AIBU to move from city to rural Scotland (Perthshire/Fife)?

[justlookatthatbooty]

I live in a very busy little european city and want to move to rural scotland for the nature and for the forest/outdoor nursery in Perthshire/Fife. DC's are half european and half english and are bilingual. I look at their indoorsy little selves and see that they are only half of themselves somehow.... and yearn for a bracing outdoorsy life for them, at least for a couple of years. Not to mention abit of UK'ness and English language immersion. We already have arctic winters where we live so no change there. But AIBU to steer the whole family (DH willing and open but it's essentially my move) abroad?

Would you both be able to work there? How old are the DCs?

We are working on persuading Dh's employers to let him work remotely. I am self employed and can pretty much work anywhere. Dc's are 2 and 3.

Weather is the only major downside of Scotland, and it sounds like you could hack that. Go for it!

Weather is unpredictable and very wet and in winter very dark? I live in the Netherlands which is basically former seabed and is so cold and wet and a very humid sort of cold at that. Feels like it can't get much worse on the weather front but maybe I'm wrong? I just don't know scotland at all!! Culturally what to expect in Perthshire?

I moved to Perthshire for work reasons from a big city.Culturally no different from anywhere else! Much more outdoorsy and a more relaxed way of life, but still cities close and lots for the children to do. Probably a higher standard of living. And very pretty.
However downsides are the house prices are very high here, rural services are being cut (eg our kids club) locals are v friendly and welcoming and there are lots of different people but do seem to rely on the newbies to keep things running eg campaigns for local services. There is some rural poverty and poor areas.

Ha ha, DH and I were randomly talking about this last night. DH is from Perthshire/Angus.

Our conversation started with house prices in London and then the jaw dropping prices in those areas with land (have a look at savills' estate section you don't need ££££ for everything!). The illusion vanished once I reminded myself of how much it rains there and that would effectively stop us enjoying the great outdoors!

Culturally theres not much. Expect lots of anti English feeling (the inlaws next door neighbour has a Scotish flag in his back garden and he isn't the only one). I'm not Scottish or white and when we go into smaller shops where prices aren't written I find I'm either treated like a visiting ambassador from Mars or inflation suddenly kicks in!

I think if you have been living in a city try and chose to live somewhere which is close a town or good access to somewhere with a collection of shops and an airport. I think once in the country side you will be hankering for cities and will need to be able to get to them. I think both Edinburgh and Inverness have direct European flights.

Really, really? Are you one of the Continental Europeans (am one myself btw) who see Scotland through those romantic eyes? Nice scenery, good for a holiday?

Depending on where in continental Europe you are... now way would I move here. I am in Scotland btw...If they already are bilingual, what's the point? Take them for some long holidays over here and move to a more rural place where you are now..

Where are you now btw?

Of course you're not being unreasonable, you could come and visit me!

We're in Fife and LOVE it, having moved from a city to a small village. Nursery and primary school just along the road, people stopping in the street to chat, it's lovely.

MrsSnow having a Scottish flag isn't showing 'anti English feeling.' It's showing pro-Scottish feeling. The two are not necessarily related.

Hi WorkinProgress thanks for the helpful post.
The cuts are such a shame...
Oneof my reasons for wanting to move is to create a greater social network. The kids have never had a playdate in their lives and we wouldn't know anyone to invite which makes me feel so sad. We are totally unconnected here and it's an extremely closed culture. Is there much playdating or at least informal get togethers amongst parents and friends in Perthshire, oudoor rambles or indoor hang outs?
Accomodation prices being so much lower than we currently pay(rental @1600 quid for a small 2 bed flat in a high density urban situation) is one of the major draws. Seems we can rent a detached house with 4 beds and land for that but perhaps I shouldn't be trusting the internet? Other things I haven't thought of, council tax is high on such properties of course at probably approx 200 a month and lots lost on utitlities.

Where are the poor areas?
Was your move to perthshire a happy one?

Thanks so much!!!

I would go for it - but then, I already have

Weatherwise I'd say there is a difference in that the bad weather is equally bad, but we do get substantially lower temperatures in summer than you do in Nl. This year has been particularly dire - apart from a few days on the beach in May and June the summer has been a wash out. We're quite far north and the past years I actually think that the worst of the weather has been to the south of us (Perth, Fife, Central belt). Daylight in winter is a lot worse than Netherlands though - especially going further north -but the long summer days make up for it

Have heard good things about the outdoor nurseries (one in Glasgow too I believe), but I wouldn't let that guide you where you would live entirely - it's only a few years until they start school and I would probably try and find somewhere to live where the kids can roll into the countryside after school, but which still has a community feel to it

culturally - being Dutch I have encountered no problems; DP is english but been up here for over 20 years and has had no anti-english issues; I realised yesterday I'd been walking my DD to school under an English cricket umbrella (complete with rose) for ages and nobody bats an eyelid..

Ah in the meantime more posts from foxy and the two 'Mrs'... thanks.

There is NO RURAL to speak of in this god forsaken country. Someone will probably come along and say but I live there and there is a nice pretty patch of green near my house. But in my eyes, nature is a wild thing and not a created thing. And believe me, I'm looking for the wild thing, having grown up partly in London and partly on the cliffs of Cornwall, I do know the two from each other.
Scottish flag doesn't worry me.
Dutch DH being treated badly would worry me. What kind of areas to avoid?
We are looking at the Crieff/Comrie area. Planning on sending kids to the Mindstretchers outdoors nursery or possibly the other one in Fife.

Friendly people/community feeling is a must. Racist poverty stricken backwaters are an absolute no no.

Hhhhhhmmmm...

The thing you really have to be prepared for is the bad weather. If you are from somewhere where it doesn't rain all the time and you are used to summers with actual sun, it will be hard. Th weather here made me depressed and I know loads of foreigners that feel the same and ended up on ADs. People who have grown up here, like my DH, don't seem to have the same need for sunlight. I don't know.

Will not post anything else as I'm just a bitter cow about living where I am so will not be giving neutral advice.

Oh, if you are British yourself, I'm sure the weather won't bother you so much. Equally, the only two Dutch people I know here are happy too..

I like Perthshire but not sure how friendly it would be to live there, not sure how much you would be able to get involved in the community.

Hopefully more 'locals' will reply

Usually the closer you are to a cultural city where there is more movement of people, the better, so around Edinburgh would be good. Not sure about Perthshire, as Perth bit more parochial (apologies if incorrect, but thats my perception as someone who has visited but not stayed).

Thanks Inia, really sound, sensible advice. Do you miss Holland?

Mrs Hux, the weather is indeed a worry. FWIW it rains all the time where I live and we have not had a day of sunshine since May. But I believe that it's darker there during the winter. Does the sun ever come out in winter in that cold and snowy sort of way?

P.s Its very much Britishness that I'm looking for. Weather, wind, wellies, pies despite all the silly crap that goes with britain, certainly at this formidable economic/political time. Hence avoiding london like the plague.

Parochial..... hhmmm, am wondering if that might feel ok for a year or two.

Forgot to say we will be making very regular trips back to NL for long weekends and for entire duration of school hols.

I can't remember the sun being out in winter but that might just be because I'm already expecting it not to happen iykwim...

The winter is not what's bothering me, it's the absence of a proper summer that is killing me...

As long as you steer clear of Dundee you'll be fine (that's where we live ).

I don't quite understand your posts. "Perthshire" isn't a homogeneous place - it would really depend on where you are, and what your neighbours are like. Don't underestimate the hassles of rural roads and public transport. Have you visited Scotland recently? Fife is particularly a region of two halves - lovely East Neuk, not so nice industrial south Fife.

The weather thing really gets my goat though. The weather isn't that bad - OK the last two winters were terrible, but they were bad everywhere, not just up north!

Crieff/Comrie is beautiful - would happily live there (used to live down the road in Dunblane, which is lovely too); I really wouldn't worry about your DH being treated badly - I've lived in most corners of Scotland now and have felt happy and secure pretty much everywhere. Getting in touch with the community very much depends on your outlook - but having young children is a great icebreaker and you just need to be prepared to jump in

I miss my family (but we probably see more of each other than we would if I still ived in the Netherlands), but I couldn't name many things that I actually miss about Holland, bar maybe the fantastic public transport

Perth seems gorgeous to me - we moved from city up closer to Aberdeen a few years ago and I'm not too keen, but Perths(hire) still has that civilised yet rural feel I think. You're close enough to Edinburgh/Glasgow/Dundee/St Andrews/Stirling to do lots of things, yet still have the scenery and isolation if you want it.

Today the sun is shining (I'm about 70 mins from Perth), and it's really hot. In winter, the light is beautiful and although it is wet a fair bit of the time, you feel the seasons more so it almost doesn't matter as much as if you were in a city, if that makes sense.

Let me know if you do come up - I'd like some nice friends!

Have you considered other areas of Scotland? Scottish Borders gets better weather (worse in winter, need to take snowboots, sledge & 4WD ) but longer summer. East Lothian much better weather "Sunny Dunny" is the local nickname for Dunbar, and nice beaches, country parks but can be less "friendly" IME.

I'm in Scotland and sent my kids to normal nurseries. Had no desire to make them freeze outside in the cold more than they have to. I used to hate cold wet playtimes at school. I've lived in various parts of Scotland including Tayside and Fife, northern, middle and southern england and NZ and haven't found any difference in the friendliness of people. If you want your kids to have lots of friends to play with live somewhere urban. If you live somewhere in the sticks then your kids will have fewer friends locally than if you live on a housing estate. My kids' friends on council estates seem to have the best social life.
I'm very happy living in Scotland but would never have moved here so my kids could spend all day freezing in an outdoor nursery or because I thought they would have more friends here than in other areas. I rarely hear the term playdate here either.
Re the weather from November until end jan it never seems to get properly light here and the kids go to school and return home from school in the dark (if primary school they'd get home with a bit of daylight as school day shorter.) You then need blackout blinds in summer.

And when the sun comes out on a Scottish winterday that makes for some of the best days of the year!

But MrsH is right - there is no such thing as a proper summer, but that doesn' particularly bother me - kids are happy on the beach in their fleeces and wellies as well

Oh Crieff's not all that far from me - it's very lovely!

Yes, it's bloody freezing in the winter, but as we are right on the coast it seems to be that we are just that bit warmer, so we had almost no snow last winter compared to practically everywhere else. It does get dark early but we do have those lovely crisp bright days often.

Have to say, dutch-bashing is not particulary big round here...it's not a backwards one-street hicksville you know...

CrystalQueen, if you have grown up in a country where you have long hot summers (29-40 degrees), where you spend your days at lakes and outsides pools, your body is used to a certain amount of sunlight. If you then don't get that anymore, you struggle. No complaints about cold winters. They're meant to be cold..