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?

I live in Edinburgh and drive my dc to their clubs too, the issue is the distance. I've lived semi rurally and had to drive just to get a pint of milk and had 2 busses a day, 7 miles to go for swimming lessons etc

Yes, it's important to choose your village carefully, even within an area. We live semi-rurally but have a decent village shop 2 minutes' walk away, a small but excellent supermarket less than 5 minutes' drive away and the local secondary school 5 minutes' drive away. Bigger supermarkets, cinema etc 15 minutes away. I wouldn't rely on public transport here though. I work in 5 different schools and it would be impossible to get to them all by public transport. I haven't been on a bus in a decade.

The distance is a good point. Where we used to live (which I wouldn’t have considered particularly rural) it was a 50 mile round trip for a takeaway. There wasn’t even any restaurants closer (though there were one or two cafes). There are areas of the highlands where you could easily be looking at double that just for the closest swimming pool or library. And with very few exceptions the roads do not make for a relaxing drive. You really have to have your wits about you for long distance drives on single track roads.

I totally understand the urge, I get it too. I'm also in London and fantasise about wide open spaces.

My parents are from the same small village in Scotland and the graveyard has generations of our family from both sides. When I visit I'm simply English despite having the same surname as half the village.

Even my parents who people there grew up with are not welcomed much, because they moved away.

Plus my kids are adults and need to work in cities, I'd see them rarely.

Take longer holidays, long enough to get bored of it

@DogsnKids that's another good point. Dc will end up miles away for uni and likely won't be in a hurry to move back to the middle of nowhere.

Sleet, you have to be prepared for sleet on a windy day. It's the most miserable weather you will ever experience.

As someone who grew up semi rural in Scotland, I think anyone who wants to live to a rural location could holiday for 2 weeks in November or February when we get crap weather and none of the touristy stuff is open. It's not so much fun as holidaying in the summer. Then rent for a uesr before you make it permanent.

For the anti English part, my 3 best friends are English. 2 moved up as children and one as an adult. They have experienced some issues because of this. However, the people that have said things were not nice people in general.

I think March is the worst time to head north. As a student in Glasgow I'd go home to the north for the Easter holidays and it was like going back a month weather wise. From London it would be even more of a shock. So, OP, plan to spend the school Easter holidays with your family in northern Scotland and then make a decision.

I grew up in rural Aberdeenshire and don’t recognise a lot of this. Sure, there’s no public transport and your parents have to drive you places, but as teens we spent our weekends at friends’ houses or having friends stay over, or out on ponies, or doing stuff with our families like hiking or cycling or farming chores. It was, in retrospect, idyllic. As younger children we were outside constantly, coming home for meals and roaming about the hills. There was a train line a few miles away and as teens we would be dropped at the station to go into the city (an hour by train) and go to the cinema etc. However, of my friendship group half of us now live elsewhere because we moved away for university and then got jobs elsewhere that can’t be taken back home as the industry doesn’t exist there (creative). I’d move back if I could though!

You're heading directly into snp territory with the highlands op. They do not like English people, at all. Visitors are fine, they'll take your money happily. Living here though, good luck.

The weather is shit and complaining about it will get you nowhere. Learn to drive in the snow and shut up basically, because the gritters and ploughs are pretty useless. You don't need a 4x4 though, I've driven for over 10 years up here in a hatchback. You need to know how to drive in snow, and snow tyres, that's it. 4x4 doesn't help any extra.

Culture is virtually non existent despite what they like to say. There's very little to do and once you've done it, it becomes boring. Only come here if you really enjoy hiking as that's about as interesting as it gets.

Transport sucks. Don't rely on it or you'll be late everywhere.

You have to pay extra for some companies for postage, because they are idiots and think that all of the highlands isn't part of the mainland. The majority is, its just the islands part that isn't, obviously, but you try explaining that to some twit down south.

@midnightstar66 that is true, of my 10-15 (?) friends from school who went away to uni, none had moved back by the time we were 30.

One exception decided to move back to Wester Ross and she only did that because of her husband's job (FP minister )

@TeeniefaeTroon yes it's not so much people moving up to do essential jobs or add children to struggling school rolls but it's people being a little smug about living mortgage free and working part time from home due to cashing in their London equity, im sure most people are tactful enough not to mention it but it's easy to work it out when you get to know people and the locals would have to be saintly not to be a teeny bit resentful at times.
Research the Scottish education system before you move, once you get beyond a certain stage of high school its difficult to swap between the two if you want to move back. I've been on several Mumsnet threads over the years where English people have been disappointed or dissatisfied with what's on offer.

I lived in Aviemore for 5 years and loved it but was in my 20s, single and found a good job. Have you looked to see if there are any jobs, where are you thinking of moving to.

It's beautiful in the North of Scotland, we thoroughly enjoy a visit, but as PPs have said, everything is pretty far apart and isolated. Which is nice when holidaying, but I know I'd struggle with living there permanently. We live in the central belt of Scotland, so maybe I'm too used to having amenities on my doorstep! I imagine this is an issue lots of "incomers" would experience too. We have a bit of the best of both where I live, it's very close to Glasgow, Edinburgh & Stirling, but equally we can be deeper into the countryside in few minutes. And many lovely places are around the 2 hour mark, so easy for day trips. Also, I don't underestimate the impact of the snow. Gorgeous to look at, not so great for practicality of moving around working, shopping, schools etc.

Maybe to you would like my part of the world . Half an hours drive in one direction gets you to Loch Lomond, 15 minutes in the other gets you to central Glasgow, I live in a nice village with decent schools, decent pubs, and a 4 bed semi cosy us £200k.
As one of the first posters said, there’s a lot between London and the highlands. But YANBU to want to leave if your job is portable. I don’t envy Londoners anything at all.

If I had infinite amounts of money, I would have multiple homes. Winter in London for the concerts and art galleries, March/April in Italy (before it gets too hot), May/June in the NW Highlands (driest part of the year, typically, pre midge-season, lovely long days) and probably July/August down in Cornwall or Devon, or a mountain retreat in the Alps (or maybe a month in each).

But seriously, OP, the issue here isn't actually the Highlands. It's city versus rural living. If you have never lived anywhere seriously remote and rural, do not throw everything up to move, do not burn your bridges. Rent and see if you can cope with (a) isolation (b) weather (c) midges (d) lack of amenities (e) everyone knowing all your business. You might well find any (or all) of that list make it hell rather than heaven.

I’ve only read the first page but I’m Scottish and think some posters are definitely exaggerating the downsides OP! 9 months of winter? Maybe very far north but there are so many beautiful places to choose from - Loch Lomond for example is on the Highland boundary, if I were you I’d relocate there in a heartbeat.

They are building a new community hospital and health centre in Aviemore due to open 2021.

I’m say go for it OP.
Good folk, who are worth being in your life, will make you feel welcome in Scotland whatever your profession. Those that have a chip on their shoulder, ignore them they are idiots.

It’s unusual to walk everywhere, even living in a town in Scotland, so yes car usage is a must. Remember though before COVID we’ve had years of bad service from scotrail. You’ll get used to the weather with appropriate clothing and maybe even love the dark nights. Yes, broadband coverage can be awful but I’m hopeful it will get better.

It’s disappointing and verging on disgusting some of the feelings and experiences surfacing on here and I have to say I’m embarrassed to be Scottish with some of them.

What’s the difference between moving from the central belt in Scotland and going further north? You can argue they are still cashing in on property prices and pushing property prices further up for locals.
Where do you stop?

My hometown is very SNP, pro independence and I can assure you there is no anti English feelings at all. I moved in with my English boyfriend a couple of years ago and we’re looking to move back to my hometown. He’s always been very welcome in my ‘everyone knows everyone’ town and he’s even been asked when he’s moving up on several visits. My auntie married an English man, my nana’s second husband was English, both lived in my home town with no issues.

Sure there will be the odd idiot but I don’t know anyone who hates the English just for being English and it’s really concerning people are saying things like this. It gives us all a bad name.

Of course there are negatives when you compare to a place like London. Yes your own transport is pretty essential, yes depending on where you live there’s a chance of a long journey to a hospital, the weather can be trouble. I’m used to having to travel to airports, it’s really not as big a deal as people are making it out to be. Like any big move of course the OP should visit or maybe rent before taking the plunge but really things like midgies are not a deal breaker when deciding where to live

I couldn’t agree more with the above posters re anti English feeling - in my experience any comments made are humorous but to read some of these posts you’d think we all have massive chips on our shoulders! If a person disliked someone just for being English I’d think they were a complete tool

Lived in the Highlands all my life and I really do love it. We enjoyed the snow we had during the 1st lockdown made the time pass easier. Just wrap up warm. There's lots to see. Depending on where you are crime is low. Neighbours are friendly. I would go for it house prices are low here

Getting dark early in London and Inverness are very different things. It really does get dark early...

Your kids might hate it as teens. My teen would!! She loves being close to her friends and close to bus and train routes and towns.

Have you ever been to the Highlands? I'd go and visit first. Tour around. See what it feels like.

I grew up in a smallish town in Sweden so the dark and sleet wouldn't hold any terrors. What I would say, though, is when thinking of teenagers it's not so much about whether there are more or less drugs and drinking than in London: it's how many alternatives there are to drugs and drinking. I was a very well behaved teen and didn't want to upset my parent- but the result was that I became a recluse, because I couldn't go out doing what all my mates were doing and there wasn't much else to do. My children who grew up in a larger city in S/E England certainly had the opportunities to get high or sozzled- but it wasn't a choice between that and sitting at home with a book every evening.

London Tomorrow
Sunrise 07:51
Sunset 15:52

Inverness tomorrow
Sunrise 08:42
Sunset 15:34

London gets more than an hour's extra daylight at this time of year. I'll get me anorak

OP: I know the Highlands is your dream but have you entirely dismissed alternative possibilities closer to home?

As you are living in inner London and already have a house and a job you'd be able to afford a house and the better quality of life in outer SW London / Surrey. Once you get out past Wimbledon, there is a sufficient difference in price to make it worth considering, so long as it isn't Richmond or Barnes or pricier parts of Esher or Weybridge.

There's a patchwork of towns, villages and boroughs that offer a wide range of amenities, house types and prices.

I can tell you more and suggest some possible locations to look at if you're interested.

Healthcare is another consideration. I'm very lucky in that the GP for our area has the surgery in my village, but if I'm unlucky enough to get cancer, the nearest place for chemotherapy or radiotherapy is Inverness, which is three hours each way. We fully intend to move closer to Inverness when we get older.