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Thread: Moving to the highlands

  1. #1

    Default Moving to the highlands

    Hi everyone

    Me and Lynn are looking up to the area in the near future, trying to do our home work about the realities of highland life

    Would love to hear from you all what do you love about living in Caithness and what challenges do you and by return are we likely to face

    Jim

  2. #2

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    Hi Jim/Lynn.

    The most important thing.......You have to go to Inverness for a McDonalds! you soon get used to the idea of 'popping' down to Inverness for certain things, even though it is a five hour round trip. Time and distance are somehow different up here.

    Don't expect anything to get done today, the Caithness way is a lot slower, that can take a bit of getting used to. It should say 'Manyana' on the flag!

    Almost everyone is friendly and will talk to you, don't be suspicious, we are just nice people.

    You can't have any secrets up here, everyone knows everything that happens.

    It's a great place to live if you can cope with being so far from anywhere. We wouldn't swap it for anywhere else.

    Hope you find your perfect place in Caithness.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Not Wick
    Posts
    1,667

    Default

    If people don't know anything about you they will make it up. I am talking from experience too. If you're looking for employment when you arrive here be prepared for "It's not what you know, It's who you know". Everything is expensive up here and according to couriers we are an Island. If you have to rely on public transport be prepared for the trains to be cancelled at very short notice as the driver or guard may have phoned in sick. If you like takeaways there's loads, you'll be spoilt for choice as to which Chinese or kebab shop to use. On the upside there is a Lidl.
    A 1991 Gallup survey indicated that 49 percent of Americans didn't know that white bread is made from wheat.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    1,756

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    On the plus side....

    No speed limits, though traffic calming measures in the form of potsinkholes litter the roads.
    “We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine....
    And the machine is bleeding to death."


  5. #5

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    Thanks for the great advice ! The slower pace of life sounds perfect ! Well at the min anyway and we're both northeners so chatty is what we do

  6. #6

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    Lol so my secret second head isn't going to be missed dam :-)

  7. #7

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    And many days it is wind and rain, or Horizontal rain and wind.
    It is a lovely place on the good days. One gets fed up with the weather.

  8. #8

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    Thanks for that horse man though our main Weather question ( we're expecting the rain and wind ) is does it snow proper?

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimandlynngreenland View Post
    Thanks for that horse man though our main Weather question ( we're expecting the rain and wind ) is does it snow proper?
    Last winter we only had one day of 'proper' snow, even then it only lasted one day. We do however get the northern lights regularly which does make up for the odd day of snow Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sunny Caithness... where life is lived.
    Posts
    744

    Default

    I have sent you a message...click on your name and go to messages...

    Good luck...

    Angel
    I'm not perfect, which is a shame really, as everyone else is!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Wick
    Posts
    4,815

    Default

    The place grows on you. Most folk leave your stuff alone and if you don't make the effort to get on , all the better.

    You will find after living here for a while you will acclimatise to weather and pace of life and going South is like facing the bogey man head on.
    A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Bower
    Posts
    982

    Default

    No speed limits!! - I think you'll find the road safety unit cars from Dingwall have other ideas. More than 10mph over the limit £200 and 4 points at least

  13. #13

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    In my experience, Caithness is different to the rest of the Highlands and has a unique character of it's own. If you love it and go with the flow and above all, don't complain if it's not like down south, then you'll do well!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    1,083

    Default

    The ultra slow pace of life and nothing to do is mind numbing unless your the outdoors type. Every thing is South which can be a fortune to get to and takes a day to get there . Not for all but a small few that can cope ,if your into family and their in England not so good and it's more expensive to get south than you think. Most who move up and have sold property south won't be able to go back ,my friend is in that boat . His wife could not cope and went back to England and family and he's still here in a house he can't sell ,he dropped the price to £40,000 less than he paid 8years ago and he says the prices down south now makes it a NO buy zone for him . He's one of a few that it not worked out for which is a shame . Best of luck .

  15. #15

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    I saw this on a web site the other day maybe a bit of a geek as was amazed you got it so low

  16. #16

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    Thanks dozy something we hadn't considered were aiming for long term but who knows what the future holds, we're outdoor types guess that's the appeal to us

  17. #17

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    Wind and midges. Personaly I dont mind either but some cant hack them....

    Midges- my mother forever complains about them; to be honest the summer winds (5-20mph depending on your location) keep the midges at bay for most of the summer. When you do get big swarms they only last a day or two and tend to stick close to buildings, trees and standing water If you have to go out and their is no way around the swarm, a deet based perfume and keep your mouth closed. But hey this is scotland! I can think of a thousand and one places where the midges are monsterously worse (west coast anyone.)

    Wind, the winter winds hang around the 80mph range and we have had a couple of 100+ storms since we moved up. I love listening to the storms but some don't... a number of places I know have been snapped up in the summer only to be on sale again after the first winter storm. If you are prepared for them they are pretty harmless. Our house is ridiculously exposed but we have never lost a tile. When a storm comes we weigh down our wheely bins and fasten them closed with a bungey to avoid rubbish flying out. The worst we had was when I didn't get home in time to bring the plant pots in and I found them going for a walk down the drive.... that's another point the wind is cold enough to burn delicate plants so if you aren't blessed with a good fence then you will need a space indoors/pollytunel to winter the less hardy verities.

    My advice have a holiday up here in the winter don't just fall in love with caithness in the summer. On the upside as soon as word got out that we had survived our first winter we were told " your local then now." This place is ever so friendly and has a hell of a lot more ups than downs.

  18. #18

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    Thanks bower some great advice ! Is there a particular brand you have found works for the midges ?

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Land of pennies
    Posts
    1,884

    Thumbs up

    "Life is a sexually transmitted disease, with 100% fatality." R.D.Laing

  20. #20

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    Hello Jim, You still have time to change your Mind , If you do not mind having to travel to Inverness to buy something that would cost you half the price as Caithness, or if you are fortunate enough not to become ill, and your only hope of survival is in Raigmore Invernes instead of Wick, then you should be fine, Or if you dont mind moast areas being dead at weekends, when everywhere else is open, again you should be fine, and not to mention , if you dont mind the local council still being stuck in the 1960"s, and charging for most things, but giving very little back in return, you should be fine...Great place if you are only passing thru it.

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