17th July 2008 - by Patricia Jones
Meet Scotlands People, Move to the Scottish Highlands and Islands
Scotland tours are never complete without meeting Scotlands people and visiting the Scottish highlands and islands
but what is it like moving to such beautiful locations?
There
are many reasons why people relocate anywhere, so why the Scottish highlands and  Islands? I myself am not a native Scot, but like many others have
fallen in love with the place. I may moan about the rainy, windy days but I can't imagine living anywhere
else!
I have experienced both sides of Scotland from one of the remotest islands to Scotland's largest city. Both are
equally beautiful in their own way and have character like nowhere else I've lived.
Living in the Outer Hebrides completely changed my life. I had no idea such places hidden away in the UK existed
(although it was marked on the BBC weather map all along!) It's a shame not many people get to experience Scotland
in its raw form and only get to touch the tip of the iceberg on what there is to see. When you finally move to
Scotland, you loose that 'touristy' feeling and you become connected to the place in a completely different
way.
Scotland is littered with places where you might consider moving and it can only take that one visit before you
have your heart set on a place. Whether you’re looking for the good life on a croft or wanting the fast pace of a
city there is something for everyone. I’ve experience both and have loved every minute of it. If only I could take
what I have in the city to the Islands, then it would be perfect!
Schools
If you have children it is important to bare in mind the difference in the school system. The
primary schools can work in two ways depending on where you are. Children start primary school at the age of 5
until the age of 11 (P1 to P6) to which they then move up to Secondary school. However in some highland and island
communities they might combine the primary school with the first 3 years of secondary school (to S3) and pupils
then move up to secondary school at the age of 14 instead (S1 to S5).
It’s a much simpler system I feel and saves a lot of moving around. From seeing my brothers experience of moving
from England to Scotland, it was a much smoother transition between the schools as in the highlands and islands in
particular they tend to be more prepared for pupils moving from a different curriculums. Personally, I had more
problems moving schools within the same county in England. One thing to keep in mind; Scotland doesn’t have GCSE’s
or A-Levels. Instead they’ve got Standard Grades and Highers!
Housing
In some parts of Scotland buying a house is quite different compared to the rest of the U.K. For the different laws
that surround buying a house it is best to get in touch with an estate agent within the area that you are
interested in buying.
In the highlands and Islands it is very common to croft your own land. My family does this to rear their own
animals on a two acre plot of land right next to a loch overlooking the sea. It is also popular for to rent their
land out to local farmers for keeping animals or growing certain crops. It doesn’t make you a great deal of money,
but it is great for the local economy in the long run and it’s so nice seeing baby animals prancing around in the
spring!
In Scotland it is very popular to buy and build your own ‘kit house’. Overall this is a cheaper way of getting
yourself on the housing market. I have seen 2 bedroom one storey houses going from 30,000 (excluding the price of
land) which is great because you can design it the way you want!
In the cities however, in recent years I have seen the price of houses creep to level with the rest of the U.K.
Though cost of living seems to be less than I’ve experienced in England, everything else is pretty much the same.
Glasgow and Edinburgh are the most expensive, but there are a lot of online forums which you can join to find the
best areas of the cities to rent or buy and the council tax hot spots.
Article Source: http://www.uksmartguide.com
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