wick

kabie

hello does anyone live in wick? Or near wick or know anything about wick?
Help please

mikeyd

I used to live near Wick - what are you wanting to know about?

kabie

We have the possibility of moving there but it's hours away and we've never been. Really want to know what it's like. Have primary aged children: the school would be South primary. I've tried searching on the internet but I really need to talk to someone who will tell me what it's really like. It's all a bit scary, we need more room and the possible of an offer of house would be good but we've been told houses in areas like this are "hard to let" which sounds dubious.

mikeyd

I have never lived in Wick myself (I used to live in Thurso about 20 miles away). I would recommend looking at the website Caithness.org and posting on their forum and you should hopefully get a better idea of what wick, and more detailed information about what the schools and housing market is like from people who live there.

Hope this helps.

kabie

thankyou

Ember999

kabie wrote:

hello does anyone live in wick? Or near wick or know anything about wick?
Help please

I can say with great confidence avoid Wick. I spent almost a month living up in that area of Scotland and this included both Wick and Thurso. I couldn't get out of Wick fast enough. It's dingy, dark, and gloomy. The shopping is terrible (one Ethel Austin if you like cheap clothes) gotta travel all the way to Inverness (almost 2 hours +) to be able to buy a decent pair of jeans or shoes (just cheap shoe shops too) It's a run down town where most of the population who could get out did and still want to. Housing is cheap there as unemployment is high, no decent paying jobs, no prospects etc. You couldn't pay me to live there and I truly mean that!

You are also miles from anywhere! It's really a very remote area up in that part of Scotland. You don't have the beauty of the Highlands as it is all flat, just miles and miles of deserted land everywhere. It's 20 miles to Thurso as another poster already said and that's it! You are just under 3 hours away from civilisation and I think most people would not be happy there. Just my opinion as I am sure someone on here lives in Wick and loves it :rotfl:

kabie

Thanks. I'd quite like to live in the middle of nowhere but there are limits!
We're in Inverness at the moment and really it's be handy not to be more than about an hour away. I've been further North and it was ok but not that far.
I guess that's why it's "hard to let" up there. Husband suggested we took a drive to go look but AA routeplanner said it was 4 hours away (sounds like it's not quite that bad), and that really put me off

Ember999

kabie wrote:

Thanks. I'd quite like to live in the middle of nowhere but there are limits!
We're in Inverness at the moment and really it's be handy not to be more than about an hour away. I've been further North and it was ok but not that far.
I guess that's why it's "hard to let" up there. Husband suggested we took a drive to go look but AA routeplanner said it was 4 hours away (sounds like it's not quite that bad), and that really put me off

In all fairness, it's just under 4 hours, unless you drive like I do in the middle of nowhere and it takes me around 3 and a bit. Inverness is lovely and there are lots of lovely 'in the middle of nowhere' places within a few hours max of Inverness. Going up Ullapool way is gorgeous and of course you are right to consider the remoteness of Wick/Thurso. I remember one thing I constantly said whilst there - 'Everyone looks grimy' etc..I know it doesn't sound very nice but I think it's a very poor area and facilities are limited. One of the major employers in Caithness area was Caithness Glass and they are now closed. Restaurants, Coffee Shops are almost non-extinct. I now live in a 'remote' area in Scotland but like you say, there are limits. I can drive 13 miles and get to a Tesco Extra, an hour and half and I am in the buzz of Glasgow. Look maybe towards Fort William direction, or even more out towards Aviemore which is in the middle of country but only 40 mins from Inverness. Why are you wanting to move? family life? change of employment?
Ember xx

ps..i know almost every area of Scotland as I have travelled extensively throughout Scotland and its Isles and Islands for 4 years before settling in my cottage so any further help, do ask and I'll do my best xx

mikeyd

It shouldnt take 4 hours to drive from Inverness to Wick - it should take about 2 hours, possibly 2.5 hours if the traffic is bad.

In relation to a lot of major employers having closed down, this is true at present, but under construction in Wick currently is a retail park to house Argos and Homebase, among other shops. Also a large Tesco should be constucted soon (has went through the planning permission stage but there are a few issues still to be sorted), so Wick should be on the up in relation to new employment.

kabie

Wanting to move because our house is far too small. It's rented and basically we were looking at places where other people didn't want to live but that are covered by housing associations. I was / am hoping that maybe somewhere that someone else wouldn't want would suit us. Really I'm fed up and we need to move.