Jasper(48)

After twenty years in Almere — a city without a soul, if you ask me — I longed for space and silence. I work as a data analyst and can work fully remotely. My passion is whisky, and the Scottish Highlands are the epicentre. I found a cottage to rent in Aviemore, in the middle of the Cairngorms National Park.

The visa question was complex for a remote worker. I work for a Dutch company but live in the UK — that's not straightforward. You need a visa that gives you the right to reside in the UK. My employer had no British entity and didn't want to apply for a sponsor licence. The solution: I became a self-employed contractor, set up a Ltd at Companies House, and had my Dutch employer hire me through my British company.

Through the Skilled Worker visa route my own Ltd sponsored me. That sounds circular, but it's legal provided you meet the conditions: your company must have a genuine sponsor licence, you must pay a market-rate salary and the role must be on the eligible occupations list. Data analyst is on it. The process cost approximately £5,000 in total for visa and licence fees.

Life in the Highlands is radically different from Almere. My nearest neighbour lives two kilometres away. The silence is deafening — literally. In winter it gets dark at three o'clock, but the Northern Lights more than compensate. I have an open fire, a collie called Hamish and a growing whisky collection.

Practically there are challenges. Internet was my biggest concern — remote working requires stable internet, and in the Highlands that's not a given. I installed a 4G booster and work with a Starlink backup. The nearest supermarket is a twenty-minute drive. The GP is in Aviemore, twenty minutes away. For specialist care I need to go to Inverness, a forty-five-minute drive.

But the quality of life is unmatched. I ski in winter in the Cairngorms, walk the Munros in summer and visit distilleries at weekends. The local community is small but close — everyone knows everyone. Costs are low: my cottage costs £600 per month, council tax is £120. If you're an outdoors person, can work remotely and aren't afraid of isolation, the Highlands is a dream.