We moved up to Shetland and bought a house on Whalsay, just over a year ago now. I work in lerwick and even with the ferry trip across I am in lerwick an hour after leaving home. ( 30 min ferry crossing, during which I relax and read, and then a 20 min car drive ) It used to take me over an hour to drive 8 miles with holiday traffic where we lived before. We moved with the attitude of " would rather regret doing it than regret not doing it" Its worked for us. People up here are so nice and have made us so welcome. As for the weather. To be honest,certainly this year its been better than it was in our home town on the East coast. Go for it. It doesn`t have to be forever.