Reasons NOT to move to Scotland

[AprilHeather]

Hello all, have come across Scotsnet from some google searches - didn’t know it existed! And after some advice please. DH to be and I have considered moving out of England for a while and never taken the plunge. We originally looked at Denmark a few years ago but couldn’t afford at the time. Now my DS’s (11 and 13) are worried about the language, especially with getting behind at school and making friends. Scotland was our next choice. We like the scenery the outdoors and the more left leaning politics. We wanted to move to Kintyre or Arran, possibly Ayr, though we would like to be more remote really. My mum would be moving up with us too and we will build her a granny flat. I am an early career academic so I will be keeping my job at my institution in England (8 hour drive from Kintyre) and stay over at my Dads when I need to. Majority of the week and all weekends and holidays I will be in Scotland with my boys, OH and Mum. I’d like reasons NOT to come to Scotland - especially the areas I mention. The cold hard reality please! It’s so easy to see the life we want (Remote, peaceful, outdoor walks and not too many people to get to know, a small community) versus the reality of the life we will have. Also, can someone please please point out where I can go online to work out what year groups my sons would be in as my eldest would start/have started study for Nat 5s if he was in Scotland I believe? I can’t work it out! Thanks all xx

Nah..they try and rip everyone off!

I'd find it hard to tell you why not to come and live here, obviously people mention the weather and midges but maybe I'm just used to them .

My dd is 11 and starting high school in August , previous poster mentioned Balmaha which is beautiful but you run the risk of being cut off in winter if the snow hits bad.

I think it would really depend on what your kids are used to and what they are expecting.

There are some beautiful towns and villages and like all of the uk there are also tough areas, I know that there are some particularly rough areas in Ayr, although it is a lovely seaside town.

fascinated - totally agree. Remember being told by someone (scottish) who is in a well known band that every time someone recognised him they doubled the price. Made me feel a bit better!

My parents in a far less fancy house seem to pay a lot less for stuff!

Agree that remote in Scotland is an entirely different kettle of fish to a village in England. But you really don't need to live remotely in Scotland to be able to enjoy the outdoors, it's never far away. I'd seriously consider more populated areas and get the best of both worlds.

The weather is RUBBISH though. And the one thing that regularly makes me wish I still lived in the south of England.

Education isn't what it was either.

A friend's elderly parents live remotely, and he worries terribly about services for them. When his dad needed hospital care recently, he had to stay in a hospital in Glasgow while his mum was alone miles away and unable to travel or visit.

Weather on the West Coast is very rainy.
Ok if you like the rain like my son!

Scotland has the most educated population in Europe and just about the highest in the world (ONS) but this could easily change if SNP voted out.

Same if Scotland doesn't gain independence soon- no deal Brexit on top of Covid downturn will be devastating to Scotland which gained a LOT, especially in rural areas, from being part of EU.

We do have more left politics here similar to Denmark (thus better NHS, Police with crime at a 40 yr low) but a lot is controlled in London still so need to bear that in mind.

For example, we couldn't stop flights coming in when our gov wanted to in March as Boris and Co wouldn't allow it so thousands have died in Scotland which didn't need to.

East Coast is stunning , I've lived all over from North, South, East and West and would go for East over West due to rain! The Cairngorms/ Royal Deeside particularly beautiful.

Oh and Scotland's been the hottest part of UK so far this year as we had just under 29 deg last week in the Highlands so not all bad weather wise. ;)

We've just moved to East Dunbartonshire from the rural Midlands.

Plenty of walks from our door, countless more within 6 miles. Hills bigger than the highest point in Shropshire about 5 miles away.

We're also in a town with 3 supermarkets in walking distance and about 9 miles from central Glasgow...

Randomsabreuse Are you in Bishopbriggs?

Nope, Kirkintilloch

Horrible weather

Curriculum for Excellence

I live in a town of 8000 people - ignorance on a totally different level - judgemental mentality - gossiping - people thinking they have the right to comment about you in public etc etc

Don't do it - or live in a city

I’d only move here if you are happy to live somewhere that stops being part of the UK at some point - as you were prepared to move to Denmark it sounds as though you would be fine with that. The worry over another referendum, another political upheaval and the bad tax and economic implications of that is stressful for my family.

I would seriously look at schools before you move. We left Scotland last year primarily because of the piss poor education available to our DC. Curriculum for Excellence is a pile of shite and this is compounded in certain areas by councils who run the schools without a single thought for the children who were actually being educated.

Everything is VERY Scotland-centric - in a way I found really, really uncomfortable and over the top. Neither DH nor I are Scottish and despite living there since we were university students, we still had everything Scottish shoved down our throats at every opportunity. This is evident in the education system too - I firmly believe that the SNP is gearing Scottish kids to stay in Scotland - they do NOT set them up to compete with pupils from the rest of the UK, or Europe with the way the education system is dumbed down and narrows so young.

I'm an English person who lived in Glasgow for 14 years, but I wouldn't move back. My main reasons are:

• the weather
• they just changed the legal definition of women to ‘whoever says they are one as mentioned upthread. There is NO WAY I'd bring my daughter up in a country where she will not enjoy the same rights as women have in England.

Its a shame because Glasgow is a great city, the people are brilliant. And I never experienced much anti English sentiment in 14 years, jokes yes but nothing nasty.

Midges. Rain. And more rain. And then even more rain. Cold. And then more rain. And then some snow and hail.

the Rest&BeThankful is closed AGAIN

I've been going up and down the R&BT regularly, for years and years. Quite often it's partly blocked because of the endless roadworks, yes, and there are frequent longish waits to get through. But I've never known it actually closed, and I must have been through it hundreds of times. Maybe I've just been incredibly lucky.

The last major closure was in January this year. This article has more information about it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-51307327

The problems with the Rest and be Thankful are not limited to landslides and bad weather. Whenever there is a bad road traffic accident they close the road too for accident investigation works which can last for hours. I've had to detour by Crianlarach for both landslides and an RTA.

The last major closure was in January this year. This article has more information about it

Dated Jan 30th. I was through there in January on the 15th. I think I must just be very lucky.

We were planning a move to Scotland but have put that on the back burner for now due to them changing the definition of what a woman is. I do not want my daughter to grow up with less rights than I have.

I can see Arran from my window😃 it is beautiful but you will get stuck there. The ferries go off regularly.

Don't move to Ayr. It has become very run down over the last decade. If you want an Ayrshire town that's a bit "posher", try Largs, Troon or Prestwick. None of these, including Ayr, are what you might call left leaning, though.

Kintyre is an absolute bitch to get to and get out of. Your commute won't be 8 hours, that's for certain. Also, you'd be very remote for things like health care. Same goes for Arran. The air ambulance is aye flying over my house taking folk to Crosshouse hospital.

I'm not sure about the school's because my kids were all HE. Arran academy is one of Ayrshire's best performing secondary schools, though. Ayr academy used to have a very good name but it's gone downhill a wee bit in recent years. Largs academy is the best secondary in Ayrshire. I can't comment on the schools in other areas.

I would add that even Troon is a shadow of its former self, pity really also Ayr has hit the skids.... the Sandgate is a depressing dive now

Pockets of the west coast are terrible,
And some parts are magical

I’d go for fairlie Largs prestwick

Also if you are planning to fall back on teaching, check you are actually qualified to teach in Scotland. When we moved up years ago, my mum who was a fully qualified primary teacher had to sit an English literature exam because she only had English language. In Scotland it’s all just English.
You’ll have to register with the General Teaching Council of Scotland I think.

I know you say that you want to live remotely but I would really rethink Kintyre, Ayr & Arran for reasons of deprivation, lack of things for teens to do and accessibility.

Campbeltown might have a football team but if your boys get picked to play for the team then it’s a long long day away for a match.

Have you thought about the Trossachs? It is a beautiful area with lots of seriously good walking & lochs but much closer to towns & cities. Take a look at houses near Callander, Aberfoyle, Lochearnhead, Crieff.

It's much more northerly so darker, rainier and colder. Beautiful though. And you get enormous evil midges.

On west coast islands.
You regularly get stuck on islands.
English kids can get very badly bullied, they need to lose their accent quickly.
There isn't much for teenagers to do unless they like nature.
Even if you like nature the weather is too bad to do much for months at a time.
As a result of this drug use is pretty high and a complete blind eye is turned to underage drinking.
You will not be local unless you have lived there for 3 generations, merely being born there from non local parents isn't enough.
Everyone knows everyone and their business, if they don't know it they will make something up.
These are the negatives, obviously there are positives.

The culture I grew up in was much more violent with much more alcohol misuse than than culture of most of the English people I met at university.
A blind eye was turned to child sex abuse and domestic violence. Teachers frequently had sexual relationships with older pupils, I honestly thought that was fairly normal growing up.
Things were common knowledge but little was done.