Why thousands are fleeing to Scotland – and why you should too

Telegraph Money speaks to four people who have made the move north of the border

“Scottish taxpayers get the best value in the UK,” boasted the Scottish National Party last year. 
They certainly get a lot of free stuff. Scottish people benefit from lower council tax, free prescriptions, free eye tests, free university tuition and free personal care. 
Public spending per capita in Scotland in 2022-23 was £14,456, 15pc higher than the UK average, and equal to £2,229 more than in England. 
The flipside is that Scottish people have to pay considerably more tax. Anyone earning more than £25,688 in Scotland pays higher rates of income tax than the rest of the UK; the effects of this are felt most acutely by high earners.
Somebody earning an annual salary of £40,000 will take home £111 less a year in Scotland than in England, but the gap rises to £4,096 for somebody earning £110,000. 
Savings on council tax in Scotland may help mitigate this. The average band D annual council tax bill north of the border is £1,421, compared to £2,171 in England, according to the Scottish Government.
Property is also far more affordable – the average house price in Scotland is £200,000, compared to £310,000 in England, according to the Office for National Statistics. Monthly rent was also 28pc lower in Scotland than in England.
The rest of the country is beginning to catch on. Net migration to Scotland from the rest of the UK hit 13,900 in the year to June 2023, the highest level recorded in 21 years.
Telegraph Money speaks to four people who have made the move north of the border.
David Brookes moved to Scotland from London in 2020 with his wife and two children, and has since welcomed a third. 
“We had two very young children in a tiny flat in Dulwich,” says Brookes, who works in public relations. “In Covid, everything changed – we realised hybrid working was possible.
“We’ve always loved Edinburgh and we thought it would be amazing to have the great outdoors on our doorstep. It just felt like an opportunity. So we thought let’s just go for it.”
Brookes, 41, is one of a number of people who, thanks to the emergence of remote working, is no longer anchored to London, and has been able to reevaluate their priorities.
“There is a real value gap – people are realising the value of a life in Scotland compared to south of the border,” says Cameron Ewer, of Savills.
“People had already started to realise they could do their jobs remotely before the pandemic. Covid poured accelerant all over that situation.”
“The ‘Willie’ – Work in London, Live in Edinburgh – has long been a feature among senior financial and business professionals,” adds Stuart Wilson, of recruitment firm Dartmouth Partners.
“Either through working in a London-based role while living in Scotland or working for a pan-UK firm which has offices in Scotland, people are likely paid the equivalent rate to their permanently London-based colleagues.”
The lower property prices are a huge magnet for priced-out Londoners and those looking for a bigger home for their family.
“For little more than what we sold our tiny two-bedroom flat in south London for, we bought a three-bed house with a huge garden,” says Brookes. “It’s near the beach, and 20 minutes away from the centre of Edinburgh. It’s a massive upgrade.”
Laura Cameron, 46, moved with her husband Neil and two children to a town called Dollar, between Stirling and Glasgow, during the summer. They had previously lived in Ware, Hertfordshire, for almost 20 years – but when Neil’s employer closed its London office and made their workforce remote, the couple realised there was little tying them to the capital.
“Costs were rising. We were looking at our mortgage thinking it will be 20 years before we pay this off,” she says.
“So we sold our house in Ware, and bought a plot of land here for a fraction of the price. We are living in a rental flat, and will start building our new house imminently. We estimate the total cost will be just over half of what we sold our house in Hertfordshire for.
“That’s really exciting, and we can really decide what you want your dream home to look like. It’s also something that is much harder to do down south. And we’ll still be able to repay our mortgage with the difference.”
The huge difference in property prices between Scotland and much of southern England makes the move all the more inviting.
“If you sold a £2m house in Fulham or Surrey, you would be able to buy an exceptional property in Scotland,” says Ewer. “And you would also free up capital to make other investments.”
Transaction costs in Scotland are higher – the stamp duty tax-free threshold is £145,000, or £170,000 for first-time buyers, compared to £250,000 in England. That means that somebody buying a £500,000 property that is not their first home north of the border would fork out £23,350 in stamp duty, compared to £18,000 in Wales and £12,500 in England.
“That was eye-opening,” says Brookes. “But on the plus side, you don’t really get gazumped in Scotland. It’s ridiculous that it is so easy to pull out of a property deal at the last minute in England.” 
Gazumping is the practice of acquiring a property that another buyer has already had an offer accepted on by outbidding them. While it is not outlawed in Scotland, it is much rarer, as properties are generally pulled from the market after offers are accepted.
On top of being able to pay off their mortgage, Cameron has also been able to upgrade their children’s education with the move. Average annual fees for private day schools in Scotland were £4,672 in 2023, 14pc lower than the national average and 30pc lower than in London, according to the Independent Schools Council.
“We would never have been able to afford to send our children to a private school [in Ware]. The fees were laughably high. But here we can,” she says. “My daughter plays netball and hockey – now that she does it in school, we don’t have to pay massive club fees. 
“The free university tuition will certainly be handy in the future for our kids. And we have great universities on our doorstep, so there doesn’t need to be a trade-off in the quality of education.”
Lily Rice, 37, moved to South Lanarkshire from Bristol with her husband Steve in 2021 – they love their new home, and believe it suits their two children better.
They found that there are huge perks in Scotland.
“Children and young adults can travel for free on buses until they’re 22, which is great. They also get free school meals until the upper end of primary school. Return train journeys only cost a pound to go anywhere in Scotland for children travelling with an adult,” she says.
“If you’re a family or person that likes to do outdoor activities, it’s much more accessible, and you save money that way. We bought a Historic Environment Scotland membership [similar to the National Trust], which was only £100 for the year, and you can go to any of the venues. Kids’ clubs are also slightly cheaper up here, which is great.”
Cameron adds: “London and the surrounding area was getting busier and busier. While that brings benefits, our town was getting really full. We wanted to take a step back and not feel that constant go-go-go, that pressure – for the kids’ sake too.”
Ellie Jones, 24, is from Cheshire, but moved to Stirling after graduating from the city’s university, where she now works.
“It’s definitely a lot cheaper up here, the rent is much lower. In London, I was looking at paying more than double what I pay here. I think I’ll probably be able to buy a home sooner here than in England.
“Living here is also great for my mental wellbeing. Right now, I’m overlooking a loch, with the mountains in the background. You’re not stuck in a city, you have so much to do, walking, paddleboarding, you name it. That’s not something you’re going to get in London. And I walk to work, it’s only half an hour away.
“Lots of my university friends stayed in Stirling or moved to Edinburgh or Glasgow, which are both about half an hour away. There are lots of young people in Scotland; it’s a thriving place, especially in the big cities.”
Brookes adds: “Edinburgh feels like a really young city. It has everything London has, but it’s a little bit quieter, a little less stressful.”
“There are lots of benefits that people don’t think about,” says Jones. “You get free dental care until the age of 25, while at home I would now need to pay. Free prescriptions and eye tests are also brilliant. You don’t realise it, but it’s such a big bonus when you come to use them.”
Rice adds: “The prescriptions certainly make a difference when you have children, and are a consideration as you’re getting older. Period products are also free in any bathroom in a public place, which is great.”
While there appears to be no end to Scotland’s perks for those that can make it work with their careers, two complaints are fairly ubiquitous. 
“The weather is pretty bad down South, but imagine it is five degrees colder. But you don’t really notice it – you adjust really quickly,” says Brookes. “And in terms of tax, Scotland isn’t cheap.”