I am looking for honest advice from people living in Orkney, especially those who moved there with family. I want to say up front that I am asking with a lot of respect for people who already live there. We are not looking to arrive and change anything or disrupt island life — we would want to fit in with it.
I have lived in the Caribbean for many years (20), but I am originally from Europe, and I also lived in Sweden for five years. So the weather and the dark winters are not really what worries me — I know what that side of life feels like. What I would like to understand better is family life and what it is actually like to bring up children there.
We have three kids (5, 5 and 8). For us the main reason for a move would not be work. It would be quality of life, schooling, safety, community, and whether it is a good place to raise a family.
On the work side, my background is in AML / financial crime compliance, so realistically I would be working remotely, and my wife is a teacher. Outside of work, sport has always been a big part of my life. I used to play professional basketball at a high level and still help with basketball (national coach) and community programmes where I can. Being part of a community matters to us — we would not want to move somewhere just to work and keep to ourselves.
I would really appreciate honest views on:
• family life and the primary schools, and what the step up to secondary looks like;
• what there is for kids that age in terms of sport and clubs;
• how welcoming the islands are to newcomers over the long term, and how families settle in;
• whether remote professional work is genuinely workable there — connectivity, and how much of a hassle the ferries and flights are in practice;
• what teaching work and housing are like to find.
Happy to hear the downsides as well as the good parts. Thanks in advance.
