I'm an American who has been living in the UK for 21 years. The first biggest shock was the NHS and having access to good healthcare. I pray the British fight hard to keep it.
Yes, we are incredibly lucky to have the NHS free health care, which generally is good. Although in the past 10 to 15 years, it has become difficult with long queues for consultations and operations. The last 5 years it has become almost impossible, where I live anyway, to get an appointment to see your doctor. I know covid had a lot to do with that but it has just stayed the same. Hopefully with the new government that will improve.
My wife and I just returned from Scotland yesterday. We began our journey in Edinburgh, then to Inverness, Thurso, Torridon, Isle of Skye and back to Edinburgh. I thought that the exact opposite about the trash reference. All the small towns we visited offered trash bins that segregated trash & recycling. I will note that they generally were full, which gives credit to the notion of not being emptied frequently. Even with that, we found that all towns were very tidy and properly kept. Your mention of safety could not be more true. It is one of the reasons my wife and I are considering the move over there. The folks there are extremely welcoming and are unpretentious. I believe it is because they are not spending their days juggling a costly extravagant fancy high lavish lifestyle that creates emotional exhaustion and overloaded stress as a byproduct. It was evident that many of these small towns were filled with wealthy residents; however, it was not their purpose for you to notice. You mentioned the drinking water, but I would add the quality of air. It was incredibly crisp, clean and easy to breath. We power-walked some amazing trails (very much like the one you show in your video) and never really felt short of breath. So many positive mentions I could add, but will end it here. Adding some of my vacation pics on my instagram (@westernchicano) Thanks for your post! Cheers!
As a Scot, I would like to thank you for giving a more balanced opinion on the rubbish issue. My bins are collected weekly and I have never had an issue with widespread trash in my area.
Next time don't "power walk" take your time and let the beauty of Scotland sink in! While power walking helps keep you fit slowing down a bit allows you to de-stress and enjoy a nice walk for the sake of it. Happy trails.
Im a Brit (Scot) living in Austria. Your right about rubbish.... Here in Austria they have a saying.... " When you loose respect for your country you have lost respect for yourself "......
@@peterkonradort Hi, not sure if the normal vitamins are enough, also worth taking Vit D as an adult too. It can also be good to have daylight lights (SAD lights).
I love your videos where the heck is that park you were walking in that park looks amazing. Thanks for the info it is very helpful. As for violence I live in a small upstate NY town I was teaching my son that has learning disabilities how to drive he took a bit longer at a stop sign it was a manual transmission car I was showing him on and the person behind us got out of his truck and drew a gun on us for “ taking too long” it was unreal. The violence is everywhere.
It’s dean castle country park in Kilmarnock! That’s insane someone would pull a gun for something like that! It would be good if the US required L plates for learner drivers like they do here to let others on the road know to give them a little extra space and patience, but obviously that would never excuse someone pulling a gun.
@@peterkonradort thanks for responding I am going to put that on my list of places to go and see with my son. I’m currently working on the immigration logistics right now so I hope to moving by the end of year or with any luck sooner. These videos are great.
We left Scotland in 1973 when I was 4,now 50 years later my wife and I are selling everything in Canada and moving to Scotland in April of 2025❤man I hope I can find work 😮
It didn’t used to be so bad with bins. We paid our taxes and everyone had a bin lift at the very least one a week, sometimes even twice. Over time the councils have been paying themselves huge pay rises and our taxes are used to pay their fat pensions too. While all the time they have reduced the services to the whole population and at the same time reduced jobs and still keep increasing taxes.
Since I have kids, the council provided me an extra (tiny) bin for nappies that was collected every fortnight and made it slightly better. I just got a letter today saying they were getting rid of that collection and will just collect it with the normal waste bin, every 3 weeks. 🤦♂️
I worked in Helensburgh for several years. The seagulls and crows were largely responsible for most of the rubbish being liberated from the numerous bins before it could be collected. The wind then took it further afield!
The West Midlands is much worse. I used to work in Bilston, the one near Wolverhampton, not the one near Edinburgh. I went for a walk in a park once and as I walked by an over-full bin there was a disturbance, the bottom of the bin dropped on the ground, and the fattest rat I have seen in my life poked his nose out of the pile of rubbish and nonchalantly waddled off. The bottom of the bin was so rusty it just gave way under the weight of all the rubbish and the rat.
I’m not sure where you have lived previously in the USA, but I’ve lived in various states on the east coast USA from New England to Florida & have never ever encountered tap water as you have described. Sure, some places have tap water that has too much chlorine or something so therefore smells and tastes funny; but brown and smells like mold? Not in my experience.
Im originally from florida i married a scot. We lived in America and had 4 children we then mad the move to his hometown in the Highlands we have since moved to North ayrshire.
I live in Michigan and the water isn’t bad. Tap water is drinkable but the older I get the more it’s tasting like swimming pool water. I think extremely bad tap water is more of a western USA thing and some states have very good water such as New York. The bad water in Flint Michigan wasn’t caused by Michigan water but by bad pipes that released lead . Still enjoying your informative videos.
Our city water in Battle Creek is pretty good. I work for the City and know the managers, and they are pretty obsessed about water treatment and safety. My home, however, is outside the City limits, and we have a well, which is awful, such hard water. I refill my gallon jugs at the grocery store for our drinking/cooking water.
My biggest thing upon coming to Scotland was the elementary aged children walking home alone for lunch and babies in strollers left outside of shops. I couldn't believe it you would never see that in America! How amazing to have that safety
Every day there are children playing in my street unsupervised, even as young as like 4 or 5! Like you said, we’d never see that in the states. Or if you did, it wouldn’t be safe.
no matter what I wouldn't do that we're safe in Australia to a point but like we do have a gun ban like you can't walk the streets with one in a bag or whatever and collectors have to have theirs under lock and key , it's best to be wary of an unsuspecting stranger around your kids common sense should prevail.
Not safe at all. Are yous blind . Scottish are desperately trying to leave. Anyone who leaves their kids outside the shop or youngsters out unsupervised gets sw called and for good reason. This is absolute claptrap nonsense. Cani even walk down highstreet without kids with machetes threatening randos. Tap water now is heavily chlorinated and undrinkable. Primary schools need security. Stop pushing this false narrative. It is not a f fairytale. Working households cani even afford heating and hot water. The food on the shelves in shops is rotten. Pollution damp and mould is killing everyone. Drugs drinking domestic violence, treat woman as a sub species. Need a man to deal with anything official because if your female your automatically do not get taken serious. Seriously deluded.
LOL your society has already created a bunch of ridiculous parents , all americanod .. kids molly coddled by helicopter parents on high alert as they believe all the crap ... used to be like Japan fostering resilience ..e.g. my 1st errand but not now
The random trash I see while cycling around the countryside is really sad, and any Lay-bys? Absolutely disgusting. The upside of the bin pickup being spaced out is at least the local waste disposal facilities are open reasonable hours and all weekend....Where I came from in the US, the "transfer station" was open the oddest hours, and only open 1-2 saturdays a month, and often closed on days near or adjacent to holidays, even if said holiday fell on a day they were closed anyways. Here I can schedule a drop-off at like 1pm on a sunday afternoon and I'm in and out in like 10 minutes. I honestly don't think the tap water in the US is as bad as you're making it out...at least in New England where I was from it was fine. But agree, especially Glasgow tap water was wonderful. And in scotland...part of your local council taxes, so no water bill.
Hi, I'm enjoying this video, but I have to speak up. I don't know where you are from in the US but no, the majority of the tap water is not "dark and smells like mold". Our tap water is not perfect, we probably have more chemicals in it but absolutely is not how you described.
@@Alley00Cat See the little yellow thing at the end of my post? I know it was a joke, as was my ironic response, being English when he was talking about the Scots. Sorry, I forgot Americans don't do irony very well. I don't need to watch more American standup, because it's not very good. Lighten up! 🙂
Some people are just pigs and most councils don't have the cerebral capacity to realise that most bins are too small, or don't want to pay the refuse collectors overtime. Surprisingly some areas are spotless, but not where I stay.
Love to watch your videos. I once spent a very memorable week living and working at Dean Castle! Bin collection schedules vary considerably. I'm in the English Midlands and get my recycling and rubbish collected on alternate weeks, with garden waste collected on the same day as rubbish, and my daughter who lives 3 miles from me, but in a different local authority, gets both collected weekly.
I was brought up a stones throw from Dean Castle and spent many an hour there as a kid and adult. Even went on an archaeological dig at the original wooden castle that was right beside it. It was recently reopened after a few years of renovation. Great place still close to my heart,( though I no longer live in Kilmarnock).
I live in Oregon, and we have pretty good tap water, provided the building is new enough to not have lead pipes. For other items, yeah, the trash would be a surprise...
I'm from Wigtownshire, Scotland, the tap water is amazing, always cold and fresh to drink. I thought this was normal until I moved to London. It's safe and drinkable but not the same. Rubbish in London is collected every two weeks and bins are usually overflowing, especially from shops.
Water: in the west of Scotland, the water is very soft because of the underlying rocks. In London, it is hard because of the chalk. Tap water in Britain is safe to drink if it is from the main water supply.
Remember, when suffering abominations like rubbish being collected only once every three (!) weeks, that it is probably the fault of the Special Needs Party (SNP).
well a visitor from London thought we had champagne running through our taps, it foams very quickly with a little shampoo, but the softness may not be ideal for the heart, but is a good mixer for whisky, but only a wee drop, Oh and it may be an age thing but someone saying "alright" makes me wary, welcome !
i'm from musselburgh and have lived there my whole life and i've never heard of the milkman thing! just goes to show how different things can be even in a small country..
3 weeks rubbish collection is not normal for the UK. Where I live (Greater London) it's weekly for rubbish and recycling and is the same for everyone I know living in different councils. I have heard it's every fortnight in some areas where the council's had to make savings, but I've never heard of only every 3 weeks - that's unacceptable. To say that is typical of the UK is untrue.
@@david1731048 That rattled me too. "Scots is classified as a different language" is an over-simplification of the history and currency of Scots usage, both in the spoken and written word. This is not the forum to expand on this, but an on-line search will provide the basics for anyone who is interested.
"There's trash everywhere" This seems to be a recent phenomenon. I'm not bullshting when I say that (in Edinburgh anyway) before the SNP came to power the streets were CLEAN! Once a week people would put out black bin bags in the morning - which were supplied to EVERY home by the council - they'd be collected the same day, and for the rest of the week it would be unusual to see rubbish. No fly tipping, no streets full of rubbish. But since then due to 'environmental reasons', rubbish was collected less and less often, fly tipping increased, the streets became a mess. 'Environmental reasons' is just the councils term for 'let's not collect rubbish'.
Young people want socialism and have disdain for capitalism. Fewer and fewer days of trash collection is the tip of the iceberg. Its never had a pretty ending.
I was surprised your rubbish was only collected every 3 weeks , different councils do it differently , down in west midlands it's every week and recycling 2 weeks. and good water is taken too much for granted
I live in Massachusetts. My tap water is perfectly drinkable and tastes fine. I’m pleased to say that in my state people don’t walk around with exposed guns, assault rifles are banned and I feel safe-ish. I do love a little visit to England and Scotland though.
I was in Edinburgh during the bin collector strikes, what a mess! Like you said, the wind blew it all over the place. It is no better in Northern England, although the greenery covers it to some degree in the summer. It took me 6 full months to detox from the chronic stress I experienced living in the states. I know exactly how you felt.
You're quite correct, wheely bin collection is awful all over the UK, garbage one week, recycled stuff the following week (Aberdeenshire). The wind is the wind and it is a royal pain. Remember, the entire UK would be in Hudson Bay if you were to slide us over. In my area and farther north have gorgeous light nights in summer. Sorry about the wind/rubbish. :)
How long have you been in Scotland? Don't you know the trash issue and every single other issue is Westminsters fault ? You clearly aren't paying attention!
I just came back from Scotland would love to move there, it was very frustrating to experience how much cheaper the groceries are compared to NY/US. I did not notice the trash. We travelled around the country. Highlands, west and east coast
So greetings should not be "Erin go Bragh"? Rubbish not collected is a sign of low morals. Tap water quality depends on where you live. Mine is high in magnesium, healthy for you. Mine is well water. Taxes are fungible. I cry every time I drive. I drive extra miles to see the beauty. The Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains are so breathtaking to view. It drives you into tears. We had milk men and green grocers 55 or so years ago. Where I live, there is very little crime. America is a big place. Equating crime in your American city to all of America is like equating the violent crime, knife murders and grooming gangs to all of the UK! Scotland is part of the UK, right? Erin go Bragh! Lol!😅😅
One thing to consider about the UK and Scotland in general. If you are on the west coast the weather will be a LOT more rainier and shitter in general. As for rubbish. In regards to Scotland that really depends on the place and city. It really does.
I was born here but lived abroad for decades then came back and I am SHOCKED at how little they empty the bins here (every 4 weeks where I am).. It drives me mad. Plus it's such a mission to get rid of stuff and they charge too much. Now we have to pay extra for garden grass and debris as an extra tax thing. Appalling.
For me the biggest thing was realizing how much less freedom i have and how much "why the hell would i want the government to have that power?" Is scoffed at, because the people have been so firmly beat into submission to a greater extent.
@@rossbrown6029 Well you have the "freedom" to smell the garbage of others due to being at the mercy of government for collection. Private business always performs services better than government and at a lower cost. Because they have to or someone else will take their place.
@@guyb7008 Your statement of 'always' is incorrect. Just compare UK to US healthcare cost and outcomes for starters. Look at how privatisation of water and railways in the UK has been an unmitigated disaster - A lack of investment leading to a breakdown of supplies and service whilst the companies leverage assets to create massive shareholder payouts. In many so called "markets" there is no real competition and the consumer has no choice other than to be ripped off.
Funny to hear him complaining about rubbish while walking through a prestige looking woodland. Living on the west coast, the rubbish in his garden could be blown in from the sea having come over from the states.
The language spoken in Scotland is mostly Scottish English or Scots or more often a mix of the two, Scots alsohas its own dialects.. Scottish Gaelic is also spoken but not as frequently. These are all the official languages of Scotland.
Your section regarding bags was absolute nonsense. In all my 71 yrs in Scotland I have never paid more than 20 pence for a bag and that was on one occasion, normally it is 2 or 5 pence. ALL retail shops have the sales tax already added to the price on the ticket. ONLY wholesale outlets add the tax after totalling up the price of your items.
I’m in North Ayrshire! I feel like I could run for office with the sole campaign platform of weekly bin service, and I might have a chance at winning. 😂
@@peterkonradort you probably could! Beautiful part of the world though just needs investment like much of the country to breath some life back into it
@@peterkonradort It comes down to council funding. Generally, across the UK there is a significant shortage in the funding for social care. That means that local councils have to find that money from elsewhere. The result is that annual council tax bills will continue to rise, some services will be reviewed ( as bin collection and the introduction of a separate charge for garden waste collection). It is what it is and the issues will not go away soon.
It's different everywhere, I'm in North Wales and our food, plastic, paper, glass and cardboard bins are emptied weekly and diapers are collected weekly too, we have a separate caddy and bag system for diapers and there's also a separate system for the elderly or anyone using incontinence pads etc. which is also collected weekly, only things collected less often are garden waste which is once a fortnight and the wheely bins which are collected once a month, but we don't use our wheely bins for stuff like diapers so even after a month mine's never even half full and ours aren't used for anything which smells, sounds like Scotland needs to look at how they're collecting waste up there, sounds kinda gross!!!
When you speak of the water quality in the USA you have no clue what you are talking about. I have been in multiple locations where the water is fabulous. Even an Okie should know how good the water is that comes out of the Oglala Aquifer in the Oklahoma Panhandle. And violence and crime is relevant to location.
Freedom to roam- the individual freedom to walk where you want in Scotland is better than England, and that is a league better than in the US. Indeed, there is no law of trespass in the UK, and it (except in special cases such as military bases) is covered by civil and not criminal law.
I actually was kinda shocked by the ease of finding public rubbish bins. They are remarkably uncommon in the US and when I found them, they usually were perpetually overfull. The home purchasing process here is one of the most shocking things I encountered. The market for buying property in the US is terrible pretty much everywhere, but the process is super smooth and pleasant by comparison to here. Related to that, it is really hard to get any business to give tentative or estimate answers to things. In the US, it is really easy to get people to give you an estimate of when something will be ready, or provide an update on the status of things, even if the update is just "no new information". Here, getting someone to even respond to you when they don't actually have new information is extremely difficult. I am only just starting to understand the cultural patterns that lead to this symptom, but I don't understand well enough to articulate why it happens.
First thing you need to realise is.. You are NOT in the USA. The West of Scotland is one of the poorest area of the UK. It isn’t Oxford or Cambridge. I live in Renfrewshire. You are getting a ‘real’ experience of Scotland though, not the Disneyland experience that is Edinburgh and the Highlands.
Three weeks for bins? I'm in ongoing legal strife with North Yorkshire council about their two week policy for recycling. If I have surplus after two weeks they send me a snotty letter and then I use immoderate language that leads to threats from "legal advice".
@@peterkonradort But still collected 3 weekly. It is down to the Scottish Govt and partly because water is on Council tax bill. Meaning they don't want to put the tax up like they should. But I lived in Dunoon and is a disgrace. I was lucky and had neighbours whose bins funny enough were not always full. Because I think they went to the tip. Instead. No Garden waste bin either or food. That means the bins will stink, the weather helps there. But now in Durham 2 weekly. And that's bad enough. Weekly down south, last time I was there.
Agreed the Diesel nozzle is bigger, so can't fit a petrol car. It is unlikely as a US tourist to be using a diesel car. Diesel pumps tend to feel less clean, and have a packet of plastic gloves next to them (often).
I want to move to Scotland I am 62 but my family is against it. He points out all the reasons i want to. I must say I am in Edinburgh right now my second time here and I have never seen much " rubbish anywhere" Also in the states you can't put a diesel nossle in your gas vehicle.
I am a regular visitor to Scotland and the quality of the tap water is usually much better than anywhere in England, particularly urban areas. I think a lot of it is to do with how far the water comes from the reservoir to the tap. Many reservoirs are in hilly northern or western areas. When I go back to the Midlands Leicester water mostly comes from large reservoirs in the Peak District, sixty miles further north. The water is palatable but not pleasant to drink. London water is even worse, and I don't know where it comes from. I live in a small town in the West Country and the source of the water is very local, and while hard, it is very good.
Your comment about water in the US is generally dark and moldy is wrong..... I don't know where you lived in the US, but Chicago water when I was growing up was awesome, and now in the Atlanta Metro, the water is good, depending on the county you are in. In some counties, they filter the water for some minerals and not others, which can impact the characteristics of the water.
I've never heard anyone say Alright ! I live on the East coast, so maybe that's the reason, I guess language evolves. We generally say 'how are you' or 'how are you doing' The reply would be 'Fine thanks'
Honestly the weather is one of the benefits for living here; overall it’s much better than the weather in Oklahoma! But I wouldn’t be acclimating to the country if I didn’t whinge about the weather anyways 😂
Where in the USA did you experience bad tapwater? I have lived in St. Louis and Los Angeles, where tapwater is not a problem. All other places where I have traveled seem to have good tapwater also. Yes, I have heard about Flint, Michigan but that was due to mismanagement of the water system.
What is wrong with the water system where you lived in the US?! You may have had nasty water, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the country does. Water systems are usually a municipal responsibility so each county or city equivalent usually has their own system. Yours may have been gross, but the city/county next door, using the same water source, might have been fine. I’ve lived in 8 different states and never experienced anything like what you talked about. The worst I had to deal with was high chlorine (where I grew up) or new-to-me high mineral content a few other places. I’m glad the drinking water where you are now is good, but maybe folks back home need to work together for a better water system.
100% agree about the rubbish. It was a shock and disappointing after living overseas to see a lot of rubbish around. As you say, often see overflowing bins. I really wish we could sort this out.
If you think Glasgow tap water is good you should try it in Edinburgh 😂 I don't drink tap water when I'm in Glasgow cos it tastes like chlorine compared to what I'm used to. In rural areas (my experience pertains particularly to the Borders and the West Highlands) it's even better
As a Edinburgh dweller O totally get on the litter issue. I was taught to keep or bin my litter and I did the same with my kids who did the same with their kids. I my grandkids get a treat or snack outside they hand me the wrapping. Sadly I watch Scottish people throw fast food and coffee cups in the gutter when a bin is 2-3 metres away. It was never like this 20 years ago.
I can't believe you are saying that the tap water in the US is not safe to drink! WHAT?? That's crazy! I'm English living in the US for over 50 years and I've never experienced that, ever. Where I live in Illinois my neighbour is retired from the water department and they test the water constantly. It comes from an underground aquifer. There is only one week difference between spring and fall time changes, known as British summer time there, not daylight saving time.
What do you mean by saying ` Kind of speaking English here `? We do speak English as its our main language except if you like in the Outer Hebrides where Gaelic is the first language spoken.
Petrol pump nozzle will fit in a diesel intake but diesel pump nozzle will not fit in a petrol intake. So it’s really only diesel vehicle owners who can be caught out.
My God, where did you live in the US? I’ve never had tapwater in the US as you described. I’m not saying you didn’t experience it, but it’s weird to say it’s common. I do agree that it taste better with a filter unless you’re on a property with a well.
I recycle everything I can, but even I could not go three weeks without trash collection. California has safe drinking water and they also charge for bags.
Hello, just found your channel. I live just outside London in a small town rubbish is collected every week and I do not see much rubbish littering the streets at all. Loving your channel by the way, I’ve watched three videos in a row and subscribed.
I watched a you tube post about an American going from his home in the country into town and noticed there was rubbish on the verges the whole way, to the extent I asked the question is that standard for America and got several answers in the affirmative, so its not just Scotland you get rubbish by the roadside
Nice video! I admit when first watching I judged you as another snobbish American complaining about another country's culture. And i was wrong, so thanks for sharing your observations.
You know how there is a brief period where instead of being 5 hours adrift from your home time in US you will only be 4 hours, as we change to daylight saving on a different date, I think moving back to standard time also happens about 2 weeks later in UK so for those 2 weeks you will be 6 hours adrift. As they say every silver lining has a cloud 😒😒
Let us get one thing straight right now, nothing wrong with the water in US. In Florida or Texas, I have had a lot of tap water. Actually loads as cycling typically say 300M a week, well you need a lot of water. If 80F. Yeah, still here. Didn't die. Taste wise lived in Scotland, not much difference. In fact some bottled water in US is awful. Now live in Durham, England and again not much difference. But am in Florida now, drinking tap water. The only reason I don't is I forgot it when left Hotel. Obviously we all know about Flint, Michigan. Yeah don't touch it there. My brother lives in Florida, drinks the tap water. So perhaps depends where you live in US. But I never went anywhere in US I didn't drink it, even Chicago or NY admittedly for only a day or two. And have been many places.
In Cheshire, years ago when we had only one bin the council bin men collected it every week and the bin was full. We now have three bins. 1) green or brown bin for garden, vegetables and greens waste, 2) grey bin for recyclable plastic, metals, paper etc and 3) black bin for other rubbish. The bin men still arrive every week but collect bins 1 and 2 one week and bin 3 the following week.
