Ana McCabe

Name: Ana McCabe
Age: 28
Born: Spain
Lived in Scotland: Four and a half years

Born in Barcelona, Ana McCabe (nee de Mentaberry) moved to Scotland in 2001 and now works as a Human Resource (HR) Consultant for Indigo Lighthouse –a Glasgow-based outsourcing company.

Ana first left Barcelona in September 1995 to attend university in Exeter where she successfully completed a BA (Hons) degree in Heritage and Landscape Studies. She also met Garry, her husband-to-be.

Ana said:

"Although I grew up in Spain I had visited England on many occasions as my mother is English, but I had never visited Scotland. I had heard lots about it, especially about Edinburgh, but beyond that I really knew very little about the rest of the country.

"My first encounter with anything Scottish was meeting Garry, Glasgow-born and bred. He quickly made sure I became more familiar with his homeland, so much so in fact, that we both decided to settle in Glasgow in 2001.

"I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when I first moved to Scotland and I've really developed an affinity with Glasgow. It is such a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, not just in terms of its bars and restaurants but also in terms of the people and culture.

"It did take me a while to get used to the Scottish weather and I do miss the Spanish lifestyle, but I'm very happy in Glasgow and I'm delighted that I took the decision to live and work here.

"It wasn't long after I moved to Glasgow that I managed to secure a job with Indigo Lighthouse and as the company's client-base spans Europe it has a real need for people with language skills.

"I started out as a customer service advisor supporting Indigo Lighthouse's UK and Spanish clients. A couple of years later I moved to the HR Team as a training officer and have recently become a HR Consultant - and I’m loving every minute of it. Within the company there is a melting pot of nationalities with people from across the globe, all of whom have settled in Scotland.

"Although Edinburgh is a beautiful place to visit I'm very happy here in Glasgow. Over the years I have encouraged a number of friends from Barcelona to come and visit Scotland and all of them have had a great time, so much so that they keep coming back year after year."

Information correct at June 2007