Moving to the Cairngorms?

[feeling7]

Having spent the last three years holidaying in Scotland, we fell in love with the Cairngorms on our trip this year. We also like the Scottish Borders immensely.

We're considering moving up in the next few years, having done a bit more exploring. Can anyone point us in the right direction for towns to look at in and around the Cairngorms area? Open to suggestions outside of the area too.

We're looking for somewhere we can buy a home with a bit of land and raise a family, ideally no more than an hour from a town with supermarkets and some amenities. We're tired of the terrible traffic and anti-social behaviour where we live and long for a more peaceful life. We are giving this a great deal of thought and won't be hasty, but would value your recommendations.

Thanks in advance

[WaxOnFeckOff]

I'd urge you to rent for a while, rural areas are not without social issues and also think about when dc are teenagers (if they aren't already) as they may have to travel quite a distance for school . You don't have to be too far from a town to have a rural lifestyle. Around Aviemore would seem to be the obvious choice. My sister raised her DC in Aviemore and they turned out well :)

Have you been up at times other than summer? Remember in winter daylight can be scarce and it can be wet and windy if not snowy.

I'm not trying to put you off, just making sure you are really really aware of the cons as well as the pros.

[Celebelly]

There's some nice places in Royal Deeside that are a shortish drive into the Cairngorms. Ballater is very nice. Banchory too. Both have decent amenities and are an hour or so into Aberdeen. Banchory has plenty, including a big Tesco.

[Celebelly]

(Banchory is only about 30 mins into Aberdeen, I didn't word that very well)

[feeling7]

@WaxOnFeckOff (love your username!)

Thanks for this. We like the areas round Aviemore. We aren't looking for super rural in Scottish terms I don't think. Useful to know that others have raised a family in that sort of area and found it good. No DC as of yet but obviously the future is a factor.

Agree on the renting first idea, but our house is freshly decorated (not neutral, renter type style). We'll have to work out what we want to do when the time comes.

The weather doesn't bother us, we're pretty hardy and have spent a lot of time in cold countries.

Thank you @celebelly - will check it out when we're next up. Really helpful!

[chrisski33]

Knowing some families who live up that way there can be issues of the kids being bored when they turn into teenagers and resorting to the same issues as in urban places. It's never the same living as it is being on holiday up in these places!

[sweetkitty]

Drove through the Cairngorms on Monday absolutely stunning at this time of year, don’t know about deepest darkest Winter but I would love to live up there.

[feeling7]

I appreciate that it's not going to be like a television programme or a continual holiday. But where we live currently, previously a very safe area, we are having beer cans thrown in our garden, and the place where I park outside the house is being used to dump stolen motorbikes. We'd want to live outside of a town, even if only slightly, so I'm hoping that won't be an issue where we live next. If it is then so be it. We want to live in a more outdoorsy place. We spent every weekend driving for an hour plus to get to the kind of locations we want to be in.

This move will be years in the making and we have spoken to many other people who have done the same thing on our travels and they have all told us to go for it. It's not just a whim after a holiday.

[chrisski33]

I'm lucky that my parents have a second home in the Aviemore area and I'd strongly suggest you spent time in all seasons up here. Remember in winter it's not light for long and days are short. There's also other urban towns that are socially good and don't have the issues u have. I'm not surprised you want away from somewhere that u have cans dumped and motorbikes dumped. Living rural may appeal but it might not be the answer. U shud poss look at the Trossachs maybe Crieff. Would you also be happy in Scotland went independent?

[feeling7]

Thanks @Chrisski33. We spent three weeks in Iceland in the dead of winter a couple of years ago so have an idea of what we're dealing with light wise. Know it must be draining, but we think we can handle it. We spend every weekend walking and being outside, even through the winter months and storms.

Had our first Scottish holiday in the Trossachs and it was lovely. Haven't quite fallen for it in the same way of the Cairngorms. We like the Borders area and have considered trying out nearer Edinburgh. A lot of people have spoken highly of Perth but haven't made it there yet.

We would understand if Scotland went independent the way the land lies at the moment.

[BarbaraStrozzi]

I second the PP who says don't be naive about drugs/anti social behaviour in rural communities. I have relatives in the Highlands and they have had problems with one kid going off the rails completely. Even if they don't go off the rails teen years can be very boring in the middle of nowhere.

I do recommend renting before you buy, even if that means taking a bit of a risk on house prices going up while the proceeds from selling your house sit in a savings account for six months.

[Waiting1987]

Is employment not a factor? It may be difficult to find suitable work.

[feeling7]

I'm not saying that we're expecting there to be no social issues anywhere in the Highlands. This thread was asking for suggestions on areas. We both lived in rural areas in our teens.

We both work in sectors that are needed in all locations or can be done remotely.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

Ah OP, I don't think we are trying to put you off, just making sure it's an eyes wide open situation. Loads of people live very happy rural lives and the cairngorms and the borders are great areas to choose.

Cairngorms possibly still busier during the winter than the borders since you have the ski and winter sport business. Inverness is a decent size for amenities but Aviemore as you know has a decent supermarket now so anywhere in the vicinity would be good. Borders is a huge area. I'm more familiar with the area around Peebles than the rest.

[feeling7]

Thanks @WaxOnFeckOff. I'm a big planner and worrier so this won't be a quick decision. It's just nice to know some areas to drive round when we're next up. We're going in with our eyes open. Every area has good and bad things about it. Going to try and visit at different times of the year - I'm honestly more unsure about midges than I am the winters! Have travelled all over the world and not had this feeling about anywhere else.

Went on a walk with a Forestry Commission chap recently who moved to Peebles and said he felt he had the best of both. We definitely need to explore this area a bit more for it to be an option. We like Langholm but would probably rather be a bit nearer Edinburgh.

We managed to do a good amount of traipsing through the Cairngorms on our last trip. Went as far south as Killiecrankie but hope to head down to Pitlochry next time too. We were in Nethy Bridge mainly, so spent a good amount of time around Aviemore. The proximity to Inverness is appealing.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

We are probably more looking at where we'd want to have our last home once DC finish Uni and we can be looking to retire. I do like where we live now (Stirling) and it's been a great place to raise our children, but given absolute choice at our approaching life stage, I think i'd go for the Borders, if employment is flexible and at a younger age, then i'd also be tempted by further north. Skye would be my ideal I think. That place always makes my heart ache.

[TheNavigator]

OP, I live in Perthshire in a village just outside Perth & it is lovely & was a lovely place to raise our family. Edinburgh & Glasgow are a train ride away for culture, highland Perthshire is gorgeous & the Cairngorms are on our doorstep too. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

[weebarra]

Peebles is really lovely, lots of nice independent shops etc. If you were planning to commute to Edinburgh, it's not a great road in the winter.
Perthshire also nice, Perth is a decent sized town with all amenities. I find Aviemore and round about very touristy.

[chrisski33]

I'd prob vote for the borders tbh or even Inverness. If Ur into mountain biking Peebles and Innerleithen are great. The latter probably having slightly lower house prices. Know a folk who live down there and they are a good bunch.

[ShistmasChopper]

Grantown on Spey is a lovely little town.
I also do by a while working in Dufftown which was also lovely but alot smaller.

[AuchAyeTheNo]

I would rent for a while maybe around aviemore? It’s a lovely place but pretty dire in the winter, especially if the snow gates get shut

[Salene]

Pitlochry , Grantown on Spey, Braemar , Aviemore would be my choices

[feeling7]

Thank you so much. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Lots of places to check out in our trips to come. Nice to see confirmation that a few places we are familiar with are nice too.

[VividImagination]

We are in Inverness. I’m not Inverness born and bred but have spent all my adult life here (30+ years). We have two young adults and a teenager and they have always found plenty to do. Drive for 10 minutes in any direction from our house and it’s getting rural. We have considered moving out of town a bit but it’s just so handy for everything here. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

[DeniseRoyal]

I don't have any advice on the Highland, but parts of the Scottish Borders are fab. Hawick, Kelso, Melrose, Peebles and Walkerburn are lovely, and not too far from Edinburgh. I would avoid Galashiels like the plague though.

[Isbutteracarb]

I second Royal Deeside, Ballater especially. I'd also recommend Perthshire, if you settled somewhere like Crieff, Pitlochry, Dunkeld or Birnam you'd be close to Perth for amenities but not too far from the Cairngorms for weekend trips. Have you been to Aberfeldy or anywhere round Loch Tay like Kenmore or Killin? Also lovely there!