Hi,

Just accepted a job back in Scotland after being in Armstrong for 7 years. Looking for any advice on moving back. Removal methods (container or shipping company) and advice on moving 2 ferrets and a cat back over. Have posted on the moving back forum but thought I'd ask here too.

Very apprehensive with the move but for family reasons I think this is a good move for us. Will miss loads about the Interior (Good "4 season weather", warms lakes in the summer and excellent skiing in the winter, and Tim Hortons) but lots to look forward to back in Scotland too.

Didn't you already post this in Returning to the UK section ?

That's what he said in the post.

your animals will need 6 months quarantine when you land.

Incorrect.

https://www.gov.uk/pet-travel-inform...nd-territories

There is no quarantine requirement if coming from Canada and the animals are certified by a vet here:

To bring your dog, cat or ferret into (or back into) the UK, it must be accompanied either by an EU pet passport or a third country official veterinary certificate

The passport or certificate must show that your pet has been microchipped (a tattoo is only acceptable in certain circumstances), vaccinated against rabies and if necessary blood tested.

Under the Pet Travel Scheme, all pet dogs, cats and ferrets (including assistance dogs) can enter or re-enter the UK from any country in the world without quarantine provided they meet the rules of the scheme. These rules are different depending on which country or territory the pet is travelling from.

Non-EU listed countries and territories are those which the EU considers do not present a higher risk of rabies incursion compared to pet movements within the EU. The remaining non-EU listed countries and territories are: .............. Canada ...............

Lots of information on the website including links to the forms you will need.

Yes, we looked into this some time ago and have arranged to get our cat and 2 ferrets chipped and vaccinated tomorrow. The rules changed in 2012 thankfully.

Good luck with the move. Hope you know what you are doing. We moved back for "family reasons" back in 03 and within 6 months, knew we had made a big mistake. It's not so much -Canada is so great- as to Scotland being very ungreat!

My one piece of advice would be to obtain Canadian citizenship before you leave, if you haven't already done so.

If you've not been back since 08, be prepared for a shock. The arse has totally fallen out of Scotland since then. On the bright side though, you should be able to afford a much nicer house now.

Probably hasn't got the time for that; it takes quite a while to come through when you apply.

We just moved from Edinburgh to Kelowna and used GB Liners who used Highland Worldwide in Vancouver who I would recommend. I also contacted Fox International who use Brytor in Vancouver who were pretty competitive and very professional when I was dealing with them. Good luck with your new job and move back to Scotland.

Thanks for the two recommendations. Will add them to the list we contact for quotes. Also looking at getting a 20ft container and shipping this through a freight company. My current employer in Kelowna uses a particular freight company and they're working on a price for a container and shipping this for us. They have claimed this would be by far the cheapest option but we still plan on getting removal company quotes to compare.

Yes, we have our dual citizenship in place.

Thanks for your advice. Yes we're pretty sure we know what we're doing. Have been back every couple of years. Not expecting the grass to be any greener there (despite the rain). We have a great lifestyle here in the sunny Okanagan and I will miss the fantastic weather but I think our general lifestyle will be similar with the added bonus of having family and some great (old and new) friends to share it with.

Sorry to hear your opinion of Scotland has diminished. We're lucky to be returning to the north east which has ridden the recession better than the rest of the UK with the Oil and Whisky still flowing strongly. Means the house prices have continued to rise since we left but at least the exchange rate is better for us returning.