Would you choose to move to Scotland or Canada?

[Darlingyouvegottoletmeknow]

Would you move to Canada or Scotland? To a rural area in both. Eldest child in Y1, youngest a baby, we are in mid 30s.

Scotland

• Highlands village
• can both work part time
• buy a house outright with chunk of savings left over
• grandparent can visit every 2 months
• can move as soon as lockdown lifted
• keeps option of having another child open

Canada

• likely British Columbia, the island
• I would need to work full-time for the work visa, once Permanent Residency achieved could work part time (would take 1-3 years depending on factors largely outside our control)
• could buy a house outright once settled somewhere
• would take around a year to get documentation and visas sorted before we could actually move, and cost quite a few thousand, so only want to start this process if we are likely to actually move
• would see grandparents 1-2 times per year only (no relatives in Canada)
• would be harder to have another child as if still on work visa I couldn't take a full year of maternity leave

One option is moving to Scotland now and considering Canada in future when kids older, when I'd be happier to consider full-time work. Although maybe we wouldn't want to move then if children settled.

Do you have family close by and how would you feel about seeing them/them seeing your kids maybe once a year?

I would choose Scotland for that reason but I would want to be near Edinburgh or Glasgow personally. A friend of mine lives in a town/village on the coast near Edinburgh and it looks lovely.

Do you mean further south in Scotland e.g. in lowlands bit? Yes I think that might be a better fit for us, if I can persuade dh

Yes - sorry I realise that wasn't very clear. My experience of living in Scotland with young children has been further south than the H&I and it's been fantastic. I live within fairly easy reach of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Perth, Stirling and Dundee, with a plethora of large and small towns nearby. Glasgow is not all that far either once you're on the main roads. I feel like so much of Scotland is available to us, and every town and city has history, landmarks, theatres, parks etc plus there are lots of beautiful beaches. There are loads of semi-rural parts of the country in Fife, Perth & Kinross that are quite affordable and offer a rural(ish) life. They are not as cheap as parts of H&I, I do agree but generally if you're not easily commutable to Edinburgh, it's not that expensive. It depends though, if your DH is set on very rural H&I, maybe nothing further south will suit.

Can I ask, do you feel the people you know if Scotland are as ultra-woke as the politicians sometimes are?

No - my own experience of day to day living is that normal folk tend to think normal things and I am not overly concerned with ultra-wokeness on a daily basis. I don't really come into much contact with anyone teenage or in their 20s though - mostly 30s+ and toddlers, and we are in the 'young kids bubble' at the moment so that may have something to do with that.

The political turmoil affects all ages - the independence referendum was enormously stressful and divisive for almost everyone I know. Being closely followed by Brexit, it's been a tough 5 years for the moderate liberal woman.

Canada.

Scotland

@FavouriteFightingFrenchman I will look more into the areas you've mentioned, I agree that could be a better match for us overall. I know Dumfries & Galloway and think that type of area could suit us, opportunity to live in a little village with lovely countryside but a town and railway station nearby.

Scottish politicians aren't particularly 'ultra-woke' whatever that means, and there is bigotry everywhere, of all types, if that's what you're looking for

Glasgow and environs (other places too) - sectarianism

Everywhere - big men on the councils doing what big men do. Racism.

Golf - still misogynistic

I find in the H+I you will still come across men who have little regard for women as humans.

Safety for women is still at threat from men, the same as anywhere, don't think it really differs.

Weather varies considerably from west to east, as do midgies. If you like the outdoors life then it’s a big consideration

metofficenews.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/uk-rainfall-average-maps-1981-2010.gif

Play about with the data here www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-actual-and-anomaly-maps

If Canada is a dream for a few years then I'd try for that now, then settle in Scotland later. Or settle in Scotland now and do the Canada dream for a bit, then come back to Scotland. Basically Scotland seems like the sensible longterm choice, but completely understand you wanting to do the Canada thing at one point!

I would pick Canada. Because I did your plan to Scotland and it isn't as magical as I thought it would be in a quaint highland town. However, it's very safe here (as safe as can be in a world with other people) which works when you have kids but there are drawbacks to living rurally, however I am happy so 🤷🏻‍♀️

'magical...quaint highland town' well that was a hell of a lot to live up to!

OMG
I used to live in a quaint Highland town

a man was run out of town by his ex-friends, who'd found out he was abusing his daughter
another man was prosecuted for bestiality
any unattached 30-year-old man basically had his pick of a number of 15-year-old schoolgirls, it was like a revolving door
buildings got burnt down, only hear rumours about why
there was a murder-suicide
friend ended up in care
A 15-year-old friend worked as a barmaid
That's just what I knew about

Magical does not describe Highland life I don't think

Oh I was in a 'quaint town' too.

It wasn't like 'Take the High Road' at all.

Scotland if you're going to want to see family. Most sectors in Canada have 2 weeks' holiday/year so you'd have to get family to come to you unless you want to spend all your vacation time travelling back home.

If you're both in one of the sectors that does have decent holiday (vet is ok and generally in demand) then Canada is back on the cards.

We considered Canada for a while before recently ending up in Scotland. DH's parents can't travel by air and the sectors I could work in have 2 weeks' holiday so not an option for us.

We are liking central Scotland despite lockdown. Decent hills just 8 miles outside Glasgow, not even that busy if you choose more walking places off the bus route! You can get pretty rural about 40 minutes north of the town centre, but still be commutable. So no need for full on Highlands issues with no delivery/delivery surcharges...

I keep remembering more and more. The drugs, the beatings, the rapes dressed up as Saturday nightlife. Prostitution, bent coppers, domestic violence, the incredibly sad attitude to a couple of people who very obviously had disabilities.
"Magical" ffs

for example in some around 70% of children weren't getting five Highers. Would a more academic child be able to succeed if the majority of the year aren't getting five passes?

In the schools who get that kind of result, you'll find that the teachers bust a gut to help the pupils who have the motivation to sit 5 highers. It's not usually a reflection of the teaching, more of the socio-economic issue in the community.

Why not move to somewhere that people report being happiest?

off the top of my head, I believe the people in Perth/Perthshire are generally quite content with their lifestyles, and the people in Orkney had some of the best numbers in crime/employment/education even if the weather is a bit dour.

@nibdedibble

I keep remembering more and more. The drugs, the beatings, the rapes dressed up as Saturday nightlife. Prostitution, bent coppers, domestic violence, the incredibly sad attitude to a couple of people who very obviously had disabilities. "Magical" ffs

I know a couple of Canadians, and that sounds pretty tame in comparison to their stories of 'quaint Canadian villages'.

I think it's kind of universal to be honest LordFrontPaw.

We are just not immune to it because the hills look good!

I'd choose Canada, and that as someone living in Scotland. One reason is that there is likely to be prolonged unrest to one degree and another over Scotland's place in the Union. I'm worn out by Brexit, and the fallout from that and the Scotland issue makes me feel exhausted. I'd choose to move somewhere new and build a new life free from all that rancour.

I’d fine the Canadian brand of misogyny quite tiring.

At least in Scotland you know that there will be a snapping point - ‘get away tae fuck ya bam’