anyone know if gourock is a nice place to live?

[inmyshoos]

Just that really?
Aibu posting it in aibu because i just need quick response to arrange to view the house if its nice

[Glasgowisthebest]

Definitely don't stay in Gourock the people are horrible. They think there better than you while they are scum. Just don't put yourself through it. Don't move to Gourock!

[inmyshoos]

Thanks so much for all the advice guys. Appreciated muchly!
Been talking to some estate agents in Helensburgh today and they are all selling the area to me! (Good at their jobs obviously ) Thinking Cove or Kilcreggan sounds closest to what we want and my ds is mad on sailing so would be fab for him. Just need to get our house on the market and bite the bullet. I love my wee house so much here just wish i could pick it up and take it with me My dd was born in this wee house. Need to shrug off all the emotional attachment. It is JUST a house and i know we will be happier being closer to family/work/big city.

Any other suggestions welcome in the mean time.

[laser4]

Helensburgh can be midgie but that goes for the whole west coast. Cove kilcreggan are lovely and you get more for your money BUT the drive round is long and not good in winter. Re the lochside traffic eg luss etc you soon get to know how busy it is but when best to set out. Schools in helensburgh are good. Loads to do for kids and short journey into glasgow. Trains though can fail when winter and spring and autumn and summer rains and wind set in.

[KissMyFatArse]

Snape kilcreggan is a good shout. Get a decent house there for your money too.

[roughtyping]

crashbandicoot I agree. Milngavie is fab. Couple of great primaries and a great secondary too (with the music school!). About 40 minutes to Helensburgh.

[goldielocksrocks]

I grew up in Helensburgh and really urge you to consider it or the surrounding villages/towns (e.g. Rhu, Cove etc.) I had a fantastic childhood/adolescence there and you couldn't ask for better in my opinion. It's close enough to Glasgow that you can get there easily (40 mins on train) and that's good for when kids are teenagers and want some independence. Nice small town where you see people you know in the street or the pub and stop to chat or say hello. Also within easy reach of fabulous countryside, walking, cycling, sailing all available. Great for dog walkers and horse riders. Beautiful houses and good schools nearby. Can't recommend it enough as a place for a family! Feel very homesick writing this in fact.

I would definitely stay on that side of the Clyde if you're in Helensburgh or Oban regularly, Gourock has ok bits but it's not nearly as nice (and avoid Port Glasgow and most of Greenock). It also makes much more geographical sense to be in the Helensburgh/balloch area if you're going to Oban etc a lot.

Pm if you need any info!

[crashbandicoot]

*commutable

[crashbandicoot]

disco agree newton mearns is a cultural wasteland and isn't even accessible to local countryside particularly.

milngavie imo is the nicest suburb in Glasgow with access to rolling countryside and the start of the west highland way. it also has a great train connection, a village feel and an m and s simply food. whatmorecouldyouwant

alternatively linlithgow is one of the prettiest and greenest towns immutable from Glasgow.

both have excellent schools as well.

[Botanicbaby]

I think Gourock is more 'up & coming' now than it ever was. Lots of lovely large houses there with lots of space. However if you need to travel to Oban regularly then its not exactly in an ideal location for you, travel to Glasgow then yes fine.

Anywhere on the west coast of Scotland will be prone to midgies tbf.

[Appin]

Or maybe Fintry or Kippen? Might be worth looking at, though houses are expensive.

[Appin]

I wouldn't go for gourock, my parents live there and it seems more out of the way than it actually is. That said, it does have some lovely houses, though mostly up hills, and a small Main Street with nice cafés etc. I don't agree with the ex industrial description, that applies more to Greenock. There are lots of lovely villages nearby though- Houston, bridge of weir, quarriers village, Kilmacolm. They're all quite out of the way for Helensburgh and Oban though.

I would start looking at the corridor to the north of the river from the erskine bridge, from Dumbarton to balloch to Helensburgh itself. Luss is lovely and has a small village school. Loch traffic can be a nightmare in summer. Gartocharn, drymen, balfron etc wouldbe nice too. Helensburgh is a lovely place to live, with good schools, easy access to glasgow. In Dumbarton you'll get more for your money but it is very post industrial. Schools are average I would say. Balloch is a nice tourist town, but not much different to Dumbarton, it's just prettier. Five minutes from the tourist track there are some pretty awful estates.

I live in this area, feel free to pm me if you have any questions about specific areas or houses.

[Discoflame]

Hopefully won't insult anyone...
Inmyshoes, watch for the house on the first link. Lovely but catchment area isn't for the best high school in the area. If that kind of thing matters.

Loving that property porn is actually in places I know

[Discoflame]

Newton Mearns not very friendly to incomers I found. But lovely lovely houses.

Bridge of Weir is nice. Good primary school, fab high school and some nice coffee shops but terrible terrible drivers.

Houston, Brookfield, Howwood and Lochwinnoch all really nice as well.

[inmyshoos]

brillo definitely couldn't afford to go private but could maybe afford to go catholic I read it wrong but it made me lol!!

Arrochar and around that area looks fab for location but what worries me are the midgies. Where we live now is extremely midgie. Can't have windows open on certain days unless we want house teaming with them. I dream of sitting out in my garden during the summer and fear Arrochar maybe as bad as here!

Inveraray maybe midgie too but found a nice wee dooer uper there!

dotdot great links thanks. The first one i thought wasn't doing anything for me until i saw the pic of the big shed thingy. Now that i could get excited about. I do love a shed!!

ultra which area of Highlands are you in? We are in Highlands too but need to be closer to Oban/Helensburgh. PM me if you prefer. Maybe we are neighbours!

[nilbyname]

Donkotnlive in Greenock or port Glasgow, both as rough as rocks.

Balloch or BofW are lovely.

Stirling is lovely as is BRidge of Allan. But pricey.

[Nicknacky]

Newton means?

[Fluffyears]

What's the area called with the waitrose. It's nice my pil looked at buying there but chose bearsden near Glasgow to be nearer family. I like that area though it's nice.

[Snapespeare]

Kilcreggan! Lived there for a couple of years, ferry to gourock/Greenock, lovely wee primary school and parent/toddler group. Very rural, couple of big hotels and not much at the time regarding shops.. But it is beautiful.

[expatinscotland]

Largs was allright.

[shechameleon2]

If Largs is God's Waiting Room it has a lot of weans in it too with 3 primary schools and an oversubscribed secondary!

Its actually a pretty decent mix of age ranges with superb sports facilities - also depending on ages on DC it looks like the secondary school will be rebuilt by 2018.

£240K will get you a nice bungalow or 3 bed new build in Largs.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

I'm in Helensburgh, it's very much a town of two halves.
Primary schools are great, if you avoid the bad one, (easily done), no choice of high school unless you are going private or catholic.
The town is being done up as we speak, though shops are closing, like all towns.
We have recently got a Waitrose, just four of them in Scotland, we have an amazing deli, I can get Chinese ingredients in a local shop, my GP will see me in hours if I need, and do home visits.
Half hour trains to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
15 minute drive to Loch Lomond, which has Aldi and a Michelin starred restaurant.
There are worse places to live!

[expatinscotland]

Stirling quite far east from Helensburgh and Oban.