Moving to Scotland

[Andyiswavinggoodbye]

We have family in Scotland and will be moving up hopefully later this year assuming our house in England sells. Family will just be happy to have us a bit nearer so we aren't tied to being really close to where they are (pretty central).

We have travelled extensively looking at areas and have found it difficult to narrow things down. That said, we're keen on the Pitlochry, Aberfeldy and Dunkeld area. Second option is the Borders - maybe Melrose - and our wild card is the west coast (!). We'd like a village setting.

A view is important (either hills or water) but that's pretty easy in Scotland isn't it. If we were choosing based just on beauty, we'd go straight for the West Coast, but it seems that rainfall is heavy pretty much everywhere on that coast, unless there a micro climate we aren't aware of?

In an ideal world, DH would like to live on Barra really, or maybe Arran, so he's not much help! Neither terribly practical from an access point of view

Any words of advice and thoughts on those areas very gratefully received, thank you.

Yes we did our last tour round in February. And we'll give Pitlochry a swerve, the tourism where we are now is definitely detracting from the love of the area. As long as a shop/doctors etc are within reach, we really aren't very fussed about many other aspects of civilisation being on the doorstep. Peace, calm and beauty are the overriding factors for us at this stage. If we need to move to be within walking distance of facilities as we get older, we're happy to do that.

Strange time as well with the housing market, hope everyone gets their skates on and gets their houses on the market now, a lot would have maybe done this in the Spring to get the maximum benefit of the summer selling season. I've been browsing on and off (as you do) though not in a position to do anything until DC finish university in 3 years time and then might be able to reduce/change work/relocate.

I want to downsize and release equity but will miss things that you only really have in larger houses so that's not helping either. I'd still want an utility room with room for a pulley, outdoor drying space/small garden and a garage or shed - also like having a study, so..... :o

Strange times indeed. Hope you find your perfect house when you down size (or not ).

At least here in England we've got the stamp duty holiday which should help stimulate sales.

Thanks :)

They are doing something with stamp duty here as well which might be worth looking into - think there is another thread on it.

@Andyiswavinggoodbye it's funny, I prefer the weather here but it could just be where I am. The hot months are May/June/July usually but there's not as much humidity as I experienced in the SE. Also, I actually found the winters colder when I've been in the SE but we do normally get a lot more snow and it's lethal trying to do anything here because you can't drive due to the ice and it takes about half an hour to walk a 10 min walk and even then you might fall several times. I know you can say that about anywhere but just in my experience, the snow and ice is a lot lot worse here. Also, it's 4 seasons in a day here, it can go from cold heavy rain to boiling sun. Layers are key. If you have any other questions then feel free

Also I find the summers hotter here. Again, could just be my specific location.

a mountain view overlooking a loch you say??

Ooo that's rather nice. A bit over budget sadly, but I doubt we'd find anything which fits our wish list better.

Chamsz I'm intrigued as to where you are - I thought the west cost was damp and reasonably mild in the winter, but then that is based on school geography lessons long long ago, being taught about the warm wet westerly winds in winter only!

@chamsz I'm also intrigued where you are, if you can say - we are investigating a move to Scotland too and like west coast, but the weather has been putting me off. Would be interested to hear where you are. Are you in one of these micro-climates I keep reading about? (DH said it seems like other place in Scotland claims a micro-climate!)

Highland Perthshire is lovely - so Aberfeldy, Blair Atholl, Kinloch Rannoch. A real feel of remoteness but an easy trip down the A9 to the central belt. And Blair Atholl has a train station, but property is at a premuim just because there aren't many houses.

The Angus Glens are also fabulous, for a simlar reason - a wild and remote feel, but really not far from civilisation when you get to Kirriemuir.

I grew up on the west coast and although it is undoubtedly beautiful, I would never move back. I am very outdoorsy and the rain and especially the midges just mitigate against it. I live in Perthshire now and for me it is perfection - I may move house, but not area.

Perthshire/Angus looks like becoming a favourite. Thank you everyone.

Hi @Andyiswavinggoodbye , I NC'd just in case you asked I live in Inveraray, Argyll

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu just replied to the OP, I live in Inveraray, Argyll happy to answer questions unless they're about me

I live in Argyll it is definitely wetter go to met office website and look at blow up map of average annual rainfall and also average numer of rainy days per month it can vary between 2800m and 21 wet days per month in Fort william and parts of Argyll to about 800mm and 11 days in Nairn etc Uk average is about 1000mm of rain and 13 wet days per month so if you moved from Norfolk to Arrochar you could 3 times as much rain and many more wet days
rain and midges may not bother you but the upside is the wettest places generally are not so cold and windy, we have to remove ice from car windscreen kept outside maybe 3-5 days a year, roads are rarely if ever closed for snow in argyll they maybe closed for landslides after rain the drier places tend to get very cold in winter
but argyll is beautiful

Thank you chamsz (or whoever you are ). We visited Inveraray on our last trip. It was very beautiful. Although it was tipping it down! Next is the inevitable question, what's the midge situation? Thanks.

@Andyiswavinggoodbye when was that? Midge situation- if the weather is humid and no wind the it can be bad but I've never seen them for more than 2 months a year in one stint, neither has DH. Saw other PP said Arrochar- we're 30 mins away.

@TeacupDrama ooh whereabouts? Don't have to say if uncomfortable!

Is now the time to confess we have a map covered in post-its with sunshine and rain stats from the met office 😁? That's why I was surprised about Inveraray, as the weather station data indicates that it's wet and mild around there. I think we might have to discount the west coast, albeit with great sadness. We will mostly be away over the summer, so although we will miss the midges, we'll also miss the best of the weather. Am sad about that because we really love the area, it makes my heart sing, but I hate the rain, having lived in one of the driest parts of the uk for years.

@chamsz not too far from Helensburgh

We have holiday home in west coast and never had a midget problem. It’s right on the beach though and usually a little breezy, that keeps them away.

Midge!!!

A holiday home is not the same as living somewhere year round. I grew up in the the Helensburgh/Arrochar/Clynder area and I wouldn't move back after experiencing the delights of Perthshire. It is beautiful but the midges and rain are soul destroying.

Check out today’s new listing in Pitlochry in Rightmove. On the shores of loch rannoch...