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?

WE've just done exactly the same - west country to rural perthshire.

Took DH A while to settle even though he's actually Scottish and his family are in Edinburgh.

I transplanted quite easily but I've always been a nomad and I have no family.

No kids involved, DH Retired and I work from home.

Don't regret it.

Not to south west. In an emergency you are reliant on ferries etc

I also find most Scottish people lovely.

In my experience Scots are not hostile to English people in general. The only caveat to that would be that it depends on how the individual comes over.

Aaah Perthshire is lovely! I’d love to be in Scotland. Free prescriptions and Uni. And yes it’s cold and wet but so if the whole of the UK. Perthshire is a wonderful place.

There was an OP on here during the summer who was English and on holiday in Scotland. The thread title was something like 'how many people are actually hating me right now' and the premise was that obviously Scottish people hate English people so were we all secretly despising her behind her back.

When will you all understand. We don't hate English people as a bloody race. We feel marginalised by the inherent democratic deficit in our political system, and sometimes patronised by comments about the weather and the terrible darkness and how it's so bleak.

Most Scot’s don’t feel ‘marginalised by the inherent democratic deficit in our political system’ though do they? Most Scot’s are quite happy to be in the UK. Just an ever dwindling Indy supporting minority feel like you.

One word - grey!

Why would you go up there when the Devon / Dorset coastline is so beautiful?

For the same sort of distance / flight time the other way, you could be in Southern France?

Well we have a pro-Indy government so you make the assumption...

Well we have a pro-Indy government so you make the assumption...

I don't think we will have after the next election though. And people voted No to independence.
I don't generally feel any more marginalised than any other poor bugger in the UK, the only times I do is when the SNP is pushing some new Green-driven insanity on us.

Hmmmm....Brexit?!

'One word - grey' kind of sums up the depth of thinking here. Have you actually visited Perthshire?

Sorry, the U.K. in general is grey, but the further north you go, it's generally more grey. Culminating in Aberdeen! Scotland is very beautiful in its own way, but if you are prone to seasonally affected depression, it has to be said it's probably not the best move. Southern England is bad enough!

Agreed SNP have as much chance of surviving at Holyrood as the Tories at Westminster.

Perth is a lovely city but there are lovely cities and beautiful countryside much nearer OPs home and family. OP has yet to explain why Perthshire would be the destination of choice.

I agree. I'm pretty indy-ambivalent though.

I do think our democracy is fundamentally incorrectly structured but it'll never change so don't waste much time worrying about it really.

But it's that feeling of being the junior partner that seeds into any anti-English sentiment.

I would just ask you to think if anything goes wrong in your relationship- people never think it will but it can and it does.

You could well be stuck somewhere with few friendsand no family and needing to share care.

There are a lot of people who made these kinds of choices during covid and for some it's worked it, but for many it hasn't.

Your parents can't just keep popping up regularly unless they are very fit and well (and that can change on the toss of a coin) and have plenty of cash

You can have that lifestyle surely in Devon or Dorset or even at a push and a bit more travelling somewhere on Welsh borders ?

And I say this as someone who likes Scotland a lot

Your parents can't just keep popping up regularly unless they are very fit and well (and that can change on the toss of a coin) and have plenty of cash

Carrying on from my previous post, abd drawing on the comment by @Crikeyalmighty, it's worth pointing out that all 3 of mine and DH's parents became nervous of driving, particularly long distances, around 80. These are all people intelligent, confident people, who'd been in previously good health. This hadn't just impacted their ability to visit us, but also their ability to travel slightly further than their immediate environs and nearest town eg; for hospital appts, grandchild's wedding, meeting friends

That's a very good point about people becoming nervous drivers. And I'd agree there are equally lovely places to live in England around the Peak District.

I also don't buy any ideas of Independence and getting back into Europe. That could take decades if it ever happens

I do think our democracy is fundamentally incorrectly structured but it'll never change so don't waste much time worrying about it really.

I'm not sure what the answer is. I think the current arrangement where Scotland/NI/Wales have separate parliaments and England does not is odd. Perhaps a proper federal system where each region has local government, similar to Germany or Spain? England would presumably need to split into smaller regions as well then?

I take it youve never visited Scotland including seen any of the 6000 miles of coastline on mainland a lot of it being granite is very similar to the coastline found in the south west minus hoards of tourists or travelled through many of the regions with their lush green pastures (that’s what rain does) or our heather covered upland or visited any of the Islands many of which have white sand and turquoise sea.
As many English who live here will tell you one of the wonderful things about Scotland is the peace and quiet and the lack of people; a busy day on my near by stunningly beautiful sandy beach is 20 people and that’s on a hot BH.

For those of you who say - why scotland when there are many gorgeous places further south.

There are, there are also millions more people.

Where we live, a traffic jam is five cars.

@NosnowontheScottishhills I love Scotland but think you have to factor in the other issues like elderly parents too and it does depend on 'closeness' ( not distance) -

You are right though about 'grey' people said that to us about Copenhagen when we lived there - and yes there was plenty of grey weather etc- but lots more sun and like Scotland , a gorgeous coastline and we had white sand beaches on the doorstep

@Crikeyalmighty I agree the OP has other factors to consider and I mentioned some of these up thread. It just drives me mad the sweeping inaccurate generalisations that so many people (who I suspect have never put even a toe over the boarder) make about Scotland.