IT'S the stuff of daytime TV dreams - trading traffic fumes and street lamps for some Scottish seaside or hillside, where the neighbours know your name and the kids still grow up free-range.
Rural living looks alluring when it's viewed through the rosy prism of the property shows.
Ask the residents of rural Scotland, though, and they might well paint a different picture.
Because no one's bragging about living in a borrowed caravan in a farmer's field.
There's nothing idyllic about kipping on acquaintances' sofas because every spare room in your village is in a second home or Airbnb.
And it's no fun trying to do all the things you should be doing in your 20s and 30s when you're stuck at home with your parents - or trying to do all the things you should be doing in your 50s and 60s when your grown-up children still haven't flown the nest.
For a lot of Scots, that's closer to the reality.
And as the Scottish Government declares a national housing emergency, rural-dwellers might be forgiven for asking, "What took you so long?"
Across large sweeps of Scotland, there are simply far too few homes to go round - and too many that are priced beyond the typical worker's pocket.
In a lot of ways it was ever thus. Rural housing is different. Homes tend to be bigger. They're more likely to be detached, and less likely to be starter flats or social housing.
However second homes and the rise of online booking platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com have exacerbated the situation, driving up prices and removing homes that might once have housed teachers, nurses or engineers.
That leaves many locals in cramped or substandard accommodation- and others leaving altogether.
It's why Argyll and Bute declared its own housing emergency last summer - the first Scottish local authority to do so. But the problems are mirrored across the country.
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer