Looking to live somewhere else this winter. Need advice. Iceland? Scotland?

[Lone_Bullet]

Like title says, really. I'm looking to move to a different, rawer country this winter.

Duration would be 1 or 2 months.

I'm still in doubt between 2 locations. Iceland ( went there, SO lovely ) or Scotland ( went there as well, but I want to go to the colder parts of Scotland. But lovely as well! )

Why these 2?

-Beautiful countries with wonderful nature and challenging winters ( for a soft Belgian )

-Icelandic is VERY difficult but most Icelanders speak English quite fluent. 

-Scotland has airsoft! Dunno about Iceland.

-Reykjavik has a good night-life and is quite chill! Dunno about Edinburgh. 

-Both are rather quiet and calm, ideal for me.

 

I just don't know how employment is. 

I'm an electrician but work as a rail-road technician, which is quite a different field.

How much would the rent be? Is food dear? Social life?

 

Can anyone gibe a some advice?

 

Thanks.

 

[darkchild130]

I absolutely love Iceland.  

Waterfalls, geysers, northern lights, blue lagoon, black beaches, ice caves, cool tectonic activity, volcanos, etc etc.  So much to see there.

Being an Englishman, I do not care for Scotland, but I could see why a foreigner might like it.  I've spent time in both countries (only as a tourist in Iceland)  and I would go back there in a heartbeat.

I seem to remember prices in Iceland being slightly higher than the UK (and I've been to Belgium, which is slightly cheaper than the UK, so you would notice the difference more, imo)

I shopped in local supermarkets etc in both countries, as well as eating out in bars and restaurants, so this is primarily what I'm basing my opinions on in regards to price.

Iceland gets my vote everytime.

 

Darkchild

[shmook]

Choose Iceland.

 

No contest.

[Bovinedog]

If you've got a choice, definitely Iceland. But do you need to work while out there?

 

 

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[Lone_Bullet]

I would be on paid leave from all the weekends I've worked. But I also have to pay off a house, so while I can pay for the house, I can't pay for the house AND spend money at tourist speed.

Also, I just want to live somewhere else for a while. I'm fed up with the silly Belgian way of thinking. ( Yeh, I know, I bough a house here, don't mention it... )

Don't want to be a tourist, I actually want to live somewhere harsher but still enjoyable is all

 

Let me research airsoft in Iceland... not much hope really but I'm a chairsofter at home so meh.

[hitmanNo2]

You might find the language barrier in Scotland a bit of a pain

[Lone_Bullet]

Not harder than Old Nord ( Icelandish ).

Trust me on that one . 

 

So yeah, no airsoft in Iceland it seems.

But they DO have whales!

[Bovinedog]

Being a rail road technician in Iceland could be a bit of an issue. They don't appear to have any!

 

 

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[hitmanNo2]

Not harder than Old Nord ( Icelandish ).

Trust me on that one .

It was half a joke.

 

[shmook]

But they DO have whales!

There are *fruitcage* millions in Scotland...

[Lone_Bullet]

Triple lol post, it's a good day ^^.

Indeed they have no trains at all in Iceland .

But I've been talking to some locals and it seems they need technicians to repair power distribution lines in winter.

Problem is I'm not licensed for that at the time. And to get one is quite costly. Perhaps as an apprenticeship though...

 

Also this: to get hold of Icelandic people on the net, hah, you'll need to look hard..

[Hardcore1-6]

A mates sister is living on a research ship looking at whales right now. If you end up in Iceland drop me a PM i'll see if I can sort something.

If it's mountaineering you're after have you thought of doing a ski season? Don't have to ski all the time and running up mountians is top phys. I'm sure most other European countries will accept you as a skilled labourer to fund it.

[Lone_Bullet]

Hardcore, mate, if you could do THAT for me? O_O

[FireKnife]

I live in Scotland, jusst outside Edinburgh. Maybe Iceland might be better?

 

As for the night life and such well Edinburgh has soooooo bloody much going on all the time. Festivals, events, markets, the lot.

 

Also if you are looking Central Belt area (Glasgow and Edinburgh areas) then you have about ten airsoft sites within an hours drive and many people able to offer lifts.

 

All in all Scotland is a nice place but outside the Central Belt there is *fruitcage* all there and little airsoft. Still looks nice though.

 

'FireKnife'