The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: country soul on January 09, 2021, 04:52:22 pm
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I ve just begun semi retirement and feel like a move after being on my current small holding for 20 years..I m thinking wales but maybe Scottish lowlands as prices are more reasonable than where I currently am.l d welcome any views from those who may have made such a move or have been there for some time.My current place while once rural is now more semi rural and I would like to get back to a true rural setting.i be a healthy budget and wouldn't need to worry too much about work so long as I was reasonably careful.i currently have a 100 sheep and some poultry.
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Dumfries and Galloway if you are after proper rural, the Borders is becoming quite semi-rural and you will have to pay Edinburgh Commuter prices for anything reasonably close to Tweedbank (rail link) or within an hours commute. Different climate on the west coast though compared to East coast, different soil etc.
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Where are you now?
I moved to the far north of Cumbria / Northumberland, 15 miles short of Scotland as the crow flies, but moved back to the south again after 10 years. Much to commend the North of England / South of Scotland, but I never stopped missing summer! And living where I did, on uplands just below the moorland line, I learned that the truism we quote in the south, that "there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing", stops applying somewhere north of Manchester.
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I'm going to ask the same question as Sally .... where are you now (as this could influence our answers) and secondly a ballpark budget figure as some of Scot and some of Wales is more expensive than you might think.
By rural do you mean a shop or a town within 15 miles?
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I m currently in the pennine hills so well used to the rain and wind if at times i dont like it !
I guess my budget would be 400 to 700 k
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I agree with Anke that D&G has a lot to recommend it, plus the areas of Ayrshire to the north. Rainfall is heavy which tends to give acid soils, but not throughout.
I live in the southern tip of South Lanarkshire which has some very rural areas, some brilliant volcanic soils, the Southern Uplands for sheep farming and areas which remain very rural, but others which don't - even where we are at 1000' on an airy hilltop is only semi rural (the most rural thing about here is the desultory quality of the broadband!). But I do think you are more likely to find your ideal place in Scotland rather than England or Wales just because of the population density. Of course for true wilderness you need to head north to the Highlands but you have said not there.
I assume there is no real urgency to your move, so when we can travel again, why not spend time in both Wales and Scotland and get to know both places?
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Of course for true wilderness you need to head north to the Highlands but you have said not there.
I assume there is no real urgency to your move, so when we can travel again, why not spend time in both Wales and Scotland and get to know both places?
OP didn't say NOT the Highlands, just suggested Scottish Lowlands, I think
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But I do think you are more likely to find your ideal place in Scotland rather than England or Wales just because of the population density.
Have you been to ceredigion or East Carmarthenshire or mid Wales? no density of population in these areas.
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Thanks everyone ...I do fancy D&G i been there and also ayrshire was nice .I particularly like carmarthenshire and that has been where I ve tended to be looking on right move .the highlands while undoubtedly beautiful would be too remote I think
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But I do think you are more likely to find your ideal place in Scotland rather than England or Wales just because of the population density.
Have you been to ceredigion or East Carmarthenshire or mid Wales? no density of population in these areas.
Not for more than 50 years, and then not to the deepest mountain fastnesses, so yes I'm way out of date clearly for Wales, but I'm up to date with large swathes of Scotland. It depends of course on the OP's definition of rural and semi rural, v. wild.
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We moved from Worcestershire to Carmarthenshire (roughly equidistant from Carmarthen, Kidwelly and Llanelli) just under two years ago and simply love it here. We are in a traditional farming, Welsh-speaking area, but have been welcomed with open arms and have made so many friends here. There is loads to do in the area (not that we have time even when allowed!), beautiful countryside and lots of smallholdings. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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+ 1 for Dumfries & Galloway. Moved here 10 years ago and loved the quiet, friendly feel of the place, although in recent years it seems this area is being taken over by huge wind farms.
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We have been in Carmarthenshire for 8 years ..... north of Llandeilo .... equidistant to west and south coasts .... live 2 miles from village and nearest house is 1/4 mile away and at night can only see lights from 3 properties in the distance. ... remote enough for me (and to be honest as I get older I realise too remote for older age) . We have holiday cottage if you wish to stay and look around ... post covid.
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Thanks backinwellies if we get out of this lockdown unscathed I will come and stay in your holiday cottage it looks delightful
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Angus is the best county in my opinion. Much sunnier than wales where I grew up :-) beautiful beaches and hills and glen sand good land and nice people ...
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Angus is the best county in my opinion. Much sunnier than wales where I grew up :-) beautiful beaches and hills and glen sand good land and nice people ...
So you'll have been to the Smallholders Festival? :innocent: Hoping to be live this year - 23rd October :excited: :excited: :excited:
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Angus is the best county in my opinion. Much sunnier than wales where I grew up :-) beautiful beaches and hills and glen sand good land and nice people ...
So you'll have been to the Smallholders Festival? :innocent: Hoping to be live this year - 23rd October :excited: :excited: :excited:
Several times ;-) did willow weaving, my five year old son got to hold someone’s cockerel, stroked a lot of animals, learned about pig keeping (still not taken the jump and done it yet) got to cuddle Kune Kunes and I fell in love with Eriskay ponies.