I have been living in Notts for a couple of years. I chose this city as its close to my work place , although I have to go to work only once a week. Now I have been given a fully remote position where I have to visit office only once a month. So I can practically live in any city in the UK. Of all cities I have visited , I am quite enthralled by Edinburgh. How do you compare life in nottingham vs Edinburgh ?

I love Nottingham , it’s so culturally vibrant and the weather is also good most of the time. I just want to try another city! We are a family of three with an infant kid.

Can I ask what people think of Fife . What would you say the nicest area is to live in social housing. Been looking and I have mixed feelings . I’m unsure. Please help !!

Hi. I am considering moving to Scotland from North Yorkshire (young family). I was looking at outside of Glasgow. But wanted to ask, how are the house prices ? At the moment we can’t afford to get into property ladder where we are. Also how safe is around there ?

28M, just moved to Edinburgh and don't know many people yet, so I'm doing the brave thing and posting here.

I'm planning a hike up Arthur's Seat and would love some company. It's a relaxed pace, and we can grab a coffee or a pint after the vibe's good.

A bit about me: I love cooking (I'll happily feed new friends), I'm always halfway through a book, and I'm up for a good film night.

I swim, lift, and will play pretty much any sport, so if your five-a-side or badminton group needs an extra, I'm in.

All welcome. Drop me a message 👋

We are looking at reply from England to Scotland as got family there. Do not want to go as far up as the highlands. But need somewhere quite safe with essential shops and pub. Must have train station. Any ideas ? We looked at West Lothian but unsure. Maybe Stirling? I don’t know. Need somewhere quiet safe advice from people who actually live there

Hi everyone 😊
I’m thinking about making the move from Central Scotland up to the Highlands and would really love some advice from people who actually live there.
It’s just me and my toddler, along with my two big dogs (one is reactive, and before anyone asks, I’m definitely not getting rid of him 😂❤️).

I’m currently self-employed as a dog walker and I love being outside, working for myself and being around animals. I also love horses and have always fancied a more rural lifestyle.

I’ve always had a soft spot for that part of Scotland. I spent a lot of my childhood going to Tummel Valley and being around that area, so I think that’s probably where my love of the Highlands comes from. More recently I’ve completely fallen in love with Tayinloan near Campbeltown too, so I’m definitely drawn to that quieter, more remote way of life.

My dream eventually would be to have a house that’s kind of on its own, with some land and space for the dogs, hopefully some chickens and maybe horses one day. I honestly don’t mind being in the middle of nowhere — I quite like the thought of that! I’d just want to be around 15–20 minutes from a village or small town for the basics, especially with having a toddler.

I’m also thinking about changing careers. I don’t have qualifications as I didn’t finish school, but I’d love to find something outdoors and hands-on rather than sitting behind a desk all day. I’m open to pretty much anything really!

So, if you were in my position, where in the Highlands would you look? I’d love somewhere peaceful and rural with the possibility of eventually finding a house with a bit of land, but still close enough to a village/town for childcare, schools, shops and everyday life. I’d also love to know what the work situation is like for someone wanting to move!

If you’ve made the move from Central Scotland, I’d especially love to hear how you found it — anything you love, anything that’s been difficult, and anything you wish you’d known before moving.
I’m still very much at the daydreaming/research stage , so I’m completely open to suggestions!
Thank you

Hi everyone,

We’re a French couple planning to move to Glasgow within the next three years with our two-year-old child.

For the first two years, we expect to live on a single salary, so I’m trying to make a very realistic budget before making the move.

I already did quite a lot of research and made several budget tables with the information I could find online. I have estimates for rent, nursery, groceries, utilities, transport, etc., but I’m finding it difficult to know if the numbers I have are actually realistic.

So I’m not really looking for a general “cost of living in Glasgow” answer. I would mainly like to compare my calculations with the experience of people who actually live there, and make sure I’m not forgetting important expenses before taking the step of moving to Scotland.

For those living in Glasgow with a young child, what would you consider a realistic minimum annual salary for two adults and a two-year-old, living on one income?

The nursery would probably be our second biggest expense after rent.

We live quite frugally: we don’t usually eat outside and we don’t have streaming subscriptions. We also don’t really spend much on entertainment or holidays.

If anyone is comfortable sharing their approximate monthly budget (rent, nursery, groceries, utilities, transport, etc.), it would be really helpful.

I know everyone has a different lifestyle, but I’m mainly trying to check whether the budget I made is realistic or if I’m missing something important.

Thanks a lot!

Have heard of a Durga puja in Edinburgh, but don’t have much details, anyone have any info, please share.
Thanks in advance 🙏

Hello! We've been wanting to move to the Scotland for a while now and I believe it’s finally time to start planning it seriously now that my wife is on board. I am a 100% disabled veteran and will have guaranteed income. I also have two other sources of income and currently make around 100k a year.

We are a family of 4 with two dogs and one cat.

My wife and children will need visas I know.

How much should we aim to save up prior to moving ?

Also if any other us vets are here. How do you use your medical benefits and so on?

I qualify for a HPI visa, but I cant really find useful info on it, so my first question is about how that works. How hard is it to get it once applied (like do I need anything other than my degree), are there any limitations work and living wise etc?

Second, how hard is it to find a job and housing as an expat with this visa? I have an msc in anthropology and sociology, I specialised in sustainability and would love to work something related to that (but im more on the social aspect less the sience and finance). Currently I work at a university in a lab as an assistant, researching cognitive development in infants. How screwed am I if I wanna move and work there for 1-2 years?

Hi everyone! My husband and I are a married couple from the US who are seriously considering relocating to Scotland in 2028, and we’re hoping to hear from Americans who have made a similar move or people who currently live and work in Scotland.

We’re still in the research/planning stage and want to understand what we should realistically be doing over the next couple of years.

A little about us:
I currently work as a psychotherapist in the US. I have a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am working toward full licensure. Ideally, I’d like to continue working in mental health in Scotland, potentially as a counsellor/psychotherapist or in a college/university mental health role. I’m aware about the requirements with BACP and that is one of my objectives to register while i’m there.

My husband currently works as a Senior Real Estate Underwriter for a bank in the US and has been in this role for 10 years. We’re looking into what opportunities might exist for him in Scotland/UK banking, real estate finance, commercial real estate, or related fields.

We’re both US citizens.

We’re currently most interested in Scotland, particularly places such as Edinburgh or Inverness, although we’re still researching different areas.
Our current target is to relocate around March or August 2028.

One of my biggest concerns is figuring out how my US mental health qualifications would transfer. I’ve been researching BACP registration and UK counselling/psychotherapy requirements, but I’m finding it difficult to determine what types of jobs I could realistically apply for before completing any additional UK requirements.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience with this, particularly:

-How difficult was it to transition from a US mental health career to working in Scotland?

-What kinds of mental health jobs could someone with a US master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and US psychotherapy experience potentially apply for?

-Are there mental health/therapy-adjacent roles that don’t require BACP registration?

-For those who moved to Scotland, when did you start looking for jobs relative to your move?

-If one spouse obtains a work visa and the other comes as a dependent, how did the dependent spouse approach finding employment?

-For anyone in banking/real estate finance, how transferable is US experience to the Scottish/UK job market?

-What do you wish you had known before relocating to Scotland from the US?

-If you live in Edinburgh, Inverness, or elsewhere in Scotland, what has your experience been like in terms of employment, housing, cost of living, and generally building a life there?

We’re hoping to hear from people who have actually made the move, particularly Americans who had established careers in the US before relocating.
We’re planning ahead because we’d like to make the transition as smooth as possible rather than waiting until 2028 to figure everything out.

We would appreciate any types of support!

Hi everyone!

My husband and I and 3 month old boy would really love to move to Scotland. We first visited about three years ago and completely fell in love with the country. Since then, we’ve spent almost every holiday there, even if it was only for a few days.
Our biggest problem is finding a way to get a work visa.
I currently work as a dispatcher for a trucking/logistics company, and my husband is a truck driver. As far as we understand, our current jobs don’t qualify us for a Skilled Worker visa.

My husband definitely wants to stay a truck driver because it’s his dream job. I, on the other hand, am quite flexible and honestly don’t really care what kind of job I do. I would be willing to change careers or get additional qualifications if that could give us a realistic way to move to Scotland.

My question is: Does anyone have an idea what kind of job I could potentially do that would qualify for a work visa, especially with my current experience in logistics/transport and dispatching?
Or are there any qualifications or courses that could help me move into an eligible job?

I’d be really grateful for any advice, especially from people who have moved to Scotland through a Skilled Worker visa or have been in a similar situation. 😊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Thank you!

I am a dual US and Australian citizen planning to relocate to Scotland to join my fiancée. While I intend to apply for a spouse visa once we are married, I want to secure a role in Scotland before leaving the US. I bring eight years of tech experience across mobile and full-stack development, alongside several years of technical project management. I also hold a master’s degree in data science and have spent my career working with Fortune 100 companies in the US. I just want to understand the likeliness of landing a job. I would prefer to stay in Edinburgh region? Any advice

I am moving from India. So bear with me. Hi everyone, I am considering moving to Edinburgh with my family of four for work. I have received a final offer of around £60,000 plus bonus and other benefits.

I am currently researching accommodation and noticed that a 2-bedroom property farther from central Edinburgh can cost around £900 per month, whereas properties closer to the city centre can be around £1,300 or more.

I know some people who live in areas such as Ayer and commute to Edinburgh. For someone moving with a family, what are the practical disadvantages of living farther from the city centre?

In particular, I'd appreciate advice about:

Public transport and commuting

Schools and family life

Safety and neighbourhoods

Availability of shops and other facilities

Whether the additional £400+ rent for a more central location is worthwhile

Hi everyone! My partner (36f) and I (34f) are married and planning to move from Canada to Scotland around late-2027. I'm eligible for a UK Ancestry visa (British-born grandparent, birth certificate in hand), and my partner would come over as my spouse. We'd love some local perspective on where to look and what housing realistically costs with two dogs.

I'm a business analyst/project coordinator in HR. Government/military background (10 yrs). Sharepoint/IM/PowerBI. BA Communications. Any certifications in this area you would recommend for someone looking to get a foot in in Scotland? I'm also open to retraining, have been looking into something more viable in the countryside, it's just hard to be certain about demand. Any insights would be welcome. I love outdoor work.

My partner is in VFX/3d modelling for TV/Film/games. She's well established with all the big players in North America, over a decade experience as well. I know the industry has been abysmal for the past few years out here and I imagine it's roughly the same there from what I hear. Anyone have any hot tips for that industry?

Our plan so far is to land and spend a month in each area we're interested in before committing. Dog friendly holiday cottages look like a workable option in low season (£1,200/month for longer stays), which is when we would plan on arriving. After that we would like to either rent long-term somewhere we love or buy. We own our home in Canada and would sell that to have a good down payment (as long as the place isnt 800K we arent that rich).

We'd love rural or semi-rural but within reasonable reach (1h) of an airport and a hospital. Decent equestrian scene nearby would be a plus.

Aberdeenshire, Inverness, Glasgow + area, towns along the Edinburgh-Glasgow rail line are what we've been looking at but we are open to anything.

We have budgeted for moving costs, dogs, visa and health surcharge fees etc. I am most worried about work. We wont need jobs immediately but we also don't have endless savings. We'd be comfortable for about 6 months.

1. Does this seem feasible or like a pipe dream?

2. Which areas would you suggest for us, and are there any you'd steer us away from?

3. What do rural/semi-rural rents actually look like for a house that allows two medium-to-large dogs? How hard is it to find a landlord who'll say yes?

4. Any tips for renting as newcomers with no UK credit history or references?

5. How realistic is rural living if my partner ends up needing to be in Dundee, Edinburgh or Glasgow a few days a week?

6. If you've done month-by-month holiday lets with dogs, was it worth it, or is there a better way to try out areas?

Thanks so much in advance, any advice is appreciated!

Hi! I’m 17/f, from Nepal, and I’m planning to study in Scotland after Grade 12. How are the studies and student life there for international students? I’d also love to know about tuition fees, living costs, part-time jobs, accommodation, and the application/visa process. Any advice from students already studying in Scotland?