It was quite strange to go on my first real British holiday since 1986 (as opposed to long weekends or family/friend visiting, or buggerall). It's interesting in a way, seeing another part of my country. Or perhaps Scotland really is a 'foreign' country. I was conscious of being 'other' - although not uncomfortable or unwelcome. The currency was different - I struggled to identify the bank notes by colour alone. The dual (written) language took a little accustomising.
Some things were the same - no need for rapid mental arithmetic to calculate the cost; the ease of using Switch; the ease of walking into a pub and knowing how to behave and what to order; the same rubbish breakfast TV; same mobile provider (where there's a signal).
I had passing guilt that I was the *rich* Londoner being serviced by *poor* Scots. Then I pulled myself together. Scots have the same - better - educational opportunities as English people. Many of the people who served us had previously lived in a city, or were planning to go when they had done their Highers. Tourism isn't just a big industry for the Highlands and Islands, it's big for Britain and globally. Agriculture and Fishing are also big employers.
People are not forced to open their homes up as B&Bs. Most do it because they know that hard work has its own rewards. At one place we stayed, the woman does B&B during the summer, and in October takes off globetrotting for a month. She actually has the Lonely Planet Guide to Iran, has been to West Africa, and Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos, amongst others. This October she's off to Papua New Guinea and Easter Island.
There is something very attractive about living in the country. Deep in the country, I mean, not Surrey/Cheshire rurified suburbia. Yes, as Cath commented below, there are many conveniences to living in London, but I wonder whether the attractions of pizza delivery really compensate for the condoms on the path, the gangs of threatening looking youths hanging out on street corners, the noise and the pollution.
There is a risk in visiting a holiday location and deciding to radically change your life and live there. It's fine seeing it in August - what's it like in November or January. It's not normally warm, even in summer. Yes, it still being light at half nine on Skye is ace, but is 3 pm sunset so attractive in December. No doubt the bigger Co-ops, such as in Portree, are reasonably good, but wouldn't I miss my Sainsburys? Could I live somewhere where there is no Broadband? It's all very well having uncongested roads, but a bugger to be car dependent if you have just a minor limb injury.
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