I suspect the reason that you have found Brits (Scots, anyway) to be more friendly and outgoing than you expected, is because we respond like with like! You two are yourselves so friendly and genuine and "normal" (even if you are not convinced yourselves!), that Brits will respond in kind. As you say, having a dog (more Finn, please!) and young kiddies always helps too. Also have to say, after watching most of your videos now, that the way you look at each other - and especially the way Annie looks at Zach - tells me all I need to know about your feelings for each other! People you are engaging with will see this too. So uplifting to see.
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t have a drier in England. We only peg out on a sunny day (rare) or a lovely windy, breezy day (not so rare) but pegging out is so worthwhile, smells and feels delicious
You're too kind. Thank you for saying that! And yes, the dogs and kids definitely serve as great ice breakers when meeting new people. Also, we were just lucky to have found each other at a young age but to have still been able to grow together. We've seen just how easy it is for people to grow apart with time. It's been a wild ride, but I feel fortunate to have met Zach and to hang out with my best friend daily. Corny I know, but it's also true ;)
Part of the problem with the difference in hot drink temperature, remember that most Americans don’t use kettles but rather use microwaves to heat their drinks.
you call your GP surgery at 8am to receive a same day appointment , if they cant see you in the clinic they will phone you back to do a phone consultation and then send the medication over to your local pharmacy
@@SimpleScottishLiving If it's anything like my doctors, Don't phone go down to the practice, they will give you a sameday appointment, while people are still in the phone queue
@@SimpleScottishLiving Also with children I think all UK (or the majority) will see children faster than their parents for appointments. However it does vary. I think Scotland has better healthcare than England, after all prescriptions are free but in end only free for some people. Otherwise it costs £9.90 per item on the prescription. I use to use Prescription Prepayment Certificate which is for 3 or 12 months at either £32.05 or £114.50 - if you get more than 11 items in a year it cheaper to prepay for the year rather than paying £9.90 per item.
@@TSM-908We don’t pay for prescriptions in Scotland. Apparently it cost as much to administer a means tested system as it does to make prescriptions free.
@ True, like university fees. In England where I as a Scot lives today, I had a huge % of my 2 sons university tuition to pay. 25%. For eldest son it was when fees first started and was cheaper than my younger son who was 3 - 4 years later than his brother. Eldest son was £15,000 student loan debt, youngest son was £26,000. If they both did a Masters degree and got 1st class honours they could get their PhD invitation and this is free - student gets a university stipend of about £15,000 a year plus no tuition fees. So that was a win. Both qualified for this but only the eldest PhD Mathematics son took advantage- so he did a total of 8 years university at Warwick university and got his PhD with honours. The younger brother got his Masters degree with 1st class honours but really wanted to start his career so didn’t take up Manchester University offer. Eldest now living, married and working with his green card in Austin TX for last 10 years, youngest is an Organic Chemist at a pharma company near Manchester. Eldest has paid his student loan but youngest pays a % of his salary each month to Student Loans company. He’s nowhere near paid off. It really treated like the PAYE system. Biggest difference is that PhD son ears about 5-6 times any UK equivalent salary in Texas. His brother has done well as he started working for his employer and was about 20% above an average starting salary for someone who had not gone to university. I’m in two minds about this. 4 years University versus 4 year career and experience is possibly very similar in starting salaries. Scotland has no university fees, I tried persuading them to go to university in Scotland but they wanted universities that had kudos. In Scotland (being smaller options) you only have St Andrews, or Edinburgh or Stirling. These all have specific specialties Edinburgh for medicine. Anyway I’m just happy that the Scottish didn’t not vote for total independence, it would have been as bad as the UK leaving the EU in my opinion. We’re are more powerful together than apart. This shows itself clearly when you compare centralised EU Membership benefits versus USA separate State styles of government power. United Kingdom versus Un-united State of America 😞😞🤷♂️🤷♂️. These are strange times for humanity- I seriously wonder about humanity longevity in a Globalised world where countries are actually working against each other’s interests. Shame really. We need a Universal Planet Earth 🤣🤣🤣✌️🥰🥰. I am 68, nearing 69 so I will never see it in my lifetime and I worry for my sons’ and grandchildren’s futures. Government and politicians seem to be leaving the future of humanity to chance rather than doing their best for the future of our planet an it’s people. 😓😓❤️❤️⛄️
I was on the west coast of the USA at a farmers market. Someone noticed my Scottish accent. In the end I had half a dozen people talking to me in a group, asking me questions, talking about the differences in culture. Everyone was so friendly, made for a great morning.
@@mikefl1557 “The Kelpies are called Baron and Duke and are named after real-life working Clydesdale horses. They were chosen to model for sculptor, Andy Scott, in his studio. Baron and Duke even came to Helix Park for the opening ceremony in November 2013. Baron is immortalised as the 'head up' horse of the Kelpies.”
I live in rural perthshire, I like how my repeat prescription is automatically sent every month to chemist shop,for me to pick up free!!😊 Also the government pays tuition fees for university 😊
Have really been enjoying your videos. As a Scottish expat who moved away when I was young, I recently returned with my wife and son to Scotland in June. Your content has been really comforting to myself and my Canadian wife (who has spent a lot of time over here over the years, but is still adjusting). Thanks for sharing your experiences! It would be amazing to do some sort of meetup for folks that have enjoyed your content in the future! edit: As a Falkirk native, super cool to see your backdrop in this video too :)
Thank you for watching and for sharing! We love hearing from people in similar positions. How’s your son getting on? What part of Scotland are you in now?
@@SimpleScottishLiving Our son has been adapting well to life here. We have lots of extended family that he knows from prior visits, which helps. He's also extremely social, so every trip to soft play is a new group of friends made 😁 He starts nursery on January, so we're looking forward to seeing him adapt to that too. We settled in south Lanarkshire, as we have family in the area, and managed to find a nice house in a good encatchment. We considered Bo'ness too (as I'm Originally from Falkirk, and it'd be near to some other family), which would have been closer to where you guys are. Just didn't work out ☺️
@@Chris_Silcock That's great to hear! We have one starting nursery soon too, I'm not sure if nursery is ready for her though! 🤣Yes, having any family support nearby is a must with kids. So glad you are settled, welcome home and all the best!
@@SimpleScottishLiving Not sure his nursery is ready for him either, but we'll see :D Thanks so much! Best of luck to your little one too! Keep up the great content!
That "silly lawsuit" was actually an elderly woman whose boiling hot coffee spilled on her lap leaving her with 3rd degree burns in her groin and seat. She had to be treated in a hospital. The media has really downplayed what happened for decades now; we studied it in a college class of mine, and it was actually awful. That poor woman has been trashed by people ever since because they were told it was frivolous when it was well warranted and resulted in much-needed safety measures being put in place.
Beware of foreign jurisdictions! Scots law is largely independent of England & Wales - but in the following case - a UK wide statute applied. In Bogle v. McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. (2002), a copycat lawsuit in the High Court of England & Wales failed when the court rejected the claim that McDonald's should/could have avoided injury by serving coffee at a lower temperature. The claim against McDonald's was based on statute (rather than tort or contract) under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. McDonald’s was found not liable because (1) McDonald’s had met the legitimate expectations of consumers as to safety; (2) The employees had been sufficiently trained by McDonald’s on dealing with hot drinks such that no extra risk was posed by their youth; (3) Persons generally know that if a hot drink is spilled, a serious scalding injury can result. So justice was duly served (with the lid off of course)...Ho-hum.
It was a frivolous claim. To claim there is some sort of negligence in not stating that a hot beverage is hot would be nanny state to an absurd degree. There's a reason we don't wash our hands in boiling water or brush our teeth with battery acid. There's an implied personal responsibility and all it does it prove how litigious and stupid the American legal system is.
@@sandersson2813the part you’ve missed is where the negligence comes into play, not to mention the absolute duty of care that was owed and breeched. McDonald’s at the time had free refills on their coffee. To avoid this there were communications sent out for the locations to serve the coffee at a scolding temperature not fit for human consumption. The reason for this was so individuals would leave without the free refills. The coffee that burned this woman disfiguring her was not just hot coffee it would’ve been like lava pouring into your crotch. This was all in the name of corporate greed over a policy that made them money and they didn’t want to honor. Infections stemming from burns like this, especially in such an area could’ve killed her. The payout she got was measly, and because of people like her that sue it protects and provides better rights and protections for consumers.
@k.r.6697 Coffee is made with water at a scalding temperature. Everyone knows this. From a barista machine to a kettle we use boiling, or very recently boiled water, ie water close to 95c by the time it is served . We don't serve or drink coffee at tepid temperatures unless you are some sort of barbarian. It is like suing a car company because you stepped in fron of a car and you were injured by it. We all know the danger of hot liquids, and we accept that coffee is a drink served at a dangerous temperature. McDonalds would have been negligent if their cup wasn't fit to hold a coffee, but they didn't play a part in a stupid woman spilling a drink she knew to be scalding hot ending in her lap. There's a reason people laugh at the amount of litigious claims and the stupidity of their nature in the US. Every other country would throw these stupid claims out of court.
Boiling water is *not* always the same temperature. Without boring you with the science, the higher the altitude the lower the temperature at which the water boils. We stay with friends in Woodland Park, Colorado where water boils at 70 Celsius (as opposed to 100 Celsius at sea level). When we make tea at their house, we boil the kettle then microwave the water in the cup to get it to temperature. Tea made with anything other than 100 degree water just doesn’t taste right!
Yes, that is a fair point and something we experienced when we would visit the Truckee/Tahoe area (6000ft +). I was mostly trying to compare places of at least similar altitude. 🤣
I love the hot water topic. I'm American raised by an English mother. Anything less than boiling just doesn't make good tea. My daughter however says I have burnt my taste buds.😂
You two are so sweet and helpful to anyone trying to move to Scotland or just taking a longer vacation. You're there to help, and I know people will be very appreciative of all you have to offer. Finnigan is getting bigger, isn't he? He's such a pretty dog and so normal!! His moment in the spotlight was cute, for sure. The Kelpies behind you are an amazing feat of art and engineering, as is the Wheel in Falkirk. Great wonders for all ages of learning. I look forward to the next episode when you describe them. I loved going and stayed long enough to learn a few things; you have to. You can't just check it off the list and move on. Thank you for showing us.
Thank you so much. The Kelpies are beautiful and amazing every time we see them. Somehow I could just stare at them for hours! Finnegan is certainly growing, we will need to get him a new harness shortly. Thank you as always for watching!
@@SimpleScottishLiving - BBC Scotland News - Kelpies artist brings new sculpture to Minnesota - Pauline McLean Arts Correspondent - Published 9 November 2024 "The loon is the state bird of Minnesota, a black and white duck like creature with piercing red eyes. It’s also the mascot of Minnesota United, whose owner Bill McGuire commissioned a giant steel sculpture of a loon, to sit outside the club’s new stadium in St Paul. And if it looks familiar to Scottish audiences, that’s because it was designed by the same artist who created the Kelpies. At 11 metres (36 feet) high, with a wingspan of 30 metres (98 feet), named "The Calling" the sculpture is smaller than the Kelpies, but still made an impact on the community of St Paul. The Midway neighbourhood in which the Allianz Field sits has had a troubled few years. It was at the heart of protests over the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man during an arrest by Minneapolis police. "It’s an area which falls between so many different sections of Minneapolis St Paul,” said Dan Wade who lives in the neighbourhood, and is both a fan of the football club and its growing collection of sculptural commissions." See full article here : www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93q977p7yqo
BBC Scotland News - Kelpies artist brings new sculpture to Minnesota - Pauline McLean Arts Correspondent - Published 9 November 2024 "The loon is the state bird of Minnesota, a black and white duck like creature with piercing red eyes. It’s also the mascot of Minnesota United, whose owner Bill McGuire commissioned a giant steel sculpture of a loon, to sit outside the club’s new stadium in St Paul. And if it looks familiar to Scottish audiences, that’s because it was designed by the same artist who created the Kelpies. At 11 metres (36 feet) high, with a wingspan of 30 metres (98 feet), named "The Calling" the sculpture is smaller than the Kelpies, but still made an impact on the community of St Paul. The Midway neighbourhood in which the Allianz Field sits has had a troubled few years. It was at the heart of protests over the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man during an arrest by Minneapolis police. "It’s an area which falls between so many different sections of Minneapolis St Paul,” said Dan Wade who lives in the neighbourhood, and is both a fan of the football club and its growing collection of sculptural commissions." See full article here : www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93q977p7yqo
Do you have a back garden if so do you make it work for you as follows,grow your own potatoes and veg,have some chickens that produces eggs and so on,you will find your garden food is far better than from the shops.Grow tomatoes in a green house.
Loved the videos! My son just finished a master's program at the U of Edinburgh and is hoping to return to St Andrew's. His biggest complaint was how long it took to dry his laundry. Other than that, he loved every minute of his year there and can't wait to return. Regarding uni fees, his one year program was still cheaper than many 2 year programs in the states. (Crossing fingers and toes for a research fellowship ) Hoping to return soon - we all loved it!
Great vid as usual. I thought the same about the McDonalds coffee lawsuit until I watched the “Hot Coffee” documentary. It will change your mind and you’ll realize that McD did a great job convincing everyone that the lawsuit was frivolous when it was anything but. Definitely worth a watch!
@@SimpleScottishLiving - Lava drinks? Beware of foreign jurisdictions! In Bogle v. McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. (2002), a similar lawsuit in England & Wales failed when the court rejected the claim that McDonald's should/could have avoided injury by serving coffee at a lower temperature. Scots law is independent of E&W - but in this case - a UK wide statute applied. Accordingly : Court claim : Young children alleged that they had been scalded when hot drinks served in McDonald’s were knocked over and spilled. The children brought a claim under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 arguing (1) the coffee was too hot; (2) young employees could not be expected to fasten the coffee lids properly; & (3) the coffee cups should be designed with lids with spouts so that lids that are irremovable rather than lids that have to be removed for drinking. Held (High Court) : McDonald’s was not liable under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 because (1) McDonald’s had met the legitimate expectations of consumers as to safety; (2) The employees had been sufficiently trained by McDonald’s on dealing with hot drinks such that no extra risk was posed by their youth; (3) Persons generally know that if a hot drink is spilled, a serious scalding injury can result. Many prefer to consume a hot drink from an unlidded cup rather than through a spout in the lid. They accordingly know to avoid such spills, especially with young children. Consumers “expect precautions to be taken to guard against [the risk of scalding], but not to the point that they are denied the basic utility of being able to buy hot drinks to be consumed on their premises from a cup with the lid off.” [End]
Yes, it’s actually really horrific! The lady who was burned was terribly injured, truly. At the time McDonald’s coffee refills were free. What McDonald’s was doing to avoid providing free refills was intentionally serving the coffee at a temperature so hot it wasn’t fit for human consumption for a long period of time meaning you were more likely to leave without a refill. She was painfully disfigured from this and I believe required quite a few surgeries.
hot drinks: remember its only the last 40 years here that central heating has been commonplace. a lot of houses i lived in were almost same temp as outside, except the kitchen when cooking, or the main living room which usually had the only heating - mainly gas or coal fire. hot drinks were essential to staying warm.
Hello from Sacramento CA. Just found your RUclips channel and have been watching all your past videos. Love all your content and love seeing beautiful Scotland.
I grew up 16 miles from Glasgow, my brother was 11 months old in 1982, he got 48% 3rd degree burns. He was in Glasgow sick children's hospital for 3 years, it was a miracle he survived, he had 18 years of horrific operation. He is a amazing guy and has 2 wonderful little girls and he is training to be a paramedic, he is also very, very funny. I have had 5 life saving operations in the last 22years, with a 5 month and 10 week stays iand loads of other stays. I am pretty sure if I had been in the US i would be broke and probably died.
I own a Miele heat-pump dryer: it takes no longer than 90 minutes to dry a full load. The nature of the technology means that clothes might appear slightly damp on removing them, but within a couple of minutes the clothes will be fully dry. If you have a heat-pump combined washer/dryer though it will not be anywhere as near efficient as a stand-alone heat-pump dryer.
Interesting! Miele is a little fancier than our model, but maybe I’m just thinking they’re not fully dry when in actuality, they are. Trying this experiment tomorrow!
Heat pump tumble driers are very new and very few people have them - most will have older tumble driers with the exhaust pipe you mentioned or a condensing drier where the air is circulated back in over a condenser that collects water extracted from the damp clothes. Then once the load is done (typically 1.5-2 hrs) depends how much water is extracted you open the drawer and remove the tank to pour out the collected water. Typically the more you spin the clothes the less water remains and so the less time it takes to dry. However modern practice is to wash clothes at low temperatures and not spin them much. I'm old fashioned I wash mine at regular temperature and max 1400 spin, so the drying is typically an hour to 90 mins.
@@Francis-xl2gu I use a humidifier as you mentioned. I was sick of driers breaking after only a few uses due to the infrequent times I used them - a few hundred pounds each time got ridiculous. My humidifier is still going strong after 10+ years even though it's on every day as I like to keep certain rooms at a set humidity. When I have laundry on a clothes horse it just means the humidifier is on longer. 👍
I was born in Falkirk and my parents emigrated to Canada when I was 4.Now my wife and I are arriving in Glasgow from Toronto in March to begin living our (hopefully) simple Scottish life,thank you for these videos they are a great headsup.❤
I used to work at a donut shop here in the United States, and when we brewed our coffee, we would use boiling water, and change the coffee when the temperature dropped below 180°.
Every time I’ve been to the states, no matter where, I can never understand why hot drinks are lukewarm I like my coffee at the same temperature as molten metal!!!
I love your videos. I lived and taught in San Jose, Ca for many years . I have only been to Scotland once and enjoyed the Highlands with all the lovely pasture and variations of sheep. I also was delighted with an evening spent in a pup singing with a group of men returning home after a rehearsal. You are blessed and you are sharing your blessing. Thank you! Love Finnigan!
I am 60 years old and have only ever worked for UK companies and organisations. I have only experienced PAYE for tax. From about 1988 I have emailed my local tax office every year end to ask them to see if I owe them any money - I don't ever want to be hit with an unexpected tax bill. Only one have I owed HMRC any money and that was only about fifty quid. However, about half a dozen times (due to incorrect tax codes) HMRC have actually owed ME money. They were fine with that and paid up immediately.
Yes, I have also only had similar experiences with PAYE and HMRC. It is a stark contrast to the US where you might end up with a $5,000+ tax bill at the end of the year, or be owed thousands....which is always a nice surprise!
The pharmacist thing is actually pretty new, but it’s really useful. I went down with Shingles earlier in the year and the pharmacist was able to prescribe the anti-virals, and for any coughs and colds it’s much easier to get in to see him compared to our GP. Your waste and recycling in East Lothian is certainly more complicated than ours in Fife. We have four bins - landfill is every fortnight, and the other three every four weeks.
Yes, I don't remember the pharmacist thing growing up, so that would make sense it was somewhat new. Yes, I think East Lothian is a unique case. We are definitely happy to do our part, it would be interesting to see how other areas do it and how efficient each are at recycling in the end! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Many many years ago I treated my husband to 20 days touring by rental car England-Wales and Scotland. The following year we decided it would be only Scotland from than on. We went every year for 9 years when he unexpectedly passed away. In 2023 my sister wanted to go to Ireland and I told her I would book us on a 14 guided tour but it had to be split between Ireland and Scotland. Told her she would fall in love with Scotland and she did-we are of Irish descent-my late husband was of Scottish descent. Now I’m 76 don’t think I’ll be going back but I so envy you moving there.
Here in Switzerland, we have intense recycling as well; we have hired a company that regularly picks up glass, metal and plastics. And those attached lids on bottles? That's one more reason to carry a Swiss pocket knife - just cut it off and enjoy the drink!😉 And I love your background - Falkirk Kelpies!😊
I’m aware you guys are out in the county I grew up in (I recognize the roads and the Tesco). But honestly, after 2 years of working overseas, it’s very noticeable the number of people from the US who’ve relocated here in Edinburgh. I was jogging the Water of Leith a few weeks ago and stopped in my tracks at the most alien scene I’ve ever seen: there was a baseball game going on in the Warriston playing fields. Not rounders, but full-gear baseball. All are welcome, it must be said.
Your channel is my favorite! I live in the northern US. When we spent a few years in the deep South, it was disconcerting to have a subtle reaction every time I said something. I can relate to Annie's experience.
We were in the South for 4 years. Very friendly people, but as an introvert, I never got used to the slight look of surprise when I spoke in front of strangers 😊.
Someone else mentioned this also. I looked online and the company that was sending them out said they are out of stock and have no plans to get more! 🤷♂️
@@SimpleScottishLivingTe west coast is a 'little' warmer but certainly wetter then the east coat. That's primarily due to the gulf stream tha travels from the gulf pf Mexico up the east of the US ams across the Atlantic to the west coast of Scotland and also the jet stream too plays a part too. But the east coast is more sheltered to the bad weather like rain etc but tends to be a degree o 2 cooler as we don't have rhe gulf stream on the east to warm us up slightly more. Though thanks to that we get WAY less in terms of rain. I'm originally from Glasgow area and can attest to the fat that it rained a hell of a lot more than it does here in Edinburgh here I live now.
After watching quite a few U.S. videos the big difference between Scotland and America is the obsession with private property . The amount of times I've heard and see e.g. neighbours arguing and if they put one foot on a garden path ....out comes a gun or their screaming call the cops YOU'RE TRESSPASSING ON MY PROPERTY !! In Scotland no one will say that ,you can walk almost anywhere you are not going to be prosecuted. ❤
@@janielow8719 True but in England the highest number of cases heard in small claim courts are normally antisocial behaviour of neighbours or housing owners boundary legal arguments. Especially when there is a shared driveway access covenant in the property deeds. Also you get fence arguments regarding property fences and who is responsible for these things if high winds blow them down.
@@velviaman3206 whoa, there are Scottish trespass laws both civil and criminal. What is different is that Scotland allows certain defence towards trespass (eg; entering for consent, judicial warrant, emergency, or exercise of a right.). However landowners also have rights which include a landowner asking for a person to leave, if the person refuses the owner is allowed to use reasonable force to make them leave (or call the police to help but they police cannot arrest the trespasser only ensure safety for people involved). The rights to roam (used by ramblers ) does not allow them to roam through domestic gardens. However, Scotland does recognize public rights of way, which are defined routes that can cross land that is excluded from the right to roam. In Scotland you can near enough walk where you want under rights to roam and provided you behave responsibly. Farmers are allowed to shoot a dog worrying their livestock but this is a complex situation where they are not allowed to shoot guide dogs, or police dogs or sheep dogs plus the dog must be behaving in a manner that is endangering the life of the farmer’s livestock, so not just chasing them. In Scotland the right to roam is seen as world class rights. In England it is more contentious if your are not using the designated pathways or bridle paths. In Scotland straying from the pathway is not as controversial unless you are destroying crops our livelihood of the landowners.
@ Scotch is a descriptor of food and drink, we are the Scots and have had Scots law for centuries . For instance one cannot be charged with trespassing on a landowner’s field if one enters by an unlocked gate and leaves by the gate. However a charge of damaging crops or property e.g. a fence is possible. These laws were in place long before the right to roam in Scotland.
Another great video you just brighten up a Sunday really look forward to your videos Finnegan looks a big boy now have a great week love from bonnie Scotland ❤
Thank you! Yes, it’s shocking how much he’s grown. He’s starting to get a little more chunky, which makes him extra snuggly. Thanks for tuning in again ❤️
In reference to hot drinks: to my knowledge, food service establishments in the US are "required" to have a max temperature that drinks can be served at.
I feel one of the reasons the 'tax is theft' idea is not such an issue in the UK as in the USA is that unless you're self-employed you are not involved with actually paying your taxes. All my working life when I got my monthly pay slip I didn't really look to hard at the gross income. I just looked at the net (amount after the tax and National Insurance has been taken out) because what's the point? Is the fact that people in the UK are less litigious not just down to attitudes that accidents just happen and you have to deal with it but also that we don't have to pay medical bills. Maybe if you injure yourself and incure bills in the USA you sue to get money back. Or do the insurance companies sue or expect you to sue? I've no idea.
It is the law. “If you are a U.S. citizen or resident living or traveling outside the United States, you generally are required to file income tax returns, estate tax returns, and gift tax returns and pay estimated tax in the same way as those residing in the United States.” www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-residents-abroad-filing-requirements
@@barrysteven5964 one other thing is that in the UK we have “ The Small Claims Court”, we’re if you feel that you have been wronged by day say a tradesman or someone who you believe owes for damages of some kind then you can get quick and relatively cheap justice via smalls claims. No lawyers required you can make your own claim and just ensure that you have ALL the evidence and documentation to support the claim and chances are if you’re in the right you will win and receive payment judgement, now they other person has to pay. If they still refuse then you have to call in bailiffs to get your claim. I not sure if the bailiff charges are solely on the person you’re claiming from. Anyway I have friends who have use this system with success. If the person who you are claiming against doesn’t turn up you automatically win your claim.
Another beautiful benefit in that in Scotland the price for something in a shop is what you pay - I was stunned in USA the prices had no sales tax added on to the item price labels. The uk VAT is fixed at 20% and is already added to the item price tag. Some items are not VAT taxed, like children’s clothing and shoes - my wife is smallish so she sometimes checks the children’s clothing and shoe sections to see if it fits her - it the Aberdonian thriftiness in her genes.
Every county in the US sets it's sales tax rate so people living in that county know what the added % is . Retailers cannot price items for individual counties.
@@sarahann530 true but I bought goods in Michigan and the price did not include the state sales tax. Same in North Carolina and same in Texas. All these states have state sales taxes, if you’re also say they have local county taxes on top of state sales taxes then they are still not shown on the price labels. This was my experience my last visit was around 2012. I retired in 2016 in the UK - I have lived in England since 1989 as this was where I could get the job and salary levels I required.
@TSM-908 There can be State taxes , county taxes and city taxes added to items you purchase . That is why the taxes are added at the checkout . Some items do not have sales tax added just like VAT is not on everything. There are some US states with no Sales tax . This information is all readily available you should read up on it .
@@sarahann530 thanks, you’re confirming my experience. It’s horrible not knowing what the actual till price is going to be. Plus the larger items means that you’re likely going to be doing mental arithmetic for the taxes. UK it’s countrywide so the price tag is what you pay. Also in uk we have some large supermarkets have have customers handheld scanners which you use to scan your items and then drop them in your trolley. The handheld keeps a display of your specific spending as you move around the shop. At the till the cashier just scans the total and you just walk out of store. The device already has your payment card details so fast check out. Also we have many self service scan tills where customers just do their own item barcode scanning and drop the purchases into their bags. Then you can pay contactless with your bank card and walk out. They do check a % of people to ensure that you’re not stealing - normally people who are paying with cash as card details are not getting scanned. Same with utilities water & electric. These are metered and use SIM cards to telephone your monthly usage to the provider. My son in Texas tells me that the state is self sufficient and not connected with other states to help with electricity usage, uk has a single supplier grid for the whole country and we balance power out across all the UK. Many electric providers sell power to customers but they all use the country wide network to power the homes. Texas doesn’t do this yet.
@TSM-908 If you live in the area you know what the till price is . If you are a visitor you can ask what it is . This is basic stuff any functioning person should be able to handle . The UK is one Country that has decided to apply a VAT tax across the board , you don't seem to comprehend the US is made up of States that set their own laws including how they finance State govt . Some have sales tax some don't, some have income tax some don't, Are you saying your son does not know how to calculate the sales tax on items he purchases ? Texas decided against joining the National grid , this is a decision the electorate decided . Individual power companies decide how to collect payment for the service they provide . Texas is backwards in many things clearly this is one of them . However you can walk around with a gun in Texas so it is better than the Uk in that regard .
I hear you about the laundry. Our flat in Edinburgh had a washer but no dryer, and it took forever to dry clothes inside on the drying racks. We bought a dehumidifier and put it in the single bedroom with the drying racks. Still took quite a while, but certainly sped up the process.
I tried a humidifier, it's rubbish. I swear by a regular fan, I wash my clothes after 10.p.m hang them in a clothes airer, run the fan overnight, they are pretty much dry by midday. Because you washed and ran the fan after 10, the electric is reduced also. I love it😊
The East coast side of Scotland is always milder, we live in west Lothian, in the sticks surrounded by moss and peat so it's often damp and cold. My husband works in Edinburgh and originally from uphall so he swears it's always warmer in that general direction. He couldn't believe the difference 7 miles made when he moved through here.
Yes, we’ve noticed this! Even when we went to see the Kelpies and Stirling on a separate trip, the weather was changing for the worse as we drove. We got lucky when filming!
When I go for a takeaway coffee I always ask for it to be “extra hot” 😂. Asbestos mouth I do have! Oh and Annie, thank you for the correct pronunciation of Aluminium🤣
I just turned 71 and am seriously looking into moving to Scotland! I'm not letting my age stop me from starting a new chapter in a place that will make me happy😊
East Lothian does seem to have a special way of doing things for sure. But on the plastic separation thing, the problem is that not all plastics are easily recycled and if one type of plastic contaminates the plastic recycling process the whole batch is disposed of making plastic recycling a painful process. The other problem is that plastic is not 100% recyclable i.e. in order to make a new batch of that plastic type, you have to add in new plastic to the mix. (unlike with glass or metal). Plastic is both a good thing (for medicine and food preservation which helps reduce CO2 from waste) and a scourge on the world. As for the lid being attached, this is relatively new, but it's to stop people throwing the lid away separately and having plastic degrade in the environment, they'll detach the lid in the recycling centre.
Thank you for sharing that! We knew there had to be a reason for it all, and it is all completely new since I left. Also, nothing similar in the US which begs the question, how are they processing it? Thanks again and thanks for watching.
Pharmacists used to label their shops as dispensing chemists, Our North Berwick Pharmacy (Smiths) gives personal service not available at 'Boots' As to dogs, they make you friends. In North Berwick, we have more dogs than people. Our first dog, 'Frisby, ' a border cross, lived to be 20 years old. He loved the sea. had he lived here now he'd be halfway to Fife. Our first dog when we moved here was a Staffie, 'Rusty,' who lived to 12. Our latest Staffie, Captain, died at 15 years old last May. He hated the wet. He walked around puddles but still went down the beach and out on the rocks, avoiding getting wet.
That's interesting about the pharmacists, I didn't know that. We love North Berwick and visit as often as we can, it's so nice seeing all the dogs and people enjoying the beach. That's so funny about Rusty avoiding puddles 🤣 Thanks for watching and sharing!
i live in edinburgh one week is your recycle following week is your landfill then the following week is your recycling again its the garden waste that's once every 2 weeks ,food waste is picked up every week
Hi neighbour! Yes, that sounds similar to ours, food waste and recycling is weekly. We do also have to pay a bit extra to have our garden waste picked up every two weeks. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Thank you very much. We were a bit nervous as to how it would be received, but were confident only using brands that we actually use ourselves. We got a number of offers earlier on that we passed on as they were not a good fit for our lifestyle or channel. Thank you for taking the time to say that, it means a lot!
@@maryelyse5633We’ll continue to do sponsorships but haven’t changed any settings. Are you getting more mid-roll ads than before? Just want to make sure RUclips is not adding more for some reason. Would love to have your insight.
@@maryelyse5633 Hi, sorry to hear that. The ad breaks and commercials are out of our control and determined by RUclips. We do appreciate you watching and taking time to share your thoughts. All the best ❤
Buy a pair of uggs & size up handy for nipping out for some shopping & school runs ❤ do warm n cosy. my family wear thermal long sleeve tops /tshirts from m & s, it’s all about the layers in this colder weather 🥶😂 i have a washing machine that does quick washing cycle 28 mins with a big drum inside. You can battle through 4 washing loads so quick then. I also recommend buying a 3 tier clothes heater that you plug in, it’s safe & you can dry your clothes over night for pennies, alot better for your clothes & cheaper than a tumble dryer. ❤
Thank you for all those suggestions! Annie is in need of some new slippers, so the uggs might be a great gift idea (not sure she would that me for a clothes heater for Christmas!) 🤣
Recycling. Hand sorting in the home gives much better outcomes than just putting it all in the same bin. An old school friend of mine runs a recycling plant and they don't buy from councils that don't do home sorting any more. In the past they have found all sorts of things in bales of paper and cardboard like Training Shoes (Sneakers), car batteries and kids' toys!
It is strange the weather, when we go over to the States (Florida mainly) in the winter we walk around in tee shirts when everyone that lives there have coats on LOL
Definitely a thing🤔 Starbucks and Costa coffee temperature is fine, however, indie shops do my head in with Lava coffee. I now normally mention to them to not overheat my drink, as no fun having to wait 15 minutes to take a sip. £4 for a scalding 😂
In my experience, US companies don't use boiling (100° C) water for drinks. It is my contention that this is why I have never had a decent cup of tea in the USA, because the water needs to be at boiling point when you add it to the tea leaves - this is also the same for France and Italy in my experience, though touristy parts of Spain are used to British tea drinkers these days. I feel that this is also why you rarely get a decent cup of coffee in the UK because coffee brews better at just under 94° C and we brits make it with still bubbling water straight out of the kettle.
@@alistairthow1384 Two things: You can only do that with instant coffee. Cold milk on to instant coffee granules results in floating coffee monsters on the surface of your drink. It's best to just let the water cool down a bit before pouring it on to your coffee, but, I am an impatient British so I make bitter coffee with boiling water.
You will find hot drinks are also a thing in places like Norway Sweden. For when people are out hiking camping bush shelters especially when cold hot drink to warm you up. Recently it’s been getting fairly hot down south in the summer specifically during a heat wave here in the uk. We have had a house temperature inside of around 85f during the heat wave
Hot drinks also cool you down in summer and kf you're overheating too, it helps to regukate your temperature. Whereas cold drinks don't help to cool you or regulate temp at all whatsoever. Seems counter intuitive but actually true.
It appears to be that I may be able to get citizenship in England because of my father and his family are from England. Does that qualify me to live in Scotland isn’t Scotland and North Ireland part of the UK?
Love your videos they are a highlight of my life too ! Can I ask if the SAd lamp is helping and which one did you get ?I am looking into getting one . THank you 🥰xx
Thank you so much! I like the SAD lamp in the morning, helps me wake up and it does remind me of stepping out into the bright CA sunshine, especially after I had worked a night shift. We got one made by Beurer on Amazon and I think it works well.
Americans brew coffee rather than making tea, and for that they use water below boiling point - the machines at our office show 200F/93C. Brits always boil water for tea, so drinks are just typically hotter. Our heat pump dryer also takes a long time to dry, but it’s a reasonable trade off given how expensive electricity is in Scotland.
This makes so much sense. Thank you for sharing! And yes, although the heat pump does take forever, we appreciate that the monthly utility bill is lower and that our clothes seem to last longer (no shrinking).
Honestly love these videos every week. I know its came up on a few videos but you could probably fill a full video on UK/Scotland education system from Nursery thro to leaving, as significant different in Scotland and US. The PAYE point was well made, something in the UK we just assume everyone else in the world does without realising its quite specific to UK. Means majority dont think about tax at all. Anyway another great video :)
Thank you so much, we truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to watch them and leave a comment. Yes, the education difference is a big one and one of the many reasons we decided to move. Once the kids have done a bit more schooling we might look at doing a video about it. Thank you again!
In Canada our pharmacists can also prescribe things for basic ailments. Its quite handy to be sure. Also for seasonal blues ie SAD illness, have you considered vitamin D supplements. Can help. We lose the sun very early and rises very late in the winter.
@@SimpleScottishLivingYeah definitely buy vitamin D supplements and also vitamin B6 and B12 too. It's actually recommended by the Scottish NHS to tale those supplements during the winter months to help regulate mood, energy and help maintain the immune system. There'll likely ne advice about it from the Scottish NHS on their website, perhaps best to google and ask it for 'Scottish NHS vitamin supplements during winter months'. That'll likely take yiu ti the desired page and give links to lots of other sites about that kinda stuff too.
When you boil water, it depends on the height of the land above sea level as to how fast it boils and at what temperature it boils. Contrary to what we are taught at school, 100° is not necessarily boiling point.
I think the difference with the hot drinks may be down to the fact that mostly in the UK in general, hot drinks are made with a batch of hot water brought to the boil so the temperature is maintained for longer, where mostly hot drinks in the US are either done through a stream that’s heated as it flows or in a microwave…neither of which will always hit boiling point and more likely to just be hot enough.
@ it might take a wee while but once full on winter hits (especially if it’s a particularly naff one) you’ll be quite glad because of it due to how quickly the hot water can cool down…especially first thing in the morning if the heating hasn’t been on long enough to warm the cups up.
Another enjoyable video-I love thw Kelpies in the background.With regard to the bottle top conundrum I believe it has to do with the fact that so many of them were ending up in the sea as plastic waste so the decision was taken to keep them attached.x
I've lived in Como, by the lake, for forty years, but I'm from Liverpool, which is ALWAYS home! You must visit .. it's great for culture, (museums, galleries and of course the Beatles museum!), plus lots of places to visit with the kids. Not such a long trek for you as well. Sending a hug....and if you make it over to Como I'd happily be your guide!
Yes, accents turn heads. I'm English living in France, I avoid speaking French in public unless really necessary as I just want to blend in rather than stand out! Love your videos and vibe and Scotland is dear to my heart.
THREE AND A HALF HOURS TO DRY A LOAD, that is crazy, I have a standard tumble dryer that has a vent out the wall to air, nothing fancy, a normal load of clothes takes around 40 to 45 minutes, my biggest load is the double duvets which I am lazy so I wash with the cover on, only takes 60 minutes, sounds to me like you were sold something expensive and useless.
Heat pump tumble driers are terrible for time but are supposedly A rated for efficiency. Same thing applies to new washers. We bought a 12Kg LG unit for the ability of washing duvets, however they use fuzzy logic and get the government A+++ rating on their water economy and electricity efficiency. Note nearly ALL washers in the UK are cold water only filled. We dry clothes in the winter in the house and use a desiccant dehumidifier. Many people say these take more moisture out of the air but use more power. Compressor dehumidifier are better. This is difficult as compressor unit are impacted by air temperature so in Scotland in winter they can be less efficient compared with the desiccant systems. Also you can use dehumidifier in summer and get less potential mould growth from humidity. However tumble dryer with wall venting our a condenser ( and you empty the container when full) are better.
Haha maybe! We just went with a Beko heat pump as our other option was a condenser. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a vented drier as we didn’t have a place to put it, but it does take a longgg time. I think for efficiency, a vented drier will like always be the best bet.
@ Most families just open up a window and stick the vent exhaust pipe out of the window gap. The heat from the tumble dryer compensates for the lost heating thru the opening window - but you have one now so you’re good, great channel 🥰👍👍
Love your background ❤️ Annie your beautiful hat goes with the colours of the horse 😁 Now that’s a lot of recycling you have 😳 I’m in the uk and only have three bins in our area, plus the little food one.
Both of them are made by Beko, nothing fancy. There are other settings that don't take as long, it was just a shock to see a number that high on any setting!
Oh wow! Our washing machine takes around an hour, but the drier is always 3hours. It’s the beko heat pump. It never shrinks the clothes, which is a bonus but just takes a long time.
@@SimpleScottishLiving I'd hate to pay your Electricity bills. Mine are less than £50 per month with EDF but there again we don't wash everything in sight just those items that are soiled readily and those things are obvious.
@@nickhickson8738 We do pay more than that, but I swear the kids just find any mud they can and start rolling around! Personally I cycle through about 3 outfits...as you can probably see from the videos! 🤣🤣🤣
Really enjoy your videos. I live in Arbroath, Angus. Angus is fantastic place to visit, loads to see. Also recommend Fife coast. You must visit the Crail cafe with the amazing views. It's like going back in time. The cafe is very old beautiful cottage. St.Andrews is also a must.
Thank you! We had a St Andrews visit planned but realized it was the week that all the students started back to school, so we decided to delay it. Still high on the list and will be adding these suggestions!
And at Christmas the recycling collection dates change due to the public holidays - I always get caught out and end up running out with the bins in my jammies 🤣
I NEVER wear thick socks. Good quality Cotton ones all the way and really good shoes, warm and waterproof. Then your wee tootsies are toasty. The thick ones can be not actually warm unless they are a wool blend.
Wow that’s some wait for a doctors appointment. I ring before nine and always get a call back and the doctor will find an appointment same day if he/she wants to check you out same day.
Yes, certainly for the non-urgent things we have needed appointments for it's been about a weeks wait. Perhaps if it was more urgent they would find space, hopefully we don't have to try that out though! Thank you for the comment and great to hear the service you have in your area1
Edinburgh resident here. If it was assessed to be urgent the Doctor would make space for you same day (or indeed refer you directly to the A&E or other NHS specialist if their assessment on the phone highlighted something clearly worrying enough
As a Scot living in the U.S for 35years I guarantee I’m asked every single workday “where are you from ?” Most common questions “Are you from Ireland ?” Or “what part of England are you from ?” 😳I have to say I’ve never once experienced negativity. I live in Idaho and sometimes for fun I’ll respond that I’m from Texas (lived there 15 years) surprisingly some people are okay with that 😂. Enjoy life in Scotland it truly is an amazing country.
🤣🤣 Yes, Zach can completely empathize as well. It’s never once been a negative interaction, but it was something I hadn’t thought about or anticipated. I’m sure I’ll get used to it with time!
Scot here living in England, I have been asked several times which part of Ireland I’m from and when I say I’m Scottish? Oh you don’t sound Scottish…..yes, yes I do however I don’t have a Glaswegian accent as well? I’m from the North East 😂
Last comment from me: have you tried using a dehumidifier in a room with drying laundry on a rack? Much cheaper and more sustainable than a tumble dryer and far quicker than just drying in a room. We’ve just got a Meaco arete one with a laundry mode.
Yes, we actually have a dehumidifier in our garden room and if did work well when drying a duvet and other large items! Thanks for the suggestion though!
@@SimpleScottishLivingthat’s good and yeah I was quite impressed with how well it worked. After years of repainting our bathrooms due to ceiling mould etc we decided to get one. New build homes are just so poor re humidity unless you run the heating all the time which we don’t.
Really enjoyed the insight on this one. I'm from West Lothian originally, and my wife is from East Lothian. We now live in the Highlands. If you think our recycling is hard to grasp, you should see German recycling bins. I lived there for a while and should have earned a doctorate in recycling. I spent a lot of time in New England, but never made it to California, I'm unfortunately ginger and worry I'd ignite swiftly, factor 50 only does so much
Thank you! I have seen some videos about the recycling in Germany and it does look intense! Hahahahha, SPF 50 is like putting toothpaste on your skin...but sounds like that is what you need as a minimum! 🤣
Guys you can buy big washing machines. I googled America and that is about average for your large machines. You must have a tiny machine. We have an 11.5kg and I get tons of washing in it. My Samsung can do a normal 11Kg was in an hour. It really does come down to your machine. Heat pumps do take longer to dry, however it really is very very cheap to use. Like a 1/5 cost in comparison to much normal tumble dryer. Also I bought a 9kg one and so I always see my I be able to dry like for like with my big machine.
Your videos are the perfect start to my week. Thank you! Do you have suggestions on how to look into retiring to Scotland? My father was born there. I spent so much time with my grandmother before I started school I had a wee accent and had a preference for Scottish words. Love hearing you speak, Zach!❤
Thank you so much, we really appreciate you watching and your kind words. If your father was born in Scotland are you able to apply for a UK passport? That would certainly be the easiest way!
Having looked into it myself a lot lately (I'm a dual citizen living in the US), I would say this channel is one of the better sources, with some excellent info on some of the crucial details and expenses). There are other RUclips sources that are great, and research on the UK gov tax info website is worth a peruse as well. The bottom line is that your retirement income will be taxed, but by how much depends on citizenship, income level, etc....
I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have a tumble dryer. we choose not to use it all the time for financial reasons and if the weather is dry , of course the clothes goes outside.
That’s what we’re doing as well! I prefer the smell of line dried clothes, but there are some days that we just need the tumble drier for our family to function!
@@SimpleScottishLiving Yes towels must to go in the tumble dryer. And it’s not just heat pump dryers either. We don’t have one, we have a condensing dryer but something has definitely happened to dryers because when I got my first 40 years ago clothes used to dry in about 45 minutes. Every new dryer over the decades has taken longer and longer. Annoying.,
I worked with an academic at Aberdeen University who was researching the lack of younger GPs in the highlands. He said while things are ok now there is a real issue getting younger/new GPs to move north from the central belt cities. I hope this can be sorted.
Yes, I can't imagine, unless you are from that area, that as a newly qualified GP you would want to leave the city for the highlands. All sorts of options are decreased, another interesting piece of information though, thank you!
Re the hot drinks thing- tea HAS to be made with boiling water to get the best taste out of the leaves - and then adding milk will cool it just a little, but it's still hot. Coffee is best made at just below boiling point, but of course in the UK we use our electric kettles to make our coffees, and so they get made with boiling water too. A lot of places selling coffees 'to go' will ask if you want to top up the drink with cold water (particularly if drinking it black) - or even offer an ice cube in the cup so that you can start drinking it immediately. In the UK places where activities take place (like kids soft play or ice skating) have to follow basic safety standards in initial construction and also regular(daily) maintenance checks, and that beyond that the public are expected to use their common sense - ice is slippy, climbing equipment involves being high off the ground etc. I discovered years ago that if you are with people who live in different parts of the country, and the conversation starts to lag- then discussing your various local recycling systems can fill a good chunk of time! In some places different things can be recycled together, or must be separate, the collection schedules vary hugely, and so on. Hours of fun! Get you Annie- with your casual mention of 'Aluminium' instead of 'Aluminum'. You're becoming native, slowly but surely!😂 Isn't Finnegan BIG now? Wow!
Put the milk in with your instant coffee first it will help to stop the boiling water from scalding the coffee or get a kettle that you can set the cut off temp if that matters to you, professional coffee machines don't work at boiling point for coffee and in 35 years in hospitality I've never topped up a coffee with cold water, abomination to put it mildly.
He is big! It’s shocking. Luckily, he’s still just as cute and cuddly. I’ve been working on my pronunciations. Thanks for noticing 😉🤣 That’s a good point you make about small talk with the recycling. I’ll have to add it to my back pocket along with the weather chat. Thanks so much for watching and for commenting. Wishing you a restful weekend!
Guys you can buy big washing machine. We have an 11.5kg and I get tons of washing in it. My Samsung can do a normal 11Kg was in an hour. It really does come down to your machine. Heat pumps do take longer to dry, however it really is very very cheap to use. Like a 1/5 cost in comparison to much normal tumble dryer. Also I bought a 9kg one and so I always see my I be able to dry like for like with my big machine. If you do not want cold toes, I strongly strongly recommend Merino wool socks you will never go back. Particularly Nordic socks. It really does make a huge difference. Also insulated wellies guys, especially for the kiddos. Muck boot company do amazing insulated wellies. Your tootsies will be so warm. They do ones that are -20. Really does come down to what you wear. Scarpa boots and shoes are amazing, keep you dry and warm. Berghaus. For rain look at goretex anything over 20’000 HH otherwise your just going to get wet. I use dry walks coats, it is an investment but the all seasons and the winter coats are super warm and they do matching coats for pooch. I have been in driving rain with these coats and been warm and dry. Fashion and rain dont mix!
Wow, these are fantastic tips!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I’m immediately going to google these Wellies and some new merino wool socks. Excellent!
@ I hate being wet and cold and over the years realised that it doesn’t pay to go cheap with outer wear, socks and shoes. They pay for themselves anyway as last ages xx
I suspect the reason that you have found Brits (Scots, anyway) to be more friendly and outgoing than you expected, is because we respond like with like! You two are yourselves so friendly and genuine and "normal" (even if you are not convinced yourselves!), that Brits will respond in kind. As you say, having a dog (more Finn, please!) and young kiddies always helps too.
Also have to say, after watching most of your videos now, that the way you look at each other - and especially the way Annie looks at Zach - tells me all I need to know about your feelings for each other! People you are engaging with will see this too. So uplifting to see.
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t have a drier in England. We only peg out on a sunny day (rare) or a lovely windy, breezy day (not so rare) but pegging out is so worthwhile, smells and feels delicious
You're too kind. Thank you for saying that! And yes, the dogs and kids definitely serve as great ice breakers when meeting new people.
Also, we were just lucky to have found each other at a young age but to have still been able to grow together. We've seen just how easy it is for people to grow apart with time. It's been a wild ride, but I feel fortunate to have met Zach and to hang out with my best friend daily. Corny I know, but it's also true ;)
@@georgesaint-c6c We love putting our washing out when we can. It's so much better, but unfortunately, when we don't get the wind, it doesn't dry!
Part of the problem with the difference in hot drink temperature, remember that most Americans don’t use kettles but rather use microwaves to heat their drinks.
Yes, that certainly is a factor to consider, thanks for the comment.
you call your GP surgery at 8am to receive a same day appointment , if they cant see you in the clinic they will phone you back to do a phone consultation and then send the medication over to your local pharmacy
That is good to know, thank you! Hopefully we won't have a need anytime soon, but with 3 kids I'm sure it's inevitable!
@@SimpleScottishLiving If it's anything like my doctors, Don't phone go down to the practice, they will give you a sameday appointment, while people are still in the phone queue
@@SimpleScottishLiving Also with children I think all UK (or the majority) will see children faster than their parents for appointments. However it does vary. I think Scotland has better healthcare than England, after all prescriptions are free but in end only free for some people. Otherwise it costs £9.90 per item on the prescription. I use to use Prescription Prepayment Certificate which is for 3 or 12 months at either £32.05 or £114.50 - if you get more than 11 items in a year it cheaper to prepay for the year rather than paying £9.90 per item.
@@TSM-908We don’t pay for prescriptions in Scotland. Apparently it cost as much to administer a means tested system as it does to make prescriptions free.
@ True, like university fees. In England where I as a Scot lives today, I had a huge % of my 2 sons university tuition to pay. 25%. For eldest son it was when fees first started and was cheaper than my younger son who was 3 - 4 years later than his brother. Eldest son was £15,000 student loan debt, youngest son was £26,000. If they both did a Masters degree and got 1st class honours they could get their PhD invitation and this is free - student gets a university stipend of about £15,000 a year plus no tuition fees. So that was a win. Both qualified for this but only the eldest PhD Mathematics son took advantage- so he did a total of 8 years university at Warwick university and got his PhD with honours. The younger brother got his Masters degree with 1st class honours but really wanted to start his career so didn’t take up Manchester University offer. Eldest now living, married and working with his green card in Austin TX for last 10 years, youngest is an Organic Chemist at a pharma company near Manchester. Eldest has paid his student loan but youngest pays a % of his salary each month to Student Loans company. He’s nowhere near paid off. It really treated like the PAYE system. Biggest difference is that PhD son ears about 5-6 times any UK equivalent salary in Texas. His brother has done well as he started working for his employer and was about 20% above an average starting salary for someone who had not gone to university. I’m in two minds about this. 4 years University versus 4 year career and experience is possibly very similar in starting salaries. Scotland has no university fees, I tried persuading them to go to university in Scotland but they wanted universities that had kudos. In Scotland (being smaller options) you only have St Andrews, or Edinburgh or Stirling. These all have specific specialties Edinburgh for medicine. Anyway I’m just happy that the Scottish didn’t not vote for total independence, it would have been as bad as the UK leaving the EU in my opinion. We’re are more powerful together than apart. This shows itself clearly when you compare centralised EU Membership benefits versus USA separate State styles of government power. United Kingdom versus Un-united State of America 😞😞🤷♂️🤷♂️. These are strange times for humanity- I seriously wonder about humanity longevity in a Globalised world where countries are actually working against each other’s interests. Shame really. We need a Universal Planet Earth 🤣🤣🤣✌️🥰🥰. I am 68, nearing 69 so I will never see it in my lifetime and I worry for my sons’ and grandchildren’s futures. Government and politicians seem to be leaving the future of humanity to chance rather than doing their best for the future of our planet an it’s people. 😓😓❤️❤️⛄️
I was on the west coast of the USA at a farmers market. Someone noticed my Scottish accent. In the end I had half a dozen people talking to me in a group, asking me questions, talking about the differences in culture. Everyone was so friendly, made for a great morning.
Love this!! The Scottish accent is special, so I’m not the least bit surprised 😉
Extra points to Annie for her pronunciation of Aluminium!
Hahaha, thank you so much! 😁
There’s only one problem with your videos - tho it is a BIG one:
You don’t make enough of them!
High point of my week/day when they come out ❤❤❤
Hahahaha, thank you! We would love to make more of them, all we would need is a time machine! 🤣
My girlfriend's friend owns the 2 horses that the artist used as models for the Kelpies.
That’s so interesting!!
I use to know the horses names but can't think of them at the moment, the owners name is Diane.
@@mikefl1557 “The Kelpies are called Baron and Duke and are named after real-life working Clydesdale horses. They were chosen to model for sculptor, Andy Scott, in his studio. Baron and Duke even came to Helix Park for the opening ceremony in November 2013. Baron is immortalised as the 'head up' horse of the Kelpies.”
Duke and Barroooonnnnn ❤❤❤. I taught our foster kid them and years later and back with Mom he still talks about them 😍
@@janegaff6970 The horse facing skywards is BAR-on. What made you think it was pronounced Bar-ooooooon?😊
I live in rural perthshire, I like how my repeat prescription is automatically sent every month to chemist shop,for me to pick up free!!😊 Also the government pays tuition fees for university 😊
Yes, that is wonderful. We absolutely love Perthshire as well...as you may have seen from our other videos!
Have really been enjoying your videos. As a Scottish expat who moved away when I was young, I recently returned with my wife and son to Scotland in June. Your content has been really comforting to myself and my Canadian wife (who has spent a lot of time over here over the years, but is still adjusting).
Thanks for sharing your experiences! It would be amazing to do some sort of meetup for folks that have enjoyed your content in the future!
edit: As a Falkirk native, super cool to see your backdrop in this video too :)
Very interesting and funny 😊
Thank you for watching and for sharing! We love hearing from people in similar positions. How’s your son getting on? What part of Scotland are you in now?
@@SimpleScottishLiving Our son has been adapting well to life here. We have lots of extended family that he knows from prior visits, which helps. He's also extremely social, so every trip to soft play is a new group of friends made 😁
He starts nursery on January, so we're looking forward to seeing him adapt to that too.
We settled in south Lanarkshire, as we have family in the area, and managed to find a nice house in a good encatchment. We considered Bo'ness too (as I'm Originally from Falkirk, and it'd be near to some other family), which would have been closer to where you guys are. Just didn't work out ☺️
@@Chris_Silcock That's great to hear! We have one starting nursery soon too, I'm not sure if nursery is ready for her though! 🤣Yes, having any family support nearby is a must with kids. So glad you are settled, welcome home and all the best!
@@SimpleScottishLiving Not sure his nursery is ready for him either, but we'll see :D
Thanks so much! Best of luck to your little one too! Keep up the great content!
That "silly lawsuit" was actually an elderly woman whose boiling hot coffee spilled on her lap leaving her with 3rd degree burns in her groin and seat. She had to be treated in a hospital. The media has really downplayed what happened for decades now; we studied it in a college class of mine, and it was actually awful. That poor woman has been trashed by people ever since because they were told it was frivolous when it was well warranted and resulted in much-needed safety measures being put in place.
Beware of foreign jurisdictions! Scots law is largely independent of England & Wales - but in the following case - a UK wide statute applied. In Bogle v. McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. (2002), a copycat lawsuit in the High Court of England & Wales failed when the court rejected the claim that McDonald's should/could have avoided injury by serving coffee at a lower temperature.
The claim against McDonald's was based on statute (rather than tort or contract) under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. McDonald’s was found not liable because (1) McDonald’s had met the legitimate expectations of consumers as to safety; (2) The employees had been sufficiently trained by McDonald’s on dealing with hot drinks such that no extra risk was posed by their youth; (3) Persons generally know that if a hot drink is spilled, a serious scalding injury can result. So justice was duly served (with the lid off of course)...Ho-hum.
It was a frivolous claim.
To claim there is some sort of negligence in not stating that a hot beverage is hot would be nanny state to an absurd degree.
There's a reason we don't wash our hands in boiling water or brush our teeth with battery acid. There's an implied personal responsibility and all it does it prove how litigious and stupid the American legal system is.
@@sandersson2813the part you’ve missed is where the negligence comes into play, not to mention the absolute duty of care that was owed and breeched. McDonald’s at the time had free refills on their coffee. To avoid this there were communications sent out for the locations to serve the coffee at a scolding temperature not fit for human consumption. The reason for this was so individuals would leave without the free refills. The coffee that burned this woman disfiguring her was not just hot coffee it would’ve been like lava pouring into your crotch. This was all in the name of corporate greed over a policy that made them money and they didn’t want to honor. Infections stemming from burns like this, especially in such an area could’ve killed her. The payout she got was measly, and because of people like her that sue it protects and provides better rights and protections for consumers.
@k.r.6697 Coffee is made with water at a scalding temperature. Everyone knows this.
From a barista machine to a kettle we use boiling, or very recently boiled water, ie water close to 95c by the time it is served .
We don't serve or drink coffee at tepid temperatures unless you are some sort of barbarian.
It is like suing a car company because you stepped in fron of a car and you were injured by it. We all know the danger of hot liquids, and we accept that coffee is a drink served at a dangerous temperature.
McDonalds would have been negligent if their cup wasn't fit to hold a coffee, but they didn't play a part in a stupid woman spilling a drink she knew to be scalding hot ending in her lap.
There's a reason people laugh at the amount of litigious claims and the stupidity of their nature in the US. Every other country would throw these stupid claims out of court.
Boiling water is *not* always the same temperature. Without boring you with the science, the higher the altitude the lower the temperature at which the water boils. We stay with friends in Woodland Park, Colorado where water boils at 70 Celsius (as opposed to 100 Celsius at sea level). When we make tea at their house, we boil the kettle then microwave the water in the cup to get it to temperature. Tea made with anything other than 100 degree water just doesn’t taste right!
Yes, that is a fair point and something we experienced when we would visit the Truckee/Tahoe area (6000ft +). I was mostly trying to compare places of at least similar altitude. 🤣
I love the hot water topic. I'm American raised by an English mother. Anything less than boiling just doesn't make good tea. My daughter however says I have burnt my taste buds.😂
You two are so sweet and helpful to anyone trying to move to Scotland or just taking a longer vacation. You're there to help, and I know people will be very appreciative of all you have to offer. Finnigan is getting bigger, isn't he? He's such a pretty dog and so normal!! His moment in the spotlight was cute, for sure. The Kelpies behind you are an amazing feat of art and engineering, as is the Wheel in Falkirk. Great wonders for all ages of learning. I look forward to the next episode when you describe them. I loved going and stayed long enough to learn a few things; you have to. You can't just check it off the list and move on. Thank you for showing us.
Thank you so much. The Kelpies are beautiful and amazing every time we see them. Somehow I could just stare at them for hours! Finnegan is certainly growing, we will need to get him a new harness shortly. Thank you as always for watching!
Great video as ever and lovely to see The Kelpies in the background. xx
😊 thank you! We've both seen them a few times but they are spectacular every time!
@@SimpleScottishLiving - BBC Scotland News - Kelpies artist brings new sculpture to Minnesota - Pauline McLean
Arts Correspondent - Published 9 November 2024
"The loon is the state bird of Minnesota, a black and white duck like creature with piercing red eyes.
It’s also the mascot of Minnesota United, whose owner Bill McGuire commissioned a giant steel sculpture of a loon, to sit outside the club’s new stadium in St Paul.
And if it looks familiar to Scottish audiences, that’s because it was designed by the same artist who created the Kelpies. At 11 metres (36 feet) high, with a wingspan of 30 metres (98 feet), named "The Calling" the sculpture is smaller than the Kelpies, but still made an impact on the community of St Paul. The Midway neighbourhood in which the Allianz Field sits has had a troubled few years. It was at the heart of protests over the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man during an arrest by Minneapolis police.
"It’s an area which falls between so many different sections of Minneapolis St Paul,” said Dan Wade who lives in the neighbourhood, and is both a fan of the football club and its growing collection of sculptural commissions."
See full article here : www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93q977p7yqo
BBC Scotland News - Kelpies artist brings new sculpture to Minnesota - Pauline McLean
Arts Correspondent - Published 9 November 2024
"The loon is the state bird of Minnesota, a black and white duck like creature with piercing red eyes.
It’s also the mascot of Minnesota United, whose owner Bill McGuire commissioned a giant steel sculpture of a loon, to sit outside the club’s new stadium in St Paul.
And if it looks familiar to Scottish audiences, that’s because it was designed by the same artist who created the Kelpies. At 11 metres (36 feet) high, with a wingspan of 30 metres (98 feet), named "The Calling" the sculpture is smaller than the Kelpies, but still made an impact on the community of St Paul. The Midway neighbourhood in which the Allianz Field sits has had a troubled few years. It was at the heart of protests over the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man during an arrest by Minneapolis police.
"It’s an area which falls between so many different sections of Minneapolis St Paul,” said Dan Wade who lives in the neighbourhood, and is both a fan of the football club and its growing collection of sculptural commissions."
See full article here : www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93q977p7yqo
Do you have a back garden if so do you make it work for you as follows,grow your own potatoes and veg,have some chickens that produces eggs and so on,you will find your garden food is far better than from the shops.Grow tomatoes in a green house.
We have a garden but not a true food garden yet. It’s quite tight back there, but I would love to do some gardening at some point down the line!
Loved the videos! My son just finished a master's program at the U of Edinburgh and is hoping to return to St Andrew's. His biggest complaint was how long it took to dry his laundry. Other than that, he loved every minute of his year there and can't wait to return. Regarding uni fees, his one year program was still cheaper than many 2 year programs in the states. (Crossing fingers and toes for a research fellowship )
Hoping to return soon - we all loved it!
It sounds like he had a great time, good luck with the fellowship!
Great vid as usual. I thought the same about the McDonalds coffee lawsuit until I watched the “Hot Coffee” documentary. It will change your mind and you’ll realize that McD did a great job convincing everyone that the lawsuit was frivolous when it was anything but. Definitely worth a watch!
Interesting! You are not the first to mention that, thanks for clarifying!
@@SimpleScottishLiving - Lava drinks? Beware of foreign jurisdictions! In Bogle v. McDonald's Restaurants Ltd. (2002), a similar lawsuit in England & Wales failed when the court rejected the claim that McDonald's should/could have avoided injury by serving coffee at a lower temperature. Scots law is independent of E&W - but in this case - a UK wide statute applied. Accordingly :
Court claim : Young children alleged that they had been scalded when hot drinks served in McDonald’s were knocked over and spilled. The children brought a claim under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 arguing (1) the coffee was too hot; (2) young employees could not be expected to fasten the coffee lids properly; & (3) the coffee cups should be designed with lids with spouts so that lids that are irremovable rather than lids that have to be removed for drinking.
Held (High Court) : McDonald’s was not liable under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 because (1) McDonald’s had met the legitimate expectations of consumers as to safety; (2) The employees had been sufficiently trained by McDonald’s on dealing with hot drinks such that no extra risk was posed by their youth; (3) Persons generally know that if a hot drink is spilled, a serious scalding injury can result.
Many prefer to consume a hot drink from an unlidded cup rather than through a spout in the lid.
They accordingly know to avoid such spills, especially with young children.
Consumers “expect precautions to be taken to guard against [the risk of scalding], but not to the point that they are denied the basic utility of being able to buy hot drinks to be consumed on their premises from a cup with the lid off.” [End]
Yes, it’s actually really horrific! The lady who was burned was terribly injured, truly. At the time McDonald’s coffee refills were free. What McDonald’s was doing to avoid providing free refills was intentionally serving the coffee at a temperature so hot it wasn’t fit for human consumption for a long period of time meaning you were more likely to leave without a refill. She was painfully disfigured from this and I believe required quite a few surgeries.
hot drinks: remember its only the last 40 years here that central heating has been commonplace. a lot of houses i lived in were almost same temp as outside, except the kitchen when cooking, or the main living room which usually had the only heating - mainly gas or coal fire. hot drinks were essential to staying warm.
That would be rough! Home is my sanctuary. If it were cold, I think I’d just lie in bed all day with a hot water bottle 😅
Hello from Sacramento CA. Just found your RUclips channel and have been watching all your past videos. Love all your content and love seeing beautiful Scotland.
Thank you so much! We're glad you're enjoying our videos. We lived in East Sac for a few years and loved it!
I grew up 16 miles from Glasgow, my brother was 11 months old in 1982, he got 48% 3rd degree burns. He was in Glasgow sick children's hospital for 3 years, it was a miracle he survived, he had 18 years of horrific operation.
He is a amazing guy and has 2 wonderful little girls and he is training to be a paramedic, he is also very, very funny. I have had 5 life saving operations in the last 22years, with a 5 month and 10 week stays iand loads of other stays. I am pretty sure if I had been in the US i would be broke and probably died.
Wow, that is an incredible story, thank you for taking the time to share. All the best!
I own a Miele heat-pump dryer: it takes no longer than 90 minutes to dry a full load. The nature of the technology means that clothes might appear slightly damp on removing them, but within a couple of minutes the clothes will be fully dry. If you have a heat-pump combined washer/dryer though it will not be anywhere as near efficient as a stand-alone heat-pump dryer.
Interesting! Miele is a little fancier than our model, but maybe I’m just thinking they’re not fully dry when in actuality, they are. Trying this experiment tomorrow!
Heat pump tumble driers are very new and very few people have them - most will have older tumble driers with the exhaust pipe you mentioned or a condensing drier where the air is circulated back in over a condenser that collects water extracted from the damp clothes. Then once the load is done (typically 1.5-2 hrs) depends how much water is extracted you open the drawer and remove the tank to pour out the collected water. Typically the more you spin the clothes the less water remains and so the less time it takes to dry.
However modern practice is to wash clothes at low temperatures and not spin them much. I'm old fashioned I wash mine at regular temperature and max 1400 spin, so the drying is typically an hour to 90 mins.
Also if you get a dehumidifier and set it to laundry mode in a small room, clothes on a dryer will be almost dry after a couple of hours
We find the condenser dryer works best for us. Smart Meter says an extra £1 pound per 2 loads. 40-45 min. per load.
@@Francis-xl2gu I use a humidifier as you mentioned. I was sick of driers breaking after only a few uses due to the infrequent times I used them - a few hundred pounds each time got ridiculous. My humidifier is still going strong after 10+ years even though it's on every day as I like to keep certain rooms at a set humidity. When I have laundry on a clothes horse it just means the humidifier is on longer. 👍
I think we might need to just plan to do an extra spin cycle each time. We'll give that a try and see if it makes a difference! Thanks for sharing.
Will give this a try! Thank you!
I was born in Falkirk and my parents emigrated to Canada when I was 4.Now my wife and I are arriving in Glasgow from Toronto in March to begin living our (hopefully) simple Scottish life,thank you for these videos they are a great headsup.❤
Very cool! All the best with your move and please feel free to reach out if there are any questions we can help with?
The dryer...yes! I experienced this when visiting my cousin in England. I didn't quite understand it until you explained it, thank you!
It definitely takes some time to get used to!
I used to work at a donut shop here in the United States, and when we brewed our coffee, we would use boiling water, and change the coffee when the temperature dropped below 180°.
Very interesting, thank you for sharing that!
Every time I’ve been to the states, no matter where, I can never understand why hot drinks are lukewarm I like my coffee at the same temperature as molten metal!!!
haha you're in good company with most people in the comments! I think I'm just a bit of a whimp!
I love your videos. I lived and taught in San Jose, Ca for many years . I have only been to Scotland once and enjoyed the Highlands with all the lovely pasture and variations of sheep. I also was delighted with an evening spent in a pup singing with a group of men returning home after a rehearsal. You are blessed and you are sharing your blessing. Thank you! Love Finnigan!
I hope, for Finn's sake, it was a "pub" you were in and not a "pup"! 😁 One love from Scotland. 💙 🏴
@@stewrmo It was a pub. lazy spellchecker🌺
Thank you so much for watching and for taking the time to leave such a kind comment!
Hielan Laird Zack has captured some awesome drone captures showcasing Scotland. Great stuff.
Thank you! To be fair, when there is beauty all around it makes my job a lot easier! 😁
I am 60 years old and have only ever worked for UK companies and organisations. I have only experienced PAYE for tax. From about 1988 I have emailed my local tax office every year end to ask them to see if I owe them any money - I don't ever want to be hit with an unexpected tax bill. Only one have I owed HMRC any money and that was only about fifty quid. However, about half a dozen times (due to incorrect tax codes) HMRC have actually owed ME money. They were fine with that and paid up immediately.
Yes, I have also only had similar experiences with PAYE and HMRC. It is a stark contrast to the US where you might end up with a $5,000+ tax bill at the end of the year, or be owed thousands....which is always a nice surprise!
The pharmacist thing is actually pretty new, but it’s really useful. I went down with Shingles earlier in the year and the pharmacist was able to prescribe the anti-virals, and for any coughs and colds it’s much easier to get in to see him compared to our GP.
Your waste and recycling in East Lothian is certainly more complicated than ours in Fife. We have four bins - landfill is every fortnight, and the other three every four weeks.
Yes, I don't remember the pharmacist thing growing up, so that would make sense it was somewhat new. Yes, I think East Lothian is a unique case. We are definitely happy to do our part, it would be interesting to see how other areas do it and how efficient each are at recycling in the end! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Many many years ago I treated my husband to 20 days touring by rental car England-Wales and Scotland. The following year we decided it would be only Scotland from than on. We went every year for 9 years when he unexpectedly passed away. In 2023 my sister wanted to go to Ireland and I told her I would book us on a 14 guided tour but it had to be split between Ireland and Scotland. Told her she would fall in love with Scotland and she did-we are of Irish descent-my late husband was of Scottish descent. Now I’m 76 don’t think I’ll be going back but I so envy you moving there.
Thank you for sharing your lovely story, Scotland holds a special place in many people's hearts!
Here in Switzerland, we have intense recycling as well; we have hired a company that regularly picks up glass, metal and plastics. And those attached lids on bottles? That's one more reason to carry a Swiss pocket knife - just cut it off and enjoy the drink!😉 And I love your background - Falkirk Kelpies!😊
Very interesting, and I love having another reason to carry a Swiss army knife! 🤣
When my washing and spinning is complete I give an extra spin at 1400 rpm for economy, and time saving.
We’ll be doing this! Thanks for the tip!
I’m aware you guys are out in the county I grew up in (I recognize the roads and the Tesco).
But honestly, after 2 years of working overseas, it’s very noticeable the number of people from the US who’ve relocated here in Edinburgh. I was jogging the Water of Leith a few weeks ago and stopped in my tracks at the most alien scene I’ve ever seen: there was a baseball game going on in the Warriston playing fields. Not rounders, but full-gear baseball. All are welcome, it must be said.
Ha, wow! We would’ve never expected that either. It’s not surprising. There’s so much on offer over here.
Your channel is my favorite! I live in the northern US. When we spent a few years in the deep South, it was disconcerting to have a subtle reaction every time I said something. I can relate to Annie's experience.
Glad we’re not the only ones! How long did it take you to not notice? Thanks so much for joining us ❤️
We were in the South for 4 years. Very friendly people, but as an introvert, I never got used to the slight look of surprise when I spoke in front of strangers 😊.
We (in Scotland) had a removable/replaceable and recyclable plastic lid on big tubs until a couple of years ago.
Someone else mentioned this also. I looked online and the company that was sending them out said they are out of stock and have no plans to get more! 🤷♂️
@@SimpleScottishLiving It's probably less wasteful just to have what used to be the 'inner' covering.
After a wet April and May, it's been a fairly dry year in the east of Scotland. The west had a wet August
Thanks for letting us know. My understanding was that the weather always got more of the wet stuff! 😄
@@SimpleScottishLivingTe west coast is a 'little' warmer but certainly wetter then the east coat. That's primarily due to the gulf stream tha travels from the gulf pf Mexico up the east of the US ams across the Atlantic to the west coast of Scotland and also the jet stream too plays a part too. But the east coast is more sheltered to the bad weather like rain etc but tends to be a degree o 2 cooler as we don't have rhe gulf stream on the east to warm us up slightly more. Though thanks to that we get WAY less in terms of rain. I'm originally from Glasgow area and can attest to the fat that it rained a hell of a lot more than it does here in Edinburgh here I live now.
After watching quite a few U.S. videos the big difference between Scotland and America is the obsession with private property . The amount of times I've heard and see e.g. neighbours arguing and if they put one foot on a garden path ....out comes a gun or their screaming call the cops YOU'RE TRESSPASSING ON MY PROPERTY !! In Scotland no one will say that ,you can walk almost anywhere you are not going to be prosecuted. ❤
People can be quite touchy on property. I’ve seen it! Quite interesting.
@@janielow8719 True but in England the highest number of cases heard in small claim courts are normally antisocial behaviour of neighbours or housing owners boundary legal arguments. Especially when there is a shared driveway access covenant in the property deeds. Also you get fence arguments regarding property fences and who is responsible for these things if high winds blow them down.
Strictly speaking there is no law of trespassing in Scotland unlike England.
@@velviaman3206 whoa, there are Scottish trespass laws both civil and criminal. What is different is that Scotland allows certain defence towards trespass (eg; entering for consent, judicial warrant, emergency, or exercise of a right.). However landowners also have rights which include a landowner asking for a person to leave, if the person refuses the owner is allowed to use reasonable force to make them leave (or call the police to help but they police cannot arrest the trespasser only ensure safety for people involved). The rights to roam (used by ramblers ) does not allow them to roam through domestic gardens. However, Scotland does recognize public rights of way, which are defined routes that can cross land that is excluded from the right to roam. In Scotland you can near enough walk where you want under rights to roam and provided you behave responsibly. Farmers are allowed to shoot a dog worrying their livestock but this is a complex situation where they are not allowed to shoot guide dogs, or police dogs or sheep dogs plus the dog must be behaving in a manner that is endangering the life of the farmer’s livestock, so not just chasing them. In Scotland the right to roam is seen as world class rights. In England it is more contentious if your are not using the designated pathways or bridle paths. In Scotland straying from the pathway is not as controversial unless you are destroying crops our livelihood of the landowners.
@ Scotch is a descriptor of food and drink, we are the Scots and have had Scots law for centuries .
For instance one cannot be charged with trespassing on a landowner’s field if one enters by an unlocked gate and leaves by the gate. However a charge of damaging crops or property e.g. a fence is possible.
These laws were in place long before the right to roam in Scotland.
Have a great week to come
Cheers! You too!
Costa Coffee shops will supply empty pod bags and when full return to them for recycling !
Good to know! Thanks!
This is great to know! I’m going to look more into it.
Thanks! I had no idea they offered this.
Sunlamps will help Cali Annie overcome depressingly weak winter sun 🌞 ☀️ 🌤
Yes! It’s quite blindingly bright, but I’m enjoying it 😊
Another great video you just brighten up a Sunday really look forward to your videos Finnegan looks a big boy now have a great week love from bonnie Scotland ❤
Thank you! Yes, it’s shocking how much he’s grown. He’s starting to get a little more chunky, which makes him extra snuggly. Thanks for tuning in again ❤️
Thanks so much! Yes, i think Finnegan had a bit of growth burst recently, he almost needs a new harness!
Love this! Thanks.
Thanks so much for watching!
In reference to hot drinks: to my knowledge, food service establishments in the US are "required" to have a max temperature that drinks can be served at.
Oh, this is interesting! Thanks so much for sharing!
Pretty much world wide.
I feel one of the reasons the 'tax is theft' idea is not such an issue in the UK as in the USA is that unless you're self-employed you are not involved with actually paying your taxes. All my working life when I got my monthly pay slip I didn't really look to hard at the gross income. I just looked at the net (amount after the tax and National Insurance has been taken out) because what's the point?
Is the fact that people in the UK are less litigious not just down to attitudes that accidents just happen and you have to deal with it but also that we don't have to pay medical bills. Maybe if you injure yourself and incure bills in the USA you sue to get money back. Or do the insurance companies sue or expect you to sue? I've no idea.
US citizens living abroad also have to file US income tax each year too.
@@tenaheffernan1368 WHY is that ?
It is the law.
“If you are a U.S. citizen or resident living or traveling outside the United States, you generally are required to file income tax returns, estate tax returns, and gift tax returns and pay estimated tax in the same way as those residing in the United States.” www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-residents-abroad-filing-requirements
@@barrysteven5964 one other thing is that in the UK we have “ The Small Claims Court”, we’re if you feel that you have been wronged by day say a tradesman or someone who you believe owes for damages of some kind then you can get quick and relatively cheap justice via smalls claims. No lawyers required you can make your own claim and just ensure that you have ALL the evidence and documentation to support the claim and chances are if you’re in the right you will win and receive payment judgement, now they other person has to pay. If they still refuse then you have to call in bailiffs to get your claim. I not sure if the bailiff charges are solely on the person you’re claiming from. Anyway I have friends who have use this system with success. If the person who you are claiming against doesn’t turn up you automatically win your claim.
Another beautiful benefit in that in Scotland the price for something in a shop is what you pay - I was stunned in USA the prices had no sales tax added on to the item price labels. The uk VAT is fixed at 20% and is already added to the item price tag. Some items are not VAT taxed, like children’s clothing and shoes - my wife is smallish so she sometimes checks the children’s clothing and shoe sections to see if it fits her - it the Aberdonian thriftiness in her genes.
Every county in the US sets it's sales tax rate so people living in that county know what the added % is . Retailers cannot price items for individual counties.
@@sarahann530 true but I bought goods in Michigan and the price did not include the state sales tax. Same in North Carolina and same in Texas. All these states have state sales taxes, if you’re also say they have local county taxes on top of state sales taxes then they are still not shown on the price labels. This was my experience my last visit was around 2012. I retired in 2016 in the UK - I have lived in England since 1989 as this was where I could get the job and salary levels I required.
@TSM-908 There can be State taxes , county taxes and city taxes added to items you purchase . That is why the taxes are added at the checkout . Some items do not have sales tax added just like VAT is not on everything. There are some US states with no Sales tax . This information is all readily available you should read up on it .
@@sarahann530 thanks, you’re confirming my experience. It’s horrible not knowing what the actual till price is going to be. Plus the larger items means that you’re likely going to be doing mental arithmetic for the taxes. UK it’s countrywide so the price tag is what you pay. Also in uk we have some large supermarkets have have customers handheld scanners which you use to scan your items and then drop them in your trolley. The handheld keeps a display of your specific spending as you move around the shop. At the till the cashier just scans the total and you just walk out of store. The device already has your payment card details so fast check out. Also we have many self service scan tills where customers just do their own item barcode scanning and drop the purchases into their bags. Then you can pay contactless with your bank card and walk out. They do check a % of people to ensure that you’re not stealing - normally people who are paying with cash as card details are not getting scanned. Same with utilities water & electric. These are metered and use SIM cards to telephone your monthly usage to the provider. My son in Texas tells me that the state is self sufficient and not connected with other states to help with electricity usage, uk has a single supplier grid for the whole country and we balance power out across all the UK. Many electric providers sell power to customers but they all use the country wide network to power the homes. Texas doesn’t do this yet.
@TSM-908 If you live in the area you know what the till price is . If you are a visitor you can ask what it is .
This is basic stuff any functioning person should be able to handle . The UK is one Country that has decided to apply a VAT tax across the board , you don't seem to comprehend the US is made up of States that set their own laws including how they finance State govt . Some have sales tax some don't, some have income tax some don't, Are you saying your son does not know how to calculate the sales tax on items he purchases ?
Texas decided against joining the National grid , this is a decision the electorate decided . Individual power companies decide how to collect payment for the service they provide . Texas is backwards in many things clearly this is one of them . However you can walk around with a gun in Texas so it is better than the Uk in that regard .
I hear you about the laundry. Our flat in Edinburgh had a washer but no dryer, and it took forever to dry clothes inside on the drying racks. We bought a dehumidifier and put it in the single bedroom with the drying racks. Still took quite a while, but certainly sped up the process.
@@bobcunningham9469 maybe try a faster spin in winter to get rid of more of the water left in the clothes
I tried a humidifier, it's rubbish. I swear by a regular fan, I wash my clothes after 10.p.m hang them in a clothes airer, run the fan overnight, they are pretty much dry by midday. Because you washed and ran the fan after 10, the electric is reduced also. I love it😊
@@sharonalexander4327 De humidifier !! Check out the Meaco Arete, really good
The East coast side of Scotland is always milder, we live in west Lothian, in the sticks surrounded by moss and peat so it's often damp and cold. My husband works in Edinburgh and originally from uphall so he swears it's always warmer in that general direction. He couldn't believe the difference 7 miles made when he moved through here.
Yes, we’ve noticed this! Even when we went to see the Kelpies and Stirling on a separate trip, the weather was changing for the worse as we drove. We got lucky when filming!
When I go for a takeaway coffee I always ask for it to be “extra hot” 😂. Asbestos mouth I do have! Oh and Annie, thank you for the correct pronunciation of Aluminium🤣
Haha you’re welcome! I hope to gain Asbestos mouth one day as well. I’ll join the club ;)
I always wanted visit Scotland! It's too late now (73 yrs). So I'm sharing your journey. 😀
It's amazing how we can share the experience through these videos!
I just turned 71 and am seriously looking into moving to Scotland! I'm not letting my age stop me from starting a new chapter in a place that will make me happy😊
East Lothian does seem to have a special way of doing things for sure. But on the plastic separation thing, the problem is that not all plastics are easily recycled and if one type of plastic contaminates the plastic recycling process the whole batch is disposed of making plastic recycling a painful process. The other problem is that plastic is not 100% recyclable i.e. in order to make a new batch of that plastic type, you have to add in new plastic to the mix. (unlike with glass or metal). Plastic is both a good thing (for medicine and food preservation which helps reduce CO2 from waste) and a scourge on the world.
As for the lid being attached, this is relatively new, but it's to stop people throwing the lid away separately and having plastic degrade in the environment, they'll detach the lid in the recycling centre.
Thank you for sharing that! We knew there had to be a reason for it all, and it is all completely new since I left. Also, nothing similar in the US which begs the question, how are they processing it? Thanks again and thanks for watching.
Pharmacists used to label their shops as dispensing chemists, Our North Berwick Pharmacy (Smiths) gives personal service not available at 'Boots'
As to dogs, they make you friends. In North Berwick, we have more dogs than people. Our first dog, 'Frisby, ' a border cross, lived to be 20 years old. He loved the sea. had he lived here now he'd be halfway to Fife.
Our first dog when we moved here was a Staffie, 'Rusty,' who lived to 12. Our latest Staffie, Captain, died at 15 years old last May. He hated the wet. He walked around puddles but still went down the beach and out on the rocks, avoiding getting wet.
@@johnlaws3904 love North Berwick, would visit every year when staying in Edinburgh
That's interesting about the pharmacists, I didn't know that. We love North Berwick and visit as often as we can, it's so nice seeing all the dogs and people enjoying the beach. That's so funny about Rusty avoiding puddles 🤣 Thanks for watching and sharing!
I love Annie's cloche.
Thank you ❤️
i live in edinburgh one week is your recycle following week is your landfill then the following week is your recycling again its the garden waste that's once every 2 weeks ,food waste is picked up every week
Hi neighbour! Yes, that sounds similar to ours, food waste and recycling is weekly. We do also have to pay a bit extra to have our garden waste picked up every two weeks. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Another enjoyable video 😊
Thank you so much and for taking the time to leave a comment.
Love that your getting sponsors. Good on you.
Thank you very much. We were a bit nervous as to how it would be received, but were confident only using brands that we actually use ourselves. We got a number of offers earlier on that we passed on as they were not a good fit for our lifestyle or channel. Thank you for taking the time to say that, it means a lot!
its irritating. Will maybe make me stop watching. Too many commercials.
@maryelyse5633 that's a pity that you will miss out these wonderful people's videos.
@@maryelyse5633We’ll continue to do sponsorships but haven’t changed any settings. Are you getting more mid-roll ads than before? Just want to make sure RUclips is not adding more for some reason. Would love to have your insight.
@@maryelyse5633 Hi, sorry to hear that. The ad breaks and commercials are out of our control and determined by RUclips. We do appreciate you watching and taking time to share your thoughts. All the best ❤
Buy a pair of uggs & size up handy for nipping out for some shopping & school runs ❤ do warm n cosy. my family wear thermal long sleeve tops /tshirts from m & s, it’s all about the layers in this colder weather 🥶😂 i have a washing machine that does quick washing cycle 28 mins with a big drum inside. You can battle through 4 washing loads so quick then. I also recommend buying a 3 tier clothes heater that you plug in, it’s safe & you can dry your clothes over night for pennies, alot better for your clothes & cheaper than a tumble dryer. ❤
Thank you for all those suggestions! Annie is in need of some new slippers, so the uggs might be a great gift idea (not sure she would that me for a clothes heater for Christmas!) 🤣
Recycling.
Hand sorting in the home gives much better outcomes than just putting it all in the same bin. An old school friend of mine runs a recycling plant and they don't buy from councils that don't do home sorting any more. In the past they have found all sorts of things in bales of paper and cardboard like Training Shoes (Sneakers), car batteries and kids' toys!
Oh wow! It makes perfect sense, and we’re happy to do our part. Just want to give others the heads-up!
It is strange the weather, when we go over to the States (Florida mainly) in the winter we walk around in tee shirts when everyone that lives there have coats on LOL
Haha sounds about right!
Definitely a thing🤔 Starbucks and Costa coffee temperature is fine, however, indie shops do my head in with Lava coffee. I now normally mention to them to not overheat my drink, as no fun having to wait 15 minutes to take a sip. £4 for a scalding 😂
Haha glad to know it’s not just me!
In my experience, US companies don't use boiling (100° C) water for drinks. It is my contention that this is why I have never had a decent cup of tea in the USA, because the water needs to be at boiling point when you add it to the tea leaves - this is also the same for France and Italy in my experience, though touristy parts of Spain are used to British tea drinkers these days. I feel that this is also why you rarely get a decent cup of coffee in the UK because coffee brews better at just under 94° C and we brits make it with still bubbling water straight out of the kettle.
This makes so much sense. Thank you for sharing! ❤️Happy Sunday!
Exactly.
Put some milk in with coffee before pouring boiling on and it stops it being bitter.
@@alistairthow1384
Two things:
You can only do that with instant coffee.
Cold milk on to instant coffee granules results in floating coffee monsters on the surface of your drink.
It's best to just let the water cool down a bit before pouring it on to your coffee, but, I am an impatient British so I make bitter coffee with boiling water.
@@tonycasey3183 stir furiously and drink while still stiring.
Works every time😂
Hi Zach & Annie.
☺️Thank you for showing Finn .
Annie Love your hat’s.
Thank you for your video
Hi! No problem, we had a few requests for more Finn, so happy to oblige!
You will find hot drinks are also a thing in places like Norway Sweden. For when people are out hiking camping bush shelters especially when cold hot drink to warm you up. Recently it’s been getting fairly hot down south in the summer specifically during a heat wave here in the uk. We have had a house temperature inside of around 85f during the heat wave
Thanks for sharing that!
Hot drinks also cool you down in summer and kf you're overheating too, it helps to regukate your temperature. Whereas cold drinks don't help to cool you or regulate temp at all whatsoever. Seems counter intuitive but actually true.
It appears to be that I may be able to get citizenship in England because of my father and his family are from England. Does that qualify me to live in Scotland isn’t Scotland and North Ireland part of the UK?
Yes! With a British passport, you can live in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland freely. What great news!
It is more difficult these days. If your father was not born in England, you will not get a British Passport.
@@cato1684 He was born in London as well as his parents.
You need to find out the names of the road gritters in your area so you can see where they're at online. All named by school children I think.
That's a cool fact I didn't know, thanks.
Love your videos they are a highlight of my life too ! Can I ask if the SAd lamp is helping and which one did you get ?I am looking into getting one . THank you 🥰xx
Thank you so much! I like the SAD lamp in the morning, helps me wake up and it does remind me of stepping out into the bright CA sunshine, especially after I had worked a night shift. We got one made by Beurer on Amazon and I think it works well.
Americans brew coffee rather than making tea, and for that they use water below boiling point - the machines at our office show 200F/93C. Brits always boil water for tea, so drinks are just typically hotter.
Our heat pump dryer also takes a long time to dry, but it’s a reasonable trade off given how expensive electricity is in Scotland.
This makes so much sense. Thank you for sharing! And yes, although the heat pump does take forever, we appreciate that the monthly utility bill is lower and that our clothes seem to last longer (no shrinking).
Ah, the Kelpies. The second best thing about Falkirk after the football stadium
Yoghurt tubs used to have a plastic lid until a couple of years ago.
Interesting! Why’d they change that?
@@SimpleScottishLiving Cut down on single use plastic. You could order reusable ones from some companies.
@@aedanjmcghiemakes sense! Thanks for sharing 😊
To help with keeping your toes warm, it's better to wear 2 pairs of normal socks rather than 1 pair of thick socks.
Thank you! I’ll try that!
Honestly love these videos every week. I know its came up on a few videos but you could probably fill a full video on UK/Scotland education system from Nursery thro to leaving, as significant different in Scotland and US. The PAYE point was well made, something in the UK we just assume everyone else in the world does without realising its quite specific to UK. Means majority dont think about tax at all. Anyway another great video :)
Thank you so much, we truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to watch them and leave a comment. Yes, the education difference is a big one and one of the many reasons we decided to move. Once the kids have done a bit more schooling we might look at doing a video about it. Thank you again!
In Canada our pharmacists can also prescribe things for basic ailments. Its quite handy to be sure. Also for seasonal blues ie SAD illness, have you considered vitamin D supplements. Can help. We lose the sun very early and rises very late in the winter.
Great to know, thank you for sharing that. Yes, it saved us so much time!
@@SimpleScottishLivingYeah definitely buy vitamin D supplements and also vitamin B6 and B12 too. It's actually recommended by the Scottish NHS to tale those supplements during the winter months to help regulate mood, energy and help maintain the immune system. There'll likely ne advice about it from the Scottish NHS on their website, perhaps best to google and ask it for 'Scottish NHS vitamin supplements during winter months'. That'll likely take yiu ti the desired page and give links to lots of other sites about that kinda stuff too.
When you boil water, it depends on the height of the land above sea level as to how fast it boils and at what temperature it boils. Contrary to what we are taught at school, 100° is not necessarily boiling point.
Thank is a good point and something we experienced when we would visit the Truckee/Tahoe area in California. Thanks!
I think the difference with the hot drinks may be down to the fact that mostly in the UK in general, hot drinks are made with a batch of hot water brought to the boil so the temperature is maintained for longer, where mostly hot drinks in the US are either done through a stream that’s heated as it flows or in a microwave…neither of which will always hit boiling point and more likely to just be hot enough.
I think you’re right! Thanks for sharing! I guess I just need to get used to it 😅
@ it might take a wee while but once full on winter hits (especially if it’s a particularly naff one) you’ll be quite glad because of it due to how quickly the hot water can cool down…especially first thing in the morning if the heating hasn’t been on long enough to warm the cups up.
Electricity is cheaper from roughly 11pm until 7am depending on your provider.
Put your washer and dryer on then.
Same as a slow cooker etc.
Thanks for that, good suggestion!
i have a condenser dryer you empty the water and remove the fluff from the dryer door .
Yes, even our heat pump dryer needs to have the water emptied every once in a while. Thanks.
Another enjoyable video-I love thw Kelpies in the background.With regard to the bottle top conundrum I believe it has to do with the fact that so many of them were ending up in the sea as plastic waste so the decision was taken to keep them attached.x
Yes, I can appreciate that and think it was a good idea for the environment. Slightly annoying but definitely worth not having that in the ocean!
I've lived in Como, by the lake, for forty years, but I'm from Liverpool, which is ALWAYS home! You must visit .. it's great for culture, (museums, galleries and of course the Beatles museum!), plus lots of places to visit with the kids. Not such a long trek for you as well.
Sending a hug....and if you make it over to Como I'd happily be your guide!
Adding to the list!! We’re just starting to plan some trips for 2025 and will look into this. Thank you for the kind offer!
Yes, accents turn heads. I'm English living in France, I avoid speaking French in public unless really necessary as I just want to blend in rather than stand out! Love your videos and vibe and Scotland is dear to my heart.
Thanks for sharing! France and the French is a whole different story! 🤣
THREE AND A HALF HOURS TO DRY A LOAD, that is crazy, I have a standard tumble dryer that has a vent out the wall to air, nothing fancy, a normal load of clothes takes around 40 to 45 minutes, my biggest load is the double duvets which I am lazy so I wash with the cover on, only takes 60 minutes, sounds to me like you were sold something expensive and useless.
Heat pump tumble driers are terrible for time but are supposedly A rated for efficiency. Same thing applies to new washers. We bought a 12Kg LG unit for the ability of washing duvets, however they use fuzzy logic and get the government A+++ rating on their water economy and electricity efficiency. Note nearly ALL washers in the UK are cold water only filled. We dry clothes in the winter in the house and use a desiccant dehumidifier. Many people say these take more moisture out of the air but use more power. Compressor dehumidifier are better. This is difficult as compressor unit are impacted by air temperature so in Scotland in winter they can be less efficient compared with the desiccant systems. Also you can use dehumidifier in summer and get less potential mould growth from humidity. However tumble dryer with wall venting our a condenser ( and you empty the container when full) are better.
Haha maybe! We just went with a Beko heat pump as our other option was a condenser. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a vented drier as we didn’t have a place to put it, but it does take a longgg time. I think for efficiency, a vented drier will like always be the best bet.
@@TSM-908 Thank you for taking the time to explain all that. We do have a dehumidifier in our garden room and it does work well to get big duvets dry!
@ Most families just open up a window and stick the vent exhaust pipe out of the window gap. The heat from the tumble dryer compensates for the lost heating thru the opening window - but you have one now so you’re good, great channel 🥰👍👍
Love your background ❤️ Annie your beautiful hat goes with the colours of the horse 😁
Now that’s a lot of recycling you have 😳
I’m in the uk and only have three bins in our area, plus the little food one.
Thanks so much 😊
The Kelpies, my home town. Actually i come from a village called california just outside Falkirk
That's awesome. I wish we had know, it would have made a funny video! Thanks for the comment.
What washer and dryer do you have? I have done 4 loads of washing and drying today ( family of 4) including towels and all done in 3 hours on eco
She's thinking in terms of American life still - that a full family wash should be done in one cycle on a single machine in 2 hrs.
Both of them are made by Beko, nothing fancy. There are other settings that don't take as long, it was just a shock to see a number that high on any setting!
Oh wow! Our washing machine takes around an hour, but the drier is always 3hours. It’s the beko heat pump. It never shrinks the clothes, which is a bonus but just takes a long time.
@@SimpleScottishLiving
I'd hate to pay your Electricity bills. Mine are less than £50 per month with EDF but there again we don't wash everything in sight just those items that are soiled readily and those things are obvious.
@@nickhickson8738 We do pay more than that, but I swear the kids just find any mud they can and start rolling around! Personally I cycle through about 3 outfits...as you can probably see from the videos! 🤣🤣🤣
Really enjoy your videos. I live in Arbroath, Angus. Angus is fantastic place to visit, loads to see. Also recommend Fife coast. You must visit the Crail cafe with the amazing views. It's like going back in time. The cafe is very old beautiful cottage. St.Andrews is also a must.
Thank you! We had a St Andrews visit planned but realized it was the week that all the students started back to school, so we decided to delay it. Still high on the list and will be adding these suggestions!
And at Christmas the recycling collection dates change due to the public holidays - I always get caught out and end up running out with the bins in my jammies 🤣
Haha thanks for the heads up! We didn’t even know that!
I NEVER wear thick socks. Good quality Cotton ones all the way and really good shoes, warm and waterproof. Then your wee tootsies are toasty. The thick ones can be not actually warm unless they are a wool blend.
Very interesting, thanks for letting us know!
Wow that’s some wait for a doctors appointment. I ring before nine and always get a call back and the doctor will find an appointment same day if he/she wants to check you out same day.
Yes, certainly for the non-urgent things we have needed appointments for it's been about a weeks wait. Perhaps if it was more urgent they would find space, hopefully we don't have to try that out though! Thank you for the comment and great to hear the service you have in your area1
Edinburgh resident here. If it was assessed to be urgent the Doctor would make space for you same day (or indeed refer you directly to the A&E or other NHS specialist if their assessment on the phone highlighted something clearly worrying enough
As a Scot living in the U.S for 35years I guarantee I’m asked every single workday “where are you from ?” Most common questions “Are you from Ireland ?” Or “what part of England are you from ?” 😳I have to say I’ve never once experienced negativity. I live in Idaho and sometimes for fun I’ll respond that I’m from Texas (lived there 15 years) surprisingly some people are okay with that 😂. Enjoy life in Scotland it truly is an amazing country.
🤣🤣 Yes, Zach can completely empathize as well. It’s never once been a negative interaction, but it was something I hadn’t thought about or anticipated. I’m sure I’ll get used to it with time!
I'm the opposite of you. American in Edinburgh 30 plus years and I get maybe 4-5 times a year are you from Ireland then Australia then Canada.
Scot here living in England, I have been asked several times which part of Ireland I’m from and when I say I’m Scottish? Oh you don’t sound Scottish…..yes, yes I do however I don’t have a Glaswegian accent as well? I’m from the North East 😂
Last comment from me: have you tried using a dehumidifier in a room with drying laundry on a rack? Much cheaper and more sustainable than a tumble dryer and far quicker than just drying in a room. We’ve just got a Meaco arete one with a laundry mode.
Yes, we actually have a dehumidifier in our garden room and if did work well when drying a duvet and other large items! Thanks for the suggestion though!
@@SimpleScottishLivingthat’s good and yeah I was quite impressed with how well it worked. After years of repainting our bathrooms due to ceiling mould etc we decided to get one. New build homes are just so poor re humidity unless you run the heating all the time which we don’t.
Really enjoyed the insight on this one. I'm from West Lothian originally, and my wife is from East Lothian.
We now live in the Highlands. If you think our recycling is hard to grasp, you should see German recycling bins. I lived there for a while and should have earned a doctorate in recycling.
I spent a lot of time in New England, but never made it to California, I'm unfortunately ginger and worry I'd ignite swiftly, factor 50 only does so much
Thank you! I have seen some videos about the recycling in Germany and it does look intense! Hahahahha, SPF 50 is like putting toothpaste on your skin...but sounds like that is what you need as a minimum! 🤣
Recycling is complicated in Canada too. Each region can be different with contracts.
I enjoy our Thanksgiving in October.
Boxing Day is the best.
I can’t imagine a Thanksgiving in October, that's so strange to me!
UK washers also heat the water and the spin dry doesn't work as well as North America so it takes longer!
Very interesting, thanks for letting us know!
Guys you can buy big washing machines. I googled America and that is about average for your large machines. You must have a tiny machine. We have an 11.5kg and I get tons of washing in it. My Samsung can do a normal 11Kg was in an hour. It really does come down to your machine. Heat pumps do take longer to dry, however it really is very very cheap to use. Like a 1/5 cost in comparison to much normal tumble dryer. Also I bought a 9kg one and so I always see my I be able to dry like for like with my big machine.
Your videos are the perfect start to my week. Thank you! Do you have suggestions on how to look into retiring to Scotland? My father was born there. I spent so much time with my grandmother before I started school I had a wee accent and had a preference for Scottish words. Love hearing you speak, Zach!❤
Thank you so much, we really appreciate you watching and your kind words. If your father was born in Scotland are you able to apply for a UK passport? That would certainly be the easiest way!
Having looked into it myself a lot lately (I'm a dual citizen living in the US), I would say this channel is one of the better sources, with some excellent info on some of the crucial details and expenses). There are other RUclips sources that are great, and research on the UK gov tax info website is worth a peruse as well. The bottom line is that your retirement income will be taxed, but by how much depends on citizenship, income level, etc....
Give the weather a chance, its not January/February yet.
Hahaha, you're right! I have been warning Annie of this...so we will see!
I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have a tumble dryer. we choose not to use it all the time for financial reasons and if the weather is dry , of course the clothes goes outside.
That’s what we’re doing as well! I prefer the smell of line dried clothes, but there are some days that we just need the tumble drier for our family to function!
@@SimpleScottishLiving Yes towels must to go in the tumble dryer. And it’s not just heat pump dryers either. We don’t have one, we have a condensing dryer but something has definitely happened to dryers because when I got my first 40 years ago clothes used to dry in about 45 minutes. Every new dryer over the decades has taken longer and longer. Annoying.,
That weather sounds stunning. I prefer cold. Scotland is on my list!!!
We have been very lucky so far. Jan and Feb are often the worst months, so we will see!
Nespresso pods? Is that what you mean? We can take them to their store or mail them back or have them picked up at the door with our next order!
Yes, that was what we were referring to. Thanks for letting us know.
I worked with an academic at Aberdeen University who was researching the lack of younger GPs in the highlands. He said while things are ok now there is a real issue getting younger/new GPs to move north from the central belt cities. I hope this can be sorted.
Yes, I can't imagine, unless you are from that area, that as a newly qualified GP you would want to leave the city for the highlands. All sorts of options are decreased, another interesting piece of information though, thank you!
Free prescriptions 😂 I love this and the chemists minor ailments service is great
Same!
Re the hot drinks thing- tea HAS to be made with boiling water to get the best taste out of the leaves - and then adding milk will cool it just a little, but it's still hot. Coffee is best made at just below boiling point, but of course in the UK we use our electric kettles to make our coffees, and so they get made with boiling water too. A lot of places selling coffees 'to go' will ask if you want to top up the drink with cold water (particularly if drinking it black) - or even offer an ice cube in the cup so that you can start drinking it immediately.
In the UK places where activities take place (like kids soft play or ice skating) have to follow basic safety standards in initial construction and also regular(daily) maintenance checks, and that beyond that the public are expected to use their common sense - ice is slippy, climbing equipment involves being high off the ground etc.
I discovered years ago that if you are with people who live in different parts of the country, and the conversation starts to lag- then discussing your various local recycling systems can fill a good chunk of time! In some places different things can be recycled together, or must be separate, the collection schedules vary hugely, and so on. Hours of fun!
Get you Annie- with your casual mention of 'Aluminium' instead of 'Aluminum'. You're becoming native, slowly but surely!😂
Isn't Finnegan BIG now? Wow!
Put the milk in with your instant coffee first it will help to stop the boiling water from scalding the coffee or get a kettle that you can set the cut off temp if that matters to you, professional coffee machines don't work at boiling point for coffee and in 35 years in hospitality I've never topped up a coffee with cold water, abomination to put it mildly.
He is big! It’s shocking. Luckily, he’s still just as cute and cuddly. I’ve been working on my pronunciations. Thanks for noticing 😉🤣
That’s a good point you make about small talk with the recycling. I’ll have to add it to my back pocket along with the weather chat.
Thanks so much for watching and for commenting. Wishing you a restful weekend!
Guys you can buy big washing machine. We have an 11.5kg and I get tons of washing in it. My Samsung can do a normal 11Kg was in an hour. It really does come down to your machine. Heat pumps do take longer to dry, however it really is very very cheap to use. Like a 1/5 cost in comparison to much normal tumble dryer. Also I bought a 9kg one and so I always see my I be able to dry like for like with my big machine. If you do not want cold toes, I strongly strongly recommend Merino wool socks you will never go back. Particularly Nordic socks. It really does make a huge difference. Also insulated wellies guys, especially for the kiddos. Muck boot company do amazing insulated wellies. Your tootsies will be so warm. They do ones that are -20. Really does come down to what you wear. Scarpa boots and shoes are amazing, keep you dry and warm. Berghaus. For rain look at goretex anything over 20’000 HH otherwise your just going to get wet. I use dry walks coats, it is an investment but the all seasons and the winter coats are super warm and they do matching coats for pooch. I have been in driving rain with these coats and been warm and dry. Fashion and rain dont mix!
Wow, these are fantastic tips!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I’m immediately going to google these Wellies and some new merino wool socks. Excellent!
@ I hate being wet and cold and over the years realised that it doesn’t pay to go cheap with outer wear, socks and shoes. They pay for themselves anyway as last ages xx
@@mrsbabycakes5551 Yes! There are definitely some items that are worth investing in!