‘There’s no such thing as the perfect family’, says Nina Mackenzie, whose honest posts about life as a Eurasian family living in Inverness-shire have garnered her more than 58,000 followers on Instagram.
From opening up about the challenges of juggling work and motherhood and chatting about mental health to sharing beautiful moments with her two children, Andy, seven and five-year-old Faye, Nina’s candour has clearly resonated with other parents.
“There are so many social media accounts selling that perfect family life which is just not me,” says Nina.
“You see a lot of posts about perfect families but don’t trust those posts as there’s always struggles and ups and downs in life.
“It’s ok not to be ok.”
From Hong Kong to the Highlands…
Growing up in one of the most densely populated places on earth, Nina Mackenzie’s life in Hong Kong is a far cry from that of her children’s upbringing today in the unspoiled beauty of Inverness-shire.
“Hong Kong is very metropolitan,” says Nina.
“It’s a very busy city and it never sleeps.
“It’s a completely different lifestyle compared to the UK and the Highlands.”
Reflecting on her own childhood, Nina says it was filled with love and happiness.
“We were a very typical family in Hong Kong,” says Nina.
“My mum and dad worked hard to make a living and pay their mortgage like everyone else.
“We had a little apartment but it was always filled with love and joy.”
Happy childhood in Hong Kong…
Although her childhood in Hong Kong was very different to that of her two children’s in the Highlands, Nina looks back on it with fondness.
“I remember my mum would always take us to different theme parks in Hong Kong and there was always lots of activities.
“I also played the piano and I learned Cantonese opera so I had lots of opportunities to perform on stage – it was a really fun time for me.”
After completing school in Hong Kong, Nina went on to to university before starting her own business.
“Within two years of graduating, I founded a start-up in Hong Kong which was a platform to empower women in Hong Kong, especially ethnic minorities who have a lack of opportunities to work.
“So we helped quite a lot of women and The Economist named us as one of the top three most promising entrepreneurships in Asia, so that was a highlight.”
Love set her on the path to the Highlands…
So how did Nina end up settling over 5,000 miles away in Inverness-shire?
The answer is: love.
“I met my husband online,” says Nina.
“It was before Tinder so it was a time when online dating was more authentic.
“He is originally from England but he moved to the Highlands 20-odd years ago because his parents moved up here.”
Embarking on a new life in Scotland…
After hitting it off, Nina says it took a few years before they finally got together.
“We initially talked over MSN and then we paused for a few years, I don’t know why,” says Nina.
“Then one day he messaged me on Facebook because of the revolution in Hong Kong to ask if I was ok, and then we started chatting again for a whole year.
“When he came to visit me in Hong Kong, he asked if I would go to Disneyland with him.
“He bought me a Mickey Mouse ring and proposed to me after meeting in person for a day.”
A year later, Nina decided to move to the Highlands to start a family with her soulmate.
From fast-paced Hong Kong to rural life in the Highlands…
Initially, the couple settled in a remote part of the north-west coast of Scotland.
“Our first home was in a very remote area as that’s where my husband and his parents lived,” says Nina.
“It was an open, wild area with sheep and cows.
“There were only 10 houses in the village.
“My mum and dad thought I was crazy.
“They said to me, ‘you can’t live there as after a while you will be so fed up’.”
Rural life was a breath of fresh air…
But Nina fell in love with the landscape and the peace and tranquility.
“It was the first time I had seen such an amazing landscape – it was breathtaking,” says Nina.
“It was amazing to have fresh air as Hong Kong is full of pollution.
“It was also a huge difference to move from an apartment to a house as in Hong Kong everyone lives in small apartments.
“There was so much space for living and to decorate your house.”
‘Instagram helped me to feel less isolated as a parent’
It was during this time when Nina started to document her family life in the Highlands.
“When I first moved here, I loved taking photos of the amazing landscape, and when my kids came along I started taking photos of them to share with my family and friends,” says Nina.
“Because where we lived was so rural, it was difficult to find other parents to connect with so I felt a bit lonely.
“But after starting my Instagram page, I found other parents online.”
Inspiring multi-cultural families…
Nina’s followers quickly grew as other parents connected with her posts.
“It felt like a little community,” says Nina.
“It definitely made me feel less lonely and I met some lovely mums who have been my friends for years now.”
Nina’s social media page also resonated with other parents who had moved to Scotland from abroad.
“As I moved here from overseas, I attract a lot of multi-cultural families including other mums who have moved to the UK from different countries,” says Nina.
“Some other mums have to go through the same visa process as me so they ask me advice as I’ve gone through it already.”
Relocating to Inverness-shire
After six years on the north-west coast, Nina and her family moved to Inverness-shire.
“We decided to move as it was so remote,” says Nina.
“I had a long drive to take my kid to school and every day he got car sick so it got too much.
“I wanted to move somewhere I could walk them to school.
“So we initially moved to Inverness before settling in Inverness-shire.”
Although there are still ups and downs with rural life, Nina, who works as a graphic designer, says it’s an amazing place to bring up their children.
“I wouldn’t say it’s easy compared to a big city where there are lots of things to do,” says Nina.
“So you spend much more time connecting to your kid and thinking of activities to do at home because the weather is so unpredictable.”
‘Inverness-shire is an amazing place to bring up children’
To see her children exploring the amazing countryside on their doorstep is one thing that brings Nina so much joy.
“When it’s a nice day, we’ll go for a walk in the woods,” says Nina.
“They absolutely love to do that as they love finding sticks.
“I feel like being outdoors more teaches children to be less materialistic, they appreciate nature more and they learn how to play on their own rather than having screen time.
“It’s a very nice way to bring up children.”
‘I truly appreciate the culture here’
Looking to the future, Nina says she can’t imagine bringing up her children anywhere else.
“Like all parents, I just want my kids to be healthy and happy,” says Nina.
“No matter what they do, I’ll support them.
“We want to stay in the Highlands as we feel like this is our home and is where we belong.
“I truly appreciate the culture here and it’s a great place to bring up children.”
For more information on Nina, check out her Instagram page @nina.mackenzie
Conversation