Moving to the highlands

[Jimandlynngreenland]

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

[Goodfellers]

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.

[2little2late]

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.

[Alrock]

On the plus side....

No speed limits, though traffic calming measures in the form of potsinkholes litter the roads.

[The Horseman]

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.

[Jimandlynngreenland]

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

[davem]

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

[Fulmar]

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!

[Jimandlynngreenland]

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

[Jimandlynngreenland]

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

[JANJO]

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.

[B0wer]

Most people up hear swear by smidge but your just paying a lot of money for a fancy smell. Anything that is 30% deet minimum will work... the trick is to find one that you don't mind the smell of because if you don't apply it EVERYWHERE they will find that one spot and swarm to it. I'm talking eyelids, top lip, ears, any exposed skin surface and anywhere that could be exposed when you bend over... just above your sock for example. I personaly use the 50% jungle formula sold by boots (marked as suitable for yellow fever zones! Its water resistant so I don't have to keep reappling every time i break into a sweat - yes it does get that hot up here...occasionaly) they do it as a spray and as a roll on for the face. You have to buy the stuff in batches cos its only sold up here around the summer holidays.

Then again I live out in the sticks you might get away with a milder formula out in the towns. Anyone else care to comment.....

JANJO is a little pesamistic but she is right about taking your time you can't appreciate the isolation up here with just a few short visits and as dozy said once you have moved up it's hard to move back out. If you have the finances / flexibility renting for a while would give you a good idea whether you can hack the weather, popping down to Invernes ectra whilst leaving you free to relocate if needed. (I hope you wont it is great up here :-D.)

[dragonfly]

In the summer it doesn't get dark....in the winter it doesn't get light

[Fulmar]

But that's not true, is it? In the winter, it does get light, maybe not for long but it does happen!

[dragonfly]

But that's not true, is it? In the winter, it does get light, maybe not for long but it does happen!

To us locals it gets "light" but to those from further south it doesn't lol. I love the winter so not a problem but a lot of people up here are affected by SAD due to the lack of light especially if working normal daytime hours...you go to work in the dark and come home in it too

[bigmac]

caithness is full of people who dont want to live here, but here they live for what ever reason, i was born here live here and will die here, i have traveled all over the world and find that all points on the compass point to home with no wish to live anywhere else, its a great place to live just say hi to the neighbours and help out if they need it and the favour will be returned when you need it, thats the way we live up here, live like that and you will soon become a local, learn the language lek ats hid ower er an iss is hid ower here, and your home and dry

[CELTIC,CONNECTIONS]

Caithness may not have fast food outlets expensive places to shop

what caithness is rich in is the community te sense of well being

and somewhere do you want to live

i know where i wan to live its caithness

i wish you success in moving

[Jimandlynngreenland]

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

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

Good luck...

Angel

caithness is full of people who dont want to live here, but here they live for what ever reason, i was born here live here and will die here, i have traveled all over the world and find that all points on the compass point to home with no wish to live anywhere else, its a great place to live just say hi to the neighbours and help out if they need it and the favour will be returned when you need it, thats the way we live up here, live like that and you will soon become a local, learn the language lek ats hid ower er an iss is hid ower here, and your home and dry

Thanks Big Mac it's a big draw for us we live In a soul less community where no one speaks to each other and everything is just a little bit dour and disposable !

[Jimandlynngreenland]

[QUOTE=dragonfly;1169533]In the summer it doesn't get dark....in the winter it doesn't get light[/QU

Is that a good thing or a bad thing ??

[dragonfly]

[QUOTE=Jimandlynngreenland;1169543]

In the summer it doesn't get dark....in the winter it doesn't get light[/QU

Is that a good thing or a bad thing ??

Depends on if you like short days and long nights.. as I've said in reply to Fulmar, a lot of people get SAD and have to use UV lights to lift their mood due to the shortage of natural daylight during the midst of Winter. if you do come north in the winter you'll realise quite quickly the reason why Scots are so vocal about keeping the extra hour of daylight from the clock changes.