Scots Relocate After World Cup: Life Better on Other Side?

Scottish football fans created quite a scene across America as the Tartan Army hopped between cities, drained local bars dry, then headed home following an early exit from this year's World Cup. Their good humor and playful spirit have led many to wonder if life is better on the other side of the Atlantic.

Fans in Boston won over the hearts of the city's women, with some even stating their faith in men was restored after partying with kilt-clad visitors late into the night. While Scotland is famous for Irn-Bru, bagpipes, and kilts, its appeal goes far beyond those symbols. Americans who relocated have revealed the whimsy and wonder of a nation whose national animal is a mythological monster. Yet practical differences exist too, leading many to call their move the best decision of their lives.

From the community feel of pubs to the unrivalled sense of humor and sharp tongue of locals, they became infatuated by the warmth of the Scots. However, Americans also warned of culture shocks, including differences in weather, unique Scottish phrases, or even the sheer number of roundabouts.

Jason Sorensen is an American who moved to Scotland in 2025 and now makes YouTube videos about living in the Scottish Highlands. Mother-of-three Lua Rodriguez Murphy, who married a Scot after meeting at the hotel she worked at in Las Vegas, recently visited a scenic lookout in the Scottish Highlands. Kath, an American content creator, reacted to online commentary about Scottish people being in Boston for the World Cup. She posts videos on her account @Kath4994675 and said she moved to Scotland after university having never visited before and not knowing anyone.

She said: 'Americans experiencing Scottish people for the first time is so funny to me, like people in Boston saying "let's keep their plane tickets so they are not allowed to leave". Like, yeah I know how awesome they are, that is why I moved over here and never looked back. Everyone is like: "Kath, when are you moving home?", and I'm not moving back to the States. I am good right here in Scotland.'

She said one of the surprising culture shocks was the amount of roundabouts on the roads compared to in the US. Kath explained: 'I did a lot of driving this weekend. More so than I have ever done since moving to Scotland and I was absolutely astonished by how many roundabouts there are. One day driving around Edinburgh, Dunfermline, there were 20-plus roundabouts. Insane. Back home, where I'm from in the States, I drive on a roundabout maybe once a month. Here they are every five seconds. Its crazy.'

And rather than bemoaning the Scottish weather, Kath said she likes living somewhere 'where the weather sucks for the majority of the year'. She added: 'Because then you wake up on that odd spring, summer day, really rare, and it is gorgeous outside. You feel giddy, you feel childlike wonder, awe, it feels magical.

You simply cannot find that same feeling living in Miami. Content creator Caelan recently shared his favorite Scottish phrases and explained which ones feel wrong when spoken with an American voice. Creator Kath made the move from the United States to Scotland after finishing university, noting she has never looked back since arriving there. Caelan grew up in America but holds half-Scottish and half-American heritage before relocating to his ancestral home recently. He shared a specific phrase he loves: Where are yous off to the now. It translates literally to where are you off to now, yet the plural usage of you and the unnecessary article before now add a distinct level of whimsy. In another video, Caelan discussed English words written in Scots that Americans should probably avoid saying despite his affection for them. He admitted he definitely uses scran or skint or grim because those terms already exist in American speech. Kourtnee Monroe, an American model residing in Scotland, compiled a list of culture shocks she faced as a New Yorker living there. She explained that everything closes early, especially on Sundays, though 24-hour Tesco remains an exception to this rule. Many local businesses shut down by six pm, which makes it wild not being able to pop out at midnight for snacks. Kourtnee said she cannot believe how many places she visited only to find them closed for the night. She also noted that children have so much freedom here compared to back home. Young kids walk home alone or play outside in the dark without issue. That level of safety and independence is something she never sees in America. Speaking of freedom, paid holidays are standard practice rather than a luxury benefit in Scotland. In the United States, zero paid vacation remains legal for many workers. Here people use their time off without guilt. However, Kourtnee admitted missing the mind your business mindset found in New York City. You can see unhinged things on Earth in that city and most people just notice then keep moving forward. Nobody misses a step because it is a collective agreement to mind your own business unless there is danger of course. One major difference between the two nations involves the sheer number of roundabouts found throughout Scotland, according to Kath. American model Kourtnee Monroe traded her bustling New York City life to move across the ocean to Scotland last year. Applications for British citizenship by US residents reached a record high of 9,300 last year. That figure is more than double what people moved just four years ago. As Donald Trump remains a polarizing figure to some observers, a survey by property technology firm Goodlord found that many newcomers shunning his America are settling in the homeland of his Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. Author and former comedian Christian Dean Lange was born in Montana and lived in Los Angeles for twenty-five years. He decided to move to Scotland with his Scottish-born wife Lesley this year after meeting her when she worked as general manager of a nightclub in the States. Christian said he got lawyers in Glasgow last year and started the process immediately. Quite a few factors made him quit America while his wife moved back because she got homesick and could not put up with the politics anymore. He stayed working initially because that was where all his work existed. Once he retired, moving here was always his plan from the start.

It just happened a little bit sooner than I had thought." Christian Dean Lange admits he also grew fed up with American politics before making the jump. He explained: "I chose Scotland over America because it's a lot less angry here. It's gotten so nasty in America and I was living in Florida for the past few years, which is very Trump centric. 'I was the only one in my neighbourhood that didn't have a Trump sign in their yard during the election. There is a big gun culture and I'd even joke as part of my set that I was arrested once for not having a gun in my car.' In Tennessee, the views are also pretty extreme."

Christian Dean Lange moved to Scotland with his wife from Los Angeles, California, this year. The author cited politics, retirement and the spirit of the Scottish people as reasons for moving. Christian had considered moving elsewhere but Scotland won his heart because the quality of life was better – and cheaper. He said: "We went to New Zealand because I had done a tour there and loved it. It's a beautiful country. But it's just so insanely expensive to immigrate there."

The cost of living is cheaper here in Scotland, a more attractive prospect than elsewhere in the world. We also lived in Ecuador for a couple of years but, you know, it's really the quality of life here in Scotland which is just fantastic. 'America has become such a hustle society. Everybody seems to want to turn their hobbies into jobs and then have side hustles. And because things have gotten so expensive, nobody can really afford to not work all the time.' I understand I'm retired, and that makes things a bit different. But even when I wasn't retired, I still had to work more than I would have here.

And the scones are so much better here too. 'I just love the fact that's there's so many little, coffee shops and cafes that you can go to and it's just so, so much nicer.' The pubs here are so completely different than bars in America. You go to a bar in America to get drunk. And here it's more of a community thing. Healthcare was also a big factor in his decision-making process. Christian said: 'It also was cheaper for me to put a few grand into the NHS to come here. I had to do that as part of the process.'

So the last whole year I lived in America with insurance was 2024 and it was $895 a month for health insurance. Americans complain about the long waits you have here in Britain to see a doctor. Well, you have the same waiting in America. You just have to pay much more for it. 'When I was here last year, going through the lawyers and getting everything lined up to immigrate here, I had to go into the hospital. I had a little chest problem, and they couldn't have been nicer.' And it's still hard for me to go into the surgery here and and not show an ID. It's just so much easier. You've got to pre-pay in America.

You got to show ID, you've got to show all kinds of different forms of identification. It seems a lot of Christian's friends in the US are envious of his lifestyle in Scotland. He said: 'A lot of people saw Scotland during the World Cup too. Scotland was brilliant. A lot of my friends on Facebook sent me messages saying how jealous they are when I post pictures or something.' They are going, "oh, you're so lucky", but it's still a process to go through. It's not, it wasn't easy.'

The move has helped his writing too, with Christian saying: 'I have an urban fantasy novel out called In the Play of Shadows which is a lot of Celtic mythology. Scotland is a beautiful place to be. I really don't want to live anywhere else.' I've been all over the world. I've been to most countries when I was performing, and this is my favourite place on Earth. 'I was born and raised in Montana, so the weather is very similar. I prefer coolness. So, I mean, it is a little weird that it is August and it appears that summer is over but I like the weather.

Rain makes everything green. Marketing manager Jason Sorensen admits this simple truth sparked his desire to leave home. He felt a genuine calling to emigrate and eventually settled right here in Scotland. Mr Sorensen arrived on a skilled worker visa back in 2021 after living in London, but he traded the sun of San Francisco for the rugged Highlands only recently. Now it is 2025 and he calls this move the best decision of his entire life.

From my personal experience I can hand on heart tell you that the Scots are the warmest people. He describes them as friendly and gregarious rather than cold or distant. Mr Sorensen says he was welcomed warmly by many more people here than in certain parts of the United States. He loves America but notes that the Tartan army showing up in Boston proved how wonderful these human beings really are. That scene wasn't an act for just a holiday.

Healthcare remains a huge pull factor for Americans thinking about moving overseas. If you grow up in the US without ever seeing single-payer healthcare it is quite an eye opener he explains. It offers a significant advantage over the current system stateside. There is also a different culture regarding firearms here. He personally has nothing against guns and acknowledges countries where they are integral to daily life like Switzerland. However American culture deals with them in a way where numbers speak for themselves. He believes this reflects larger societal issues rather than simple preference.

The attitude towards weapons overall feels better over here according to him. Mr Sorensen also criticizes the hustle culture found across the Atlantic. He prefers work-life balance opportunities provided by the UK system. America is the best place in the world to make money while Europe is the best place to spend that cash. There is a much better balance of work and life here so you do not just grind until there is nothing left of you. You still have to work hard in the UK but being a net contributor economically matters especially for immigrants.

As the world changes with hotter temperatures technology means more people can work from anywhere too. Scotland will become an increasingly popular destination for those wishing to leave the US behind soon enough. England and Wales have been absolutely devastated by drought this year while his home in far north Scotland has been very pleasant indeed. We are on the same latitude as southern Norway here according to him. Climate bands shift so people will look for buffers against what is coming over the next 50 years and is already here now.

In America alone there are 2.5 million people with some level of Scottish descent waiting to learn more about their roots statistically speaking. If you come from America American history only goes back realistically to about the middle of the 17th century. Where I leave my house and walk for 20 minutes I can be in the middle of a stone circle from the Bronze Age. We do not have anything like that in America.

That concept simply does not exist in her mind anymore. If you are hunting for something deeper, a real connection to family, clan, heritage, or the land itself, then that will pull a lot of people right to this place. Lua Rodriguez Murphy, 36, found her Scottish husband while he was taking a holiday at the hotel where she worked back in Las Vegas.

Once they got engaged, the couple decided to move in together in Glasgow. Now they live there with their three children. Ms Rodriguez Murphy came from California originally and has been sharing the biggest culture shocks she faced since making the jump across the Atlantic in a series of TikTok videos. She makes these candid clips about adjusting to life in Scotland as an American expat.

When asked what the best part of living in Scotland was, she said it was hands down the people. Everyone is so chatty and welcoming and easy to talk to. And so, so funny! Scottish humour truly is something else entirely. Ms Rodriguez Murphy also feels that when it comes to education, Scots do it better.

She added: 'Scotland is a nation where a first-class, world-leading education is accessible to all. I'm grateful that my children will be able to go to college for free.' Student debt is so hard to pay off in the US and it really discourages people from pursuing a career because it's so expensive and the interest on loans is so high.

However, she believes Americans take the lead when it comes to customer service. She added: 'I think Americans go above and beyond when it comes to keeping a customer happy.' I also feel Americans are so enthusiastic and great at entertaining. Basketball games, baseball games, pep rallies and entertainment are all so much better back home. They love getting the crowd involved, handing out prizes, doing dance cams, cheerleading and more!

Even at the university level, college stadiums are filled to the brim with people watching young athletes play. Which I don't think is very common here.