AIBU to consider moving to Scotland because I cannot cope with heat?

[bobdylanlover]

I can't stand the heat. I holiday pretty much only in snowy places, some of which get dark very early. I have not coped well this summer. I also have a heart problem that isn't helped by hot weather. It's making me seriously consider moving to Scotland. My mum and dad, in their 70s, are somewhat open to also making the move with us - we are close emotionally and geographically and they wouldn't want to be away from my daughter.

The problem is this. I have lived within the same 10 miles for the majority of my nearly 40 years of existence (aside from uni, and living in Europe 3 times briefly). We have good friends here, it's a nice area, we have a lovely home. A nice primary school round the corner etc. Good neighbours. Parents round the corner. We both are happy in our work and can work remotely. Nothing is technically 'wrong' aside from how hot the summers are becoming. For example, there were loads of local things I didn't go to/do this summer because it was too hot.

I feel sick at the thought of leaving everything and jumping into the unknown. But part of me doesn't want to live and die within the same 10 miles anyway. I feel like I've exhausted almost everything here. I can't think of anywhere new to go any more and I find that utterly depressing.

My partner and I have always loved Scotland. Always. The nature and the space, the friendly people. So it's not an idea plucked out of thin air. It's been something that I've wondered about on/off for years.

Is it normal to feel so sick at the prospect of making such a big move? If I stay here will I regret not having tried it? Do you think the weather (and writing off 3 months each summer) is reason enough to do this? I can't settle on one idea. Sometimes I just think it's easier to do nothing but everything suggests that hot summers are going to be our new 'normal'.

I think the poster actually means half of England are buying up property in Scotland especially across the Central Belt...

This has crossed my mind a lot over the past five years or so too. Maybe we should get in there quick, before everyone else has the same idea and prices skyrocket!!

The east coast of Scotland is drier and colder, generally. The worst is milder and wetter. North of Perth tends to get more snow. The Glasgow area between there and Edinburgh, up to Stirling, south to Motherwell is the busiest and most likely place for jobs. What areas of work are you all in?

Edinburgh is expensive, parts of Glasgow are the wild west. No, worse - if billy the kid went to parts of Glasgow, his horse would be up.on bricks in minutes.
The scenery is beautiful. There are shithole towns too, sadly.
Och go fur it.lassie. Ye'll nae Ken til ye ken.

You will.not know until you know.

Ah okay. Yes, I'd agree with that statement. There does seem to be a lot of English people moving to Scotland. And they are quite different to Scots. I think the English are much more individualistic on the whole.

The last two Summers in Scotland have been decent, especially 2025. Not too hot but solid blocks of warmish weather.

But 2024 was horrendous and the winters can be very long and bleak.

Beyond that, Scotland has many of the same problems that most other places have. Our largest city Glasgow is in a sorry state and even Edinburgh is looking pretty unkempt.

I took the leap from London to NI 20 years ago

I went from everything I knew, to the complete unknown

My first few weeks it seemed everyone I met was English and they all warned me about the long cold wet winters, few were moving back because " their joints" couldn't cope with the cold any longer

And I have to admit, I never felt warm the first few years

But you acclimatise - really quickly. As a Londoner I would still be wearing a coat in April/May - 16oC didnt feel that warm to me back then. Now 16/18 is sunbathing weather and 24/26 is melting weather

As for everything else, I moved big city with every convenience , to the middle of the country and no public transport, no home deliveries etc , and you know, its just so easy to get used to. We were always going to move here but I held off until Ikea moved here, and you know what? A shop I thought I couldn't live without - Ive not visited in 7/8 years

You love Scotland? So go take some weekends up there looking at areas you feel you could settle in

We are the same as Edinburgh , long winters - today was my first drive into work on full beams , but they are now wet and windy rather than white and icy . But they are dark, very dark. Midst of winter its dark before 4 - I mean proper dark, and it doesnt get light till past 8am - closer to 9 if its bad weather and that can really effect how you cope with the winter

Depends on the area. North east Scotland doesn’t get anymore rain than when I lived in the midlands. We do get snow but it’s not miserable, it’s beautiful. I like that we get a proper winter. It’s icy and cold, not mild and wet like much of England.

Cardiff is the wettest place in Britain then Glasgow then Huddersfield then Plymouth and Swansea then Belfast then Blackpool then Bournemouth then Cheltenham. So ideally you want to be in the west but not necessarily Scotland.

I understand as I hate the heat but isn't Scotland full of midges.

Some of the Scottish islands are too small (and coastal) for many midges.

I came back from a Scottish island and was yearning for the 12 degrees and wearing jumpers up there (compared to up to 29 in North Wales, and struggling in shearing vests)!

Is it? Not where I live or where my DS lives or where his girlfriends parents live. 3 very different regions none like a "mini England".

Cardiff is where I live. It's been unbearably hot. And soon it'll be unbearably wet. And possibly unbearably hot and unbearably wet at the same time. This is why I think I can cope with rain in Scotland. I'm used to it. I just want it to be cold and wet not hot and wet.

It’s not been higher than 25C on my part of Fife - and that was only for a few days.

Mostly it’s been below 20C

On the west coast yes.

East coast not really unless near water

We really aren’t any different

All the naice towns are definitely becoming mini England. English escaping England.
I would say that Scotland mostly welcomes the added diversity that it brings, lots of different English cultures and multi cultural influences although there seems to be a draw to the islands which seems predominantly white english settlers over 50 looking for themselves through art, candles and general shite. I try to stay away from those ones.

I would like to point out that I am not an SNP fan, couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery and all that. I like the free movement of people which is why I cannot stand the fact that it’s because of England that we are out of the European Union!

I’ve been thinking the same, I love the heat, but this year it’s been too much, for too long. I’ve also felt really sorry for my dogs, they’d have a much better life somewhere cooler. And it pisses it down all winter here anyway so that wouldn’t be much different.

I loved living in Scotland for the couple of years I was up there, but I missed our warmer weather so much.

Ime living far north isn't just about temperature. It affects circadian rhythms too. Maybe you won't be sensitive to that, maybe you will. I'd do a winter there first to find out. Plus there's midgies. They are absolute fuckers that literally eat into whatever summer you do have.

If you are all happy with the climate then absolutely go for it.
You sound like you have already moved there in your heart anyway OP ☺️

Interested to know what you mean? What sort of mindset do they have?

Midgies, the diabolical SNP, income tax and stamp duty are sky high.

I do like the weather here though.

The East coast isn't that wet and there aren't midgies but we had a really rubbish summer this year.
The short winter days don't bother me as they're offset by the long summer ones.

Honestly i wouldn't move to scotland, yes the summers are cooler but for the last 2 Januarys we've been snowed in for a week, kids have missed school etc. SNP have totally f**d the place, no industry left. Seriously thinking about moving away to give my children better prospects and opportunities.

You don't have to go as far as Scotland to find somewhere that is normally spared the unbearably high temperatures in summer but is cold, wet and dark for six months of the year. Cumbria, or at least the north of the county, is very similar. Overall, though, moving north is not a ridiculous idea at all.