To feel like moving to Scotland might be a bad idea?

[Dontsquashthechocolatemousse]

Currently we live in South West England.

DH has just landed a new job, and it's fully remote - which means we can live anywhere in the UK.

This sounded amazing at first and we let our imaginations run wild as to where we could live. We've sort of settled on Perthshire in Scotland as our dream location.

However, my parents live in the south west (about 1.5 hours away currently). They're late 70s, currently in good health, with busy, independent lives. My other, older siblings live much further away than we do, so we see them the most. They're very close to our young children.

I think it would break their hearts if we moved that far away from them. I know it's only a short plane ride away, but really, how often could we afford to make that journey? And what happens if they get ill, or need looking after?

On the other hand, they could chug along just fine for another 15 years. And they moved all over the world themselves when they were younger - only settling after I was born.

My DH would be so disappointed not to make the most of this opportunity, and to start a new adventure. But I can't help but feel a weight in my chest at the thought of being so far away from my parents.

WWYD?

Yeah I know, I meant because the conservative party is in charge in England, in response to the English saying don't move to Scotland on account of the SNP.

I believe it does tbh. I live in a country where many people move to, and from, the other side of the world and am always amazed at how so many on MN can't move away from family, and how relatively short distances are perceived as almost travelling to the ends of the earth.

But it is. Climate in even the more temperate parts of Scotland are lower than where the OP is currently. It’s a fact. No point getting angry about it. It’s geography. Could make for a more pleasant climate in the current years.

Yeah I know, I meant because the conservative party is in charge in England, in response to the English saying don't move to Scotland on account of the SNP.

Scotland has a double whammy though. Still part of the UK Tory shitshow with an extra SNP layer of shitshow, and charged for that privilige as well.

I think you’ll find it’s Labour that those disappointed with the SNP are swapping to - and they are doing it in their droves.

Cannot wait.

Good luck with whatever you decide OP. I’ve had enough of the insufferably rude little Englanders on this thread ..I’m off to chip the icicles off my nose. Cheery bye!

Politics is not stable and outcomes of elections will be more unpredictable for a few years. SNP is not up to the job. Half baked idea to join EU was laughed off, as not even fulfilling basic requirements.
Women in Scotland? Difficult to predict how woke it can get. I would postpone that decision.

I’ve only been to Scotland once, would love to go back.

But Edinburgh in the spring was bone chilling cold!

Mind you I was thin then. Now I’ve put on weight I could stand it better.

IMO no weather is ever as bleak as a 'Little England' mentality.

Parts of Scotland are bleak. Cumbernauld town centre is difficult to love. Cold, raw Aberdeen winter wind is a bit bleak. Edinburgh hard. But places in Moray such as Cullen are beautiful and Aberfeldy and Crieff are very nice places to live. Borders and Dumfriesshire would be lovely.

Parts of England are bleak; try Stevenage town centre vs the Lake District.

Parts of Scotland are bleak. Cumbernauld town centre is difficult to love.

That's the whole of the UK though. Shithole town centres are a national thing. Most people moving wouldn't go somewhere grim if they didn't have a connection with it - you move to the nice bits.

I don't disagree about that east coast wind though. It's like knives. Or you can go west and get rained on instead.

Agreed

My sibling made the opposite move, not by choice as such but to follow a promotion. He wants to move back as being away from all other family is hard. He and his family visit back up here and people do go down there too but it's a very long way and not easy to do with kids, dogs etc..

I'm currently missing the east coast wind as at least it came with sunny days. It has been so awfully wet lately.

OP: I'd think carefully about moving that far away from your parents if you're the only one who has much time for them. Things can change dramatically with health.

There are some excellent points about waiting to see how things go in the first year of your husband's job, and about what you'd do to keep busy.

Scotland has its issues, as anywhere does, but it is a beautiful place to live, and if you're near enough to an airport (and your parents are) then it might not be too difficult to be far away from them.

Spoken as someone who moved to the other side of the world, so I'm certainly not one to think moving is necessarily bad.

I've seen a lot of people doing YouTube videos about their new lives in Scotland recently, I guess the algorithm has decided I'll like them, it's seems to be very popular with young, hip vaguely alternative lifestyle types. I think a decade ago they would have been moving to rural France or Italy and blogging about that but Brexit put paid to that, now it's Scotland or Ireland.
They only seem to want to move to the Highlands and Islands, it would be fine if they were vets or GPs or any shortage professions but they seem to mostly be digital nomads who have a glamping pod or beehives on the side
The talk of " unspoiled wilderness" and potential sometimes has a vague whiff of colonialism to me.
Perhaps I'm jealous as im stuck in a more ordinary part of Scotland because of house prices, jobs and family responsibilities...

From the south west it is undoubtedly colder here.

Personally I don't mind that. Cold and dry on the east coast suits me and you can wrap up against it.
Perthshire hills in the winter are a different world to Cornwall. To point that out isn't negative.

I love our beaches but they are nothing like a beach in the south west. Again, depending on your perspective this is a good or bad thing. No life guards, probably a few hours for just lounging about rather than a full day but much quieter, lovely for a walk or activities, often have forest and beach together.

If the outdoors lift your soul then the compromise of travelling further is more easily offset.
If you are easily put off going outdoors by a biting wind and like to shop in different places regularly then you are much less likely to settle.

Plenty of people move from England to the remotest parts of Scotland and settle easily. Equally plenty of people move from Glasgow and run back quickly. Like anywhere else the fit needs to be right.

I moved from SW England to N E Scotland a few years ago. Further north than Perthshire. Its much colder! From your parents point of view, I imagine they'll be heartbroken if you leave, I know I would be if my family left me. Difficult decision.

Glasgow ain't all of Scotland though

The west coast with the Atlantic storms comjng in and catching all the rain on the hills isn't all of Scotland.

I've lived a lot on/near the east coast and it's much drier! Look at the stats for sunshine/rainfall in for example Dunbar and Nairn (up on the Moray coast) compared to somewhere on the west side.

I agree with that.

Moving away from family and friends to an area with a limited range of employment options sounds very risky. Jobs come and go and even the most 'safe' jobs often aren't that safe.

Why on earth would you go to a place like that? The greyest, dullest, most boring place ever. Even the houses are grey. Please don’t.

Weather varies massively between areas eg West is rainier than East.
Yes.

I do find it staggering that so many posters can't grasp this concept when they seem to manage the idea that Ireland/Wales on the west are wetter (and greener) than say, the east coast of England. Due to fairly consistent weather and rain patterns.

I do wonder why that could be? Hmmmmm

Just fuck off.

Why on earth would you go to a place like that? The greyest, dullest, most boring place ever. Even the houses are grey. Please don’t.

Did you go on holiday to Scotland and for some reason spend a week in Airdrie or something?

I’d rent for a year if you do try it

A big question is if his next job isn’t remote, what will you do?

But agree with making a pros and cons list

For what it’s worth I think there are plenty rural options in the South West so I am not sure what the big positives would be. I do love Scotland and lived there for several years, but the weather is a challenge.

Oh yeah, and consider your career, even if you aren’t working now.