One in five Scots have given up on finding love – a greater percentage than any other UK region.
New research from relationship site eHarmony.co.uk reveals that one million Scottish adults don’t think they’ll ever fall in love with somebody.
Of the 1.6 million Scottish adults that are currently single, more than a third think they won’t find love. While nearly a tenth of these have been single for less than a year and nearly half have been single for more than a decade.
For singles in particular, bad dates are a serious issue.
Close to one third of Scots have had some kind of negative dating experience – among the most common factors are not liking the same things as their dates, their dates only talking about themselves or even having inappropriate images sent to them.
Psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos said: "To some extent saying that you've 'given up on love' is a self defense mechanism, lowering your own expectations so you won't be disappointed if it never happens.
"It doesn't mean you aren't hopeful or even actively looking for a partner. However people need to be aware of self-fulfilling prophecies where our negative expectations stop us even looking for love, because the reality is that you're much more likely to make a meaningful connection if you believe in the possibility of it happening."
Most Scots have given up on love because they don’t feel they are attractive, people don’t seem interested in them or they find it hard to trust people.
Jemima Wade, spokesperson for eHarmony.co.uk, added: "People get in touch with us every day to tell us about about their newly found love stories.
"They’re all different ages and from up and down the UK, and many confess that they’d given up on finding someone who really gets them.
That's how we know compatibility matching works, which is why eHarmony partners people on their beliefs, values and characteristics – the stuff that counts! It means better matches that you instantly click with, and will stand the test of time."
However, despite thinking they would never find anyone, one in eight who had previously given up on love actually went on to meet someone, predominately through friends, at work, or via online dating.
MILLIONS of cheating husbands and wives are facing an anxious wait as hackers threaten to expose their dirty secrets online.
As many as 1.2 million Brits are member of the Ashley Madison website which is a dating network which “guarantees” people seeking to cheat on their husbands or wives they will “find someone”.
Unfortunately, infidelity is a reality for some of us and a devastation that all too many couples go through.
If you think your partner is having an affair, then there are signs to watch out for.
Have they lost interest in having sex with you? This can either be a gradual change or all of a sudden.
You may want to question what is going on if this has happened, especially if your sex life has always been good.
If things have slowed down in the bedroom, then it could be that your partner is showing someone else some special attention.
If men suddenly change their appearance, then this can also be a red flag that they are cheating.
Has he lost weight, bought new clothes and joined a gym without your knowledge?
Is he wearing a new aftershave and acting more confident?
Does your partner guard their mobile with their lives and constantly check their messages, especially on Facebook? If they don’t share who has texted or emailed them and everything is now password-protected, then this could also be a sign that something is not right.
Does he switch off his mobile when he is with you so he doesn’t get any texts or phone calls from his mistress?
If, all of a sudden, your partner is happy when they leave the house instead of being miserable to go to their job like they used to be, then this may also be a sign of infidelity.
Getting up early and coming home late maybe aren’t sure signs that they are cheating but they can be early warning signs that something is not quite right.
Have they stopped making eye contact with you when you have a conversation? This is usually a sure sign of guilt eating at them.
How about mystery charges on your credit card bill for gifts that you did not get or trips you didn’t take or nights in a hotel you knew nothing about.
If your partner is spending far too much time away from you and it seems like they can’t stand to be in the same room with you when they are home, then this too may be behaviour that sets alarm bells ringing.
Has your partner started spending more time with a colleague at work or do they talk about them constantly? When you meet someone new, it’s exciting and you want to tell the world about them.
It can be hard to be sure if someone is cheating on you but go with your gut instinct. If you feel something isn’t right about your relationship, then it probably isn’t.
In many cases, the warning signs can be there early on in the relationship and once you spot them, you can save yourself a lot of pain by ending things right there and then or talking them through with each other.
The good news is that not everyone cheats.
Infidelity and relationships don’t always go hand in hand. The important thing to remember is that cheating is a choice, it’s not some biological need.
The best deterrent to cheating is finding the right partner.
BRITISH dads would rather spend every moment of their spare time with their children than have an evening in with their partners.
Swapping romantic alone time for a kick around in the park with their kids, a study has found a quarter of British men would rather be with their children, favouring it to time with their wives or girlfriends.
A study showed 26 per cent of men aimed to spend up to 10 hours a day with their children, with just five per cent of men opting for one-on-one time with their ladies.
Research conducted by leading bed makers Silentnight discovered more than a quarter of dads surveyed valued family time so much they saw sitting down together at meal times as daily goal - aiming to dine with their kids at least once a day.
Interestingly in comparison to their parents generation, more than 25 per cent of men surveyed claimed to spend less time with their wives and girlfriends than their mums and dads.
Juggling the family balance 30 per cent of dads also believed they slept less and spent less time with their friends than their parents.
A quarter of dads claimed they spent more time with their children than their dads, with busy dads today sacrificing (27 per cent) sleep and hobbies to spend time with their kids.
Keen to be involved in day-to-day family rigmarole, Dads said a ‘good ingredient’ to a top day with the kids was planning leisure activities (32 per cent).
However despite being more hands on than ever, the poll of 1,461 UK parents lifted the lid on why dads are avoiding their better halves - in a bid to duck out of the housework.
While they may like being with the kids, shockingly only 14 per cent of men said getting the housework done was an achievement - while more than double the amount of women (37 per cent) made it one of their daily milestones.
Instead dads were reluctant to avoid other family tasks, with 28 per cent enjoying taking their children to hobbies and only two per cent opting to duck out of the school run if they were having a busy day.
A spokesman for Silentnight, Nick Booth, said: “What is really interesting from the research is almost a third of dads said having a good nights sleep in preparation for the next day, improved time spent with their children.
“As a parent we are constantly juggling routines, social lives and work pressures, so sleep is very important to maximise time with our families.
“British dads are more hands on than ever, so it is more important we look after ourselves and make time for ourselves - which can be something as simple as a good nights sleep.”
Guys can be so difficult to buy presents for.
However, don’t worry if your man doesn’t have an Amazon wishlist as there are lots of cute gifts you can buy him and the best part is- many of them won’t break the bank.
So if you want to buy the love of your life a present for Valentine’s Day, his birthday or Christmas, then check out these ideas:
Sweets with your name on them:
Online there are lots of websites where you can personalise your confectionery. I really like the love heart sweets where you can pop your name on the wrapper and inside each candy has cute message already on them. Marshmallow company boomf.com is also awesome as they will pop your photos on their sweets.
Make him ‘Love’ vouchers:
Buy some multi-coloured index cards and on each one write a “service” you’ll provide him. Some can be romantic like a hug, kiss or massage or you can be a little bit naughty. Others can give a service like picking up his dry cleaning or walking his dog.
Teddy Bear with a Message:
You can get an ordinary teddy bear and tie a message to its neck or you can order a personalised teddy bear from the Build a Bear shop. Teddy bears are one of the most cute boyfriend gift ideas.
Create a Scrap Book:
You probably have lots of pictures of the two of you. If you have paper mementos from dates – ticket stubs, concert programmes, etc., you can include them as well. He’ll appreciate that you went to all of the work to memorialise your relationship.
Matching Jerseys:
If he has a favourite player on a favourite sports team, get both of you jerseys to match. Include a note that you can wear them the next time you watch a game. He’ll appreciate the sentiment of the jerseys and he’ll also appreciate that you are eager to spend time with him while he’s watching the game.
Message in a Bottle:
Write him a love letter and place it in a bottle. You can make it a romantic note filled with your hopes for the pair of you in the future or you can make it sexy. It’s a romantic and unique thing to do.
Inscribed Watch
Over the years I’ve found men love watches- many actually like to build up a collection. If you save up to buy your man this type of gift then make sure you get a lovely message from yourself inscribed onto the back of his watch. An engraved watch is a classic gift and one he will cherish forever.
Mouse Pad:
Take a photo of yourself in a somewhat racy pose and then have it made into a mouse pad. That way, when he’s playing World of Warcraft or Grand Theft Auto, he’s thinking of you.
Recordable key chain:
Go to Amazon or an electronics store and get a recordable keyring. Then leave a romantic or sexy message on it. In my case my fiancé says he loves my little catchphrases, so I bought him one with them all on it. He says he has 'Lindsey in his pocket' And let’s face it, your man has got to keep his keys close – and that means he’ll keep you close too.
Cook him his favourite meal
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and I totally agree. Guys love a woman who cooks for them and makes a fuss over them. So dim down the lights, cook him his favourite foods and get your sexy lingerie looked out as you will no doubt become dessert.
