My husband and I have always dreamed of living out our days in a rural or semi rural Scottish village, hopefully surrounded by nature. But now that I'm diagnosed with COPD emphysema I'm worried if Scotland is a smart moved to make? We both have always loved Scotland as both our families ancestors originated there and we both have a deep felt connection to it. But the reality is I have this lung condition. I find my triggers to be hot days with humidity, low air quality, changes in barometric pressure, certain chemicals in the air, days when the air is still or stagnant suck too. Anyways, if Scotland is still an option, which areas would best suit me? We live in Hartlepool North East England at the moment. We are both capable of moving now, but won't be in the distant future. Any suggestions of areas to live would be appreciated.
COPD emphysema, should we move to Sc... - Lung Conditions C...
COPD emphysema, should we move to Scotland?
Hi, I have a lung condition ,along with autoimmune conditions.
Possibly you need to do some research about weather and levels of health care provision in areas you are considering for relocation.
We thought of relocating,but due to my state of healt have decided to stay put.
We like where we live,but as my husband pointed out,I need to stay under the care of Wythenshawe hospital.
I have had to agree with him.
I’m sorry I can’t be of any use to you and for being negative.
Good. Luck, I hope you find somewhere lovely to live.
We are both still able to make such a move, and our mental health needs us to move. We are surrounded by ghosts of his parents, even this house was theirs. Hubby requires a big change, he wants a fully new start. I understand his needs and why they are important. I'm just not wanting to move somewhere that down the road would be worse for my health.
I have to agree over health care provisions, having to travel for miles just to see a GP would not be good or an extended distance from a decent hospital. You really must take that into consideration. Empysema (part of the umbrella of COPD) is a progressive disease and in the future it will be possible to need these services more and more.
Not wanting to add to your worries, along with Emphysema is also the possibility of developing other diseases as well, later like a heart disease (Cor Pulmonale) or god forbid lung cancer. Believe me, having to face hours of traveling for regular treatment is not good.
I wish you the best of luck finding a suitable house in a good healthy rural setting.
I can’t be of help either. I know nothing of Scotland. Just wanted to say hi.
I went to school in Hartlepool many years ago- on the Headland. Happy times.
haha, I am Scottish and live on the outskirts of Edinburgh, I would love to move BUT, I just ain`t got the energy nor inclination to leave the house we are in, although someday relatively soon I may have no option as we have stairs in the house and stairs to get up to the house, BUT, all these stairs are good exercises.
House prices and good housing are high and low.
for now, I say better the devil I know and all our friends and family close..
I live rurally, which is lovely from the aspects of peace and quiet, and low exhaust emissions due to minimal traffic. Pollen and harvest times tend to make being outdoors a bit of a mixed blessing.
But I have to drive everywhere, for convenience. I could walk to our little shop, or the GP surgery (if it re-opens after the pandemic dies down) but it would be at least an hour’s round trip, with challenging uphill sections - not good with dodgy lungs and aging limbs! Plus a large garden needs paid-for help as time goes on.
There is barely a bus service to our nearest town, let alone to the hospital. Taxis start at £40 for a one-way trip to town.
This is a lovely place whilst good health and youth are on your side, but a Virtual prison once life becomes more difficult.
I’m sorry to be gloomy, but future plans do need to be made with reality at the forefront over emotional dreams, or happiness will be in short supply.
Totally agree. I've spent most my life in very rural or isolated areas, and though I like the town I'm in now for convenience, my spirit is dying for lack of connection to nature and the land. We would choose a place with decent transport links as I don't drive, we order most our shopping online for delivery and do one monthly shop to get the bulk of it in, then milk or fresh consumables tend to come from corner shop ect. We're both well aware of things to be savy to as you grow older in rural places, as we had to take on his rural isolated parents when it all became too much. In my post I'm more questioning the Scottish climate , as though I have visited in Summer, I've never lived there or stayed in colder times. My town Im in is a bit of a microclimate, so pretty decent weather for the most part and right on the sea. But we want out of a town for multiple reasons.
I find cold weather difficult as well as all those other things you mention , is it colder in Scotland ??? I'm not sure . 🤔
I live in Scotland, but the climate varies from place to place. Some regions get neither hot in the summer or cold in winter, but can be very wet and very windy for much of the year. A lot of delivery companies don’t deliver to the Highlands and Islands, or charge an absolute fortune to do so even on orders that say free U.K. delivery. But the advantages are a remote rural lifestyle where the pace of life can be much more easy going, a strong sense of community, good air quality. I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to any region, so maybe think about the things that matter the most for you and see if those are applicable in the regions you’re considering. Good luck 🕊
Hubby doesn't want anyplace too far from Edinburgh, he says 35 to 40 miles max from there
I don’t know Edinburgh at all, other than the airport and hotels in the immediate vicinity of the airport. But being quite a ways south I think it has a more normal climate, and I think you can find rural settings not too far from the city, with reasonable travel links to many places. You could always try contacting the tourist information centre and ask for booklets about the region, sometimes that kind of thing contain information about transportation links, climate, facilities in the area and so on. 🚃🏰
Why don’t you pick a place and rent for a couple of months before making any big decisions? That way you can also explore different areas in Scotland and speak to CAB and tourist information for additional advice.
Hi
I am from Edinburgh, lived in and around it most of my life. If you wanted countryside, Penicuik is fairly close to Edinburgh, a decent shopping area, friendly and about 20 minute drive to Edinburgh Royal infirmary. The Pentland hills are nearby. If you wanted coast, Musselburgh is a nice little town, it has countryside surrounding and a beach area. There is also a decent amount of shops. In a car about 30 minutes to Edinburgh. Haddington is a historic market town, some nice houses and decent shopping. It is around 40 minutes drive from Edinburgh. Further up the coast is North Berwick, it has coastline. A nice town, with some really good traditional houses. It has a nice, friendly feel. It is about an hour drive to Edinburgh. I was thinking of these ones as there is pretty good access to the Royal infirmary, there is a bronchiectasis, copd team there. Plus a dedicated cystic fibrosis unit at the western general hospital. I have worked at the infirmary in the past and have been a patient twice. I was happy with my treatment and felt safe there. There are lovely towns further out ,, but maybe too far to travel. Whatever you decide, l hope you find what you are looking. Best wishes.
I live in a village in NW England. I am 6 miles from a hospital and 400 yards from my GP. Why would I wish to move to a colder Scotland and risk cold related worsening of my problems.
My suggestion if no family considerations and money is not an object, then a warm country such as Spain or better still the Canary island that have a mild climate all year long.
In the UK I would pick South of England such as Devon.. I really can't see a future for anyone ill in a remote part of Scotland..
No help I am afraid, just my thoughts..Good luck wherever you end up - We will stay in our leafy village, I once dreamed of retiring to the Med, can't be bothered to be honest.. Good Luck.
Hi I have COPD breathing condition when I walk I get out of breath a lots of things take it out of me
Use you spray more, walk at a lesser pace and or walk less distance. A bit out of breath is OK, Constantly being out of breath is not fun at all.
Take it more easy and I find the Atrovent (GREEN) inhaler) far better for COPD than the BLUE Ventalin.
Thank you very much but I haven’t got the green one
Might be worth asking your doctor about " IPROVENT" - It is white with a green cover. It is used for COPD. I use the White/Green and the Blue along with Fostair morning and night. COPD needs controlling and good inhalers normally play the most part in that..
medicines.org.uk/emc/produc...
I will do thank you so much It gets me down sometimes I feel embarrassed as well like I am on a dating site x
Not a dating site at all, I know what you mean though. I have run sports forum and FB pages for years, so posting forums is natural for me, but others are not used to posting .
No need at all to feel "embarrassed" and the reason is we are all in the same boat, to one degree or another.
Good luck with the inhalers, I use that one myself and it's better IMO for people with COPD that the outright reliver inhalers alone.
One last thing, keep moving but pace yourself so you don't get badly out of breath..
Not heard anyone mention the midges,,,
smidgeup.com/midges/midge-s....
For weather conditions different areas. check met office scotland.
Check out coronavirus safer areas: bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-...
If you think you might be ok with Scotland becoming independent from UK
Hope you find what you are looking for.
Scotland generally has more severe weather than rest of UK but on a perfect day its perfect in the country villages 
Midges can’t fly in windy weather. So there are advantages to living in a windswept place. Sometimes you have to really search to find advantages to the weather but getting no midges is one of them. 👍
Hi I am Scottish, close to Glasgow. We get a lot of rain. Spring is nice but increasingly summer is wet. If looking for rural maybe the borders might be good for you as there is now a train line to Edinburgh.
And midges are worse on the west coast. Edinburgh is East so they may leave you alone a bit.
After 1 week in Scotland I had to return home to London, the rain, damp and high humidity sent my copd haywire, it’s lovely when dry but hell when wet and damp. Maybe rent for a month in winter to see how you cope first
When I wanted to live in Spain I rented in different areas. You get a better idea of where would be best for you. As said before it's important to check out medical facilities etc. My sister lives in a rural area of Cumbria. No shops,pubs and doctors and hospital a long drive away. Lovely area but she nearly died last year when she needed emergency bowel surgery. Think very carefully and good luck.x
I loved living in the Tay Valley in Perthshire in a little hamlet of 4 houses. But when my then husband became seriously affected by COPD and needed a lot of care and used a wheelchair or a disability scooter, we had to sell up our lovely country cottage and move to a ground floor flat in nearby Blairgowrie. I still miss living there, but the move was necessary at the time.
I live west Scotland. Very damp and rainy. Colder in winter than other areas of UK.
I live on the edge of a small market town. Green fields on one side; reasonable bus service into town and GPs. Sound the sort of location that might suit you. Alberta
We are in the process of moving to SW Scotland. It really is beautiful. Still unspoilt, and as it’s west it’s not really cold - there are even tropical gardens! We are 25 miles from the coast and the difference to my lungs is incredible. It’s like a new lease of life
You sound like you have made up your mind or maybe heart. I think you must live this life. Go and live your dream , but dont go blind i agree with some of the statements hear check out health care localy nearest hospital ect then set your surch in areas that give you the amenitys you need. Go up on reserch stays you know whether you could tolerate the weather. Its rear to find a still day lol. Good luck with your adventure. Live life to your limits. Dont be defined by your illness before you have to be.
I understand the need to move but it must be an area of the country you like.
We live in South Devon near the sea and we are only a short distance from Dartmoor. The air quality is good as far as I know and we are currently very low on the Covid list.
There are things to watch out for, if you decide to live in a valley near a river it can be damp and irritate your chest.
Generally very hilly so if you ride a bike or like walking, take that into account. Traffic, very busy in Summer, not so much in Winter.
Public transport generally poor but a train link to London.
If you like the Theatre very little down here and we don’t get the big names.
Finally, would I move? No. I just cannot imagine not having the sea on my doorstep. Well, near my doorstep.
Good Luck
Jean.
COPD Emphysema 
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