Wanting to move to Shetland

[Kavi Ugl]

Johan and Scorrie, thanks for your posts.

 

Yes, sometimes I tend to convey things a little abrubtly but it just stems from a sense of frustration at the "Shetland can do no wrong" mentality.

 

The Whalsay folk are fine - I didn't refer to them, I was meaning the place itself(houses etc).

 

I'll leave it at this

 

 

[whalsa]

Agreed! Well said Scorrie. Whalsay has seen people of both natures before, the first group don't tend to stay long but those who manage to integrate generally stay for good.

[Kazza]

Thanks again for comments, totally agree with Scorrie, integrate not overtake. I suppose in a way the Lake District has a lot of issues with incomers but on different levels. We have the very wealthy who have bought up the housing stock, lots of jobs in hospitality (min wage), but most of our young people leave as they cannot afford to live and work here. None of my 6 live in the Lake District

[JustMe]

Moving to Shetland and expecting to use the internet?. Do check what sort of service you are liable to get where you intend to live if speed and reliability matter to you. For example my 4meg connection has dropped out at least 3 times in the past hour. Other places have even slower speeds but things are slowly improving........I think.

 

Royal Mail?........need this for your business?. My mail is permanently a day later than Lerwick and although they can be very good the weather affects mail deliveries to and from Shetland a lot more than most places on mainland UK would expect.

 

Want something delivered?. Can take a while longer than you might expect, can involve a big surcharge on the price and an alarming number of quite large companies (as well as many smaller ones) "regret that they cannot deliver" to Shetland.

 

Want to go away?. Best allow an extra day or so in case your flight is cancelled or the ferry cannot get into Aberdeen.

 

But there is a plus side. Nice friendly place to live.......even Lerwick with its drink and drug problems. Good facilities (depending where you live) and a transport system that gets most islanders to Lerwick and back on the same day.

 

Cost of road fuel?. Yes it is expensive but at least most of us are are not sitting in traffic jams burning our own fuel and breathing in other drivers exhaust fumes.

 

Weather?. Yes we get gales and it is dark in winter but against that we rarely get too hot, the Simmer Dim is great and the Northern Lights are fantastic!.

[EM]

I live by the motto of 'there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.'

I know a number of people who make this claim. In the context of Shetland's kind of climate I agree it is quite true. However I feel it is not valid when applied to all parts of the world. In humid tropical regions whatever clothes are worn you get wet from the inside (unless you've got a spacesuit ). Give me cooler non-sweaty climates over the sticky tropics any day.

 

Although Lerwick certainly has its problems with drugs - it is no different to most comparable towns in Scotland and England. In fact i'd say it's still better than most in this respect.

I don't think you'll find stats to support this view. Shetland has a huge smack habit now, something non-Shetlanders tend to find unexpected and surprising. I don't have figures handy, but whenever I've come across such league tables, I have noted Shetland is nearer the top than in the middle. Similarly for alcohol excess.

[Piddly]

Johan and Scorrie, thanks for your posts.

 

Yes, sometimes I tend to convey things a little abrubtly but it just stems from a sense of frustration at the "Shetland can do no wrong" mentality.

 

The Whalsay folk are fine - I didn't refer to them, I was meaning the place itself(houses etc).

 

I'll leave it at this

 

 

 

Here's another link to maybe try and balance things out

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufrdeS5CwsU

[Adon]

Can only speak from my experience. Many years ago we lived in Shetland for 12 years. I met many people who came with a dream and left so please be cautious.NegativesVery introverted and inward looking. Do not expect the same friendly warm, chatty responses that you get in the rest of scotland. you willget a curt "aye aye" My shetland colleagues soon taught me shetlanders in the main do not regard themselves as scottish.Having lived in various locations within the uk Shetland was least friendly. Nobody asks you anything, relationships are superficial, incomers are always incomers even a someone we knew who lived on Shetland for 40 years still regarded by true shetlanders as incomer!Bigotry and racism, never heard so much, my kids were all bullied in school and they had come from a rough inner city school. In the country schools it is not idyllic it's full oh Shetland bairns who are all related and exclude others. There was a horrific sodomy bullying attack on a child in the anderson high.

Drink, even when we lived in the highlands we have never seen drink on this scale. Want to see young men so drunk they have wet themselves or dribbled puke down themselves this is the place, even if it is 11 am on regatta day!

Boredom. There is a limit on where you can go, you cannot get off the isle without spending a small fortune.

Weather, winter darkness, makes it very difficult to do much outside.

Big fish in small pond syndrome is rife.nepotism and lack of skills mean. Untalented arses are running the place.

Now the positives

Unspoilt scenery

Uncommercial

Good fresh fish shop

 

Moving back to mainland Scotland was best thing I did. It's not until you move back do you realise how many compromises you made living in such a place.

 

Mental health problems, very high numbers , again drink related.

[Biglad]

^^^ Thats that then, Shetland = the worst place in the world but we do have a good fish shop!

[Biglad]

Adon, re the thread below. Make your mind up about what you think about schoolkids today!

 

http://www.shetlink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=187143&highlight=#187143

[Adon]

Big lad if you read my post I was talking about young people in general and those I have worked with, not in Shetland specifically and I do believe MOST kids get a bad press and need support. Maybe more support would reduce bullying in Shetland schools? My children had a better experience in mainland schools

[rbarlo32]

well thats ok then.

lets be fare you hated it and you left some do a lot don't.

yes you are going to have a lot of country school stocked with related children so what. the island has a small population it stands to reason that in the more country areas that this is going to be evident.

What you say is unfriendlyness is just theshetlanders way they may not be bubbling with excitement that your there. they do care thou. were we are there are a couple of big related families and i have to say that they are friendly and very helpful. they are very keen on new folks and if you try to fit in they will help.

yes there are bullies at the schools but there were just as many south they just pick a diffrent thing to victamize people on. how sexual assualt can be blamed on shetland i don't quite understand.

 

you name the bad bits but for a lot of us the good bits outway the bad.

you were happy to be out of here yet you are on shetlink.

yes in the middle of winter being in a warmer area does have its appeal.

you mention drink yes there are too many heavy drinkers but there are also vastly more normal folks.

yes boredom can effect you so can being hundreds of miles from family but wait for a nice sunny day and look out over the sea and its worth it.

depression runs hand in hand with being further north less light causes this no hiding the fact that there are lots of problems with living on an island 200 miles north of scotland. however having lived south i would say that shetlands are far less than what is faced there.

If you move to shetland to escape your problems you will not be happy you really need to understand what your getting into.

if you were stuck up here folks will go out of there way to help you. this does not happen south.

[Adon]

I did not say worst place in world, it suits introverted people give you that. I have not lived anywhere other than Scotland and Shetland is least friendly place I have experienced living. (lived since childhood Arran, Borders,Perthshire , Dundee , highlands and now Edinburgh )

Landscape wise it I the best right enough and it's easy to get a job, infact they employ anybody ESP in the cooncil lol

[Girzie]

Wow! Least friendly place? I am very surprised. I find Shetlanders are a very friendly race.

[Biglad]

Big lad if you read my post I was talking about young people in general and those I have worked with, not in Shetland specifically and I do believe MOST kids get a bad press and need support. Maybe more support would reduce bullying in Shetland schools? My children had a better experience in mainland schools

 

You just keep digging that hole Adon!

[Adon]

yes there are bullies at the schools but there were just as many south they just pick a diffrent thing to victamize people on. how sexual assualt can be blamed on shetland i don't quite understand.

 

If you move to shetland to escape your problems you will not be happy you really need to understand what your getting into.

if you were stuck up here folks will go out of there way to help you. this does not happen south.

the attempted sodomy with a pole was part of a bullying incident on a boy in the Anderson high hostel , yes it was swept under the carpet as most things are in Shetland. I saw folk happily buy guys convicted of domestic violence a pint and what goes on behind closed doors is unbelievable.

I do not agree folk will go out of their way to incomers. I have several Shetland friends and they admit they tolerate incomers at best. Incomers are often niave and others patronising to local folk. Lots of incomers are unaware of the back stabbing as they only mix with other incomers, I was shocked to discover many incomers who had been there over 10 years had not been

inside a Shetland house. You have to talk, invite yourself into things or they

will ignore you.

The level of alcoholism is not normal , again it's hidden. Where I lived 2 out of 4 closest neighbours were alcoholics. The young people are bought drink at hall dances as young as 13 by so called caring adults and the young teenage girls leered at.

I am concerned that people are naive when it comes to the move. Once you are there it's full of people trying to justify how great it is, mainly as a move south, with higher house prices and greater demands on you was daunting. Three of my close friends also moved back eventually and it's not until you do does the penny drop.

Shetland is a great place if you like your own company, like staying in and have an introverted personality. Not knocking it just trying to dispel the myth of this great Shetland welcome