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Original poster

Edinburgh people - hopefully for the last time - can you tell me about these areas..

45 replies

fairylights · 26/06/2010 15:03

hello again,
some of you will probably be thinking "has she not got somewhere to live yet?!" -apologies
so here we are in Edinburgh on our last house-hunting trip where we HAVE to find somewhere to live as we will shortly be homeless.
Its been a bit depressing to realize how little we will get for our money either renting or to buy, or how far out we will have to live to get what we are after..
anyway, if you know the following areas could you give me a quick summary of what they are like/what kind of community is there? Much appreciated..
Willowbrae/Duddingston: seems very residential withour much going on but we love it being by Holyrood park. Is it a trek to town? Parsons green primary looks good - anyone know about it?
Broughton: a tiny place we could rent here but would tide us over before buying.
Buckstone: have had lots of opinions on this already but any more welcome. House/school ideal but i am worried that i will feel isolated and miles from anything being a SAHM with 2 pre-schoolers.
Newington/Blackford: house to buy here, and having looked around the area this would seem to be the kind of area we would like to live in and its (just) in the Sciennes catchment. Its one road away from the Kings Buildings and not entirely sure about how "nice" the street is (can't believe i am sounding so snobbish, sorry).

thanks!

OP posts:

waitingforbedtime · 28/06/2010 07:51

Fwiw I would give my eye teeth to live in Newington!

liath · 28/06/2010 08:06

I don't think Sciennes is rubbish, Fanjo - I know plenty people who are happy with it but I think it's been a bit of a victim of it's own success IYSWIM. Oversubscribed and now bursting at the seams.

Prices are going a bit daft again in Newington, there's (an admittedly nice) 5 bed house not far from us on the market for 1 and a quarter million pounds !!!! I'll be watching that with interest, a lot of the houses for sale round here have sat on the market for a while.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 28/06/2010 08:09

Yes, it might be a bit big for DD anyway, she is doing well at a tiny nursery.

I have my eye (fantasy house shopping) on a £1.6 million one on Lauder Road, which has actually been on the market for ages!

liath · 28/06/2010 08:19

Ooh, I love Lauder Road. There's some on Dick Place at the moment are price on application.....

This part of Edinburgh is just fantastic for property and garden porn. I have favourite routes for dog-walking to look at the nicest places & have to restrain myself from taking cuttings off people's roses as I pass .

Original poster

fairylights · 28/06/2010 08:23

fanjo..i am still reeling from edinburgh house prices even after looking at them for several months. When we had a wander around Newington i noticed a few places that were for sale thinking they couldn't cost that much as they didn't look that big..how wrong could i have been! The cheapest was about £600,000.. i find it hard to imagine there are enough people to live in all these crazily priced houses but i guess there must be!

OP posts:

Bellebelle · 28/06/2010 22:20

Sorry I didn't mean to say that Sciennes is rubbish! I don't think it is at all but a lot of people seem to think it's the "bee's knees" of primary schools in Edinburgh but I happen to be friends with lots of people who either have or have had DCs there and they have had some real problems with bullying issues not being addressed and unsupportive teachers. As I said I also know a teacher there and an old school friend is a teacher there too and both have alluded to issues amongst the staff (there was a change of head teacher a few years ago which I think rocked the boat a bit). But I suspect most schools go through periods of being unsettled and maybe that's the case there.
I was trying to make the point to the OP not to be swayed by the hype around Sciennes and Gillespies etc as while yes they are "good" schools they also have issues, some of which I suspect is down to the fact that the class sizes are at the max. I know a few people who have really stretched themselves to move into these catchments when their local schools are probably just as good. DD starts P1 at Gillespies in August and I'm really concerned about her going into a class of 30 kids, it sounds like such a big number for P1.
Sorry Fairylights bit of a hijack! For what it's worth Trinity/Inverleith is a great area, as you say really central and nice area. The botanics nearby are fantastic.

meep · 29/06/2010 09:58

fairylights, Trinity / Inverleith are lovely. I lived there pre-children and could walk into town/Stockbridge.

I have friends with children at Wardie primary and they really like it.

You've got the Botanics (great to let the kids run around and nice cafe) and Inverleith Park close by.

As for property porn - I want to live here

Original poster

fairylights · 29/06/2010 10:43

we went to see Wardie primary yesterday and we both thought it was just fantastic, exactly the kind of school we would love our kids to go to. So that has focussed our minds on that area more which is actually quite helpful. We are going to look at a couple of houses that are the "other" side of Granton Rd (just literally only just) which i have a feeling might be seen as less desirable than the Trinity side of granton road. But we drove around the area yesterday and it looked well kept and pleasant. And we have lived in a fair few "dodgey" areas which have actually been fine (we currently live in one!) so are not going to be prejudiced in that respect..

OP posts:

meep · 29/06/2010 11:59

just steer clear of the Fort tower blocks in Leith!

tothesea · 29/06/2010 12:15

Come to Trinity! - we have lived there for 2 years now and love it. The schools are good , it is like a leafy suburb but still close to town/stockbridge. I love being close to the sea, Victoria is a great park, also Botanics and Inverleith. the cycle paths are brilliant There is a big Asda and Ocean Terminal for shops.
The other side of Granton Road is fine - would definately consider it myself to get a bigger house. It is a bit mixed but there are some lovely houses. Good luck!

Original poster

fairylights · 29/06/2010 22:44

the house we saw was FABULOUS! And the area just fantastic - can see why you love it tothesea. but already 6 people had viewed in the 2 days it has been on the market so it will go to closing dates and think it will take a miracle for any offer we make to be accepted..but we will hang in there for a miracle! think it has confirmed to us that this in an area we would really like to live in so maybe we will rent something even if it doesn't really suit us that well, just so we have a foot in the area, esp in terms of applying for schoo next year.
has been a mad day - 350 mile round drive just to see that house but worth it if we get it! I was weeping as we walked away, i wanted to live there so much!

OP posts:

Original poster

fairylights · 29/06/2010 23:18

tothesea or any other trinity/wardie/inverleith area people: do you know anything about the nursery schools in that area? Can I CAT you if you do? No worries if not though. ta

OP posts:

tothesea · 30/06/2010 12:57

um sorry never been very how CAT works? but happy to be contacted.
Wardie has a nursery but I think it is parent run or something ie not part of council provision but would need to check that. Holy Cross has an excellent non-denominational nursery, can vouch for that. HTH

Original poster

fairylights · 30/06/2010 19:43

thanks tothesea. I actually tried to CAT you but it said that you didn't allow CAT messages so nevermind! think you would have to go to your settings to change that, then you would just get a message from mumsnet with my details. but don't worry if its too much hassle!

OP posts:

redrobin · 30/06/2010 19:49

fanjo...i wouldnt worry about sciennes, its still one of the best. everyone else is jealous! (tho it is big of course)

TheCrackFox · 30/06/2010 20:00

I hope you get the house Fairylights.

TBF all the best people live in Leith.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 30/06/2010 21:12

Thanks redrobin

DD probably won't end up there anyway, but i can aspire.

Leith - no, no, the wrong end of town..all the best people are in Newington

scotsgirl23 · 19/07/2010 21:20

Another who has lived in Granton Road (very close to the school) - it's absolutely fine, never had even the merest hint of trouble and there are some more reasonable houses just because of the name I think. Can't give you much info on kids stuff there because we moved before we had DD.

Original poster

fairylights · 23/07/2010 12:26

to conclude the tale..we didn't get that house in the end but have had an offer accepted on a house just off Comely Bank Rd in orchard brae. Very excited about moving up and the area we will be in/near! Thanks for the collective MN wisdom

OP posts:

maggiethecat · 01/02/2011 09:19

Fairylights, I've enquired on another thread you started but just in case you missed it, how have things been for you? We are looking to move up from England in summer and it's funny bcos we have been considering some of the schools you looked at last year....Sciennes, Floras.

We really did like the Stockbridge area and Newington also.

I visited Ed for the first time a week ago for 5 nights and it was a whistlestop tour of schools and areas just to see about possibilities.

Think I need to come up again and spend a bit more time going around areas to get a better feel.

Would be good to know how it all worked out for you.

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