Where to relocate to in Scotland from London

[AutumnLoves]

Hi everyone,

bit of a background story. I’m currently a 24 year old student in London. I have really had enough of living here but to no one’s surprise, it’s bloody expensive to get out. My uni is just outside london so I’m still at home, the prices near my uni aren’t cheap either and still have a London vibe to it so I’m not going to bother wasting more money moving out there.

frustratingly enough, majority of the careers that I’m hoping to get a degree in is predominantly in cities so I will have to stay somewhat local to a city.

im attracted to the Scottish highlands. I love the idea of a rural life and think the mountains and lochs are gorgeous. House prices aren’t too bad and think it would really help mine and my boyfriend’s mental healths. I don’t have any children right now but hope to one day in the future. Is the highlands ok for schools? The small amount of schools I’ve looked at look a little underfunded unfortunately but I could be very wrong.

is it silly of me to think I could have the Scottish highland home life but work mon - Fri in a big Scottish city without the troubles of commuting??

please please please give me some advice as I’m absolutely desperate to get out of here!! Thanks :) x

You need to get a job 1st and go from there. There are only 8 cities in Scotland and some are very small by city standards and/or remote.

Can be hard to break into a local job scene if not Scottish/local (well the Edinburgh banking market as an example)

I assume that you both drive and own cars?
The weather can be grey and grim.

You are describing needing 2 homes- have you priced mon-fri in a city?

yeah I think realistically it’s going be more Edinburgh or Glasgow based as the industry I’m trying to get into is marketing/events.

yeah we both drive, he’s an electrician so I think he’d find it a little easier than me to find a job over there.

i do seem to lean more to Edinburgh than Glasgow and the house prices for Edinburgh are reasonable in my opinion (basing this off a 3 bed house) however it’s more crowded than the nice big spacious houses over in the highlands.

if I had to live in Edinburgh over the highlands it wouldn’t be the end of the world however the idea of not living in the highlands and not getting that rural lifestyle does sting a little.

Have you ever lived anywhere even slightly rural before OP? It can be a bit of a shock 🤣 there's lots of quiet towns/villages outside of city centre Glasgow/Edinburgh you could live in and feel somewhat rural.

From Glasgow, you can drive to Loch Lomond in under an hour- it's the gateway to the highlands.
The west coast is absolutely stunning and affordable in comparison to Edinburgh.
I'd suggest finding a commutable place to live near Glasgow for work.

Agree with commuting to Glasgow.
So many easy options.
Or what about Dumfries and Galloway

I’d go for one of the towns in the central belt with good links to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The towns don’t have a suburban feel nor do they have a middle of nowhere feel. If you’ve not lived middle of nowhere it would be a shock.
Linlithgow is lovely but one of the more expensive options There are many though.

Find a job first. Would there be any chance of one in Inverness? You'd be able to commute from some very rural areas.

Scotland and Scottish cities aren't as cheap as a lot of people seem to think and the housing market for desirable areas moves really fast. Also, salaries aren't always as high as London, especially if you don't have much experience.

Look at where the jobs are and then where you want to live (locality) Keep in mind the commute.

Good luck!

Hello, I'm from the Highlands 😊

First, the Highlands is the size of Belgium, so I can't comment on specifics like how good the schools are, because there will be massive variation all over.

Second, please please consider finding work in the community you are actually living in. People moving to the area with high incomes from elsewhere push local people out of the housing market. This is a huge problem across the rural Highlands. People earning city wages (or retirees) buying houses, and local people working local jobs at lower rates are unable to compete.

I'm not trying to put you off! It's great that you want to move here and start a family, and you'd be really welcome. But if you want to be a real part of the community, it would be much better to work in it. You'll get to know people much easier, and you won't be one of those (relatively) rich outsiders who want to have their cake and eat it at the expense of locals. Get a local job and BE a local instead 😊

And practical advice... I'd advise living here for a full winter (say Oct to April) before committing to the rest of your lives. Quite a lot of people who move from warmer lighter climes do struggle with the winters.

All the best, and maybe I will be your neighbour one day!

Thanks for all the messages! Honestly it’s helping me more than you can imagine lol.

in terms of my experience with rural… my boyfriends family are in the English West Country where it’s rural but I think honestly English and Scottish rural are two different things lmfao. My experience of being in the countryside does instantly make me feel happier though, life is more laid back and much friendlier people.

I had a quick nose at commuting towns near Glasgow and Helensburgh caught my eye. ticked a lot of boxes. beautiful surroundings, near a city, houses within budget and even has a train station which is handy.

I’m not looking to move anytime soon, I should’ve made that clear in my original post. Honestly just wanted to have an idea of where so when the time is here and we can finally flee this hellhole we won’t have much issues finding our perfect place.

I got priced out of a central belt town where I grew up so this is definitely not unique to the Highlanders in the PP. People from Edinburgh bought property in the central belt years ago and it's gradually got so bad no one local can afford to buy in the town they were brought up in. We had to move to a cheaper region of Scotland to raise a family instead years ago. It happens.

Lots of rural places to settle OP, within a reasonable distance to a city.

Helensburgh sounds like a good bet for you.

People commute from Inverness to London. Depends how often you need to be in the office.

I would 100 per cent choose the Highlands over the central belt. There's really no comparison, having lived in both.

Good luck!!

From Glasgow, you can drive to Loch Lomond in under an hour- it's the gateway to the highlands

This ^

If you're used to London's endless sprawl, you'll find it incredibly easy to get to the countryside from Scottish cities by comparison.

I live in Helensburgh if you want to message me with any queries. I'm 43 now but been here since I was 12 so know the place well.

I would say that if you are looking for a city with proximity to mountains Glasgow is a much better option than Edinburgh. Edinburgh is beautiful but it's a much longer trek to the kind of countryside it sounds like you want. I'd look at the north side of Glasgow. The west end or somewhere like Milngavie.

You’re a student and you think 3 bed houses in Edinburgh are reasonably priced?!? Spoiler alert: they’re not! Cheaper than London maybe but I don’t know where you’ve been looking because I don’t any graduates who can afford a house in Edinburgh, most of ours are living in flat share or renting with partners, the ones who’ve bought are older than you and living in tiny 1 bed doer-uppers and I’m sure we don’t pay that badly! I’ve got equity behind me, savings, and a decent salary, and I couldn’t buy a 3 bed house in Edinburgh.
you definitely need to get a job first and then work out where you can.

I would say come up in Winter and travel about for 2 weeks. There is one thing working out commuting distance in summer via Google maps a very different thing in Winter!

But also Scottish towns are the same size if not smaller then English villages a lot of the time so you might be best looking at towns as still pretty rural (it takes me the grand total of 1 minute to reach fields!)

Things to factor in when looking where to move to are amenities and where is the closest supermarket (mine is a 60-70mile round trip which is small in comparison), little shop etc. What hobbies do you have and is something nearby (a gym can easily be over 50 miles away for instance!) Is the option of a takeaway or meal out important to you (this again can be huge distances away). What is the distance to nearest airport, major train station etc.

I'm originally from London but been in Scotland over 10 years definitely found town life to be a good balance. We have weekend away to the Highlands which I love but its too rural for me to live full time.

Have you ever still been to Scotland OP

I'm wondering how your views have been informed, you make it sound like a magical place, rather than another part of the UK with similar issues to all other places.

I disagree entirely that "life is more laid back" in a rural setting. Try living somewhere rural in winter, it's not all hot chocolates by the roaring fire while the wind blows outside. I think you're romanticising the countryside somewhat. Rural life can be hard, tiring and isolating. I agree with a previous poster about spending Oct - Apr in the Highlands before any further planning.

I think you really need to experience winter in Scotland to properly appreciate how it's like. Some days it never gets light and you spend weeks in rainy gloom, when by 3pm it feels like it's night already. The countryside turns to mud.

The pictures of Scottish beaches and countryside can be stunning, but you don't appreciate how cold and windy it is in a picture or that the pretty Loch is infested with midges!

I love living in Edinburgh, but it hasn't got the variety of stuff that London does. I really notice it when I visit DH's brother in London. I never lived in the highlands, but if you look at the average age of the population it's around 50 compared to mid 30 in Edinburgh and Glasgow. I think it's tough for young people as there is a lack of local jobs and if you plan kids there might be issues with schools in the future if nothing changes.

I should’ve explained myself a bit better. Personally I wouldn’t mind being near a city as I am aware that majority of the job opportunities sit within the cities. However, I would just like to live with the countryside on my doorstep. If I could live out of the city in a town surrounded by nature but can easily commute to either Glasgow or Edinburgh then it’s fine. Driving a maximum hour to work is honestly fine as I drive that to work.

I haven’t been to Scotland personally however I have been wanting to visit for a while now I just haven’t had the time or the funds to take a week or two out of work and studies to travel around the country. However, I know a few people who have visited Scotland (different parts) but they all say it’s beautiful. There was someone in my boyfriends family who sadly died few years ago and they left London to live in garelochhead I believe. People who visited them out there say it’s beautiful out there.

I don’t mean to come across as silly and romantising Scotland. I am aware that Scotland has its own personal struggles, one of the main ones being weather. However at the moment I am living in a really rough area of London and grew up in this area desperate to get away. I’ve had crimes that have been in UK headlines happen on my doorstep. As someone from London, Scotland comes across as a much happier place overall.

my boyfriend and I have been saving for a deposit on a house for a few years now but will take at least another 5 years to even start planning a move.

At the end of the day, I am desperate to start a new chapter of my life in a brand new country. I am willing to experience a whole new world. If I don’t like it, I can always move.

as I said above, Helensburgh caught my eye. It’s the vibe I’m going for. Easier commute to cities, lochs and mountains on doorstep, safer and cheaper.

:)

Even on a cold, dismal, grey day, Helensburgh is lovely. It was like that the first time I saw it and I've lived here a very long time.

But, you need to come up and have a look around the area to see if it works for you.

Live in Alness and work in Inverness.

I've spent time in Scotland and it's a wonderful place with the most stunning scenery. I honestly couldn't live there though because the winters are far too cold, wet and long for me. I'm half highland Scots but raised as a soft southerner! You might be tougher than I am of course.