Author Topic: Hi & we're moving house! (Read 11679 times)

OllieC · « **on:** June 11, 2012, 18:04:57 »

Hi all. Haven't been on here much lately - having been rather busy with a few things, not least trying to arrange to move house. Having received a pm asking if all was okay, yes all is great thanks and we have some exciting news to share. It now looks like we're moving to the Highlands, just North of Inverness in early August & in time for the new school year.

In terms of gardening we're going to be very fortunate - around an acre with a stream in the middle. Not all ideal for veggie growing but there's room enough for a polytunnel, plus an almost blank canvas for something to look at or smell or whatever you do with things that can't be eaten! Knowing next to nothing about "non edibles" I'm sure I'll be on here asking for help but I wanted to share our rather exciting news.

Here's a couple of piccies - the yellow thing is in part of the stream and appears to be "Yellow Skunk Cabbage" which stinks but is pretty and gives an idea of the conditions alongside the burn. The other piccie is looking Northwards from the SW corner of the garden.

Should be fun, eh?!

goodlife · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2012, 18:08:48 »

Whoaa..what a 'blank' canvas you have...beautiful!
Well, you are not going to be around much with all that land to grow.. ;)

BarriedaleNick · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2012, 18:09:29 »

Looks great Ollie - it will be a challange growing veg up there but such a lot of space!!

Squash64 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2012, 18:21:12 »

Is that your new ~~stately home~~ house in the photo? Wow!!!

Digeroo · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2012, 18:30:29 »

Very nice. Just been eating Scottish Raspberries, I would be tempted to have polytunnel full of them.

shirlton · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2012, 18:53:29 »

Good for you lad. We know that you will be very happy there. Such a beautiful location.

betula · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2012, 19:10:12 »

Well done....it looks lovely and hope you will be very happy there ;D ;D

grannyjanny · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2012, 19:18:25 »

If ever you struggle with the garden at least there's plenty of room to put up all the A4aers who will volunteer to help, me included. A wonderful place for you all to enjoy ;D.

betula · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2012, 19:22:47 »

You will need one of those ride on mowers :)

gwynnethmary · « **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2012, 21:17:58 »

It's a lovely area-my son and his wife lived in Beauly before moving to Sweden, and I loved going up there. The Black Isle has some beautiful beaches-am sure you will love it.

caroline7758 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2012, 07:03:32 »

Wow- that looks wonderful! Quite a change from Guildford! Are you moving for work or for the good life? Or both?

Jayb · « **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2012, 07:35:47 »

It looks gorgeous, what a lovely spot and lots of room for a few beasties too :). Looking forward to more piccies and news of your garden's progress ;D

Paulines7 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2012, 08:24:26 »

That looks lovely Ollie. Is the whole house yours?

We had a blank canvas when we moved to Oban in 1982. We weren't able to grow many vegetables though. The weather finally forced us back south again four years later! It was a real experience living there though especially with young children. I feel so happy for you Ollie.

OllieC · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2012, 09:34:03 »

Thanks for all the positive comments! The house is quite a bit larger than we need although this will be great for visitors and as the children get a bit older we may consider fostering or doing something else useful with the space...

Also it's 10 mins from Inverness airport and 20 mins to the train station so we have flights or trains to get the Mrs back South now and again - she can work remotely up there the rest of the time and I can do what I do now, or just go fishing. It's a bit South of where I spent the first half of my life so we're fairly realistic re: climate but some of the colder bits may take a while to get used to! It's going to be a bit of a project making the house greener and warmer but that should be fun too.

There are several reasons for the move - all of them to do with lifestyle. It's worth the same as a 3 bed semi in Guildford, but in such a pretty place, 10 mins from the beach, with a political climate that I find it easier to understand. We could never give the children this amount of space down here and I think it will give them a better all round experience of growing up.

A4A visitors always welcome, forks, gloves and kneelers will be provided!

antipodes · « **Reply #14 on:** June 12, 2012, 09:45:34 »

What a beautiful home and garden! Best of luck to you!

Borlotti · « **Reply #15 on:** June 12, 2012, 10:26:03 »

Sounds great, what a beautiful house and grounds, of course. Sounds like a very good move to me. Is all that house yours, its enormous.

Paulines7 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 12, 2012, 11:34:15 »

You could do B&B Ollie. A lot of Americans visit Scotland in connection with their genealogy research.

We did B&B in Oban and it was very lucrative, although extremely hard work. You could even consider of using part of the house as a holiday let, Ollie. That is what we are proposing now that OH is retiring in a couple of months.

Caravan Club 5CL sites are few and far between in Scotland. You would probably have to put in electric hook ups but then you could get £50 a night for very little work.

The opportunities for making money are certainly there, not to mention free prescriptions and free university tuition for the children when they are older. ;D

Alimo · « **Reply #17 on:** June 13, 2012, 16:28:54 »

It looks wonderful.

A life-changing move for sure.

Alison

Froglegs · « **Reply #18 on:** June 14, 2012, 21:23:13 »

Good luck with the move you lucky bugger.

Emagggie · « **Reply #19 on:** June 14, 2012, 23:32:00 »

The house and garden look fabulous. Best wishes for the move Ollie.
How I wish we had the same system of buying and selling property here.
From one who has just been let down minutes from exchange of contracts. :'(

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Author Topic: Hi & we're moving house! (Read 11679 times)