Help - relocating from Scotland and can't decide on area

[Barefootblondie01]

Hoping you can offer some advice.

A little about us:
My husband and I both work for ourselves and can be based anywhere. We have a three year old son but nothing else tying us to our area in North East Scotland. Looking for a sunnier place to live and considering the south of England.

What we're looking for (no particular order):
Budget - We have a healthy budget by Scottish standards (current house is a large detached country property with a good bit of land worth circa £525K).
Weather - Sunny/drier than where we are in Scotland (probably not difficult) without having to worry about significant flooding
A place to raise our son who is an only child - I love the idea of being able to walk him to school, for his friends to be close by without having to jump in the car for every play date etc
A village or town considered - so long as they have independent shops and a bit of something going on (nothing too sleepy)
Good schools - I'd like to be close enough to walk to his primary school
Amenities - we're a young family so I don't want to be too far away from a hospital, chemist, cinema, swimming pool/leisure centre etc. Ideally also a place where my son could become involved in extra curricular activities such as golf/football/athletics/rugby (he's currently 3 so little interest in anything other than diggers, Blippi and Paw Patrol)
Independent stores - happy to shop in waitrose and have a Starbucks round the corner, but we have a preference for local, independent stores. Ideally local restaurants and cafes
Cafe culture - probably one of the top things on our list.
Commuting - We don't travel for work so don't need to consider links for rail etc. So long as we are no further than 2 hours from the nearest airport we're happy.

Would love to get some advice! Currently searching blindly through rightmove at property in Kent and in the Cotswolds with NO CLUE what I'm doing. Please help!

B x

Dorset, the Bournemouth suburbs, out towards Poole.

Are you looking for a dooer upper or new home
Why do you want to move, it's a big step if you are leaving family behind.

I was a child in NE Scotland so know what you mean about the weather. It got so cold in winter and the school would be shut a lot due to snow, the roads closed!

We live in the SW now, you might like the area around Frome or Stroud for independant shops and cafe life etc and community.

It is much warmer. Close enough to the seaside ( we tend to go to Dorset)

Thank you, that’s given us a lot of material for googling tonight 👍🏼

Ah where did you grow up? Yes bloody freezing here even in summer unfortunately. May I ask where you live now?

How about Leigh in Sea in Essex, I have moved from the North West of England and it is a much drier climate. Leigh has the independent shops you want, downside is grammar system means secondary places are very competitive and there is a fair bit of knife crime and drug use but that does tend to be targeted so if you are not into drugs you would be fine. Easy links into London too which is a positive

Do you have family in the UK and if so whereabouts are they? Just wondering if you could go literally anywhere or if you'd ideally be within a few hours' drive of family.
I have young children and I like living close-ish to family, nice for us all to see each other regularly without having to do long journeys and visits.

Your budget will go much further if you relocate to the north or the midlands and not south. But you'll probably be fine as long as you avoid London, Oxford and Cambridge.

Clevedon in North Somerset had nearly all you’ve asked for.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114888836