Anyone live in Scottish Highlands?

How do you feel about midges? ?

I think a hither moved up to the highlands somewhere - EvilSparkle?

Can I be of assistance?

Lived all my life in the highlands and now islands ?

where exactly are you thinking.. the highlands are huge and diverse when it comes answering your questions

Well we like the west highlands - we went to Torrodon, Kyle of lochash, Fort Augustus...

Its beautiful but does it get annoying you have to travel miles to get to a shop? I just cant imagine there will be many job opportunities.

I grew up on the West Coast and then Orkney ... to be honest I don't think I could do it now - the cost of living is so much higher than in the city, plus the job opportunities and pay is much lower ?

That said, you should check out s1jobs.com for jobs... I lived in Fort William, and then moved to Arisaig which was absolutely gorgeous and I had an idyllic childhood BUT, the midges are chronic, we had to commute an hour to high school etc etc.

Why not spend some more holidays getting to know different areas, the West Coast is very different to the East, and then the North (Orkney in particular) is a completely different ball game ?

I know people who have upped sticks in search of this country life utopia but I know all of them have found it hard to find work that pays well, and many haven't found the locals particularly welcoming [V]

quote:Originally posted by katie kitten
Well we like the west highlands - we went to Torrodon, Kyle of lochash, Fort Augustus...

Its beautiful but does it get annoying you have to travel miles to get to a shop? I just cant imagine there will be many job opportunities.

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I lived in Skye and Localsh for 3 years and its three years I don't want to repeat. As ebee said its totally different living there and if your used to city life/shops/everything on your doorstep then its a massive change in lifestyle. Its gorgeous to look at but the midgies are chronic and your talking a good few hours drive to the likes of Inverness for a proper 'shop'. as for job opportunities, there aren't many, most jobs are done and controlled from Inverness/Dingwall etc (the scottish water guy for example lives in Dingwall and commutes daily when required to go pump in the Skye/Torridon area) apart from local shops/businesses there isn't a huge employment field. House prices in the highlands are just stupid, especially on the west coast. Problem with most of the highlands barr the likes of Inverness is that it "closes" in October for the season. There is a saying in Skye.. the last one off the bridge on halloween shuts the gates and its true, the place dies for the winter and then life is more difficult.

I grew up on the shores of loch ness, again idilic location and its just so bonnie there but everyone unless employed at the local shop/tourist industry worked in Inverness where jobs are plentiful but again the rental/house market is just stupid.

Its stunning place to be and I could show you photos of all the places I have lived in the highlands and really wet your appetite but it is a hard way of life. I'm fortunate that I have never really lived in large cities like edinburgh etc and so am not used to everything like take away/ cinema etc being on your doorstep.

To give you an example where I am now, the main supermarket is the size of a double garage. I'm not joking, it has one aisle down the middle and sells everything from boot polish to fridges, so you can imagine if your not there first thing for milk, then you go without?

I have no problems with you pm'ing me if you want to know more about the pros and cons to highland life?

Another one here ?

Some elements are really difficult, as the others have said, but it all depends on where you live, and how remote you want to be.

Its possible to live in a little pictureque village and still be within half an hour of Inverness.

House prices however, are insane, dont get me started, or I will never stop.

We have been here for three years now (from Glasgow and Dundee) and tbh, we've had enough. We are thinking about going back Glasgow way, but depenant on jobs, might end up just moving closer to Inverness. We are in a really small town with very little to offer.

I have had no problems job wise here, my current job I got within 24 hours (from even deciding to look to being offered the job), and as MrP is looking just now, there are certainly quite a lot going.

Rental market, again, depends where you want and how much you want to pay. Look at www.hspc.co.uk for ideas of property prices, and they have a few rentals on there too.

One thing I will say tho, for every 10 people who promised to come and visit us, only 1 did (roughly) as it takes ages to get here, and the A9 is a horrible road to do regularly.

More tips - s1 jobs dont have much up here, try scotcareers or hijobs. There is a recruitment agency called global highland too.

Oh, there have been a lot of jobs advertised lately, i think on gumtree, for seasonal work, which might give you the chance to try it for a while and see how you like it.

Anything else I can help with, either PM me, or if I ignore you (cos I didnt get it) then put a shout out on here.

quote:Originally posted by Petunia
Another one here ?

Some elements are really difficult, as the others have said, but it all depends on where you live, and how remote you want to be.

Its possible to live in a little pictureque village and still be within half an hour of Inverness.

House prices however, are insane, dont get me started, or I will never stop.

We have been here for three years now (from Glasgow and Dundee) and tbh, we've had enough. We are thinking about going back Glasgow way, but depenant on jobs, might end up just moving closer to Inverness. We are in a really small town with very little to offer.

I have had no problems job wise here, my current job I got within 24 hours (from even deciding to look to being offered the job), and as MrP is looking just now, there are certainly quite a lot going.

Rental market, again, depends where you want and how much you want to pay. Look at www.hspc.co.uk for ideas of property prices, and they have a few rentals on there too.

One thing I will say tho, for every 10 people who promised to come and visit us, only 1 did (roughly) as it takes ages to get here, and the A9 is a horrible road to do regularly.

More tips - s1 jobs dont have much up here, try scotcareers or hijobs. There is a recruitment agency called global highland too.

Oh, there have been a lot of jobs advertised lately, i think on gumtree, for seasonal work, which might give you the chance to try it for a while and see how you like it.

Anything else I can help with, either PM me, or if I ignore you (cos I didnt get it) then put a shout out on here.

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yay a fellow highlander.. where abouts are you (if you don't mind me asking)

Im originally from Glasgow and moved to Inverness last October I came home though in December not cause I didnt like it but because I split form My partner.

I loved living up there and so did the kids.

M
XX

? Another one here!

I'm from Fort William, lived there until I was 19 then moved to Glasgow for college/uni.

We have always said that we would move back there (h2b is from that area too) once are a bit older and ready to have a family etc, but I do think we will find it difficult after living in a city for so long.

I really love going up every so often and miss not seeing my family so often. I think it would take us a while to settle back into life there though, as it's quite different to city living.

I lived in North Uist (Outer Hebrides) for 6 years before I went to uni- probably a bit further out than you want. My parents lived in Oban the time I was at uni.

It's true that the whole place shuts down in the winter. As beautiful as it is in the spring/ summer it can be completely desolate in the winter. The local co-op was a 30 minute drive away and school was on a different island. Occasionally the weather (wind and rain) was so bad the ferry couldn't dock to bring fresh supplies of milk, fresh fruit/ veg etc. Oban was much better, a busy wee town in summer but again quiet in winter.

Mum and dad now live in Brora, a 1 hour drive north of Inverness. It's a really nice place, not so isolated with larger towns a short drive away. Notspent so much time there yet.

I would say if you find somewhere you want to live go and spend a week or so there in the depths of winter so you wouldn't be seeing your new life through the rose tinted spectacles of summer.


One plus point is that the crime rate will be lower. We never locked our doors, even if mum popped out to the shop!

I'm not trying to disuade you from going but it is such a huge move to make, especially if you are in quite a large town/ city at the minute.

Another website for jobs https://www.nature.scot/about-snh/working-us/html/home.htm

Peanut, Easter Ross, about 25 miles north of Inverness, which is where I work ?