Isle of Bute
 

Calling out to Scott.
Hope you’re hale and hearty.
You may already know that Bute got a very favourable mention in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in 2020.
I know you’ve extolled its virtues over the years but would you care to recap? For the benefit of anyone looking for an area to settle in?
it does sound rather lovely.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

As a Sabbatarian I do not read Sunday papers. Bute is nice. I have been here for 10 years. Ask and i shall try to answer

Re: Isle of Bute
 

OK.
What are the best things about living there?
And what aspects - if any - do you not like?

Re: Isle of Bute
 

Surviving here with no kinship ties can be difficult. Jobs are hard to find.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

Any upsides?
What’s the climate like? It can’t be worse than Ireland surely and in recent years I’ve always found at least the east coast of NI to be quite nice weatherwise. Certainly not relentless rain.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

How will you earn your daily bread ? Slim pickings on the job front. Shelf-stacking in the supermarket ?

Re: Isle of Bute
 

Sure, why not?
Anyway I wouldn’t be looking for work.

There must be something you like about it. The ST was waxing lyrical.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

I came here to retire. Not sure what would motivate you to come here.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

The friendliness of the people.
Just kidding.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

Oxford, Australia, Bute ? Where do you want to be and why do you want to be there ? Not many of us have the luxury of choice.We go where the economics take us..

Re: Isle of Bute
 

A lot of the Republic of Ireland is milder/sunnier than the North though and rain data really depends on location and years. You can drive through Connemarra and it might be pissing down but some of the coastal areas have some of the sunniest weather during the summer months. Then you have Wicklow/Wexford area and while it might rain more in Co. Cork, it's still sunnier and milder than other parts further North.
Both locations are not the Med though.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

In my ten years here on Bute I continue to be astonished by the high rainfall.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

Thanks Moses.
One of the great things about Ireland is that if the weather gets too much - and even if you live in the North - a couple of hours’ drive on uncongested roads gets you to a port and the overnight ferry to Cherbourg.
I have family in the North and I really value the easy access to the NHS so to be honest the weather in the RoI would need to be significantly better than in NI to induce me to move south.
House prices are a big factor too. I recently bought a little (admittedly nothing fancy) detached house in Helens Bay which is a lush wooded area by the sea with a pristine sandy beach yet a stone’s throw from the capital with its hospitals, arts venues, international airport, etc. It cost well under £240,000.

Unless somewhere else in the UK beckons (and funnily enough I’ve now ruled out Bute), we’ll probably base ourselves there.
Am looking forward to spending lots of time in the Republic, though. As a child I used to go to Dingle. Utterly spectacular.

Re: Isle of Bute
 

One of the big benefits for us were the cheap house prices at the time compared to UK, or specifically the South East and less crowds. We're not far from Galway and job market is good too. We can be anywhere in just over 2 hours really, so if the weather is better East we drive there, or check in the morning and might spend a day at the beach around Westport or wherever. Had planned to take the new ferry from Dublin next month but that won't happen. The last few times we went via Cork to Roscoff and then drive down to Spain .

Re: Isle of Bute
 

Bute is not part of Ireland.