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I don't really know Edinburgh at all and I've been asked for advice so thought I'd throw it out.
My Canadian cousin is considering moving to Edinburgh with his wife and small child. He'll be working from home but will need to fly to London a couple of times a month. He wants a "2 bedroom place close to the city with a bit of a country feel and some outside space". He's being elusive about budget which doesn't help but he's a tight sod who loves to feel he's got a bargain.
Any suggestions for areas / places to narrow his search?
Ta.
Somewhere down the waverley line? Stow is 45 mins to centre of Edinburgh. So double that to airport . It's country.
Or somewhere on the Southside outside bypass, Balerno, currie etc but probably longer to centre of town closer to airport.
Fife but. .......it's Fife 🙂
Lots of variables there, how near is near, how cheap is cheap etc.
Stow is a good shout but the rental market inst't great. Galashiels / Tweebank is fine and cheaper, / Melrose (Gods country) also great but starting to get much further away. Plenty of place around Mid Lothian would fit the bill, Penicuik is good for access to Pentlands and good bus connections into town.
Outside Edinburgh then Linlithgow area is an option although not cheap. Within Edinburgh then, as mentioned above, Balerno/Currie/Colinton are obvious options but also not cheap.
My Edinburgh place is in Balerno and it's great for access to the hills etc. plus very easy access to the airport. Commuting route by bike into town is also pretty good.
If he is working from home, flying regularly, then do they need to be so close to Edinburgh?
I am going to big up what we have - Stirling, Bridge of Allan. Great place to live, big enough to have all the amenities, small enough to have greenspace, hills and friendly faces around. The schools & nurseries are good. Depending on area it is good value -> chuffing expensive. The riding on doorstep is brilliant. I can do Dunblane to Airport in just over an hour via train.
Comrie is up the road:
Looking back from local Munro summit
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5600/15526902122_67dc41341f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5600/15526902122_67dc41341f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/pE4r41 ]Ben Vorlich Walk[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
Local loch for an evening
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/27271112752_37cc4c78b9_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/27271112752_37cc4c78b9_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/HxRzHb ]Dumyat and Loch Venachar[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
Local bike club and rides
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1645/24007970255_0ef74df7f1_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1645/24007970255_0ef74df7f1_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Czv88D ]Wallace Warriors Christmas ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr
despite the jokes, Fife, especially the area around Dunfermline is well positioned for Edinburgh. I can get to the airport in 30 mins, outside of rush hour.
there lots of countryside, plenty of new builds up for rent and its close to the motorway network for travel north of the country (Inverness 3 hours, Aberdeen 2 hours, Oban 3 hours)
Being born/bred in the Hillfoots I have to agree with Matt. My 2 bed flat in south side edinburgh cost the same as my 3 bed detached house in Hillfoots (more these days I think).
I moved to the Edinburgh area from Dorset about a year ago.
After almost buying in Mid Lothian I ended up in Longniddry, East Lothian.
After a year of living here I'd certainly recommend East Lothian as an option. Great cycling, beaches, easy access into Edinburgh if you're near the North Berwick train line. Getting to the airport is a train and a tram, about 30-40 minutes depending on connections.
Linlithgow is a popular place for people working in Edinburgh. The train takes about 15 minutes and I think there are 4 an hour at peak times . Linlithgow has its own loch and palace and it is a great base for heading into the countryside .
Matt_OAB that looks epic!
Another vote for east lothian , if he wants to be in a village with a station Musselburgh and Prestonpans (cheapish) , Longniddry and North Berwick (more expensive). Some of the little towns to the south of prestonpans are nice Pencaitland , Ormiston and haddington. East lothian has great beaches and close enough to the borders for good biking. Also nice quiet roads if he is a roadie.
I live in Stow. Train to Waverley, tram link to airport. Easy access to many hills. If you need a local to check it out pm me with more details of what he's after
balerno et al are fairly cheap for rent (or buying smaller flats if any come up).
We moved from centre to balerno almost three years ago and are loving it. close to airport, regular bus links into town, riding/walking on door step. grand
Linlithgow.
There's almost too many options to choose from, depending on how he prioritises different things. Â e.g. for some people an 1h15 is a short trip to the airport, for others at 0530 and 2200 its too far. Â Compared to Linlithgow Bo'ness, Polmont, Torphichen/Avonbridge are all "cheap" but not quite as convenient for Ed etc. Â I'm not sure how BoA or Dunblane compare - but I expect they are not far off Linlithgow. Â Fife will feel more like a bargain.
Wife and child would be big influencers. Â Are they working, schools, etc? Â Do they do the outdoors? Do they need a network of friends etc? Â Is this a 6 month, 12 month, several year "base".
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Matt_OAB that looks epic!</div>
I have to say, having been in Sheffield city centre before, then remote Highlands after, I am struggling to think of a nicer place to live and bring up kids these days than this area. The hills really are on your doorstep - that first pic, I just walked up the Wallace monument at lunch, as our office is just off the edge of that pic. The kids are now all secondary, exams underway today as we speak for two, and when they leave I cannot see me leaving....
The riding/walking/paddling is all just here, either from doorstep or under an hour. Go over upto a couple of hours and half the highlands are accessible.
Schools and nurseries are great, and houses are not *that* expensive (unless in Upper Bridge of Allan or Dunblane 'The Crescent', dahlings...).
Second the hillfoots being accessible and green also - but feel less prosperous, and schools IMO were more hit and miss (all things being relative), plus as Stirling/BoA/Dunblane is right *on* the railway and motorway, so cutting 15mins of many journey times.
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Matt I said I agreed with you.....i never said the Hillfoots were nice 🤣🤣🤣
Hillfoots are in a similar situation to where I am (Fossoway) in that if you are happy to drive everywhere it's great, but public transport is poor unless you want to go to Stirling. You really rely on a car to get about. I can get to Edinburgh Airport in 35 minutes, Glasgow Airport 45 minutes, Dundee Airport 45 minutes so it's very central and I also have the Ochils, Glendevon and Lomond hills all nearby, but going out for a meal other than the local pub is a taxi/drive away and you can't just nip to a decent supermarket (18 mile round trip).
As your cousin is coming from Canada i'm not sure if close to the city is the same way many of us would think about it in Scotland. I could be close to Vancouver but still 90 minutes into the city centre. Based on what you've said so far I would look at the Linlithgow area or even Aberdour/Dalgety Bay.
Cheers folks, I'll pass on your ideas.