Jude's Almost Daily Blog: Bo'ness. It May be Bo'ness.

First, I still haven't made up my mind if I'll be moving permanently to Scotland or not. I think I will. I want to. It's just that there are so many things to consider, the least of which is not that in 2024 the UK may be "experimenting" with what they will call Climate Adjustments or lockdowns. It's more of a lock-in rather because they are considering regionally dividing areas and allowing folks to only drive within that region to spare the unnecessary climate monsters to destroy other parts of the country. This means you'll need permission to go to work if you work in another district, or of course, you could ride THEIR rail and THEIR buses, be under their control, yada-yada. This doesn't set well with me, and I really really hope Scotland will vote for independence next time they are given the chance. I would say that's just my opinion, but it isn't just mine.

So, if I do decide to do it, and if I do make the move, I have been thrashing the ideas around in my tiny pinball brain as to where it will be that I will settle. Could it be Bo'ness in West Lothian? Could be. Bo'ness of course is not really named Bo'ness, it's sort of a nickname or shortened name for what it was originally called, which is Borrowstounness. Really? I rather like the longer name better. Before it was called Borrowstounness it was referred to by its Old English name "Beornweard's farmstead". Stranger still, but again, I like it. I suppose it became easier to say Bo'ness and that's what it is called today. It is an area west of Edinburgh, East of Falkirk, situated on the Firth of Forth and if you know me, you know I love saying Firth of Forth. I really love saying that. (giggles)

Bo'ness was known for its mining, shipping, and porting, and it really is an amazingly simple and quiet area. It seems to be somewhat cut off from the hubbub that is strict city life, but it's not in the country, having several old kirks (churches) with attached cemeteries to keep me busy if I do go. I love sitting beside gravestones and talking to their hosts as if they are still alive and able to hear me. I don't expect any of them to actually respond, but I do like to think about their lives, their goals, their accomplishments, sorrows, and eventually who they became before their lives ended. I am forever seeking great graves when I find them in genuinely old kirkyards around the country, no matter where I visit. They are both interesting and informative if you pay attention. Sometimes the only things we know about a person are written on their stone.

Bo'ness, or Borrowstounness, has a varied and exciting history, and it is the city where you'll find a few really cool museums too. The Museum of Scottish Railways is there, and a museum for famous motorcars and bikes from several movies is there. There are at least two castles that I know of, and maybe a few larger manor houses as well, so many gardens, and even a bowling club, which by the way takes place outside on a flat lawn, not indoors with lanes and loud arcades to drown out the smashing of the pins. Nope, their bowling is much more relaxed, quiet, and not as rowdy as ours. It's far more social. I mean, you could probably stop the game, have a spot of tea, resume the play, and continue your conversation as you pitch the ball ever so precisely toward the targets. I imagine you can, I haven't played the game, but I think I'll join a club if and when I do move. It sounds like too much restrictive fun to pass up!

One of the apartments I'm looking at in the area is right downtown. It's literally on their high or main street, and the views are incredible. I live in Oklahoma, and the cost of living seems to be really close to what I am used to paying and dealing with now. The two-bed one-bath apartment (flat) I'm looking at will cost me $800 or L651 Sterling pounds. If I were to buy it, it is for sale for $159,000 or L129,575 Sterling. It's about 800 square feet, has ten-foot ceilings, new amenities, and where it doesn't have a balcony or patio I can set the dog out on, it is close enough to a park area where I can walk said dog -- there will be a dog. I will not live without one. The houses and flats where I'm looking are well within walking distance of parks, seacoasts, greenways, and the required shopping for my personal treks to buy groceries. I don't want to have to the bus if I don't have to. I prefer walking if I can.

The nearest train station is about 2.5 miles from me, and it will need to be accessed by taking a bus or taxi probably. The train from Linlithgow to Edinburgh City Centre costs about $10 each way, and it takes roughly 24-28 minutes so that's not a problem. I think if I'm honest, I'll head into E.C.C. two or three times a week, so buying a regular monthly pass would be the best route to go most likely. I'm OK with that because I won't actually have a car. I'm paying over $500 a month now to own my car and keep it covered with full coverage insurance. Paying $100-150 a month in transportation is a break! One I really look forward to. I know I can't go everywhere I want to when I want to, and that's a bummer, but I can hope that Bo'ness will accommodate. Who knows, if they have a pet store and can get crickets I'll even have a couple of lizards!

Like any other city or township in Scotland, Bo'ness has its fair share of crime, idiots, naysayers, and punks. No place in the world is completely safe from that, but I will say that the police presence seemed really well represented there, and the streets and ways were always very clean and clear of anything that would seem harmful or distasteful to a visitor; much less for someone interested in moving there and making it a permanent household. I like the area a great deal. I know I go on about Sterling and Fife, I do. I love them so much, and it's hard to pick just one place when you do love them all, but Bo'ness could be sort of a middle ground to Stirling and Edinburgh. It's a bit of a distance to Fife in one way, but if you go just a bit west and up the side of the Forth you end up on the west side of Dumferline and that's a plus! There's a point in the Forth that you can jump over it, every good thing must come to an end, and the Firth of Forth does that as you go further west. I should swim the shortest distance and then brag that I crossed it. (giggles)

Boating, sailing, fishing, castles, bowling, walking, gardens, shooting (ranges), parades, music festivals, bird-watching groups, and museums are enough to keep me busy. I think it's a good and real possibility. If you look up the area on the SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020) you'll see that most of Bo'ness has a higher-than-average ranking and rating than most other places I fell in love with. The only real negative point, if you can call it that, is the geographic location and how far it may be from public transport. I mean, I could, if I had to, get a car, but I think I could manage without one. There are several taxis in the area, buses, and there's always the remote chance I may ride a bike. Could happen. Probably won't happen, but it could happen.

If you have very little do to someday and want to see pretty pictures of a quaint and adorable city/township in Scotland's lowlands, you can Google the city of Bo'ness and say "oohhhh" and "awwww" several times. I like it. You may too.