Moving to edinburgh - where to live?

[bigkidsdidit]

hi everyone

I've just been offered a great job in the royal infirmary :) and we are moving up to Scotland in January. I'm looking on Rightmove and getting very excited but was wondering if anyone could help me decide where to look first...

Not being millionaires the centre of town is out as after renting in London I am craving space. As I'm working at the RI and DH is away mon - fri so doesn't really mind I was thinking Midlothian. What are Bonnyrigg, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Musselburgh like? Ideally space and gardens but a bit of life - a shop, ideally a playgroup - an d a good primary for DS.

Any advice appreciated :)

ESPC is a good website that a lot of houses get advertised on. My sister lives in Bonnyrigg and loves it. She moved out there when my now 22 year old niece was 1. Dh's auntie and uncle and all their families live there too.

I have heard that there are problems out that way regarding finding a good secondary school-but I don't know the area personally.

Thanks!

That's interesting about secondaries - on rightmove lots of primaries appear but no secondaries so I had thought that might be an issue.

Houses in Bonnyrigg look just gorgeous :)

Congratulations on your job offer!
I think Musselburgh is lovely but I don't know anything about the schools. Newtongrange, Gorebridge (especially), Dalkeith, Mayfield are pretty much shitholes. I say this as someone who lives in one of these places!! We moved here without having time to come and look at the the areas first and we massively regret not living in Edinburgh and would have been much happier in a 2 bed city centre flat instead of a 3 bedroom house in Midlothian with a garden. Oh well, we will be leaving at the end of the year! Hey- my lovely, and affordable house will be available to let :)

Oooh interesting! Is it that there's not a lot going on?

I'd love to live by te sea, growing up in Portsmouth as I did I miss it very much. Perhaps Musselburgh and Bonnyrigg will be my first two places to look around!

Definitely not a lot going on! Newtongrange, Mayfield, Gorebridge are pretty run down, nothing much to do or see. They are very insular places and not varied as terms of the people you will meet. For being so close to the city centre (20 min by car) it sometimes feels planets and decades away from Edinburgh, but that may be a good thing to some. I fully accept that this is just my opinion and another poster may come along singing praises
( although I have no idea why!) Will you be able to spend a few days here looking around before you decide? Portobello is fab but more expensive then Midlothian and I think may be considered Edinburgh instead of East Lothian, although it neighbours Musselburgh. I love seaside towns.

Yes Coming up for a weekend in December and early Jan too. dH's family live in Glasgow so can do some early scouting too. I guess it would be sensible to rent for a year first but I am so SICK of renting I can't bear the thought of doing it again!

Thanks for your help :)

I live in East Lothian, and i love it, musselburgh is nice, as is a lot of east lothian like Port Seton, and lots of little villages. With regards to the others, Newtongrange is a former mining community, nice houses, great pool and varied shops, including the best chinese EVER So i quite like Newtongrange, My MIL lives in Mayfield and i wouldn't live there personally, not now. Gorebridge is a no no either for me, Bonnyrigg is ok, there are some nice new houses, but i still don't think it's all that much.

How are you planning to get to work? Car or public transport? Commuting into Edinburgh is pretty busy, but I guess if you're used to London then it won't feel bad.

Umm. Can't drive yet but am learning. Cycle, scooter or bus! And then car as soon as poss once I pass my test.

The east does look lovely Lisa. Are the schools good out there?

Lisa there must be 2 Newtongranges in Midlothian

I like Nitten Or Newtongrange

Schools out here in East Lothian are good too, I live in a village near Tranent but with good road links, i can be at the Royal Infirmary in about 20-25 mins in the car from here, and it's peaceful, shops, playgroup, school and the busses, however i would recommend driving for quickness as busses go a de-tour!!

I love East Lothian personally, musselburgh and port seton (my mother lives here) are on the sea side and better busses, but again a little de-tour for the infirmary via bus,but these places are fab if you can drive.

My family have lived in Midlothian and are now in East Lothian which they feel is much better on many levels. Easy access to the Royal which would suit and train links into Waverley making the centre of Edinburgh very handy. Good primaries and secondaries - if we had to move I would be looking there in the first instance.

Thanks everyone :)

Off to look at rightmove and phone some agents!

Definitely live on a bus line - it is not at all a given that you will get a parking permit, because they are in short supply (although with a small child and a complicated commute you may just make it). Otherwise, daily parking is £7 (add that on to the rent/house price you are willing/able to afford).

or as i would do, take your car to the park and ride at Sheriffhall (when you can drive obviously) and get 5min bus journey into work :)

Just to reiterate Groovee's point: www.espc.com is a more comprehensive property portal for the Edinburgh area than rightmove.

The new Royal is in littleFrance isn't it? Seems tricky to get to if not driving. Would you not prefer to live in a flat in Edinburgh rather than a house further out, until you find your feet? Morningside is lovely but pricey, Bruntsfield is great, feels like a villiage and is minutes walk from the City centre.

Wish I was going back, best City in the world.

38 goes through Morningside - 18 minutes ride to NRI :) but I certainly could not afford a house here...

Newington would also be nice depending where you live in it - some is a bit studenty, some bits have posh houses. Good for buses to ERI.

Yes DH was saying park and ride but I was thinking instead of getting a scooter - although I can't imagine scooting in a Scottish winter

I'm beginning to think we should do exactly as you're saying and rent a flat in he centre for a year till I learn to drive, we find our best areas and I work out commute etc. It's generally ok for me - here I work 6.30-2.30 so commutes are fine if I can keep those hours. But buses might not run that early I guess.

So much to think about. I know it would be unwise to buy but I hate moving every year :(

Thanks everyone for input!

Btw I would actually love a flat if it had a garden - it doesn't have to be a house!

I used to live in Musselburgh and it's lovely. I have moved to Fife however as I've found that it's possible to get about double the size of house for the same price, tonnes of garden with amazing views and as long as you're on the rail line you can get into the centre of Edinburgh in roughly the same time it takes to get the bus out to Musselburgh. :) Very happy here too.

Well, to be honest, if this winter like last. scooter a big fat no!
Buses to RI do start early (a lot of people work those shifts...) Plus used to be a dedicated RI bus, don't know if still runs.
Renting for a wee bit probably your best bet, find your feet a wee bit?
Good luck, let us know...

I rented a great flat in Bruntsfield many moons ago with a little back garden, it was heaven. Course, the prices are unrecognisable now. Musselburgh and Portobello are lovely too, many happy times spent walking the coast there. The bus service is very good in Edinburgh if I recall, apart from the non existent trams of course