To up sticks from inner London for the Highlands?

[hibbledibble]

I've lived here all my life, but am increasingly finding it unpleasant. Too many people, too much pollution, too much crime, too little outdoor space. Since lockdown it's just got worse, as crime has increased, and the amenities have been closed. House feels too small when we are cooped up in it, but I could never afford anything bigger here, despite working in a professional job. I'm already in a not ideal area. Schools are also a concern, especially secondary, as they are rough and full of gangs.

The Highlands seems idyllic in comparison, and I could get a huge house, for less than the cost of my modest London terrace. The children would love the outdoor space, and it would be great for them to have freedom they couldn't in London, due to the crime here.

My concerns are the cold (but surely just need to wrap up warm?!) And feeling isolated. My job is portable.

Aibu?

@hibbledibble

Ha, wow. Never realised the English were resented so much...

I might as well come clean, that I was planning to fill in a real need, like wbeezer said, by becoming a rural gp. I have visited many times, and colleagues who are local are very positive. Is it a case then that only some English are welcome?

Come to Buchan, Aberdeenshire. We are crying out for local GPs, less than an hour commute to Aberdeen!

As others have said, visiting the Highlands and living there are two vastly different things.

I grew up there. Some teenagers can’t wait to leave for a big city (any city) or if they have no uni prospects, they feel trapped. Your children will not thank you. Oh, and be prepared to drive them everywhere, as there’s no decent public transport.

It gets dark early in London during the winter too. I can cope with that!

Well, in London you’re getting a little over 8 hours of daylight at this time of year. In Inverness, it’s under 7 hours. A Highland winter isn’t to be underestimated.

Op, just to be clear, are you planning to be a rural gp, or have I picked this up incorrectly from wbeezer post?

Anti English? What a load of rubbish...plenty of English living around Kinloss Lossiemouth - all over Morayshire. They moved up with the RAF and when the bases closed they stayed because they love it.

OP have you considered somewhere like Perthshire? There are some lovely towns like Dunkeld, Birnam, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy, might be an easier adjustment than moving from London to a more isolated part of the highlands.

Fuck it life is short, go and make it work there. With your job you'll be snapped up everywhere even if it doesn't work out.

Hmm, I’d rent somewhere to begin with and see how it feels. The lack of winter daylight, midges and and sudden weather changes take some getting used to!

Not so many midges round Inverness, much drier than the west.

I must say this is not a "Highlands" I recognise. Born and bred in Inverness and now live further North West. Of course there are issues but they are not as widespread nor as horrific as being painted in this thread. Perhaps some areas of some places are as described some of the time to some folk but pp's are portraying us as horrific. My own opinion, but still.

@hibbledibble I would agree that there is a massive difference between London and the Highlands, and again between Inverness and Applecross for example. As a GP your hand would be snapped off. There is a massive shortage of GP's particularly remote and rural. Several Practices (north of Inverness) all advertising and getting no applications at all. Shortage of Locums as well. If you want more info feel free to pm me.

"Re Anti-English feelings, well I'm Scottish and to be brutally honest reading about lots of English people wanting to cash in their London property chips and move to Scotland Post Covid makes me feel rather uncomfortable and a bit resentful, i would be perfectly nice to your face, im well brought up, but if you had a whinge too many about the way we do things, or even too often about the weather and especially if you mentioned property prices, you might find me avoiding you.
Its strikes me as a bit like treating Scotland as an untapped resource, almost colonial with an element of white flight thrown in. You'll be part of the Highland property price inflation that drives young people away.
I'm by no means a raving Scot Nat, i voted no in the referendum, but there's a fair amount in the Highlands who are.
I'm sure I've opened myself up, probably fairly, for criticism revealing these feelings, partly caused by jealousy. My own plans to sell up and move a little bit further North when the nest is empty in a few years will affected if too many people do what you do. We've also got people buying second homes as emergency boltholes and super rich people from all over the place buying estates to contend with. Not to mention the curse of Airbnb..."

I'm a born & bred Londoner & feel pretty love the same but about London. Like the op I would like more space but just can't afford it.

The reason Scotland has more “space” is because nobody wants to live up there, for many of the reasons you have all said , rain , cold , rain , rain , nothing to do , rain and did I mention rain . 😀☔️

The Scots have never forgiven the English for chopping William Wallace’s head off. 🔪

It would probably be worth renting and taking on some locum work to see if the area suits you. The important thing when moving into any rural area is to remember that you are the incomers. You need to integrate into their lifestyle, not expect the locals to change to suit you. It's just like when people move from cities to English villages and complain about church bells which have been ringing for 400 years.

I grew up in a beautiful place not far from Glasgow. Rural home with freedom and beauty but in half an hour I was in Glasgow city centre. I’m in a town in the South East but really miss Glasgow. Loch Lomond, Argyle, Edinburgh etc all within easy reach. If the central belt is of interest I can suggest areas.

moving from an area with lots of resources and a different culture and therefore potentially having more resources and a different culture

Have to say that the OP is considering moving from one of the world’s major metropolises to a small town or village. That is vastly more significant than the fact of moving from England to Scotland.

@Haggisfish

Oh they welcome you with open arms as a visitor. Entirely different if you live there.

That's absolute nonsense in my experience , English living in Scotland.

I have lived in the very very north of rural Scotland for nearly twenty years now. I still have a very English accent. I don't get any anti English vibe at all during my day to day life. (Aside from abit of friendly banter.) I have heard people being described as "very English". To be honest these people tend to want to change things about the area. Tend to be abit snooty and look down on the locals. I can see what they mean they just have an attitude that they are better than the rest of us. Those people don't last long before moving back to England after a few years.

Hmm. I have relatives from Glasgow area who moved to Thurso a few years ago. I have heard about the alcoholism, drink driving seems to be the norm as how else do people get home from the pub. They are very much treated as incomers despite being Scottish and it can be very unpleasant. The scenery is absolutely awe inspiring but winters are bleak. They are very isolated from the rest of the family by covid. Think very carefully. Renting for a year sound a good idea.

@Snowdrop30

The most successful 'moves out of London' I've heard of, have been folks who have moved right out of the orbit of London to a smaller (but still culturally rich) city within easy reach of great countryside. I know happy people who made the move to Exeter, Cardiff, York, Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh.

This. Or Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle etc.

All have genuine empty upland wilderness less than half an hour's drive away, yet you're also have easy access to a decent sized city and all the amenities that brings.

Plus as a Londoner, property will look very affordable to you, although you might be surprised how expensive some areas are, eg Leeds Harrogate York golden triangle, Ilkley, Alderley Edge etc.

Did it the other way, NE Scotland to south coast - still loving the fact that it’s generally 10°C warmer here, winter days get properly light, and horizontal rain / Baltic east winds / the haar are virtually non existent.

I wanted to say that if you do move here OP, you'd be an adopted Scot. If you live, pay your taxes, vote, and are part of the community, here you're Scottish. Ethnic nationalism takes us down a dangerous path, and I don't hold with it, nor do most others I know (Lowlanders or Highlanders).

I remember vividly an Indian member of staff at the place where I work going to give a speech at a formal occasion. He chose to wear the kilt of the city I live in. The entire room stood up and cheered. A friend from Ghana chose to attend his graduation in a kilt made of kente cloth. Got the same reaction. It said something powerful to me about civic belonging.

"It is ethnically and socially diverse here though. Are people trying to tell me that the Highlands aren't?"

Yes.

I wouldn't say there was anti English sentiment as such. But as a pp has said, there have been cases where they've come in all billy big news and that doesn't go down well. It wouldn't go down well anywhere though. Perhaps take a wee holiday and see what you think.

*billy big baws

It’s not ethnically diverse in the Highlands, no. There are quite a few Polish people, but very few non-white people.

But where I’m from, you now probably hear more Yorkshire, Estuary (and Glaswegian) accents than local. Local people do feel annoyed with people selling up in SE England and affording all the best housing.

It's a bit of an extreme move OP. Why not look at the countless nice rural areas within 3 hrs of London first?

Ive not noticed anti english sentiment in glasgow, but i did as a kid, even just jokingly it does get to you. I know someone english that moved their family to a small-town in scotland and kids were bullied so bad because of it, they left. Id hoped it had changed.
If youre moving up there id stick to a large town/city