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We're thinking of moving to the Peebles area, and want to hear what the various locations are like to live in, from some locals. There's a similar thread already on STW here.
This thread is 10 years old now, so I'm hoping things have moved on and improved.
We know the area pretty well from having visited and ridden a lot when living in Edinburgh many years ago. And we've camped and holidayed in and near Peebles quite a bit in recent years with a mind to moving there. We get a really positive vibe from Peebles, with its beautiful setting, great biking, and from what we've experienced, really friendly locals (plus great schools, clubs etc). But competition for housing in Peebles is high, so we are also considering Cardrona and Innerliethen.
Any up to date insight into what Peebles, Cardrona, Innerliethen are like to live in with primary and secondary age kids would be much appreciated.
Peebles HS is excellent so that ticks a box
Bus connection to Edinburgh is good if Court and culture is important to you
Great community in Inners and Peebles, Cardrona is just a massive housing estate, if you have kids you’ll spend your life in the car driving to Peebles.
Biking is average 😉
Same here, but spread the area wider. Houses are cheap in Selkirk. Kelso is lovely. They are all only 20 minutes drive away.
It's shite.
But there is a cocktail bar.
So it's okay.
I moved to Innerleithen in July. I lived in the middle of nowhere for ten years, so moving to a town of 3000 is like moving to the big city for me. Peebles is much bigger, busier and better served. Houses are commensurately more expensive. I prefer Inners as it's a bit quieter and because of the access to trails and hills. The locals are lovely, they are used to hoards of bikers, so even though it's a small town, I never get a "you're not from around here" vibe.
Inners has good facilities, but basically one of each, lots more choice in Peebles and even more in Gala, although it's nowhere near as nice a town. Cardrona is like a little suburb for Peebles. Lots of houses, but no facilities within walking distance really.
Can't really offer much insight RE kids, except to say that there are bloody loads of them.
Depends what your priorities are really.
They are all only 20 minutes drive away.
From what?
Jedburgh? Lauder?
We've at the other end of the Tweed Valley, but out in the country - moved here 10 years ago.
Peebles is a nice town, has pretty much everything a family needs - so the only issues are where are you working and how much of a house can you afford?
I'd still look at both Selkirk and Galashiels though - if for nothing else than cheaper housing and another way to get to Edinburgh etc (train). Still (out-the-door) access to trails.
Too late to edit but my post meant to say City, not Court.
Kelso is nice but the school results are not as good as Earlston or Peebles and you need to drive to get to decent off road biking. Lots of community stuff going in in Kelso but everything else (that isn't in Kelso) is quite a long way away.
Thanks. What is being said about Cardrona fits with the impression I get. Which is a shame, as there are quite a number of good sized houses there (not that there are many for sale).
Peebles and Innerliethen are definitely my preference. Need to factor in a possible commute at some point to Edinburgh, so Kelso and that area is out. And the Peebles high school has a great reputation (which Innerliethen also feeds in to).
What is your budget?
Cardrona has a chip van which is an absolute winner.
Lauder: On one hand, there is a refillery, on the other they burn the gays second Tuesday of every month.
they burn the gays second Tuesday of every month.
😮
Moved to just outside Gala 10 months ago and have no regrets what so ever.
As far as I'm aware theres no burning of gays goes on here.
Main reason we chose here was for the train station to get to Edinburgh.
Still got great access to all the riding and even have two sets of local trails about a mile away in different directions.
Then a 20 minute pedal and I'm in Yair where the trails are a bit less worn out than some of the other Tweed Valley stuff.
Thanks. Interesting. Melrose area would probably tick our boxes well, as it is roughly the area you're describing, with the train to Edinburgh, plus with the benefit of feeding into the Earlston HS, which has a similar reputation to the Peebles HS.
Melrose is lovely. I used to live in Jedburgh which was ok. It's not a bad part of the world, the Scottish Borders.
Jedburgh? Lauder?
That was a response to what's 20 minutes from Kelso and Hawick.
Re schools. I think the difference between good and bad schools is overstated. My son went to a "bad" school and despite that has a place at Edinburgh University. And he'll be going once he's off the drink and drugs.