Those of us who return to work and live in Scotland know that there is one aspect of our country which we can rely on: quality of life. There can be few places in the world which have such an attraction.

For me, the opportunity to take the high road back from the hot-house of London was too great to pass up. It was our chance to bring up our children in a far more relaxed environment and for all of us to enjoy a lifestyle envied by many.

The advantages of living in Scotland play a key role in our economy and our ability to attract business and industry. When HSBC Private Bank Scotland recently carried out a survey of entrepreneurs, we found that 49% cited quality of life as one of the most important factors in them being here.

Lifestyle also came out top when we asked them what makes Scotland compare favourably to other countries. Quality of life was rated by 75% while 57% chose the standard of our education and the talent pool which Scotland has readily available as reasons to set up business here.

Scotland is, of course, renowned across the world for its magnifi cent landscape, history and culture. But add that into modern Scotland, with its broad based economy of tourism, fi nancial services and oil mixed with our traditional iconic exports like whisky and textiles, and we have a unique proposition.

We live in a compact country with short travelling distances between our major cities and it doesn’t take long either to reach a wealth of leisure pursuits whether hillwalking, skiing, windsurfi ng or fi shing. We also have the highest concentration of golf courses in the world with more than 500.

There are four international airports with direct services to Europe and North America and fast air, train and road services to the major cities throughout Britain. One of these days we will even have trams in Edinburgh. Scotland has some of the finest museums, galleries and historic buildings in Europe. Edinburgh stages the longestrunning international arts festival in the world which includes film and television. Across the country, there are regular opportunities to enjoy music, theatre and visual arts. The quality and reputation of our education has long been renowned.

There are some excellent schools, whether state or private, and among our 13 universities and more than 50 colleges of further education we have some of the best learning institutions anywhere in the world. When you throw in the more civilised pace of life, it is diffi - cult to see why any of us would ever want to live anywhere else. Apart from the weather! What the HSBC Private Bank survey reveals is that Scotland has great reserves which make living and working here a pleasure. But there is a sting in the tail, and that is the question of whether we are doing enough to attract companies to set up here.

The high achievers who took part believe we aren’t doing enough to attract new business and to make entrepreneurs feel welcome. Our survey found that 34% feel there is less support in Scotland, compared to England and Wales, while worryingly, only 2% feel there is more. At a time of recession, the results of the survey pose some fundamental questions Scotland needs to address if it wants to capitalise on the experience and expertise that currently exists. We have the quality of life but we must ensure we have the quality of support.