Hello. I've been to Scotland and just love it. But I was only on tour for about a week or so. I'd love to find out if there are any opportunities out there to actually spend some time in country- maybe working part time/temporarily for a couple weeks or a month?? Or a short work-for accommodation gig? Just to get a better feel for the country and people. Has anyone heard of such a program either with Scotland or elsewhere? Thanks!
The big issue is that without the proper work permit, you are just another illegal alien working under the table. Most of Europe has some pretty strict rules around working or even volunteering. Nothing to prevent you from just hanging out for a couple of weeks but any type of working is another issue.
This is the only scheme I've ever heard of with regards volunteering, which may or may not be of interest to you.
If you are a U.S. citizen you can't work in Scotland without a work visa. You get this from the UK government. But you have to have a job offer.
I've spend lot of time in Scotland. The longest period was six weeks. And I've done that a few times. I spent three weeks in June and will be going back in September.
Just travel around and meet people
If you have thoughts of moving there, the only way to get a visa is to either have family there, a job offer, or a lot of money where you can invest it.
You might want to check into staying with a family someplace. Homestay is a worldwide organization where people rent out rooms in their house. It's sort of similar to AirBnB but a bit more personal from what I've heard, as you usually interact with the family more.