

"It's the best-kept secret in Scotland," he said. "The quality of life is extremely good. It's not just the oil money, but all that it has provided. In terms of the islands' social scene, the fact that it's a close community, people look out for each other; the education is extremely good."

Morton, who is originally from the west of Scotland, moved away from Shetland to live in the Highlands briefly but returned in the late 1980s when his second child was born.

"If you compare the facilities on offer and general way of life, even to places like Inverness, it rates very highly.

"Life is just much easier here. Apart from the business of getting about - the distance is much greater - there is a great supply of facilities to make life easier."

The BoS research said the Shetlands benefit from the best education results and have a low rate of housebreaking. Researchers examined factors such as the local employment market, housing, environment, education and health, in an attempt to determine which areas had the highest living standards.

Martin Ellis, chief economist at BoS, said: "The Shetland Islands not only have the best quality of life, but lower than average house prices mean that householders have good value for money housing."

The Shetland Islands were ranked 109th in Britain for quality of life. According to the BoS research, Elmbridge in Surrey is the area with the highest quality of life in Britain.

House prices on the islands for the year up to September 2008 were 24% lower than the Scottish average, the bank found.

However, Ronnie Smith, the general secretary of teaching union EIS, who is from Shetland's main town of Lerwick, cautioned that the islands' drawbacks were not to be underestimated. "It's got some strong points, in terms of scenery, in terms of good infrastructure," he said. "The services are very strong, the level of provision of social care for the elderly and leisure facilities, roads and so on. There's been a huge programme of investment in the community.

"It's still got a sense of community where everybody knows everybody, which has been lost a bit in the bigger urban areas of Scotland.

"But it's not a paradise. The climate in winter is pretty hostile. It's very dark - there's about two or three hours daylight in late December. It basically gets light at 11 and is away at twoish. It can be a bit dispiriting.

"The distance means that you have to make a pretty conscious effort to go to the mainland. It's not like you can hop on a budget airline.

"And it's probably got the highest petrol prices in Scotland. It's no bed of roses."

The discovery of the Brent oil fields in the 1970s represented a turning point for the Shetland Islands, whose population had previously struggled economically. But there had been signs of a revival dating back to the 1960s, based on fishing, agriculture, knitwear and tourism.

Sandy Cluness, convener of Shetland Islands Council, said the islanders' handling of the oil inflow had been responsible for stabilising the local economy and reversing population decline. There is now a "stable" population of 22,500, up from a low point of 17,000.

Karen Shelmerdine, a 31-year-old physiotherapist from Edinburgh who moved to Shetland two years ago, said: "It's further than everyone expects - further than I expected. It's a beautiful place; lots of fresh air and space, it's got a lovely coastline and environment, big high sea cliffs, sandy beaches and rocky shores."

She said the weather could be a downside, admitting: "It can be challenging."

The top ten
1 Shetland Islands
2 Aberdeenshire
3 East Dunbartonshire
4 Orkney Islands
5 East Renfrewshire
6 East Lothian
7 Borders
8 Midlothian
9 Moray
10 Angus