A gorgeous country to visit, Scotland is also full of opportunities for jobs and education. It is considered a truly stunning part of the United Kingdom. This is also a safe and warm place for families to settle. If you’re also considering making a home out of this incredible country, we have some pros and cons listed to help you decide better.
Living in Scotland
Pros of Living in Scotland
1. Opportunities
The big cities such as Glasglow and Edinburgh in Scotland, in particular, have several job opportunities for foreign and temporary workers.
You’ll be able to get positions in hostels, hotels, pubs, offices, and even cool places to work in, like tourist attractions. The Scottish job market is known to welcome people from other countries, and they embrace everyone with open arms.
2. People
The main thing you’ll notice as soon as you enter Scotland is how kind, friendly, and interesting the Scottish people are.
If you have to ask for help after you first move in, almost everyone will stop to help you out no matter what they are doing. People you’ve never met before will offer to pick you up from the train station or take you to the grocery store once you’re settled in.
Your co-workers will invite you out once you start working. And you can be sure to be given a wonderful treatment and be considered a part of the team. Making friends in Scotland is pretty easy.
3. Landscape
Scotland is also known for having some of the most gorgeous landscapes in the world. You won’t have to move far to come across an incredible place to spend your time, no matter where you are in Scotland.
When in Edinburgh, you can go down to St. Margaret’s Loch, make your way to Arthur’s Seat, or to get the feeling like you’ve stepped outside the city without even leaving it, try hiking through the hilly Pentlands. It’s easy to stay in shape with Scotland’s numerous hiking trails, hills, and peaks.
4. Fully Furnished Flats
You don’t want to stay in an empty apartment while moving to a new place as a temporary worker. But you also wouldn’t prefer spending money to furnish a place where you’ll stay for only a couple of years.
The flats and houses for rent in Scotland are rarely non-furnished. Living temporarily in a country becomes much easier when you have easy access to well-furnished flats. Everything you need, such as beds, couches, dishes, and all the rest can be found in most flats.
5. Zero Bank Fees
Depending on where you come from, it can be surprising to know that bank accounts are free in Scotland. Even the use of cash machines from other banks is for free. There will be the odd machine that can charge you for making a withdrawal. But the fee will always be declared to you and you’ll have the option to cancel the transaction before being charged.
Cons of Living in Scotland
1. Taxes
Scotland has a few out-of-the-blue taxes. The amount you pay will be depending on where you choose to reside, whether you own a TV, and the type of accommodation you live in. These taxes will be paying for local services, like schools, garbage collection, and general city maintenance, which makes them both necessary and important.
From Band A, which is the cheapest to Band H, the most expensive one, many different council tax bands dictate the amount you need to pay. These charges are different from your rent deposit, so before you sign anything, be certain to know which council tax band your to-be flat is, to avoid unwanted expenses down the line.
2. Weather
If you’re not a big fan of the rain, you might have a hard time adjusting to Scottish weather as it mostly consists of rain, dampness, cold, and wind. The humidity here is always high as Scotland’s bordered by water, and that turns the already cold days, extra cold.
The weather is so warm a few days a year that Scots all-around call it the “taps off” weather. When it arrives, you might want to grab a drink along with the other shirtless Scots and relish in the very appreciated, extra hot sunny days that are sadly quite short-lived.
3. Culture Shock
This depends on where you come from, but you might have to deal with the dreadful culture shock.
From not being able to comprehend the Scottish accent (which you don’t have to worry much about as you get so used to it that you eventually don’t even realize people have accents), to being unable to make out where to purchase certain items of clothing.
You might even struggle to try to make sense of how to do laundry. It can be a tricky deal to come to terms with the culture in Scotland.
4. No Screens on Windows
It’s not quite certain why Scottish people don’t put screens on their windows as in many places that would mean inviting spiders and other bugs into your rooms without a barrier between the outdoors and the inside.
And here you’ll just have to be prepared to share your space with bugs if you enjoy having fresh air flowing into your bedroom. This also depends on where in Scotland you choose to live but if it’s in South Queensferry or Edinburgh, you’ll be facing this issue with plenty of spiders!
Living Costs in Scotland
1. Cost of Housing in Scotland
The housing costs in Scotland mostly differ based on the location, size, and type of the property rented. A one-bedroom apartment in City Centre will cost you 830.99 £.
And you’ll have to pay 663.80 £ for a one-bedroom apartment outside of the centre.
2. Cost of Utilities in Scotland
Basic utilities such as water, electricity, cooling, heating, and garbage in Scotland will cost you around 141.17 £ for an 85-meter square apartment.
3. Cost of Phone Plans and Internet
Without any discounts or plans, one minute of local prepaid mobile tariff will cost you 0.10 £. You’ll be paying 29.86 £ for 60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL internet.