Living in Scotland
The Home of Medical Excellence
Scotland is a modern, diverse and beautiful country with a multicultural society and world class education and healthcare. Scotland’s relatively high standard of living is another major attraction to career professionals, with property prices more affordable than other parts of the UK.
Scotland offers an ideal and quite unique living and working environment.
Why Scotland?
Benefits of working here include:
- Short commuting times - almost 90% of Scotland’s workers live within 25 kilometres of their workplace
- Transport links – Excellent transport links to the UK and across the globe. Scotland has four main international airports with flights to over 150 destinations. Scotland is also served with an excellent rail and bus service and its main road network is being constantly upgraded
What Scotland can offer your life outside work:
- Diversity - beautiful scenery, exciting nightlife, enthralling history, vibrant culture and an abundance of outdoor pursuits in Scotland’s great outdoors
- Ease of access - Scotland’s cosmopolitan, modern cities are within a short distance of unspoilt rural locations
- Free healthcare - provided by the National Health Service, regardless of social security contributions
- Warm and welcoming people – the generosity and friendliness of Scotland’s people is renowned the world over
- A free education system - some of the world’s most respected universities and high-achieving state-funded schools
Exploring Scotland’s regions
All of Scotland’s regions have something special to offer everyone:
- Central Scotland - covers Stirling, Scotland’s historic capital and home of the Wallace Monument, Perthshire, with its spectacular countryside, and Fife, home of golf, picturesque fishing villages and unspoilt coast
- Edinburgh and the Lothians - Edinburgh, a modern city that has retained much of its historic architecture, is surrounded by the Lothians, three counties boasting beautiful countryside and stunning beaches
- Glasgow and Strathclyde - Glasgow, a truly cosmopolitan city offering excellent shopping, is in the Strathclyde region with attractions including Loch Lomond National Park and the Gateway to the Highlands
- Highlands and Islands - frequently voted one of the most desirable places to live in the UK, the Highlands and Islands include Inverness and some of the world’s most spectacular natural scenery
- The North East - Aberdeen, centre of Europe’s gas and oil industry, and Dundee, home to life sciences, games and technology, share the north east region with stunning landscapes, distilleries, royal Deeside and the more traditional industries of fishing and agriculture
- South Scotland - From the championship golf courses of Ayrshire to the rugby playing heartlands of the Scottish Borders and Robert Burns’ Dumfries and Galloway, the South of Scotland offers a relaxed pace of life and one of the country’s most diverse economies
To find out more about exploring Scotland, its many attractions, events and festivals, try the VisitScotland site
Quick links
Here is a selection of links to external websites with useful information about Scotland:
Scotland.org is the official gateway to Scotland, covering jobs, relocation, studying, visiting and cultural events.
Caledonian MacBrayne – Scotland’s main ferry operator, connecting the mainland to 26 island destinations
Scottish Natural Heritage – the national body responsible for Scotland’s wildlife, natural habitats and landscapes
Scotland’s airports:
- Edinburgh Airport
- Glasgow Airport
- Aberdeen Airport
- Inverness Airport
- Prestwick Airport
- Dundee Airport
ScotRail – Scotland’s national rail operator
Directory of Scotland’s bus services - https://www.travelinescotland.com/
Property searches in Scotland – here are some national and regional property sites:
- s1homes.com
- Right Move
- Prime Location
- Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre (ESPC)
- Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre (ASPC)
- Tayside Solicitors Property Centre (TSPC)
Information on schools in Scotland is here: https://education.gov.scot/
Scotland’s cities and towns – here is a link to the Wikipedia ‘portal’ page to access information about 52 cities and towns across Scotland - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_and_cities_in_Scotland_by_population
About Scottish Medical Training
Find out more about Scottish Medical Education.
My experience of training in Scotland was excellent. I would recommend it to anyone thinking about a career in medicine.