Move to Scotland - Inverness, Black Isle or Stirling?

[SuperGlowBug]

We have 5 DC ranging from a baby to a 13 year old and live in Southern England. My parents are Scottish and we have a lot of family in the Highlands.

We want to be semi-rural/village within walking distance of schools, 20 mins drive or so of a city/large town and have plenty of gorgeous scenery and outdoor space.
We've narrowed it down to three possible choices...

Drumnadrochit (Loch Ness)
Fortrose (Black Isle)
Callander (near Stirling)

All have excellent schools and seem to tick the other boxes. Would really like the first two but a bit concerned about the career opportunities in Inverness when DC leave uni, have heard it's difficult to find work.

Any advice much appreciated.

Do you mean career opportunities for you or for your kids? I wouldn't pick where you want to live based on careers for your children, surely they can move to wherever there is work and they might not even want to stay in the same city. Or even the same country!

Black Isle!

Sorry meant for the kids! I just don't want to be in the far north in 20 years time with all our DC working further south as they can't find work further north.... We may also be unable to afford to move back south. Would like them to have the opportunity to have careers closer to home - if they choose to obviously!

LittleMiss - thanks, do you live there? I'm guessing you like it there?!

Ooh Black Isle! Lovely! Or Drumnadrochit.

I don't like Callander - too many bus tours!

Inverness is big - there are jobs.

Thanks Jemima - must say I've never actually been to Callander!

ArrivisteRevolt - Thanks, I've read through lots of threads on here and a few people have said opportunities are quite limited career-wise

Its definitely not as pretty as the other two!

Just interested - why those three places in particular?

Can’t commment on the first two but never understand the appeal of Callander - nice to visit for access to the trossachs but not to live.

Callander is lovely, close to Stirling and if your kids go to uni in edin Glasgow or Dundee they are only an hour or so away.

I live in Stirling but I’m from near Inverness but wouldn’t move north now (I have 4 kids) as they will move south and I’d have been stuck up north so much happier here in Stirling so I can visit home in a few hours and Glasgow and Edinburgh are An hour an under away. There are lots of nice places outside Stirling that aren’t quite as rural as Callander like Doune/Kinbuck/dunblane probably others too.
Doeneds on your job for Inverness, my career means I couldn’t live up north as there aren’t the jobs or any career progression like there is here, but depends on your career as Inverness is a big place.

Good luck on your move

Jemima - I didn't have much to go on so looked through the school league tables. We wanted somewhere close to Inverness as have lots of family around there.... Stirling was a bit of a wild card as lots of people have suggested it on here as an alternative to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

I don't like Callander either but of your three options I would look for another village in the Stirling area. It is central so good for reaching both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Inverness and the Black Isle are too far north for me.

What about crieff or Aberfeldy? Much nicer towns than callendar but you are still in easy reach of Perth, Dundee, Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh

Not Drum. The midges are awful. Ruins your summer. Inverness or Black Isle. We came to Inverness 9 years ago and love it. Just everything we need and close to nature. It’s growing to so more and more opertunities all the time. Has a uni if the kids don’t want to study away. I honestly can not recommend it enough it’s the best thing we ever did.

I have kids at school in Scotland and my DP is a teacher and I have never looked up a school league table - ever! I don't think they are a big thing up here.

Can I suggest some other lovely areas - rural Aberdeenshire (both South and North of Aberdeen), Angus or an Island??

What do you both do for work?

Just to be awkward - what about Nairn? Ticks all the boxes

Come to Broughty Ferry, fabulous wee place. Just beside Dundee, at the beach, great schools, not too far from Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen, love it!

Thanks all. Looking up all these places on Rightmove now!
I remember going to Inverness as a kid (we lived in London) ad being very impressed with the shopping! Especially liked the musical clock.

Now they seem to have everything you would expect/want in a city - pizza express, H&M, leisure centre, theatre etc. It seems to have an awful lot more than we have in our city !

Blarblarblar - a lot of people have said no to Drum... It looks so beautiful though and two great schools in the village next to each other! We've seen a house about a mile out of the village which is stunning...

Dundee has a musical clock just like the one in Inverness. May I throw in Carnoustie?

What does the Black Isle have which is better than other areas around Inverness? A lot of people seem to prefer it.

I think you need a wee Scotland road trip OP. I love your enthusiasm, but am shocked you'd uproot 7 of you to live in a place you've never even visited and like the musical clock.

I love Wester Ross, Easter Ross, Sutherland and the area around Thurso/Scrabster to throw more ideas at you!

Ha, yes we're heading up to have a look around and visit schools, houses etc, just wanted a bit of inside info

Yeah Callander is very much a tourist town. If you want to be near Stirling, i would second those who have suggested Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Crieff rather than Callander.

I love Inverness - the music and pub scene is ace. Black Isle is beautiful. Good luck.