Scotland named best European country to live in if you're gay

Russia was pretty close to the worst

Campaigners in Edinburgh attend a demonstration for same-sex marriage (Jeff J Mitchell/ Getty)

Scotland is the best place to live in Europe if you're gay.

That's according to the the latest Rainbow Index, which places Scots way ahead of everyone else on the Continent - mainly due to the legal protections it offers to LGBTI people.

The report, compiled by ILGA-Europe, measures the progress of each European country on LGBTI equality against 48 criteria, including tackling hate crime and rights and recognition for transgender and intersex people.

Since legalising same-sex marriage last year, Scotland now meets 92 per cent of the criteria, compared with 86 per cent achieved by the rest of the UK.

Azerbaijan and Russia ranked among the worst in Europe.

The Equality Network, the Scottish LGBTI equality and human rights charity which released details of the study, welcomed Scotland’s place at the top of the index and claimed the UK’s overall figure was brought down by “a lack of protections for intersex people in England and Wales”.

Tom French, the charity’s policy and public affairs coordinator said: “The fact that Scotland now ranks best in Europe overall on LGBTI legal equality is welcome recognition for the efforts of campaigners and the willingness of our politicians to properly consult with LGBTI people and then act on the evidence by passing progressive measures.

Additional reporting by PA