Am I crazy? Move to Scotland but keeping a job in England- anyone done it?

[gemgem694]

Hi, first ever post so let’s see how this goes! There are loads of great threads on here I’ve learnt so much already.

This is the situation.

My DH and I love the out doors and dabbling in the good life, been growing veg on an ok level 8 years I.e. every weekend involves long walks or loads of time in garden which is large and given up mostly to grow veg. It’s great, but we both would like to have more than our 3bed semi in midlands, and we have run out of space of our large garden to dig up! We’d love a home with more land eg 5 acres, esp so my hubby can hobby farm a little, which he knows a bit about as he grew up on small holding. But no chance of getting that around here in our budget (£300-400k).

We therefore started a plan a couple of years ago to save up and try to find a way to move to Scotland In about 5 years, where we hoped to get a bit more property but equally as important have a sense of community which we don’t really have here (Northamptonshire) despite living 10 years (Possibly our fault time an extent not putting ourselves out there, so not a massive dig against northamptonians!). Also we hope to find a nice place to raise our DDs (now 4.5 and 1.5) but we don’t really want to wait till an age from it’s tough to pull them away from settled schools/friends. On top of that we’ve holiday’d in Scotland every year for several years (mostly cairn gorms area). I Know holiday is different read lots of comments on here about that but it still has not lost its charm. Part of our plan to move to Scotland always included visiting during winter etc to try best as we can to understand the drawn backs. So we set about saving and googling and researching until thinking we’d move around 2023 when dds are 5&8, still young enough For it not to be a huge uoheaval.

Then covid happened and I’m now in a position I’m WFH and even when we go back to the office I’m Going to be able to work from home 2 or 3 days a week. So we’re thinking of taking the plunge and moving now, but keeping my job as I’m the main breadwinner for a few years (I do aspire to do something else/retrain but not sure what I’m yet!) but we have some limbo period where I stay away from home 2/3 days a week to work. My hubby is stay at home dad and as a primary school teacher may go back when little ones older (appreciate some training needed for Scotland).

Has anyone done this? Moved to Scotland for all the positives it has to offered but perhaps the main breadwinner done a commute/spent time away from home part the week? I’m an English qualified solicitor so limited scope getting a job in Scotland although might be possible one day to work in Edinburgh, but long term like to do something completely different anyway.

We love the look of Dumfries and galloway, or just on the other side in Ayrshire but don’t know the area well so going to start exploring soon when lockdown eases. Also the borders. But either way looking at about a 6 hour drive to where my work is and so will need to spend a 2/3 nights away.

Has anyone done anything likely this and thought the benefits outweigh the cons? Or has the experience filled you with regret?

Thank you for reading! Really hope someone has a view as I’m completely torn!

It's not quite the same scenario, but I live in N Ireland and know quite a few people who work in England and only come home at weekends and it seems to work out fine for them.

Thank you. Good to hear.

I live in North East Scotland and know people that (pre covid) were commuting to work in England. Some maintained a flat, others were in Premier Inn etc and others stayed with family and friends. Seemed to work for them.

If you wanted to plan for the long term then I suggest thinking about becoming dual qualified via the Intra UK Transfer test (Law Society of Scotland). I did this and found it easier to get permanent legal work in Scotland. It was hard work but very much worth it!

@Callingallbutterflies

I live in North East Scotland and know people that (pre covid) were commuting to work in England. Some maintained a flat, others were in Premier Inn etc and others stayed with family and friends. Seemed to work for them.

If you wanted to plan for the long term then I suggest thinking about becoming dual qualified via the Intra UK Transfer test (Law Society of Scotland). I did this and found it easier to get permanent legal work in Scotland. It was hard work but very much worth it!

Thank you. If others do it and get by can’t be soo bad.

Becoming dual qualified is something I’ve not considered before, so thank you for mentioning it.

I'm doing something not dissimilar, London to the north east, although I don't need any qualifications just to hope my employer lets me work flexibly enough to do this when I have to be back in an office. The main thing we had to factor in was cost of travel and accommodation to make sure it's still financially worth our while. I've not physically had to do it yet but it's definitely the plan

Just to add I am now in the north of England (facilitated by covid) so it's not just theoretical

6 hours travel each way each week is too much imo, esp if it's driving. I've worked away a lot but max about 3.5 hours and I had a huge financial incentive to do it. I know plenty of people who used to commute from N.Ieland to England but even they wouldn't have had a 6 hour trip.

Are you set on Scotland? I think your idea of having space on your budget is achievable much closer to Northamptonshire.

Would you consider Dumfries and Galloway? Lots of outdoorsy stuff including a national park and about half an hour on the train from Carlisle?

www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/dumfries-galloway/

Sorry climbing toddlee means totally missed you mentioned d&g!

We live in Scotland and for 5 years my DH worked near Manchester. He had a flat there and left early Monday morning and came back either Thursday or Friday. It was hard work for me at home with the DC as I was finishing uni then working but it was okay. We survived.

Lots of people do it.

Consider location in terms of perhaps a main trainline and/or airport if that works from the other end. Cairngorms would tick that box. Borders public transport not so good.

I like a PPs suggestion of living in Carlisle whilst living in D&G. Or what about Newcastle/Northumberland? You get a lot up there for your money.

A friend of mine did something similar. Not Scotland, but north of England, and lived in London a few days a week (also a lawyer). have you also thought about moving in house? Where I work we have several homeworkers in the legal team, who come in perhaps on a monthly basis.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66221514.html

Something like this? And only 10 miles from Dumfries...

Why Scotland? You can probably get a similar lifestyle nearer where you are now. In my impression is that many English villages and towns have good community infrastructure - Scotland often not so much. It is cold and wet in Scotland a lot. I find people practically hibernate in the long dark winter. Proper summers are not something you can take for granted.

I think you might have rose tinted glasses on if you think that a weekly 6+ two way commute is sustainable (dark, rain, snow wind regardless) with no current option to work in Scotland as your qualifications don't transfer.

Could you not stay in Caingorms area and fly to work? My husband's sister did this for a few years and found it okay. You'd have everything Aviemore has to offer within easy reach.

I’ve always worked for non Scotland based companies but mostly remotely with only periods of travel and I don’t face qualification issues in what I do. It’s a little unsettling if you would both not be qualified locally in case of restructures etc though so I’d ponder that.

Personally I’d stick to your original plan and make sure both of you had more robust work options before you move. I’ve moved children at primary age and it happens a fair bit. I’d also want to see what happens with taxes and house prices a bit before I committed again but that’s my view.

So many great responses! Thank you all so much!

A few mentioned elsewhere, closer to work. Not 100% sold on Scotland, I suppose it’s what we know best from holiday and have a close friend near Aberdeen. Also mindful of budget, and my husband is keen for more open country side. But definitely open minded to consider more options.

Also not considered flying/train links. I have a car with my job so always assumed that would be easiest/cheapest, esp as my office in Milton Keynes. But will check out other options. I do work in house already, so hoping that things will become more flexible over time anyway, but planning for the worse at this stage. Also I do plan it to be a stop gap until I find work closer, perhaps Edinburgh which has a bit of a legal hub for my area as far as I can gather (financial services), or I do something different altogether, but who knows what this crazy time will do to the job market!

Lots to think about.

If you were not too far from Carlisle you could get intercity to Birmingham then change 12 hours driving per week is not feasible long term, I live an hour past Glasgow with parents in West Midlands it's 5.5-6 hours driving I do it a few times a year I wouldn't even think of it weekly as traffic can be horrendous from Coventry to past Liverpool turn off adding another hour plus on what is already a long drive

It’s possible, I know someone who does it the other way round. Her employer is very sympathetic.

Before lockdown, she had space in an office local to her linked to her Scottish employer she could use, and her role was very structured round only needing to travel to Scotland in specific blocks of time spaced evenly through the year. They were happy to this because she was only of probably only half a dozen people in the country with the right skill set for the role.

But really investigate the reliability of travel options during winter where you plan to live, including alternative routes or additional time needed if e.g. Forth Road bridge closes, snow gates shut on A9.

The other thing to consider if driving is the traffic situation, Scotland to Milton Keynes is going to pass some pretty bad stretches for traffic. Public transport will cost a fortune. I honestly don't think it's feasible. I know lots and lots of people who travel for work, and none do those sorts of distances by car every week.

If you're set on Scotland I'd look at sticking with your original plan and moving with jobs. That way if you secure a job in Scotland you can move to somewhere appropriate for that job. Otherwise you run the risk of living somewhere that's awful for your job in England but not great for a new job in Scotland either.

Otherwise look at what's available in other parts of England - the peak district and it's surroundings would give you the outdoors lifestyle, cheaper housing whilst still being able to get to Milton Keynes fairly easily.

I know someone who commuted to Scotland at the weekend from London, they found it really interfered with their relationship with their young child and spouse more than they expected.

In your shoes I would want a non-driving commute (or a shorter driving commute), with a train commute you can read, sleep etc, or move somewhere and work somewhere on the sleeper train route and travel overnight.

Are there any options for you to work elsewhere in England to make the commute easier?
How long would it take you to be qualified to practice in Scotland?

I personally could hack a bad commute for a year tops, so I'd want a firm plan to have an easier setup by then.

I wouldn't worry too much about not being Scots qualified. I am in Scotland and work in-house and there are often English only qualified solicitors in the team. It might make more of a difference in private practice but in-house it shouldn't make much of a difference.

My friend and colleague lives in the south of England and flys up to Scotland on Monday morning so in the office by 9.30 and leaves late on Wednesday, then works from home the rest of the week. All pre-covid obviously. She has a similar set up, husband at home and a primary aged child.