another newbie - with questions

[NickInTheNorth]

Hi everyone

What a great forum this is :)

I've lurked here on and off over the past year or so, often wishing that we could move north and live in Caithness; well that is now going to happen :D

Unusually I guess we're not moving to "get away from it all", but rather to get to where there is lots happening. We're going to Thurso this weekend to look at some houses, and I want to show my children as much of Thurso and Wick as we sensibly can, just to give them an idea of how much more there is going to be for them to do when we move.

So any suggestions as to the must see places for a ten year old and an eight year old girl? They have spent the past 6 years living firstly on an island with a population of 30, then to a tiny ferry port on the west coast with a population of about 200, with only occassional forays into town shopping etc So we want to show them that there is another side to life, but still be within easy reach of the outdoor life that they are used to.

I look forward to an ideas.

[badger]

There are a few really nice small shops in Thurso but not open on Sundays and the big national stores are either side of Wick - Tesco, Homebase, Argos - that kind of thing. Have a look at the What's On section on the front page as there's quite a bit on Saturday. If the weather is fine there are wonderful beaches at Dunnet and Reiss so bring your buckets and spades. If there's time and it's not too windy go up to Dunnet Head and tell the children that's as far as you can go without falling off Scotland ;) .

Actually if you're househunting as well there won't be time to see and do all the wonderful things up here so spend as much time on this website as you can beforehand to help you choose. Good luck and have a wonderful weekend. Hope you find the house of your dreams. Oh, and remember, estate agents up here close on Saturdays and Sundays so I hope your arrangements are all made. If not you'll need to do that online as well.

[mccaugm]

There are a few really nice small shops in Thurso but not open on Sundays and the big national stores are either side of Wick - Tesco, Homebase, Argos - that kind of thing. Have a look at the What's On section on the front page as there's quite a bit on Saturday. If the weather is fine there are wonderful beaches at Dunnet and Reiss so bring your buckets and spades. If there's time and it's not too windy go up to Dunnet Head and tell the children that's as far as you can go without falling off Scotland ;) .

Actually if you're househunting as well there won't be time to see and do all the wonderful things up here so spend as much time on this website as you can beforehand to help you choose. Good luck and have a wonderful weekend. Hope you find the house of your dreams. Oh, and remember, estate agents up here close on Saturdays and Sundays so I hope your arrangements are all made. If not you'll need to do that online as well.

I moved to Caithness 18 months ago and found that estate agents need a little coercing into working at weekends... Make sure you know what houses you wish to look at and that the estate agent is willing to allow you to view. Ironically after living here for 18 months I would love to become an estate agent.

[NickInTheNorth]

I think we've been fairly fortunate with estate agents then as we have three properties to look at this weekend - and possibly one more that a friend is trying to arrange for us.

As long as there are three bedrooms we'll be happy. The beauty of renting is if you don't like house where you are it is fairly easy to move on to another one :)

Any thoughts on advantages / disadvantages between Wick and Thurso? We're looking at houses in both.

[noodle]

Any thoughts on advantages / disadvantages between Wick and Thurso? We're looking at houses in both.

I'm (probably) biased in that I prefer Thurso (it's where I lived first ;) ) as I love the views across the bay etc. I guess it depends on what your criteria is for location though (schools, amenities etc)

[NickInTheNorth]

Schools above all!

Being used to having to travel upwards of 40 miles for anything other than the doctors, or bits and pieces of shopping at the village shop amenities of all types are going to seem ridiculously close at hand where ever we live.

But as we have 2 children at school now Eilish in P4 and Caitlin in P5 until the end of term, and another one who will be ready for nursery in a years time - and yet another one due in July, schools matter :)

We intend this to be the last time that primary schools need to be changed as a result of moving house.

I have to say that my preference is for Thurso - mainly because I love the Atlantic and loathe the North Sea - don't ask why I have no idea :D

[Tugmistress]

Nick,
you know the fishing is better Thurso side than Wick lol :lol:
Wait and see what you see when you get here at the weekend, then decide which you like best :D

[NickInTheNorth]

Nick,
you know the fishing is better Thurso side than Wick lol
Wait and see what you see when you get here at the weekend, then decide which you like best

Got to agree with that about the fishing :)

And most certainly will be making our own decision after we been and looked at the area more critically than I have in the past.

But it's always nice to canvas a few opinions too :cool:

[lynne duncan]

I'll stick up for the wick side
our three have grown up through the playbox playgroup and would thoroughly
recommend it and the hillhead school is fantastic

[NickInTheNorth]

Well having been up for a lightning quick tour of the area, principally to show the children the places we have been talking about, we have managed to find:

a house to rent
a school to enrol the children in
and I've even been offered a job (which I'll happily accept if still available when we move)

So hopefully by early June we will be living in and working in the Thurso area. A few i's to dot and t's to cross, but it's looking good. Nothing wrong with Wick that we could see, just happened to find the right house near Thurso.

So now we just need to sort out maternity care for Jill, midwives, hospital etc and most of the immediate tasks are done. Then we just need to pack and move. Hopefully be in our new home from the start of June :)

Many thanks to all for the helpful information and advice posted on here and offered by PM.

[Dadie]

the community midwives in thurso are great! its usually a thursday in the riverbank for appointments (im not sure about other DRs practices) there is aquanatal swimming on a thursday at 1230 at thurso pool .. wick hospital was nice as well the midwives were nice there too.. but i just wanted to go home... there is a few mother and toddler groups too you could go to we havent been organised enough to go to any yet though!