To move from the big smog to the Highlands?

[Rattusn]

I have lived in London all my life, and it has been a bit of a love/hate relationship. I do love all the local facilities, and rarely for London, we do have some community. We do however live in a very deprived area, and I can already see my primary school age child becoming very streetwise, and being exposed to things I would rather she wasn't. The local secondary options are appalling ( very rough - think heavy gang involvement and frequent physical fights). If we stayed I would be dreading what will happen at age 11.

Our area is very high crime, and has a lot of social problems. Very ethnically diverse without much integration, with the resultant issues.

We have holidayed in the Highlands and it has been divine: Stunning scenery, with lovely friendly people, and altogether much more child friendly. Afaik all Scottish children go to their local school, so no more trekking across London because I couldn't get a place at a nearer school. House prices here are also incredibly good value for money after being used to London prices.

Altogether it seems like a an easy decision, but I'm not sure that it is pie in the sky. Aibu to uproot my dc across the country?

fanjo I think the essence of your posts is that if you live somewhere for many tears, and all of a sudden, many new people arrive, who don't speak your language, and don't live the same way you do, you are unable even to express discomfort?

You should not shut down debate. It breeds resentment. My Polish friends tell me that there would be utter outrage if the same migration took place from the UK there.

Humans do live in communities. Communities need a certain amount of stability. They need binding by certain commonalities. If that changes too fast - then they unravel. Integration can only happen at a certain pace. Otherwise people do things, like decide the EU is a load of shite.

Anyway OP. If Aberdeen is an option - check out Deeside. Somewhere like Banchory. It's beautiful.

I also find Aberdeen grey and a bit depressing and it's had a really hard time. Property is much cheaper though!

I'd start with the job to see where you could work and go from there. What does your dh think? We live in a very middle class town about an hour from London in Essex. Good schools so a lot of Londoners have moved out this way but there is a drug problem apparently and quite a big one (there's quite a lot of wealth, local secondary is equivalent to a private education). But I've never noticed it or seen it. My children are quite young though. Good luck. Scotland seems beautiful and I'd love to live up there.

I grew up in a very rural area.

Pros
Space and freedom. It's not built up and the air quality is amazing. You can walk for hours without seeing another human being. Very peaceful.
Housing tends to be cheaper - you can get a lot more, including garden/land, for your money.
Class sizes tend to be smaller.
Stunning scenery.

Cons
You have to drive everywhere and the further north you go the more expensive fuel is. Public transport outside of the major towns and cities is expensive, not that regular or convenient. Taxis are costly and not always available (my old village had ONE taxi - once it was booked, that was your lot!).
Nothing is nearby. Takeaways don't deliver - and the food is lukewarm by the time you've got it back to your house. You'll be dependent on the local corner shop (ours closed at 5pm sharp) if you forget something. It's a PITA realising you've run out of milk and that it's 5.05pm and the supermarket is 45 miles away...
It can be bloody cold - most rural homes will have an open fire or log burner, but heating will become a major issue. Fine as long as you are prepared for it - my old local school had proper storm wear on its uniform list as the kids would be packed out to play in all weathers unless there was a hurricane
Small communities can be stifling and very insular. The community support is lovely but everyone knows everything. The school know you, as do the local shop, the GP surgery and the petrol station. Gossip is the lifeblood of any tiny community; buy a new handbag and they'll be discussing it at the post office counter the following day. Again fine if you don't mind it, but if you are a very private person you might find the scrutiny difficult to deal with.

All in all you need to be prepared. Prepared that if you go out for a meal then you'll have to drive so you can't drink (zero limit in Scotland now). Prepared for extensive supermarket shopping because popping out when you have forgotten something is a bit of a non-starter. Prepared to try and integrate and settle within a local community - who may view a 'transplant' differently to a holidaymaker. Prepared to do a LOT of driving.

I'd still go back in a heartbeat. The joy of being able to wake up and hear nothing but the wind in the trees and some birdsong, and being able to put some wellies on and wander round the garden in my t-shirt and pants with a mug of coffee, safe in the knowledge that the nearest neighbour is 3 fields away...Bliss.

Dh also loved Inverness, and is keen to move too. I don't know about Aberdeen: it being an oil town does put me off.

I'm hoping Paul that a lot of those cons won't apply, as Inverness is a town with loads of shops and public transport options, and we are looking to move near the centre.

We have investigated the job options more thoroughly, and happily it should be pretty easy to get transfers. We would lose our small London weightings, but would gain overall from the much reduced cost of living. Our quality of life would be much better too I believe.

Some of the responses on here are quite over exaggerated. I live near Aberdeen (I will admit not quite the Highlands though). It's not snowed here, bar one or two days of a light dusting here and there, for the past 2/3 years. The weather isn't anymore awful than any other part of the UK imo. There are lots of English people around where I live and there is no anti English feeling whatsoever. Houses prices in Aberdeen are definatly not much cheaper though, as a previous poster has said. I'm sure I've read that AB15 used to be one of the most expensive postcodes outside London.

I grew up in rural Norfolk, mainly in the villages near the coast. Whilst there were some bad points about it (quieter and less facilities than a city) we managed to have lots of good times, I learned to ride, we swam at the beach, there was a cinema and shops too. We even had a social life when we were teens too. Yes there was some crime and drugs too (one of my boyfriends died one Christmas from a heroin overdose) it was certainly not on the scale of where I now live (my dad was a local bobby so I heard about stuff!).

We are contemplating moving for exactly the same reasons you are, although not to Scotland but maybe back to DH home country. The area we bought in has changed out of recognition and the community that has now made it home is one we don't really stand a chance of being part of. Crime has increased, there have been lots of stabbings due to gang fights and the local high school is rated inadequate and has been so for the last ten years, with a bullying problem that has resulted in suicides. I know exactly where to get drugs, KFC car park across the road.

The difference is both DH and I came from the rural background and know what it is like, the pros and cons. I've never been to Scotland (would love to) but one of DH friends from home (Southern Europe) has now lived in Aberdeen for a long while, married a local girl, kids etc. If he can adapt to the winters I'm sure you could. I would do it, life is too short to live somewhere you don't like.

I grew up in Inverness and although if is a beautiful place I would never go back.

It is insular, there are anti English pockets (especially in school) one boy in my class was horrifically bullied. I drank a lot of alcohol and did a lot of drugs from age 13 to leaving at 17.

There was not a lot else to do. My cousin died of a drug overdose and my mum died of suicide related to alcoholism. There is a very high rate of addiction in the highlands.

However the schools are excellent. Crown primary and millburn academy had the best reps when I lived there and I came out with enough qualifications to get me into a good uni.

There are pros and cons and it is a risk, I would look at Perth and Edinburgh

clueless is it really that bad? You say you did well enough to get into a good uni, so you can't have gone off the rails that much?

If you went to the schools you mentioned, you must have lived in the nicer part of the city?

I'm wondering if the addition rate is higher than London (will try to find statistics). I certainly did not see the masses of overt drug use and alcohol abuse that I see on a daily basis in London.

Wow I'm really surprised at the negative statements being made about the Highlands, I bet half of you haven't even been here.

I grew up in the Highlands, and returned after university. My commute is 5 minutes, we have a lovely home with stunning views, my dc attend an excellent school which we can all walk to in 5/10 minutes, there is a strong sense of community and culture and we even have a 24 hour Tesco! And we're not in Inverness. The weather can be hot or miss, but I haven't had the heating on since April so all this talk of 11 month winters is rubbish. Also my dd who has a disability has received wonderful local treatment.

It really depends which part of Highlands you fancy, some more rural areas do have less facilities but it is certainly not all doom and gloom as some previous posters have pointed out.

And the comment about disaffected youth is rubbish. I know lots of young people from all backgrounds who gave up their time to support local sports/music and community events.

Lost do you agree at all with what has been said about drug use and anti-English feeling?

I couldn't find any statistics on drug use by area, but there is certainly an infinitely greater number of drug crimes in my area of London compared to Inverness (33 vs 0!)

Ratssun, most people in Inverness do not experience the tragic circumstances outlined by clueless. I have never been offered drugs or seen drug use on the streets including Falcon Square which I visit most weekends. I am sure young people will be offered drugs in the clubs, but that happens everywhere. There are also none of the disadvantages of living in a rural area; if you do move to the High School catchment, you can walk to the supermarket, the town centre, the theatre, the cinema, the ice rink and the sports centre.

I would say the downsides are the climate; not so much the winters, but the summers are awful (with the occasional exception). If you like holidays abroad, you will probably have to get to Glasgow or Edinburgh before you start. There are limited career opportunities; if your children go away to uni, chances are they won't come back.

I grew up in a quite rural location near Inverness so I am talking from experience. I think the best option for op would be to try it and see. I would still strongly recommend renting first before committing 100% as it's incredibly difficult to make the move back down south if, for whatever reason, you don't like it or it doesn't work out.

Thank you for the reassurance Cecily

I think if we moved then we would probably holiday around Scotland as it is stunning!

I accept that my DC would likely move away for uni (though they might go to the new uni in Inverness, or hopefully at least one in Scotland for free education!). Our parents live in London, so we will always have strong links to London and visit regularly.

haggis so is that a recommendation? :)

It is a huge step, but I think we are ready for it.

I think you seem pretty set on it, so it's definitely worth a try. I cannot say how strongly I would rent first though, just in case. I have friends who have made huge losses by moving oop north, and it didn't work out. It also took them 18 months to resell their Scottish house.

Also, I think Scottish unis are going to charge fees soon-can't remember where I read that so I could be wrong!

Scottish unis already charge don't they? Just not as much as English ones for a Scot. I'm sure it was about £3k a year for a 4 year course. I can see that going up though but haven't seen anything official. I also think you need 3 years residency which shouldn't be a problem in your case OP but might affect others reading.

Not sure I've read anything about Scottish Unis starting to charge fees. It might have been in the Labour (and definitely in the Tory) Manifestos - neither of whom are likely to be in power any time soon!

Yy to the 3 year residency requirement.

"If you're studying full time for your first degree, you’ll usually be eligible to have your fees paid by the Scottish Government for your full period of study.

Key points
you’ll usually be eligible to have your fees paid by the Scottish Government
you must apply every year to the Student Awards Agency Scotland for payment of your tuition fees
financial support may also be available to help you fund your living costs"

From the university of Edinburgh's website.

I imagine the situation may change, but likely it won't ever be as bad as England.

And the 3 year residency certainly won't be an issue!

I can't find a thing about it now either-maybe I dreamt it!

Anti-English feeling does exist, it just depends on where you are. If you aren't/weren't an English person who has lived in Scotland, then you cannot say that it doesn't exist - it just means that you haven't personally witnessed it.

I was and I have. I bloody love Scotland, but there are places and certain people who aren't keen on English people. That runs the gamut from friendly ribbing at the pub about 'Softy Southerners' to out and out hostility because you're 'fucking English'. Funnily enough I had more trouble over my English accent when living in a big city - with a varied demographic - than I ever did living in a tiny rural community. I think as long as you don't take yourself too seriously, you're prepared to roll your sleeves up and get involved and become part of where you live, then you should be fine.

I'd go tomorrow. Wonderful place and I miss it very much.

Yes, we stayed in the nicest area. In a nice big house. I live in Aberdeenshire now after living down south for a few years. I had the incentive of wanting to get out of Inverness that kept me working long and hard enough to get to uni.

Those saying there aren't many drug or alcohol problems are mistaken. When I was at school there were no drug officers in the town (as it was then) and drugs were being imported through Inverness and then down to the bigger cities. I was asked to be a runner, I was also asked to smuggle them into prison by kissing prisoners. I was 16, good student, drinking and smoking a bit if blow and that opened me up to this world there.

My kids found Inverness a bit rough when visiting more so than Aberdeen. I am not sure what your job is but if you are looking for safe, sheltered I would look in Aberdeenshire. Prices are dropping hard right now because of the drop in oil production.

I was back up in the city a few years ago and was shocked to see the difference in drinking culture than I've seen in every other part of the U.K.

Inverness can be a fantastic place to live but be prepared to keep your kids busy