5 MISTAKES We Made When We Moved To The UK!: Moving To Scotland! 

Hey, everyone! I keep getting the same 3 or 4 comments over and over again. In order to not have the entire comments section consist of these (which I've literally responded to over a hundred times now), I'm deleting the repeats. Thanks for understanding :)

I think it's so cute that she thinks Scotland has a summer.

Ah, summer in Scotland. My favourite day of the year.

She said Quid. She's one of us now.

Welcome to Scotland. Sorry about the weather.

Our NHS isn't 'totally free' it's paid by anyone who works within the UK via National Insurance

I've lived in England all my life and I've never been in an "automatic" car. Every car has been manual.

Our cultures and languages are so similar that we all just assume that everything's the same. I've only just found out that Americans don't have a word for fortnight and it's blown my mind a little. Plaster, pram and trolly are not just Scottish words, they are common in of the UK. It's weird hearing the phrase "driving stick". I've never heard that before. We just call it "driving". I've never driven an automatic. How does it work? What happens if you want to control what gear you're in? Yeah, the NHS is pretty great. It's weird when talking to Americans online who argue for a private system that you pay for. It's like: "Hey, you know that essential thing you have that you get for free? Wouldn't it be better if you paid for it?" and we're like: "Umm, no. Not really."

Some american > UK translations that may help. Stick shift = Manual Parking lot = Carpark Blocks = Roads / Junctions Also worth noting that in general, American English tends to use brand names or trade marks for items, where as UK English tends to use the actual name of the item. Example "Bandaid" is a trade mark. A "plaster" or "sticking plaster" is what it actually is, and thats the word we use. (There are, of course, exceptions) So in future if you are ever confused about what a something should be called in the UK vs US, try boiling it down to what it actually is rather than the name you are used to using.

Good video with some good points. I also moved to Scotland-31 years ago-from the USA and encountered some of the situations she refers to. I married a Scot, so things like registering with a GP were less of an issue, as was how to deal with the utility companies, etc. And she's right. The NHS is fantastic. (I worked for the NHS as well, before I retired.) The car situation is a bit complicated, though. Of course you CAN rent an automatic car, and they are becoming a lot more common. However, you're only allowed to drive here on an overseas licence for about a year. Then you have to get a UK driving license, and that's not easy. Their tests are MUCH more strict than in the USA, and are getting even stricter. There is a written test you must pass (and it's not simple) and a rigorous practical test where you drive with an 'examiner' who will fail you for all sorts of faults. The test is different for a manual transmission than for an automatic, by the way-at least it was 30 plus years ago. Getting a driving license is a really big deal here, and many people never get one. (I took some lessons, but never actually took the test because we don't run a car. As she says, public transportation is really good here! You only really NEED a car if you live in a semi-rural area or like to travel to out of the way places.) My advice to anybody planning to move here? Never make assumptions. Do not assume anything about how things are done or where you go to do them. Ask. It's easy to get things wrong because the country seems so similar in many ways to the USA. But it's surprisingly different under the surface. People often ask me ...would you go back? The answer is easy. No. I love it here.

Charming. You're such a good speaker, and with such good looks, this format works very well. Welcome to the UK.

Now that you have moved to the UK you need to keep in mind that you can only use your US driving licence for 12 months from the date you take up residence. If you wish to continue driving after that time you will have to apply for a provisional licence then take and pass the appropriate UK driving theory and practical driving tests in order to obtain a UK driving licence. Also if you do and pass your driving test in the UK using a car with an automatic transmission then you will be restricted to only being able to drive automatic cars. If you pass using a manual transmission then you drive boath manual and automatic cars.

I should imagine that anyone moving to a different country would experience very similar problems, well done on all your adaptations, very enjoyable blog.

I've not moved to a new country, but have moved around the UK a fair bit. Regarding electricity and gas I have two recommendations. If you are living in a flat that is part of a building that has been subdivided as soon as you can after moving in turn everything off, take all plugs out of sockets, turn off lights etc then watch your meter and make sure it's not showing any power being drawn. If it does then double check everything is turned off, if you can switch off the circuit breakers one at a time and see where the one that is drawing power leads. Some private landlords subdivide houses but don't subdivide the electric supply so one tenant is paying the bill for two or three flats. I'm even aware of one where the landlord told the tenants who didn't have meters that they had to pay a fixed amount each month for electricity and gas on top of rent, as it was shared supply when in fact the one tenant was paying the bill for all three and the landlord just pocketed the extra money. The other recommendation is in your first year in a place try to read your meters weekly or fortnightly and record the readings. This is to get a feel for how much power the place uses. Give the readings to your power companies each month, that way they can give you more accurate bills. Do bear in mind that the norm in the UK is to charge the same year round so over the summer you build up a credit then in the winter you use that and end up with a debit.

Band Aid is a brand name, that's why we don't use it, it's a sticking plaster because it's a temporary cover for a wound, instead of a bandage or a normal plastercast. The reverse is true for things though, like you might have been shopping for a vacuum cleaner and heard people call them "hoovers" when Hoover is just one manufacturer of vacuum cleaners that ends up being a generic term. Welcome to Scotland though! :D

I'm an American moving to Birmingham in a month. I'm pretty sure your warning about the electricity reading will save my wallet. Thanks for this video!

liquid detergent is common in the uk. Scottish people probably wash clothes with fire.

Mistake No.6: Eating the battered Mars bars. " No.7: Asking a Scotsman why he's wearing a skirt. " No.8: Finding out the ingredients of Haggis. " No.9: Holding a Thanksgiving Party for all your new Scottish friends. " No.10: Assuming Hogman[a]y is a pig farm. " No.11: Assuming a wee hen is a chicken on a rollercoaster. " No.12: Booking a trip to see the Loch Ness monster. " No.13: Assuming The McDonald clan is where to grab a Big Mac...unless you like big, hairy Scotsmen.

Thanks so much for sharing! Very helpful.

Hey I'm from Scotland and your blog was super accurate! Its really informative and I'll be sure to share it about. Well done!

summer months?? Scotland has a summer?? we don't even get those in Wales!

in the UK if you passed a test in an Automatic you are not allowed to drive a Manual car unless you test a separate test. Have you been breaking the law?

thanks for making this video! great insights :)

I didn't realise that the prices in US stores, often didn't include tax. I happily bought a load of books, for example, and got a surprise when the price quoted was more than I'd worked out. Here in the UK prices are marked with tax already added. Also, I got very confused with Dimes and Nickels as the dime is smaller in size, but worth twice as much as a nickel. They roughly coincide in size to UK 5p coins and 10p coins. But in the UK the smaller sized coin is worth less than the larger one. It doesn't help that the US coins don't have 5c and 10c on them.

Incorrect about not paying for NHS treatment in the UK.... If you are not an EU citizen, you are obliged to pay for all health care. Some people are lucky and get through the net (like you clearly did) but expect to get a bill or even be asked for insurance or cash upfront for anything except A&E treatment (A&E equals Accident and Emergency, and equates to what the US calls ER). If You are a non-EU citizen, or you come from a country that doesn't have a reciprocal health care agreement with the UK (The US does not have such an agreement) then you need to travel with full health insurance.... if you are staying here for a long time on an extended visa, then you may even be turned back at customs if you cannot prove you have health insurance.

In the US you use the stick with your right hand, in the UK you use the stick with your left hand.

Again very informative! Thank you!

The NHS is amazing in that it's free but I just wanted to clarify that in England you do have to pay for your prescriptions (it's just under £9 per prescription). Just in case anyone goes to England and expects to pay nothing. In Scotland and Wales though, they are free.

Don't register with a GP if you don't know where you are going to live. They won't register you if you live outside catchment area. Says on Bill/statement that it is estimated.

OMG you didnt mention the BIG difference in words DONT say "Fanny" in Britain thinking it will mean Ass! OMG There's a big difference!... google it if you need to people! lol XD

I've lived in Scotland my whole life and also got caught up in the alarmingly high electricity/gas bills! Another thing to make everyone aware of (which I didn't realise until recently) Is that when you move into a property with an existing provider they will usually automatically put you on the highest tariff. Phone up straight away and say you want to be put on the cheapest tariff they can offer you! It will definitely save you a lot!

In UK we over pay though the summer to build up credit for the winter.

In some European countries if you used an automatic to pass your test you're not allowed to drive a manual.

So many people leaving unbelievably rude comments. I have to say, you're doing so well to keep your cool with them and I admire your patience :) Good luck with your uni course! Hope you're loving Scotland so far x

You're so cute, I hope the UK is treating you well. It was fun to watch your video. Have a great day : )

Love the video. Subbed 👍

It's called a 'manual' transmission! A stick is what you throw for your dog to fetch!😄

Energycompanies in the UK do ask you to submit regular readings. In many cases they will ask for the reading shortly before the bill date (usually quarterly), but some companies ask for monthly readings. If you get a bill and haven't submitted a reading, you can still contact them and give them your readings. They may adjust your bill, or at least take your readings into account next time. Also, I recommend making sure you are on the cheapest tariff, and with the cheapest supplier. This varies from case to case and region to region. Prices fixing tariffs are often better as prices do fluctuate and tend to go up more often then they come down. Switching to the cheapest supplier can save you hundreds of pounds each year. There are a number of price comparison websites that will tell you the best supplier and tariff based upon the information you provide and even allow you to switch then and there. Be sure to do a 'whole of market' comparison when using these sites as they can favour the suppliers that offer them revenue.

thanks this video is very helpful!

Just for information the Doctor drug prescription charges are only free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In England you currently have to pay £8.60 per item. However if you are a senior citizen, on welfare benefits, etc. then you are exempt from having to pay. Also if you have certain long term health issues you don't have to pay in some circumstances.

You have to pay for prescriptions in England! Only in Scotland it's free!

its considered a little embarrassing to drive an automatic car in the UK (its like still having training wheels on a bicycle) by asking for an automatic you are declaring you cant drive properly

Nice tips. We will be moving soon and it’s great 👍🏼... Good work...

Almost everyone here learns on a manual (its not a "stick" here) because if you take your test in an automatic your licence only alllows you to drive automantics, pass on a manual and you can drive both - simples

Nobody knows how the electricity companies work, especially when they also supply your gas… nightmare 😁

My mistakes when I first moved to the UK. 1. If you think it is difficult to get a doctor, try a dentist... 2. 50 pound notes are not the best way to pay for a can of Dr. Pepper. 3. ISPs suck. Or at least they sucked a lot when I first moved there. 4. Pasties taste great but taste 10 times better when you heat them. (I miss them so much) 5. Two faucets for water? This is not a mistake of mine, just something I still find incredibly stupid. 6. Do not, under any circumstances, get a loan from a bank or otherwise...

In the UK if you pass your driving test in automatic cars, you also have to retake your test in a manual car. However if you pass your manual car test you can drive an automatic car. You do have to pay for prescriptions from the dr unless you are over 60, have certain medical conditions or and a full time student.

When you couldn't visit a GP you should have found a walk-in centre. GPs are generally private practice, just operating under the NHS banner. Walk-in centres are NHS operated, and designed to take pressure off A&E. You don't need an appointment, you'll sit in a waiting room and get seen by a nurse (or sometimes a doctor) when it's your turn.

Plasters and Pram etc. are not 'Scottish words'... they are used in all UK English speaking places. : )

I think that anyone in Scotland can have a "Smart" electricity meter supplied and fitted free of charge. The Smart meter takes many readings per day automatically. If you have gas, you can have that reading taken automatically too. The gas reading is normally sent to the electricity meter via Wi-Fi. The two readings are then sent to the electricity company over the mobile phone network, because there is a SIM card in the system. You don't have to do anything. Also, they normally give you a free energy monitor that you can place anywhere in the house. The electricity meter sends the two meter readings to the energy monitor via Wi-Fi. You normally are billed by the energy company once every two months. I hope that helps you. Welcome to Edinburgh. I have lived here all of my life.

Just a heads up from someone who is born and bread UK, you can now get smart meters to replace to old prepay/credit meters. We do it monthly on credit but over the modern smart meter system so you can look at your daily/weekly energy usage. Also although they are expensive to initially buy (£50 per a bulb) the phillips hue bulbs (LED's) are a godsend, when paired with an amazon alexa or echo you can just dim or turn your light on and off by voice command and they are really energy efficient x

Wonderful video by the way! I'm an American wanting to move to the UK, but I'm stuck between Wales and Scotland. I love your video as i'm now thinking about going to Scotland. Your video was actually really helpful so thank you. I'm actually asking questions to Scottish people for some advice on what not to do and what to do when getting there. Again thank you!

I'd never heard the phrase 'to drive stick' before! In the UK we say 'to drive a manual'...

actually you can go online and update your meter readings. you don't need to call energy companies

Stumbled upon this video, found it quite interesting with the differences you have come across over here, im scottish and live in edinburgh :)

About the electric company, you can actually get it a few different ways. One thing that surprised me is that many has a pay-as-you-go meter. That's what we're currently using right now (because of some old debts they don't want us on anything else). You pay for the electricity you're going to use, not the electricity you've already used. Much like a phone without contract. You can also get a yearly reading, which will average out the entire year for a much more even distribution of the cost and some electric company even allow quarterly readings. Regardless of what sort of meter you have and the frequency of the rate updates, you still need to allow them access to your home once every 6 months for a safety inspection though.

"It's like a whole nother language" >.

In this UK we get estimated bills.. Mostly wrong, you only get the correct estimate bill if you're super lucky.

I came across you videos and it made me miss my sister, who moved to London from Knoxville, TN. I wish i could move somewhere for a little while I'm so envious of folks that can. I can live vicariously through you guys. Lol

Totally stumbled across your video's. Welcome to Scotland guy's, hope you have an awesome time here. :)

Rule 1 when doing anything in life. Don't assume.

It's not slang ! It's dialect or language. Scots is a distinct language. The difference between and language and a dialect is an Army a Navy and an Air Force😝. Enjoyed watching your show👍🏻

Btw, just noticed in comments below people mentioning that you cannot drive a manual if only qualified on an auto. I believe their international American licence is enough to drive here, however, that licence is ONLY for a short time, and if you stay over a year, you may need to upgrade it or risk having an invalid licence. Your licence is valid for 12months after you became resident here, after which, and probably better a few months early, you need to apply for an British provisional driving license, then take your theory test and once the theory is passed you can then take the actual driving test. Goto WWW.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence.

Number one as you explained is about moving from the USA to anywhere in Europe. My experience about gear stick was different as I was already in Europe, moving from Slovenia to England - I was fine with a gear stick but it was on the wrong side! I kept reaching to the door instead of to the middle of the car before I got used to change gears with my left hand rather than right. Now, of course, I'm used to it and do it without thinking, but when I visit my parents and I try to drive, I need to be careful... Luckily, the pedals are in the same order, ABC from right to left (accelerator, brake, clutch). I have driven in the USA (that was when I was well used to left side driving in the UK) and the automatic gears didn't cause me any problems. I also liked cruise control. That car was a cool toy, as far as I was concerned, I steered but the car did the rest (at least on motorways). Americans call a plaster "band aid"? That sounds more like music for a good cause... Before I moved to England, my English, influenced partly by foreigners from various countries on my travels, partly by online chats, partly by TV shows, was americanised to some extent (however in writing I never used "lite", "nite", "thru", always "light", "night", "through", but I did use "color" instead of "colour", or in speech I used to say tomato to rhyme with potato). Another thing I noticed was that things not to be done are usually "forbidden" in the UK and "prohibited" in the USA. Americans in UK, be very careful when told to walk on the pavement! It's what you call "sidewalk", not the road surface, haha. Americans in Europe, don't assume you can turn right (left in countries with left side driving, like UK) when the red light is on.

Hi! I'm an American living in London. I agree with many things here. In my US vs UK RU-vid videos I mention the transportation system in London against America in a few videos too, as well as thoughts on the NHS! If you're in London anytime soon, please get in touch- it would be great to do a collab.

I'd be frugal with gas/electric anyway. Just good to be efficient regardless of cost.

Hi, enjoyed your video very much. I live in California and was interested in your experience in moving to Scotland. Most of what you shared was new to me except for the different words (lift, pram, trolley, etc.) probably because I read a lot of British novels and watch a lot of British television.Thanks for sharing!

A common mistake of Americans and British people is that because we use (largely) the same language we are all the same, but nothing could be further from the truth. A language is the only thing we share.

I knew you would pick up stick shift fairly quickly - it is not so hard. Love how you used the colloquialism "quid" your almost a native.....doctor registration is important but if you are ill anyone can go to A&E and you will get looked after - no charge.

laundry detergent = soap powder. ;-)

Our flat has a _pay as you go_ kinda thing. You put money in your Electric and your Gas accounts and that gets used up. When it's low, the meter lets you know you might run out. Then you can either put some more money on your accounts or wait til you can put "Emergency" on, which is the company lending you enough so your gas or electric don't run out and then they take it off when you put more money in your account. I'm from Argentina and there you pay monthly what you have used the previous month, that goes for Electric and Gas, you never run out. Huge change for me when I moved over to the UK :)

We have walk in centres here which takes up the loading from patients who don't yet have a doctor or dentist. They can cope with many minor problems and injuries, and prescribe medicine ect as required. If your employed and goto one of these, you can be charged for prescriptions and dental work at standard NHS rates. The main downside to these centres is you will be waiting, possibly for a few hours for an appointment, and you do get some dodgy characters in these centres because alot with mental problems often end up needing these places due to inability to organise a full time doctor or dentist.

That's pretty annoying to know that Americans (i.e. non Brits) living in Scotland don't even have to pay for their prescriptions. Meanwhile we Brits in England do. Yet we all contribute the same. Perhaps the NHS should become more regional. Pay the same yet you get far more out of it? Is that fair? It makes you wonder who our Government is serving? They certainly don't seem to care if you're a citizen or not.

Yeah it´s weird, we grow up knowing a lot of American slang cos American tv is exported everywhere. But the reverse doesn´t really happen so there´s no reason you´d just know that.

Apart from the lingo (language) there are a lot of things we do differently to the US and it can catch people out. Also prescription charges still apply in England but the NHS is free. Welcome to our tiny island and Scotland is a great country.

Helpful tips, thanks. Esp. about registering with a doctor and about the electric companies.

You say faucet, I say tap. Faucet. Tap. Let's call the whole thing off.

It's manual not bloody stick!

Thanks for explaining how the electricity company thing- I am native UK and didn't know that!

Do your electricity and gas bills ONLINE and do your own meter readings. Problem solved. You can raise or lower your direct debit accordingly. What you do NOT want is an "estimated bill" OUCH!!

please could you do a vlog of going on a British walk, British expat living in America, missing the English countryside.

Man she is beautiful look at that smile 💚💛

In some places you can also have a prepaid card for the bus, really convenient

We're moving to the UK next year, and possibly Edinburgh. I was born in the UK but grew up in Canada and have lived in the USA for 20 years. We also lived in Edinburgh briefly when I was in University. Your video was very helpful, I enjoyed the format. Good to know that finding a flat to rent is very competitive. I'm dreading washing machines. Please tell me they dry too. I hate hanging laundry outside or on clothing racks. Great job, I 'll look up some of your other videos, but one request, please don't say, 'whole 'nother.'

stick shift? never heard that one.... I think what you mean is manual

Quid = Pounds/Great British Pounds (GBP) Flat = Apartment (home)

Wow, British people take this for granted.... not only did you have to learn to drive a manual car, but you had to learn it with the wheel on the right side of the car, your gearstick on your left, and drive on the left! I drove in Europe and was a challenge to learn to use my right hand to change gear and drive on the right! 🙌 praise to you for your bravery ! Must have been really difficult for you ! Truth is, with so many narrow , hilly country roads here in the UK , an automatic is a pain.. Having driven an automatic in Australia, it is obvious to me that the nature of roads determines whether manual or automatic works best.. I have a distinct memory of being in France on a bus that was automatic, and whilst it was trying to climb a steep hill, I was listening to the engine and in my head I was saying "rev up driver ! change gear now !" , but of course the driver was at the mercy of the automatic gearbox and the bus didn't change gear for so long it felt painful to me 😆.. In the USA you have so many very long, wide roads, that stretch for 100s of kms, why have a manual car?! In the Uk, it is essential ( and I think British drivers secretly see themselves as racing car drivers 😂) Have you driven a manual car in Europe? 😃 There would be at least some familiarity driving on the right side of the road?! Long, wide flat roads are fun to drive in an automatic, but when it comes to hills and bends, manual is far more fun and useful in my opinion ! It is great that you now know both 😃😃 I have only just found you here on YT, and you are very sweet and have liked what I have seen so far!

The advice about registering with a doctor right away is excellent advice.

Americans saying 'quid' 😅

Someone famous once said "Two Countries only separated by a Common Language"

In the UK its important to remember the licences are different, you can't drive a manual without the correct licence, you can get an automatic licence, or a licence for manual which also allows you to drive automatic

Very good mistakes to highlight.

I am a Brit who now lives in Canada & I have one tip for any visitor going to the UK: "if you step off the kerb onto the road, you are fair game...don't expect drivers to slow down for you"

It sounds weird when Americans say quid.

It is a gear stick which you move into the required gear as you move forward and increase speed.

Scotland Weather Forecast for the year: January: Sun February: Snow March: Rain April: Sun May: Hot sun June: Lots of Rain July: Rain August: Rain September: Rain October: Rain November: Rain December: Rain

What amazes me is that Americans can get off the plane and hire a car without having good knowledge of driving a "stick" manual, having mainly only driven an auto in the States. In the UK you HAVE to pass your driving test in a manual car in order to drive one afterwards, after passing you can drive both. If you pass in an auto you can only drive an auto.edit: julie Allan beat me to it.

Forty 'quid' hahaha, not everybody knows what that means. But 'quid' is a 'slang-term' for currency, (quid = pound). So forty quid, is £40.

Driving a manual transmission car is like riding a bike. One never really forgets how to do it.

Wow you were lucky to get a doctor appointment so quickly. My surgery (and almost all the surgeries where I live), it's a 3 week waiting time to see a doc.