Where to live in the Scottish Borders?

[ThatBrightHare]

Hi,

My DW and I are trying to research where to live in the Scottish Borders.

Our situation is we're parents of a 3.5 year old boy.

We moved to the Eastern borders where my DW is from about 18 months ago, so we'd have childcare support from my MIL whilst my DW completed her nursing degree.

I also work in nursing, in a community hybrid role, based at the BGH near Melrose 2 days a week, and in Berwickshire the other 3 days.

My DW is from this part of the World, and although we met in Glasgow, most her friends and family, and support network are in Berwick.

However she's just got her first newly qualified nurse role at the BGH in Melrose, and will be working 3 x long shifts a week.

Ideally she'd like to live in Berwick, but we're debating whether it's feasible us both commuting an hour each way to Melrose, on bad roads especially in winter.

However we do have the MIL for nursery pick-ups etc out east.

So we're trying to decide whether to both suck up the commute for the support network, or to move to the central borders to have less time commuting and more time with our DS.

The issue is we'll need wraparound care, and I've heard it's patchy in the borders, and even the largest town Galashiels doesn't have any after school clubs!

So where's the best place to live in the central borders that does have wraparound care?

We're looking for good schools, parks, countryside, a few coffee shops, clubs and the odd pub, friendly and where we can buy a nice house for £300k.

Any advice on where we should be looking, or are we best moving into Berwick, putting up with the commute, but having better access to wraparound care?

Lived here for nearly 50 years..

Peebles, Melrose and Kelso.

Peebles is the closest to Edinburgh so effectively a commuter town. Still has a half decent High Street with shops. Some amazing looking houses. Would be my top choice unless you're proper posh - see Melrose!

Melrose - Middle/Upper class posh town of the Borders. Lots of lovely niche expensive shops. Supermarket just 10 minute drive to Galashiels. 5 mins to train station. Private girls school. 5 minutes to General Hospital.

Kelso - the nicest 'working class' town, great shops, half an hour to Berwick about the same to the train station. Very active community council get stuff sorted.

Avoid -

Galashiels, definitely a visit type of place for shopping but has some very rough areas, extremely negative vibe (follow their FB group to see what i mean), full of charity type shops and cheap shop e.g Poundstretcher, Home Bargains etc. High Street is almost empty although Google 'Galashiels Cannabis farms' if you want to read about the vacant shops new purpose! New swimming pool, great library.

Selkirk - Too small, 1 over priced co-op, not the most incomer friendly, people can trace their family back to 1700's 😆. Nice for a visit for walking though. Everyone complains but no one ever seems willing to get involved in community councils etc. Even struggle to get folk to put up the Xmas lights. Swimming Pool likely to close, library only open 2 days for 3 hours.

Hawick - High crime, vandalism, druggies queued outside the pharmacy every morning, has some lovely areas but too many scruffy areas e g Burnfoot. Centreparcs building soon so will become chaos as they can't cope with the number of vehicles just now so god knows what it will be like when the site opens. Can take 20 minutes to drive along the one way High Street and back along the other side, popping out for a pint of milk is annoying with all the traffic.

East Coast- not really familiar but Eyemouth has High poverty.

Berwick would be a nightmare commute to the BGH. The roads are full of tractors and lots of twists and turns. It’s over an hour at least in good conditions.
I don’t know about wraparound care, but the schools are good nearby. Earlston High gets good academic results. Melrose or Galashiels is the obvious choice, but you won’t get lots of nightlife there, or anywhere in the Scottish Borders really. Plenty of countryside though and if you like rugby, you’ll be in your element! Choose something close to the Trainline as Edinburgh is a very pleasant hours journey on the train for days and nights out. You’d get a house for £300k in Tweedbank and it’s a lovely community there.

I'd look at Kelso or possibly Newton St Boswells if Melrose is too pricy. not sure on the childcare though. Tweedbank is also good.

Another saying Kelso. Was there two weekends ago and it didn’t disappoint - went as a day trip from Berwick. For raising a family I’d prefer Kelso.

Kelso or Peebles.

Good thing about Melrose/Darnick/Gattonside area is if you're working at BGH is you could probably walk it or at worst, bike. It's difficult even for staff to get parked at BGH as the car park is tiny for a main hospital.