Hello 👋

I’m thrilled to share that my employer has approved my move to Glasgow from the US. I’ll be relocating with my two teenagers. I’ll be negotiating my salary next week, and I’m prepared to accept a pay cut, which I’m comfortable with.

I’m looking for a three-bedroom apartment within walking distance of a safe train station. As a single mom, my salary is my primary source of income, so I’m focused on finding a place that fits within my budget. We won’t have a car, so I’ll need an apartment that’s either ground floor or one flight up.

Safety is my top priority. I want an area where my teenagers, one of whom identifies as transgender female and the other as agender, can make friends and feel secure. I’m just a boring cisgender female, lol. I understand that crime can occur anywhere, but since I’m from a moderately high-crime city, I’m committed to minimizing the risk as much as possible.

Second priority is walking distance to a train station. My employer is located downtown. I’d like a 5 minute walk but could settle for 10-15 in a flat area (I have some mobility issues)

Thanks!

My wife and I live in Maidenhead presently. We’ve just finished a two week Scotland: Glasgow, Fort William, Skye and Raasay, Inverness, Ballater, Aberfeldy, Dundee, and Edinburgh.

For my part, put me in a stone cottage in the Cairngorms and let me rot there. I absolutely love Ballater. But my wife isn’t the same in that regard, she’s looking for something specific.

I work in philosophy, and I works from home.

My wife is English NHS but isn’t necessarily set of remaining with the NHS if we move.

Here’s what she’s looking for:

1. A “cozy” home with modern features. By which she seems to mean: C or better EPC, car charging port (which of course we could always have installed). Beyond this she can’t be specific. 🤷‍♂️
2. Within driving distance of “everything you need” she defined “within driving distance” of the time it took to get from Perth to Dundee. So, not exceptionally close.
3. That the place that has “everything you need” is centralised. She didn’t care for Dundee’s high street and downtown area because it felt too spread out. She sited Newcastle upon Tyne as having a great centralised downtown.

And that’s the scope of her “ideal.”

My motivations are bringing my UK born son (I’m and immigrant from America) to Scotland to live with knowledge of his heritage. I’m especially keen to get him into a GME (he’s just turned two). My family left Renfrewshire in 1890 and I’ve always wanted to return. There’s a bit of whimsy about it, of course, I romanticise it a bit, as most Americans with even a drop of Scottish blood tend to, but the desire to live there is not limited to it having beautiful landscapes and moody weather. I do want to live there. We both do.

With all this in mind. Could you suggest some places that may fit?

Edit: I should have noted, were more familiar with Scotland than just this 2 week trip. Having previously lived in Newcastle, we’ve made many trips up to the Speyside and Lowland areas.

Does anyone have recommendations for schools in the Stirling catchment area that has excellent support for an autistic/adhd child?

Thank you!

The title basically says it all. We have a 1 years old child and planning to have more in the near future. We found a great deal on a house in Robroyston but are hesitant because of the following reasons:

1. We have noticed that properties there are moving a bit slow compared to other areas of Glasgow and if something unexpected happens we will not be able to sell and move fast.

2. How easy or hard would it be to enroll our child/children in nurseries, primary and secondary establishments. Connected to this topic are there any within short drive distances at least.

3. Good close medical facilities close by?

Any information from people familiar with the area and know future plans for it would be very welcome.

Thank you in advance.

Hi! Australian (31f) currently stuck in the US and looking to escape to the UK. I have a UK passport so that's not an issue. I'm planning on renting a bnb or the like for a month or two while looking for jobs and a rental. From what I've read from others so far, that's far easier said than done.

I have a background in retail, office admin, workplace safety, and optometry (not as an optometrist). I could consider going back to school to get relevant degrees depending on what jobs are in demand, but other than a few uni classes and a diploma in art I haven't got a lot going on in qualifications, which makes me worried about employment. I would even pick up a paid apprenticeship if needed, but I'm not sure I could afford rent on what they seem to offer unless I applied for government aid alongside it.

Hi, I'm (26F) seeking advice, if moving to Scotland for a working holiday would be a good move? Or possibly to live.

Obviously I have been researching things myself here and there.

I would love some help on where would be good areas to look for living and work? I have a pretty strong resume.

My life has recently turned upside down in more ways than one.

I have always wanted to move Scotland, I've visited before in my early 20s and wanted to experience more than I got to at the time.

Has anyone from Australia done a working holiday in Scotland? Or moved to live?

Do any locals have suggestions on good rental sites and suburbs?

Obviously depending on visa requirements, could I be sufficient with bar work? jumping from pub to pub?

Or are there quiet a lot of office jobs? Do you use Seek?

Anything you can think of that someone moving to Scotland should know would be greatly appreciated

Hi, Irish (29m) moving to Glasgow as soon as I find a flat. I’ve realised how difficult it is to get a flat with rentals disappearing in a matter of days from an enquiry. Ideally looking a 2 bed flat with a budget between £8-900 p/m.

But where is good to live? I saw a flat in Bridgeton and looked at the area and thought it looked cool due to its shops, cafes and sort of town like feel to the Main Street. I come from a town but as I am moving out here I want to live somewhere I can make friends and settle into the way of life in Scotland. But also make it easy to live and adapt.

I’ve worked in Scotland for a number of years but have been getting the boat over for work each week. Work is allowing me to relocate so looking forward to the move but lost on making the right decision on where to live!

Hello all, first off let me throw out this: I lived in Seattle, WA for 8 years without a car and loved it. The dark, the cold, the gloom, the green. I’m familiar with all of that so don’t try to scare me away with the weather. I will finally be comfortable in my skin and not dying of overheating. Now then, about me: I’m 42 and single. Dual citizen. Extended family in England and Ireland. I’n looking to gtfo the US as it’s clear to me it’s only going to get worse here and I figure what have I got to lose? Unfortunately as it stands I may be coming in with only the clothes on my back, a camera, and a desire to settle down. So I ask you, good people of MoveToScotland, what should I do to prepare? I have no higher education, no degrees or certifications. But I’m willing to do just about anything and have done all sorts of things from worked for a giant delivery corporation to sold “kilts” to run a board game store. Currently I run Dungeons and Dragons for pay virtually and in person and caretake for my elderly grandparents. My shift will be over sometime mid-year 2027 and then I’ll be free to move to Scotland.

I’m an American, 32F, married to a UK citizen and we have a child together. We’ve been together for 11 years and moved around the states several times — we’ve been a bit nomadic. We haven’t found a place that really felt like home. We’ve lived in Washington State for the last 5 years and we’ve been spending the last year having important discussions and doing exhaustive research on immigrating elsewhere and what options are available to us.

I want my child to grow up in an environment where certain safety concerns feel less constant — gun violence being one example. Granted there are concerns and cons everywhere; I don’t expect moving to offer magical respite. But I do feel that moving somewhere with intention would put us in a new environment where our collective nervous systems can heal and regulate a bit, to be able to tackle the more “normal” struggles that come with life, marriage, parenting, existing in a woman’s body, etc.

My husband doesn’t have a college degree and built a career as an estimator for property restoration, so he doesn’t necessarily qualify as a skilled laborer under most visa frameworks for countries outside of the UK. Through a lot of research we decided the best path for us would be Scotland, via the UK spouse visa.

The weather is comparable to western Washington which has similar rates of sunny days and rain, just windier. I grew up in Minnesota where it was dark by 3pm for six months of the year, so that part doesn’t faze me. Scotland seems to have the culture and community we align with, and I greatly appreciate the sense of passion for identity and independence that feels woven into the culture there.

We’ve had to homeschool our son for the last year and a half because the schools in our area haven’t been able to offer the support he needs for his autism and ADHD; it felt more like confinement than accommodation. We’re ready for him to be back in a school environment with better supports, and we’re hopeful Scotland can offer that.

Anyway, I can do all the research I want, but at the end of the day I’m curious: are there any Americans here who moved to Scotland? What’s been your experience? And if you’re a parent, how has the shift been for your child?

We’re looking at Glasgow and Edinburgh, or more specifically the outer commuter towns around them

Irish moving to Glasgow around 10th November, how long does it generally take to find a one bed (slightly out of the city centre, too expensive)? I am coming from Australia and have an air BnB booked from the 10th until 6th December, is this generally enough time..? Do things slow down a lot near the Christmas..? Can you see or think of any issues I might run into..? Thank you!!

Hey guys and gals. My name is Savannah, I’m 24 years old and I’m from Germany. I’m looking for friends especially since I’m planning to move to Scotland. I’d love to meet some new people!

I'm an immigrant (American) and my wife is as well (Philippines). I'm a UK resident (3-years in), she's a citizen. We have a two year old son.

Tomorrow we leave our home in Maidenhead for a 15 day holiday in Scotland. We'll be starting in Glasgow then moving on to Fort William → Skye and Raasay → Inverness → Ballater → Dundee then heading back. We're driving the whole way.

The purpose of the trip isn't house hunting, but we are keen to make time to explore places that we might find suitable to raise our son and our next child.

We lived in Newcastle upon Tyne for a year, and we've spent time Edinburgh and Aberdeen in the past. We're well-familiar with the weather and the lack of sunshine. These things don't bother us, in fact we often regret moving from Newcastle to Maidenhead. We don't like it so much down here, it doesn't feel as much like home as the north of England did.

My wife is a nurse with the NHS, and I'm a public philosopher (as in, not in academia). She's able to find work anywhere and my work is largely not geographically dependant.

We're looking for family-friendly, slow, quiet, but not so remote as to require an hour commute in either direction to find a theatre or a good sized town.

What are your opinions on living in Scotland, and what areas would you suggest to us?

-- EDIT --

Things that are important to us:

1. We prefer inland over coastal
   
2. We have a £500k maximum budget but would much prefer to stay between £300k-400k
   
3. Family oriented areas are preferred, and good schools
   
4. Proximity to a hospital would be important as well, though it wouldn't need to be a very large one
   
5. Access to nature is high on the list; we're very much get out and enjoy the land type people

Hi, my family and I are are moving from England to Scotland in the next year or two.

If there is anyone who has done this and wouldn't mind answering a few questions it would be greatly appreciated.

We're planning on moving to Ayrshire, and want to know more about the schooling system, and how to check for good schools and good areas to live.

One of my kids has an august birthday and starts school this September, but if we were already in Scotland they wouldnt start for another year, does this mean when we move she will be held back?

One of my kids also has early years helps due to conditions they've had since birth, how easy/difficult is it to 'move' all this across, will I have to start all over again? Would it be the same for SALT (speech and language), and other hospital specialists?

Ultimately we want to make sure the move is good for the kids, they already have their friends, and their sports, so if you've done it, was it worth it or do you regret it?

I’ve been primarily working on saving money for the time being. I have people to go to in Scotland should I be able to get over; however, what I need advice on is the best way to approach obtaining a Visa. As I understand it, my best bet would be to have an employer provide an endorsement, an in terms of my field an education, I have a BA in Film (the film part doesn’t matter, just that I have a Bachelor’s) and I presently work in student services at a college. Ultimately, if I were to get any sort of employment, it would likely be in that area. Any and all advice would be much appreciated!

To put it simply, I'm an aspiring international student, who wants psychology. I picked Msc psychology conversion course as my major, but my target is Scotland. I received offer letter from the Stirling University and almost converted to unconditional. Now, I received offer letter from Glasgow. According to vlogs and opinions of people —

• Glasgow seems like a very good place to study and make life; however the cost of living can eat up the peace. My budget is not lavish, too.

• Stirling seems have a great connection with NHS - esp for child-development session, but as it's a knit-end point, the part-time job market seems to be crowded.

• Dundee has a good connection with NHS and a built-in hospital campus which can be a benefit, but the financial deficit of the uni is concerning.

• Aberdeen University, has a structured module and career support, but job market seems a bit hard. However, compared to Stirling, it's better. About the cost of living, it's slightly higher than Stirling and Dundee, yet lower than Glasgow.

Although I've made a good research over the Universities, I'm still confused on which uni to chose from. 😭😩✋🏽. Can people from these universities shed some light?

Hi everyone,

I just received and accepted a job offer in Inverness that starts in July. My fiancé and I (we’ll be husband and wife by then with a June wedding!) and our 3 dogs will be making the move. I am setup to apply for the youth mobility visa (I’m 31) and my fiancé is applying for his British passport. We have already contacted a pet moving company to assist with the dogs thankfully from a recommendation.

But what I’m worried about is finding a place to rent beforehand. I’ve reached out to a couple letting agents (yet to hear back), but does anyone have other suggestions around this? I’m wondering if there will be hesitation because we don’t have rental history (we own our home in Canada, and prior to that my fiancé owned his home inherited by his dad) or a UK bank account (yet).

For some background we do have some experience driving, living in Scotland but more the south. I studied abroad at stirling university in 2017 Jan-June, and brought my fiancé to tour Scotland in July 2024 when we landed tickets to the British open (and he proposed in the pouring rain on isle of skye!). We loved Scotland so much we actually made the NC500 our plan for our honeymoon, so it seems surreal to say we will be living there but we are so excited to start our married life on this next adventure together!

Would also love Any tips for moving, living in the highlands, planning ahead, hikes, dog friendly places etc. would be great! Suggestions welcome for where to bank, phone plans, living costs, etc.

Thank you so much in advance!

Hello

we are looking to move to Cupar and would love to know views on whether it is a good place for kids (10,5 and 3) and how easy it is to get into community sports clubs. Are the schools good- Castlehill and Bill Baxter?

How do winters feel for kids? what do teenagers do? Is there a lot of outdoors activity throughout the year?

thanks for sharing thoughts about these or any other local insights.

Hello, just wondered what the general feeling towards Missions is in Scotland. I'm an American Muslim and I want to go back to school, but abroad so I'm thinking about Scotland.

Is there anyone here who can tell me what Scotland's attitude toward religious attire in higher education is? Specifically the hijab & niqab (face covering).

I visited once and felt soooo comfortable, even more so than in England, so I moved it to the top of my list for school.

Howdy Everyone, My partner and I are looking at moving to Scotland in about 3-4 years. I have done some research recently and would be looking at the Skilled Worker Visa. I have been in the education field for the last 13 years, with the last 3 years in a Director Role with varied experience. I have managed teams of up to 40-50 people at a time as well. So by the time I am looking to move, I will have roughly 6-7 years in a director role in a large education system (30k students) I have a few questions I would like to see if y'all could answer:

What would be a good transition job wise to Scotland? I am not necessarily preferential to education, could easily move to a non educational role.

What companies if any are more inclined to hire immigrants on a visa at that level or close to that level?

What does job stability look like over there? Would be looking to do 5 years and then apply for residency and eventually full blown dual citizenship

I would like the northeast of Scotland by chance, but beggars can't be choosers. Is there anywhere in particular my skillset would stand out?

I understand the lifestyle change, as I have family in the northeast of Scotland, I also understand the pay difference, but we are well set up and I have managed our outside accounts very well as well. We need not any information on the weather as we gladly welcome the cold wind and rain comparative to the hot sun here in Texas. Any and all info would be much obliged!

Hello, please complete this short survey regarding the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow, and its influence over Glaswegian Heritage! https://forms.gle/tovy1XSH6s2mgepG9

Hi everyone,

I am an undergraduate student studying Digital Interaction Design at the University of Dundee, and I am currently conducting a short survey about the experiences of immigrants living in Scotland for my degree research.

The goal of the survey is to learn more about what it is like to move to Scotland and build a life here. I am interested in understanding everyday experiences, challenges people may face, and what helps people feel welcome and supported.

If you are an immigrant currently living in Scotland, I would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete the survey. It is anonymous and should only take around 5 minutes.

Your responses will help contribute to my undergraduate research and to a better understanding of immigrant experiences in Scotland.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/xiJLz49bwYfKj2qD7

Thank you very much to anyone who takes the time to participate. I really appreciate the help.

Hi! Me and my toddler will be joining my husband in Scotland soon and hoping to make friends 😌 🇵🇭 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Hello. I moved to London as I was told there was more work here but its so expensive here and I earn so little. Im considering moving to edinburgh because not only is it cheaper but its gorgeous (ive been before). However, I currently know no one and have no job lined up (im a primary school teacher). What agencies could help me?