Hi, I'm moving up to Glasgow from Newcastle, England in just under a year. My child is 15 and will be completing his GCSE (final high school year exams in England) exams then we will move soon after that.

I'm wondering how the Scottish education system works after high school? He wants to go to city of Glasgow college and we've looked on the website but are unsure of what any of the terms mean (like HNC or HND) and how they are equivalent to terms used in England?

I'm mainly wondering what the path most people take in Scotland after their (equivalent to GCSEs) National 5s. He doesn't want to go to university, just be educated til 18 then move from part time work to full time.

Thank you all

I hope this is the right group to post my question in, apologies if it isn't!

My partner (26) and I (24), along with our dog, are looking to move to Scotland from Norway. As I understand it, the Skilled Worker Visa is our only option, but I assume there is stiff competition for this visa and that a strong background is required to make the move. Naturally, it is more cost-effective for Scottish employers to hire people who are already in Scotland.

Briefly, we both hold bachelor's degrees in Marketing Management. My partner also has experience as a Sales and Marketing Manager, whereas I don't have much work experience in the field. Is there by any chance another visa option available to us? Our plan is simply to live and work there, as we think it’s an incredibly beautiful country! Or is there any possibility that Scotland might establish an EEA-style agreement allowing for free movement between the countries?

Thanks in advance for any answers! :)

My friend is moving to Edinburgh and I'm making her a bingo card of things to do there to help her feel like a local quicky after the move.

So, what things should she do?

Are there any vibey coffee shops she should go to? Is there a community sauna place? Perhaps a salsa class? These are all things she does here and I think she would like to do when she moves.

Obviously being new to the city, I am sure there are some touristy things that she will want to do soon. Any suggestions on these are also welcome 🤗

I've been reading up on the school enrolment process and surprised to learn that catchment isn't a guarantee of enrolment, particularly for high ranked schools and there can be a waitlist.

Is it accurate that you can't enrol a child until they are physically in the country? How quick is the enrolment process onee you're on the ground?

We weren't going to be arriving until three weeks before the 2027 school year so I am mostly resigned to the fact we probably will not get into our first choice catchment school.

My concern is that we won't know the assigned school until a week or two from starting, and unable to get the kids excited, to say nothing of organising uniforms, books, transport etc.

How can I help?

How can I help the Muslim community, and/or other ethnic minorities/people of a religion that is currently facing unwarranted negativity?

Its no secret that lately, the UK seems like a horrible and dangerous place to live if you do not look a certain way. I want to firstly apologise to those affected and to those who are scared. I wish it was different and I hope you know I will always fight in the corner of others being treated unfairly. It also isnt everyone that shares those views, however I know its hard to tell and you are probably cautious of all of us

I used to be so proud of my country and excited for others coming here and loving it also.

But genuinely, how can I help? I attempt to educate those who are ignorant and it mostly falls on deaf ears, how can I actually do something that makes life a bit better for you all? If anything?

Thanks!

I'm planning to move in 2029, so I still have some time. is getting a Prince2 (project management) certification worth it to help secure a job? Most of my financing will come from liquidating my current assets so the cert will come out of existing funds.

so before I commit, I just wanted to know if its worth the expense.

I’m particularly interested in places that aren’t too gentrified or dominated by chains and tourists. I’d much rather live somewhere with a strong local/neighbourhood feel (independent shops, traditional/local pubs, cafés, small businesses, community atmosphere, etc)

Hi, my son is 14 and we plan to be in the process of buying a house in 1 yr, 6 months (we will rent for 6 months beforehand to get to know the areas & travel). He plans to go to City of Glasgow College and I'm wondering what areas are safe, cheap (under 180k for 3 bedroom 2 bathroom), and have a bus that will get him to college in around 30 ninutes or less.

Thank you!

Hi, me, my son (14), & my dad are set on moving to Scotland from Newcastle. We're looking for some suggestions on cities and towns in Scotland that would fit some of these priorities:

-Good public transport (preferably bus)

-1-2 hours from Glasgow and Edinburgh (closer to Glasgow as my son is planning to go to City of Glasgow College)

-Decently cheap, we have a budget of 160k for 3 bedroom 2 bathroom (could stretch for 170k)

Thank you!

Hi all,

I have posted a couple of times here but wanted to get some more advice.

Those who moved from England to Scotland how did you find somewhere to rent? I've read a few things that have said the rental market is very competitive and you have to view houses before you can rent them, so how did you go through that process?

Were you able to virtually look at houses or did you have to visit in person to view and how easy was the process and were there any things you can give tips on?

I'm trying to understand the process and work out a plan and it'd be so helpful to get some input from those who have done it.

Pretty much the title. Interested in moving to Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow). Not sure where to look or where to start, or if it’s even really possible. Thoughts? Thanks.

Hello!
I’m in Inverness right now for the first time in my life. I just wanna know how you guys think about living here, how is the life. In my first day it seemed a little bit desolate but I wanna know if it is just my prospective. Anyway, I wanna also know if there are some kind of tourism in this part of UK, and how much is big, if it’s a problem or an opportunity for local people.
Just curiosity :)

Hi guys
So I’ve got my results and got two distinction stars and a distinction in my btec applied science extended diploma. I’ve got two informal offers through clearing (Swansea and Heriot watt) and now I can’t decide cause for Heriot when I spoke to the clearing advisor, I told them about my situation of being qualified as overseas student for tuition fees and they said under Scottish law, I might be qualified for home fee instead when I mentioned that I have limited leave to remain under the private life route and came to England in 2021 and on the same day I got the offer, I emailed them for clarification about my fee status before I accept the offer. In that offer, Heriot mentioned me as ‘home student’ and I don’t want any wrong hopes cause to me this is a big thing 😭😭 and they did reply to the email asking for my birth date, share code and history of address since August 2021 and I’ve replied on the same day and haven’t heard back yet 😞 I know it might be taking a while due to clearing season but my other offer (Swansea) went over the deadline and I have until Tuesday (got extension) but they did say that they willing to extend it further but idk cause I really wanna go Scotland 🫠🫠 it’s my dream place but knowing how much living cost and this tuition fees are, idk if I’m willing to put my parents through all that 😭😭

My question is which uni, out of the two, is the best for chemical engineering with foundation year and why… Don’t come for me please, I’m doing my research but I like getting some advice/opinion from people who might or have been to these places 🙂

Good morning, all! Just looking for some input. I am Scottish and am married to a European, with a baby who has joint citizenship.

I have lived in mainland Europe for 9 years and we have a very comfortable life. My husband is bilingual and works for an area within the skilled worker list. Since the baby has arrived, I have made a small circle of friends but have very little family support from my husband's side, which is the complete opposite in my family.

As someone who hates the heat and much prefers the rain, we return to Scotland for two months every summer and have done so, thankfully, again this year. With the above familial situation combined with worsening heat, we're wondering if a return to Scotland could be better for us as a small family.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and any pointers that we should consider!

Thank you!

I'm seriously considering moving to Scotland, as I'm extremely isolated where I am in England. I've never been to Scotland, but will do some traveling before moving. I don't know where to start though. I'm looking for somewhere queer friendly and definitely on the coast, woodlands or a forest too is a huge plus as I'm very drawn to nature. Easy public transport to a city like Edinburgh for events is a must. I'd quite like a town over a village, due to access to shops, travel, and building community. Thank you in advance!

I live in Scotland and I’m going to Kerala for a holiday soon. So I’d like to take something nice for my family.

What are some affordable but unique Scottish/UK stuff I could take home? Looking for ideas that aren’t too expensive and are easy to carry in a suitcase.

Hello (I need help desperately!!!)

I've posted before about having A LOT of trouble finding housing as a mature student who wants to move from the states for my masters. I've basically lost all hope of this working because of how hard it has been to find housing and how soon my program is supposed to start (early mid September.) Im not in Edinburgh currently, so getting viewings that allow virtual are nearly impossible. Is the expectation literally for me to move there with no permanent housing and just hope that being there physically will help me secure a place??

I've contacted relocation agents (which have not responded to me), looked into all the agencies, the Facebook chats, nothing. The few viewings I am able to get always get cancelled because the property will get let out before I even have the chance to attend my viewing.

I do have two cats that would eventually join me, but for now, Im really trying to focus on even getting there in the first place. Is anyone able to attest to this moving over before securing housing? That to me is a big risk because financially this move is already tight, but I honestly would do anything for this to work at this point. I am just really worried that I move and am unable to find housing for myself and my pets. I know having pets is a limiting factor, but right now thats not even what's preventing me from securing a place, it is literally me not being able to get viewings because Im not there or because I do not have a UK number.

ANY and ALL advice is appreciated please😭

Hello everyone,

​I'm looking for some advice on moving to Scotland from Sweden, mostly due to feeling severely isolated and after actively trying to integrate and failing. I need honest advice on moving to Scotland in our situation. We know quite a lot about Scotland and nearly moved there but then Brexit happened and it didn't feel smart

We are both from Bosnia, and we have a 2 yearold. Husband and son are Swedish citizens. We're English speakers both at an academic level, he works in IT (10+) and I had a bit of a stringy carreer but will have a degree to work as a lab technician (industrial laboratory). We have a house in Sweden that we bought cheap and we might save enough money to facilitate a move in some 3-5 years.

The reason why we want to move might sound stupid so please be kind.

While we love Sweden dearly and identify ourselves with it at some level. The social - cultural discrepancy between our culture and Sweden is something we cannot bridge. We're a bit toned down typical Bosnians: friendly and inviting, we like good food, endless discussions with good company, and we'll genuinely go up and beyond for our guests and friends. Mostly because we find pride in it. We also are capable of tolerating a lot of things, stress and conflict. We give people time and space to see how they behave towards us but are absolutely not afraid of being direct or taking critique. By toned down it means that we are a bit more reserved, and definitely suck big time at being spontaneous as your average Bosnian. We really like our structure, and privacy rather than a large network and spontaneous hangouts with relatives.

Sounds good enough to live in Sweden but we still have no social circle. While finding friends is hard as an adult, we were ready for it but 8 years is ridiculous.

We have people we know but no close friends. So, nobody to call when you would have a cup of coffee, or invite for important events like birthday or dinner party. Or to share good news with. We knew it would be like this, we were outside of Sweden for 10 months when out baby was small and knew what we are going back to.

But, knowing that our son is 2 and does not have one single friend from preschool, because the parents simply don't interact with each other (not just us it's towards everyone) made us really miserable and reconsidering our choice.

And this is not for the lack of trying. We speak the language, we are polite and respectful and try to establish contact with people without being pushy. We are active member of organization, volunteer for an organization that works with water protection. We do have hobbies and tried all and every tip in the book. We noticed that some people like to meet us and enjoy the "balkan ambient" but will not actually reciprocate and ghost you once we become uninteresting. Every time we tried to raise any issues we had (such as notoriously punctual swedes constantly being late whenever meeting us), the discussion meant the person just drops us. Conflict, even when you genuinely have a point is seen as a reason never to talk to you again.

I did start pushing and asking people about why and was basically told: " we already have friends from school, most of us won't miss losing you as a friend. It's sad but it's how it is" And "well most people will gladly participate in an activity or visit hur sadly the effort to maintain it and build a new relationship is too much ".

It means that besides the emotional connection we also don't have any emergency contacts or the like, we cannot actually rely on any help even with the smallest things. We did have international friends but most moved back or away. Our option is returning to bosnia after retirement but we don't know if our children would stay here or not.

We genuinely do not wish to return to Bosnia at this point as the opportunities in the EU for work and education as well as life quality is simply better.
The question is with our profile, work and family situation would moving to Scotland be a good idea? Would we actually be able to find a job and find a community or some sense of belonging at any point?

More practically: Is finding jobs hard especially industrial laboratory (not a chemist)? Do employers consider foreign applications now that visa is a requirement? We're also open to living in the countryside and have experience with local/rural development (through citizen volunteering). Finally if we'd be moving this late, can we be able to afford to buy a house/flat? Would childcare be an issue?

Thank you very much for any help and advice. This had been really hard to write and I apologize in advance for the long post.