Life is good for both of us and we wished we had moved a lot earlier. Its a massive decision to move far away from where you were born but we fell in love with Shetland , the people and wildlife so it was easier than moving anywhere else not that we had to move anywhere.
If you are thinking of moving to Shetland then consider the following:
- Come and visit Shetland and have a good look around. We spoke to someone who moved to Unst as house prices are very low but didn't realise that he would have to travel on two ferries to get to the Mainland and then would have to drive for 40 ins to get to Lerwick for his work. They had never been to Shetland before and although they had looked on Google earth they didn't realise that the population on Unst had reduced by 50% when the RAF left the island. They also thought that Lerwick was on Unst and that this was the mainland. They had moved all the way from New Zealand. I gather they have now left Shetland altogether.
- Make sure you have some accommodation to come to, there is not much about and the costs are very high
- House prices are high around Lerwick / Scalloway and you will find a lot of people bidding.
- Make sure you check out the Scottish way of buying a house
- Join as many local clubs etc as you can, you will meet lots of people
- Support local shops don't let Tesco rule
- Make the most of the dry, still days that come in winter
- Make sure you car has all weather tyres for winter driving
- There is more opportunities for work than down in England
- Expect high costs for any building work., Expect time delays for anything you want building
- Fuel costs are higher, Council tax includes water rates
- Gales are frequent in winter
- Very low crime rate
- A very good supportive community
- The Shetland Times, a paper worth reading from front to back
- Don't expect much variation in shops
- Make the most of free postage sites such as Amazon, some companies don't deliver to Shetland
- The food is very tasty, especially the lamb.
- You can get discounts on ferry travel to Aberdeen if you are a resident
- Roads are in far better condition than in England and they are empty
- Use Skype to stay in contact
- Take plenty of photos to show what people are missing !
- Build up your energy levels to enjoy the long spring and summer days
- Be inspired by the music
- Expect to see plenty of wildlife
- Embrace the weather, gales can be spectacular, but stay safe
We are now enjoying a better quality life in Shetland than we ever did in Sheffield, we do miss our family and friends but Skype has made things easier and we speak to some people more now than we did before we moved.
The winter nights are filled with opportunities, either seeing skies where you can actually see the stars or the aurora (something that most people want to see) going out to numerous concerts and gatherings or meeting friends.
There are plenty of opportunities to live the life you want, see superb sunsets and wildlife and to get away from the hectic way of life.
Have a great New year and 2015
Thanks for looking at this blog, hopefully we may have provided you with some information that will be useful. Preparation is vital we spent two years researching and asking people in Shetland for information. Don't be one of the people that comes to Shetland for less than a year before returning south.
Don't be an Alien join in !!!
Please take a look at my other blogs to gain a better overall picture of life in Shetland
shetlandsfp.blogspot.co.uk
shetlandsky.blogspot.co.uk
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