Scotland - Relocate To This Beautiful Country
by: Charlie Taylor
My wife is an expert on Scotland. She writes about it for a
living. Although born in the south east of England, she is a Robertson
through and through and has returned to her roots, bringing me
along with her. I'm very grateful!
And, I'm not the only willing settler in this great country.
The Scotsman newspaper recently reported that immigrants 'accounted
for 68 per cent of population growth in Scotland between 1991
and 2001'. At the time of the 2001 census, 168,142 people living
in Scotland had been born abroad. This figure, of course, does
not include people like me who were born in another part of the
UK.
Of those born abroad, Americans, Pakistanis and even Spaniards
comprise a significant proportion of recent immigrants, many of
them highly skilled. 37 per cent of those moving here hold a higher
level qualification and the number falling into the 'high earner'
bracket is almost twice the UK average, says the report.
"Can you explain this?" I asked my wife.
"Easy," she said, "it's just a great place to
live!"
And here are her 8 reasons why it is such a great place:
1. There is elbow room. With less than 6 million people, and
an area of 30,420 sq. miles, there is room to breathe. Its population
is about one tenth of the population of England and Wales, yet
the mainland comprises over half the area of Great Britain.
2. House prices are considerably lower than in many other parts
of the UK. In Edinburgh, the average is £170,342; in Glasgow
it is £120,361; and in the Highlands it is £111,693.
In Greater London, the average is £293,363.
3. Scotland's economy has fluctuated over the years as structural
changes have taken place. Heavy industry, agriculture and fishing
have given way to trade, financial services provision, tourism
and high-tech research. The internet has opened up vast swathes
of the country to computer literate workers who can beaver away
at all sorts of IT work as easilyfrom the comfort of a Highland
croft as they could from a stuffy city office.
4. The driving is easier, if not necessarily cheaper! Apart
from the major city centres (and even they aren't in the same
league as London for congestion), driving is almost a pleasure
because of the fewer number of vehicles on the road. Travel south
on the M6 until you get to Preston, and then compare!
5. The education system is far superior to England's. We know,
first hand. Our sons have thrived here in Scotland, from juniorschool
right through to university.
6. The environment is clean. The scenery is magnificent. The
wildlife is plentiful and not endangered. Take a tour by Loch
Lomond and the Trossachs, visit Wester Ross or the Outer Isles,
the Grampians or the Borders and tell me these things aren't true!
7. And along with the healthy environment there is a full range
of recreational activities - Munro-bagging, walking, sailing,
fishing, stalking, to name just a few. And none of the usual sports
are neglected. Even the tiniest of Highland villages contributes
players to the local soccer team.
8. But, most importantly, the people are wonderful. They are,
by and large, friendly and civilised and cultured and welcoming
of 'incomers', no matter what the occasional bad press says. I
have only one complaint: how on earth can nybody understand a
Glasgow east end accent?
About The Author: Charlie Taylor lives in Glasgow with wife
Nicola, a freelance writer. Her main published work is 'Live and
Work In Scotland', published by Vacation Works Publications, Oxford.
http://freespace.virgin.net/nicola.taylor/living.htm Her next
book,'Buying a House In Scotland, will be available in 2006. They
also own and rent out a luxury flat in Glasgow city centre, available
for short breaks. http://freespace.virgin.net/nicola.taylor/accommodation.htm
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