I Want to Visit Scotland (and stay awhile?)

[CanadianYankee]

Hello everyone,

Recently my wife proposed the idea to me of spending three months or so living in Scotland. I have Irish in my blood somewhere down the line (not sure where or how much, as I was adopted by the only family I know), but she has plenty of Scottish in her blood -- she lives in Wallaceburg, Ontario, which was named after William Wallace, and although her mother's side of the family is Slovakian, her father's side hails from (if Wikipedia is to be trusted) Kirkcudbrightshire, enabled to move to Canada by Lord Selkirk.

Anyhow, we are definitely interested in spending a couple of months in Scotland, but I can't really do any research on where to live, cost of living, and things like that. So I'm hoping that somebody on here can be helpful and at least point me in the right direction. We don't want to live in a city, but realize we probably would at least need to live in a small town. We'd also need to be able to bring our cat and our Great Dane with us.

Thanks for reading this,
Chris

[Polwarth]

Hello
Here's the relevant page of the UK Borders Agency website which can explain regarding a visa to stay 6 months without working and other visas available to EU or people with near ancestry (doesn't sound like that would be applicable in either or your cases, though!)

UK Border Agency | Visiting the UK

If you look at the 'moving' forum on this site, you will find lots and lots of info that we've already given to others hoping to move/live in Scotland. If you have any specific questions, pose them there and we'll try to help.

[tig]

no chance with the pets im affraid.....theyd need to stay in quarantine for 6 months if you brought them into the country....no way out of it either

[kathyv]

You would probably have to prove that you can afford to fund yourself there for the time living there and not be a 'burden' on the Crown; provide your own health care expenses etc. When visiting I found the cost of things, like meals, to be comparable to home, you just have to be aware of the currencies exchange rates.

[Scotsgait]

Originally Posted by tig

no chance with the pets im affraid.....theyd need to stay in quarantine for 6 months if you brought them into the country....no way out of it either

They may qualify through PETS

Non-EU countries « Defra