islandwoman120

I know that there are some folks on here who live in Scotland. Is there anyone who lives on the East coast, north of Edinburgh. In the Highlands even? If so, can they please tell what it is really like to live and work there. I am looking for some place with a relaxed way of life, am so tired of the workaholic lifestyle around me in the USA. Yet someplace that still has life to it! Has anyone gone to Forres, near Findhorn?

dontheturner

Wowee! Islandwoman! Never stayed there, but have towed the Caravan through the place, on more than one holiday! Seems a very lively town, The main High street, looks very prosperous, on Google Earth, well worth checking out. - Type in Jobs in Scotland - Forres,(Morayshire) and see what it comes up with - Give you some idea, of how it is doing. -and of course, www rightmove.com for housing - Good place, I think - love dontheturner.

Young Yin

I stay in Aberdeen, 100 miles drive from Forres.

North east is pretty relaxed in general. The standard of living is generally better than the central belt. Avoid Peterhead and Fraserburgh on the tip of the north east coast.

Reccomend looking also at royal deeside. Ballater, Breamar.

Lothianlad

A very scenic area - wild and rugged and can be bitterly cold in winter -Braemar is often the coldest place in the UK in winter. The local residents are very friendly and some of them, especially, are truly high class, have a very grand house but are not always at home, and not ever really approachable but are immediately recognisable, and often attend the Highland Games at Braemar, dressed like many of the locals.

kevin747

Lived in Inverness for half the week on return from Australia.Truly wonderful place.The countryside and scenery were superb.
It made me realise how lucky I was to live in Scotland.
Good luck

islandwoman120

Thanks for all the comments so far - I last visited Scotland when I was in my twenties, and vowed to return one day. Hopefully that day is getting closer!

Stormer999

Def the place to head for... If you can survive the winters and summer midges the the quality of life far excedes the rest of the UK...

charleygirl

never been to Scotland, it is on my bucket list though......
Islandwoman, do you have a date set or anything?
Good luck.

dunroving

Unless you live in the East End of Glasgow, of course ... men living in Calton have the shortest life expectancy in Europe (54 years), and not because of midgie bites.

islandwoman120

Regarding the statement about winter, and summer midges (yuuk) - I have lived in northern Minnesota, on Lake Superior, since 1998. The winters here are 7 months long, really long, and the mosquitoes and biting flies are a force unto themselves. Snow drifts, ice storms, hail the size of golf balls. Natural beauty around every corner, but lonely living. Scotland sounds like a vacation in comparison!

Stormer999

Nope.....you have just described Scotland! .....met a Canadian lad that had endured two Scottish winters living at Bonnar Bridge. As he said can't stick it no more these people are hard, in Canada the cold is measured on a thermometer in Scotland it is measured in your bones. He went home to Canada. The Scottish midge is well World famous....

islandwoman120

Oh lord, Stormer999! Now I will have to rethink the entire plan! I was looking forward to the land of my ancestors - well, one ancestor at any rate - my paternal Grandmother hails from the Ballater region. Green tartan and all....Hope someone else has nicer things to tell me aboot bonnie Scotland?

Stormer999

No...... Scotland is really beautiful but its not very far South. If you are a hardy type then there is no where better to live in the UK
Whisky was not invented as a nice drink.....more a life saver... Being so far from England it has been untouched by the masses....

Derrygal

My sister lives in Fife (on the coast). She likes it there and it isn't as damp as Western Scotland. There are some beautiful coastal walks where she lives. I was back there last summer - it is very nice - some really pretty little fishing villages. Life is a lot less stressful than here in the US. If I didn't have children and grandchildren here I would move there.

dunroving

I do some contract work for Fife Council and every time I get to visit over that way, time seems to tick just a little more slowly.