Moving to Scotland on retirement- good idea or not?

[Lansonmaid]

Our daughter moved to Brechin 4 years ago for work and son is hopefully going to move to Scotland too. We currently live in the South West of England, I'm about to retire and DH is 10 years older. Our interests are walking, sailing, basically outdoors type stuff. I like choral singing as well.

What's healthcare like, will we be able to make friends? Any ideas / thoughts welcomed

Scottish pubs are awful. My OH didn't believe that I'd never been in a pub in my town. You will never see a professional person in any of our pubs.
Seemingly they need a separate licence to offer food so most don't bother with the expense as what they make on booze would far outweigh any food income.
There's no such thing as going out for a nice pub lunch here

I just want to be clear what I meant about ' the wind'. Its really strong and harsh. Its not just bitingly cold but you have to battle against it to get anywhere. I remember once not been able to cross the road when the green man came on as the wind was so strong that I literally could not walk against it to cross the road.

But yes, if you look up temperature differences between where you are and Scotland, remember it will often feel much colder than that because of the wind.

I live on the NE coast and I've only experienced wind like that once in a blue moon.
The recent storm - can't remember its name - blew part of the roof off my iL's property in the south of Scotland but we had nothing here that day.

When we moved here it was September. I wore shorts in 30 degrees the day we moved to having to wear a coat when we arrived . It was literally summer to winter. I couldn’t believe the stark difference. I came up in June before we moved and people were battling wind and it was cold. That’s the difference. It really is very different.

The best thing I ever did was move to Scotland.

Quality of life, people, outdoorsy lifestyle, cheaper housing, good job (for now!) etc etc.

Yes you can live a long way from anywhere, as you are currently, but then a careful choice and you can 'have it all'. I live between Perth and Stirling - great transport links, good healthcare (the usual NHS stresses, but so, so much better than England, I have three family members who are nurses so have a good idea). 1.5 hours I am in Cairngorms or Royal Deeside, 2 hrs I am on Calmac Ferry on west coast, 2 hours at Fort William, 2 hours to Argyll - I just follow the weather with my campervan on a weekend...

The quality of outdoor life is unmatched for those of us outside the central belt. IMO, go east for sun and fewer midges, or head to lovely Galloway (but further from big hills.

Some of the statements above have had me laughing out loud with how silly they are!

See you on the hill one day.

Some of the statements above have had me laughing out loud with how silly they are!

They may seem silly to you but they're other people's experiences. Doesn't make them silly or wrong.

The North East is lovely op, I'd definitely look at somewhere with good rail links, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Tayside all great places to live. We're never stuck for things to do, and being able to get the train to Dundee, Edinburgh or Aberdeen is great.

Couple of things to look into, as pp mentioned, flooding, not just in Brechin unfortunately, I know Perth and Stonehaven have been hit in the past so worth checking what flood defences are now in place. There's a massive SSE project going through planning just now that will see massive pylons cut through the countryside so it's worth keeping an eye on too.

Sounds lovely that you all want to make the move and be near each other, hope you'll be happy here!

NosnowontheScottishhills‘S post is spot on for advice on moving up.
I am Scottish and live in Scotland. There are many lovely small towns in easy drive of Brechin. You could check Carnoustie & Stonehaven to be by the sea. Of course it’s colder up here, but it’s not the Arctic! And our summer days might be colder but they are also longer 😊. The East coast is much drier and sunnier than the West.
Do remember Scotland is quite big, geographically (for our population). For this reason I don’t recommend you move to the borders or the west coast or north beyond Pitlochry (which is beautiful & on main north-south train line) , as this might be too far to be very involved in your daughter’s life. I would rent for a while close to her perhaps and get a feel for the area.
Treat people as your friends and they will welcome you, (especially in small towns if you join clubs/activities/church). As others have said if you come up and treat others with suspicion and moan about everything that’s better in England it won’t go so well!
You can of course get decent pub lunches in Scotland. But I think it’s fair to say it doesn’t have the same English pub as bedrock of community you get in some English villages. Best of luck to you, stay close to your family.

I'm Scottish (from the west coast) and came back to live here 20 years ago after a decade in the SE of England. I now live in the east which I'd totally recommend. Much better weather - brighter and much drier than the west, and crucially, no midges! Great quality of life. I'd echo what a PP said about Broughty Ferry - a lovely town with great facilities which might be suitable for you.

I moved up here 4 years ago with my husband & kids, my mum & dad moved up shortly after to be near us. I absolutely love having them round the corner and am so glad they made the move, as are they. We lived in Angus when we first moved, there’s some really lovely bits and NHS Tayside is generally a good health board (I’m biased because I work for them), although my experience is mostly limited to children’s services. Good luck whatever you decide! Oh, and you get used to the weather eventually.

Of course there's one upside - every time it's not raining and/or windy, you do feel like you've hand a small lottery win. Wild horses wouldn't drag me away most of the time!

I got a non urgent x-ray to check for an issue that could be hereditary so it wasn't a medical need. Took four months from GP referral to getting the X-ray appointment. That's very fast! I was told I wouldn't get one for at least six months.

If you live in NE I'm shocked, loads of pub and cafes for a lovely lunch and it's a touristy area with Speyside and the Moray Firth

Equally my sister held her 50th Birthday with people from all over the world in July and folk were having to buy summer tops as had only brought jumpers!

Weather is always interesting and a major topic of conversation!

Since Brexit things have really crashed as pubs and restaurants can't get staff. Menus have been reduced down to burgers and chips, fish and chips, or some sort of pie in general. Portions are tiny in restaurants and the mark up on everything has skyrocketed. I know that's the same everywhere, but the pubs that were quite nice have really degenerated. We used to go to a great pub in a seaside town, lovely food etc. It's all burgers and chips now. A cafe we used to go to by the sea with nice but simple food just churns out the usual generic menu now, and I have had food poisoning twice there, so don't go anymore. We have a local pub that has been empty for years, taken over by a lovely couple who worked really hard to make it a success. A year later its closed again. We went for lunch one day and it was scampi and chips in a tatty room with no atmosphere. I miss sitting by a river on a summers day having a cider and a nice meal.

I agree somewhat to the country pub difference and moving from England I was quite surprised but it really depends on where you are.
If we were to drive 10 miles to the next town (which doesnt really have visitors) we would struggle the village pubs often don't serve food and often aren't open for lunch.
By us however the pub and food scene in about 2/3s of the town pubs is good, the other third don't sell food. However I live in a town with lots of visitors so there is still a lot of choice.
The concept of a beer garden I have yet to find a decent version in the North East, found one in Dunkeld where you could sit by the river and Edinburgh has some but its definitely not the same style and it's exception rather then the norm.

I just enjoy it more when we visit England and go to a country pub tbh rather then missing it and the pubs near me always have a lovely fire going when it's chillier and sometimes the folk club.

Just linking some of beautiful pubs we frequent after a country walk (it's a bit ridiculous to say that professionals don't go to pubs in Scotland!)

These are child friendly and the food is gorgeous too.

In the summer, the beer gardens are heaving! Some are right on the river and have beautiful views of the mountains.

We really are spoiled!

https://thebalavoulin.co.uk/

https://www.oldbridgeinn.co.uk/

https://www.macgregorsbars.com/

Yes the country pub thing is quite odd. If a village has money, then you do get fine dining etc, but in most cases, still the hard chairs lined up like a cafe..

Overall i prefer Scotland but a big part of that is population density.

I've found the NHS to be postcode lottery, I've had good experience in richer cities, mixed elsewhere.

Cold aside, the climate is windier, the light is weaker. So outdoor time tends to be more wrapped and involve climbing hills to keep warm, which has it's own attractions.

I can't comment on the social side as I'm a bit of a sociopath. on the surface people seem nice!

Hi, I moved from south east England to Scotland 3 years ago and it's the best decision I've ever made. Here's my take on it:

Winter is much the same. It's a bit darker in the mornings but the temps are comparable.

Don't listen to the poster who insinuated you'll never see the sun again, I regularly eat dinner outside in the evenings in summer. It gets dark at 11pm in summer and it's twilight until 3am when it gets light again. It is beautiful.

The water is better, the air feels cleaner up here. Yes it's a couple of degrees cooler, but it's rarely muggy and oppressive.

Everyone is so much friendlier. People love to chat. I've been welcomed everywhere I've gone in scotland. The culture is friendly and warm. There is community spirit even in glasgow despite it being a city.

Nhs care feels about the same where I am (rural-ish central belt). I travel 25 mins to my dentist and they always have free nhs appointments available. Prescriptions are free as well. As are nhs eye tests.

Our sunsets are breathtaking, the summers are so green and lush. The Highlands and borders are beautiful. It's less populated so everything feels more open. I can't describe to you the feeling of being able to see snowy mountains in the distance in the winter. It's amazing.

I feel at home when I hear a Scottish accent now. I love it here.

I think it depends on the kind of person you are. If you're looking for the freedom to walk wherever you want, the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, and you are adaptable to the culture up here, go for it. I consider myself scottish now and would never go back to England!

f you live in NE I'm shocked, loads of pub and cafes for a lovely lunch and it's a touristy area with Speyside and the Moray Firth

None of the pubs in my town serve food. During the wek they're full of offshore workers getting drunk the minute they get home and full of underage kids at weekends.

@Upsidedownimturningit I totally agree about eating out these days. There was a lovely restaurant right on the beach for coffees and lunches that we used a lot. It's now changed hands and offers a poor selection at extortionate prices. Cafes are closing on an almost weekly basis. One lasted 5 months and a vegan one just a little bit longer.

@Manch2024 My post said that professionals don't go to the pubs in MY town. Obviously I can't speak for every pub in Scotland.

I live in the east of Scotland and I prefer the temperatures here as I find 30-degree summer heat a bit much. It is windy, but I think that's mainly due to being coastal rather than being in Scotland (to respond to PPs) - I used to live on the south coast of England and locals never even bothered owning an umbrella because you couldn't use it. The pub thing really depends where you are. I've lived in a market town where all the pubs were terrifying local old man pubs, where you couldn't walk in without a row of old blokes at the bar all turning round to stare at you in silence. But where I live now has nice, friendly pubs, many of which serve decent food.

It is bloody dark in winter, though.

I've lived in Scotland for 3/4 of my life, having also lived overseas, and in Birmingham and Manchester. I settled back here about 15 years ago. I have no intention of leaving, unless made to for work/family reasons.
I cannot recognise some of the paintings being presented about no pub food, etc. I live in Fife now, and there's very active small communities here - the East Neuk is particularly beautiful, and I live in Aberdour, which is very easily commutable to Edinburgh (about 40 mins by train/1 hour by car, depending on traffic.)
The hospital waiting times are the killer - I'm currently on a 19 month waiting list for a total knee replacement, and fully expect that to be pushed out longer. I cannot afford the £17k to go private at the moment!
I did have excellent care when I needed a fairly urgent spinal operation a few years ago, but that was in Dundee, as there are only certain hospitals which are centres of excellence in some specialisms.

I'm not sure if I would choose Brechin.... yes, you'd be near family, but further from major cities. Maybe think about what your non-negotiables are, and whether access to services, or more remote beauty is your bag. I love the Cairngorms, and also Galloway, for example, but both more remote. I'd rather do weekend trips there. I know you're not moving for work, so you don't need to think about that. I would, however, go somewhere with good public transport, as you never know what your mobility/driving will be like as you get older.
In short, we'd be happy to have you here! The pockets of anti-immigrant/anti-English sentiment (and I experienced lots of anti-Scottish insults when I lived in Birmingham!) are thankfully smaller - and the more cosmopolitan a place you move to, the less you should experience.

Sorry, but where are you? Scotland does not do pubs like England does, that much is true. But there are plenty of nice pubs serving food. They're just nowhere near as ubiquitous as they are in England.

I'm in a largish town in the NE.

The pubs here are very much like something out of the past. If your face doesn't fit, you'll be stared at and ignored.
Sorry if you don't believe me that they don't serve food but there are 4 pubs who do drinks only.

There’s plenty of pubs that do nice food in my part of Scotland.