Remind me what's good about living in Scotland?

[CoralPaperweight]

I moved to Scotland 25 years ago (central belt) and I've had a great life here but over the last year or so I've got increasingly itchy feet. May be a post-Covid or age thing but I'm not sure I want to stay in Scotland forever - it just doesn't seem to be as appealing to me, and even the cities seem a bit flat at the moment. Realistically, I can't disrupt DS education at the moment, he's very settled and happy so please remind me of everything that is fantastic about life in Scotland. I'm forever reading threads about people who are desperate to move to Scotland and I'm not really seeing why at the moment.

I've name changed for this.

I'm a Scot from a rough Lanarkshire town. I've lived in England (interspersed with a few years abroad) for nearly 20 years. I would love to move back to Scotland but work, husband and kids prevent it at the moment.

Whilst city breaks are great, its not the same as living there. You're not dealing with work colleagues, commuting and general arseholes in supermarkets.

Over the last few years, I've really noticed a lot more negativity in England. I feel less able to connect with people - be it the Brexit factor or people generally becoming more insular because of Covid or higher cost of living, I don't know?. But there's definitely change and I don't feel as welcome here anymore. I don't feel the same when I go to Scotland. There's deprivation, addiction, crime and religious nonsense. But I don't feel the same sense of narrow-mindedness or selfishness. Everyone out for themselves.

So I supposed I'd say, the grass isnt always greener. Plus if you own a home in Scotland, chances are you'd struggle.to have the equivalent in England.

Also price of houses is a big factor relatives of mine moved to London years ago for work, both had a mad commute back to their modest sized but lovely house on the outskirts. They sold modest house for, what I think is a ridiculous amount of money, moved back to Scotland and bought a mansion type house with some land for LESS than what they sold their modest house for.

It's really good hearing everyone's views - my DS is horrified if I mutter about moving. Some of the comments have made me realise why i loved being here for 20+years .... hopefully I can rediscover the things that excite me about here again.

All the English people are this (bad thing) and more this and there are fewer of this type of horrible person here, and Scottish people are this (good thing)...that's what's so tiresome, it's stereotyping and othering people.

Hey we had people on the border here in the pandemic telling people to fuck off crossing the border.

@CoralPaperweight I recommend coming off Twitter, and Facebook political stuff, it does help.

Everyone I know is a bit mentally and physically worn down post pandemic, waiting for their family healthcare backlog to clear, hoping for some sustained good times.

Biggest difference is the people. I spent some time living down south and couldn't believe that people don't talk to each other. In Scotland you can strike up conversations with just about anyone, it's much friendlier. When I tried it down south people just stared at me.

The grass is always greener…

Probably the best thing about Scotland is there's less bastard tories up here

There is Nicola Sturgeon though. Perhaps equally bad.

I wouldn't say people are friendly - just nosey. There's also an entitlement to know all your business (and what they don't now they'll make up). When I got the key for my house, I said "I'm Rachael and I'm moving in tomorrow". To which the neighbour replied "Oh yes we know. You work at xxxxx and you've got xxx kids called xxx and xxx". I was astounded that I'd obviously been discussed before I'd even moved in.
You can't be anonymous in a town. We've had members of school staff told off for something to do with a pupil while they're doing their shopping and a nurse being asked what somebody's symptoms could be when at the swimming pool with her kids - unbelievable! I much preferred living in England where nobody speaks to you (I'm fine with that) but I didn't feel I was being judged or spoken about and could enjoy my days off in privacy.

We recently sold a development of 40 houses. All went to families moving up from England. I also used to work with several people who had moved up and they all spoke of the better quality of life. theatre, beaches, restaurants , mountains all close by.

If you have children - the interest rate on student loans has just been increased again. It's astronomical. Free here for tuition.
I love visiting my family in England but feel very lucky to live here.

Don't your DC get free uni in Scotland? And don't you all have free prescriptions? Or am I out of date?

And you have the best sunsets in the world. And the best landscape. And you know how to celebrate Halloween properly. And you have whisky distilleries and haggis. And Edinburgh and its international festival. I realise these are tourist attractions but they are all bloody lovely.

See i don't think the free prescriptions thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Whenever I have needed a prescription the GP can only prescribe certain items - not the full range. Eg my son's eczema cream got downgraded so still end up having to buy the stuff that works, spoke to GP last year re HRT - they offered antidepressants and said they could not prescribe certain items in any case.

Sorry that should read the free prescriptions isn't all its cracked up to be.

Over 90% of prescriptions in England are dispensed free of charge. It’s just SNP propaganda that the English struggle to afford their medication.
I have lived in Scotland for over 40 years, but I would move home to England in a heartbeat if bloody Sturgeon ever succeeded in breaking up the UK.

'Free tuition' is a subsidy to the better off 50 percent, comes at the expense of investment in the other 50 percent as well as investment earlier on in education to really try to level the playing field. 'Free tuition' is a lifelong subsidy to people who will already earn more throughout the course of their lives, due to their degree, paid for by people that didn't get that boost.

But the SNP do know a vote winner when they see it.

But yes, lovely for kids that can get to uni, and their parents.

And fewer kids get to uni in Scotland as the number of Scottish Student places is capped to limit the cost of their free tuition policy. It all sounds so well governed here, but that’s such a heap of shite. And so many companies are not investing in jobs here due to the threat of a damaging scexit, which will forever hand over our heads while the unionist majority split the vote into three different parties and the nationalist minority just vote for one, who get into power and demand a referendum they have no chance in winning while failing at absolutely everything else.. Politics is far more broken in Scotland than in England - and that’s saying something!

You can argue that those who go to university will pay back in the future through the tax system, and boost the country though what they achieve in running businesses or whatever. Many countries have free or very cheap higher education, as it's seen as being a good thing for society as a whole.
I like the fact that there is a (I think it's up to £2K) grant for poorer students (in England there is only a loan) and that the student loan is paid back at around 2% interest, rather than at over 10% currently in England. Also the education maintenance allowance for 16-18 year olds from poorer households. I think these things do make things a bit easier / less off-putting for young people from badly off families.

There's also some arrangement between the Scottish government and Scottish universities, whereby to get government funding they have to offer places to disadvantaged young people.

some window dressing there but 'free tuition' by a huge degree is an investment in middle class winners.

A graduate tax on income would be fair, as it stands now two people paying the same income tax, one with and one without a degree here have had quite different levels of Scottish state investment.

This isn't true. Actually the same percentage of young people go to university in Scotland and in England. You can look it up fairly easily.

The rolling countryside and also how cheap property is. Downsides it's a little rough in places. I love Scotland but couldn't live there.

The idea its only the middle class you go to uni here is bollocks

I never recognise the terrible picture of Scotland thats always portrayed here on mn. The utter disdain shown for Scotland by mn Scottish posters amazes me. If its that bad why dont they fuck off then, like they are always threatening to?

I didn't say that, I said that it's mostly the middle classes, not only. Amongst other points about no equivalent investment in the other 50 percent who don't go.

Tuition is so emotive, but free tuition closes no attainment gap.