The Highlands

[The Jogger]

I want to go and live in The Highlands, it's going to be difficult as I work in London and still need to do that but that place has such a draw I can't wait until I retire.

I've been looking at property etc although it will be another year or two before I actually move.

Anybody else live and work miles apart, I already commute 130 mile round trip at the minute.

Jogger

 

[Crackle]

Base yourself around Fort William or Inverness, then the sleeper train is your friend. 10 First Class tickets @ £1000.

Invest in a good waterproof for the 8 month winter and midge repellant for the other 4 months.

 

[Jane Smart]

I don't blame you for wanting to live there. I have just got back from two and a half wonderful weeks up there and also would love to retire up there

The way of life is so laid back. I was at Ballater Highland Games last week and was speaking to an "on duty" relief fireman who was so drunk he could hardly stand up He got called out to a dishwasher fire and managed to control it easily.

His dad was also a policeman in Ballatar and one day, someone upset him and he went home, put on his dads uniform and directed all the traffic in the wrong direction

He was certainly a charachter.

Anyway, I digress that is not what you asked

 

[dan_bo]

130 miles to get to work every day? Blimey that would send me crackers very very quickly.

Friends of mine live in Badachro near Gairloch- it's wonderful.

 

[Mr Pig]

I want to go and live in The Highlands

Sorry, you can't. The Highlands are already full of English people who've realised how crap England is! No room left.

 

[PaulB]

A word of warning though; there is apparently a high rate of suicides from people moving to the highlands from the south of England. All sorts of explanations have been suggested such as the lack of light in the winter, loneliness or the lifestyle not living up to expectations so be warned.

 

[GilesM]

I understand the desire, a beautiful place to live, but I hope you don't suffer from SAD, the winter days are short.

I lived in Dublin and commuted to Edinburgh each week, no real hassle except for the many delayed flights, I did this for about 10 months before my company finally asked me to relocate to Scotland. If you could live near (ish) to Inverness airport, you could get flights down south very easily. My only concern would be, the total lack of motivation to head to London if your home was in such a beautiful place as the Scottish Highlands.

 

[Crackle]

A word of warning though; there is apparently a high rate of suicides from people moving to the highlands from the south of England. All sorts of explanations have been suggested such as the lack of light in the winter, loneliness or the lifestyle not living up to expectations so be warned.

I suspect the explanation is that many people move there expect to escape their problems but of course it doesn't work like that. The mental health register is very full in the highlands.

The answer is no-one can tell you if it will suit you, it's a world apart from somewhere like London and not even holidaying there will prepare you for living there. You have to try it but it's worth trying.

 

[Globalti]

Depression and boredom are bad enough for idealists who go to live in places like the Yorkshre Dales; I'd imagine the depths of Scotland to be much worse especially in winter.

 

[PaulB]

I know of a guy who left a high-powered job in a company I used to work for to go and be a fisherman back in his native Ullapool. We all envied him but within a year, he was back doing his old job saying he couldn't abide the limited distractions of life up there and this from a real keen outdoorsman as well!

I also know a guy who moved TO Livingston from Fort Willam and we all thought he was nuts; personally, I'd rather be a lamp-post in Fort Willam than be the king of Livingston but again, this guy said living in Fort Bill was driving him crazy. He said it was miserable during the interminable winters and the lack of ambition and drive from the locals made him feel ashamed of the place. And that's a large-ish town!

But against that I also I know a guy who moved from Manchester and is now a guide on Mull but will also take people on to the mainland and the ridges on Skye and he loves it even after 15 years.

 

[eldudino]

Given the rain outside and the fact my grandparents in Lincolnshire haven't had any wet weather in a couple of weeks, I'm thinking of a move back to Englandshire though the density of people anywhere but a farming county sways me to stay in Scotland. Do you do the 130mile commute on the bike?!

 

[GilesM]

I also know a guy who moved TO Livingston from Fort Willam and we all thought he was nuts; personally, I'd rather be a lamp-post in Fort Willam than be the king of Livingston but again, this guy said living in Fort Bill was driving him crazy. He said it was miserable during the interminable winters and the lack of ambition and drive from the locals made him feel ashamed of the place. And that's a large-ish town!

This guy quite clearly needed help, and I hope he never described the Livingston locals as being full of ambition, remember, miss West Lothian, is tourist board advice, not a beauty contest.

 

[Crackle]

I also know a guy who moved TO Livingston from Fort Willam and we all thought he was nuts; personally, I'd rather be a lamp-post in Fort Willam than be the king of Livingston but again, this guy said living in Fort Bill was driving him crazy. He said it was miserable during the interminable winters and the lack of ambition and drive from the locals made him feel ashamed of the place. And that's a large-ish town!

But against that I also I know a guy who moved from Manchester and is now a guide on Mull but will also take people on to the mainland and the ridges on Skye and he loves it even after 15 years.

Yeah, this is what I said. You can't tell people they will or won't settle, you can only describe your own and others experiences.

Fort William being the closest town to me when I lived there, I know it well. There's no avoiding it sometimes when travelling but I will do my best not to stop there..

I think it's also a good idea to say something positive about living somewhere like that, such as the pace of life, the sense of community is much greater, the freedom, the scenery, the quiet, the light nights in summer, great cycling, the culture, to name but a few.

 

[scots_lass]

On the downside...............everyone for miles around knows your business, you have to amuse yourself a lot of the time, good pubs/eateries are always a car drive away, everything is so much more expensive, lack of choice for most things including commodities, health care etc ..................

 

[PaulB]

On the downside...............everyone for miles around knows your business, you have to amuse yourself a lot of the time, good pubs/eateries are always a car drive away, everything is so much more expensive, lack of choice for most things including commodities, health care etc ..................

Yup, the other man's grass is always greener.