Perth, Kinross, Blairgowrie

Sarahatherwitsend · 2025-12-27T22:20:52+00:00

We are looking at downsizing and moving to central/east Scotland. We have DD finishing A levels who will be going to Uni and DS who will have just done GCSEs. Does anyone on here know this area, where would you recommend? DS will need a school for highers

MyNameIsAlexDrake · 28/12/2025 02:32

from your options, Perth. Big enough nice city. Lots of uni options in Dundee. Blairgowrie a bit remote for teenagers. Don’t know much about Kinross but it’s in a bit of nowhere Land between Perth and `Edinburgh.

stargirl1701 · 28/12/2025 02:38

Kinross has a better secondary school but it is smaller than the Perth schools.

Nearly50omg · 28/12/2025 05:03

Kinross schools are utterly appalling. The high school especially! Kinross is a nice place to go for a visit but a shithole to live there and absolutely nothing but drugs for the kids to do. Perth isn’t much better. Stay on the fife side of the border as schools and also hospitals are better - ninewells hospital is so bad they’ve killed several people lately due to incompetence and they are so bad that A&e is never busy as the paramedics know better than to take emergencies there! Frankly having moved back over the border from there recently I would highly advise not to move there at all especially as you have teenagers! There is nothing to justify the extra % of tax and also the extra ££ council tax and everything else you pay there as the services are very thin on the ground and apart from free uni places there’s nothing for young adults to do and nothing long term job wise for them 🤷‍♀️

Original poster

Sarahatherwitsend · 28/12/2025 08:38

@Nearly50omgmy husband is Scottish and I promised him when the DC were old enough we would go 'back home'. I like the idea of rural living for a few years but I do worry about DS not finding enough to do. He loves drama and musical theatre, should I look closer to Edinburgh?

OP posts:

NaeBither · 28/12/2025 12:02

We’re in Perth and my kids (all teenagers now) attend a variety of clubs and activities from sports to games clubs and Cadets/Scouts/Guides. There’s a strong musical theatre scene and two of mine attend various musical theatre and drama groups. We’re close enough to go shopping in Edinburgh or Glasgow and attend the theatre. Aberdeen is a bit more of a trek but still possible in a day. We like it here

ARoomSomewhere · 28/12/2025 12:13

@Nearly50omgCould you pm me any more details re Ninewells please? (recently had a less then good experience there, now young person with heart issues & it's nearest A&E. .)

Nearly50omg · 02/01/2026 09:37

Sarahatherwitsend · 28/12/2025 08:38

@Nearly50omgmy husband is Scottish and I promised him when the DC were old enough we would go 'back home'. I like the idea of rural living for a few years but I do worry about DS not finding enough to do. He loves drama and musical theatre, should I look closer to Edinburgh?

Yes Edinburgh is by far the most civilised of those areas although areas of fife are nice too and you have the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy which is fine for emergencies. Schools a lot better than bayside too

outdooryone · 03/02/2026 16:13

Nearly50omg · 28/12/2025 05:03

Kinross schools are utterly appalling. The high school especially! Kinross is a nice place to go for a visit but a shithole to live there and absolutely nothing but drugs for the kids to do. Perth isn’t much better. Stay on the fife side of the border as schools and also hospitals are better - ninewells hospital is so bad they’ve killed several people lately due to incompetence and they are so bad that A&e is never busy as the paramedics know better than to take emergencies there! Frankly having moved back over the border from there recently I would highly advise not to move there at all especially as you have teenagers! There is nothing to justify the extra % of tax and also the extra ££ council tax and everything else you pay there as the services are very thin on the ground and apart from free uni places there’s nothing for young adults to do and nothing long term job wise for them 🤷‍♀️

And yet my ex has had treatment from Ninewells for many years, and while not perfect and somewhat disorganised at times, they have been good...

outdooryone · 03/02/2026 16:18

I like Perthshire. Perth and area particularly is good - nearer transport, better facilities and schools, easier access to rest of Scotland for work / mountains / etc.
Blairgowrie seems a lovely spot, but perhaps more insular geographically.

Kinross is just not in the same league of 'nice places to live' for all sorts of reasons...A short drive through will have the middle class snob in me twitching, and I don't get the same feeling in Perth or Blairgowrie.

Can I suggest the valley between Perth and Stirling is excellent - Auchterarder, Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Stirling all have good schools, great greenspace, good transport links, and are really nice places to live. Slightly outside of those bigger towns are some smaller villages that feel pretty rural while actually being close to a lot of work and facilities.

The other place to look is Crieff - although that is a properly rural town and so more geographically and transport isolated.

How much have you explored around Perthshire and Stirling?

kelsaecobbles · 03/02/2026 16:24

I would wait till DS was finished school - it’s only a couple more years. Keep his friendship groups til he’s ready to fledge

otherwise won’t kids be starting their higher courses whilst your son is still doing his GCSE’s .. he will start at a disadvantage ?

where are you now? Many kids and young adults find semi rural Scotland a dull backwater. It can be a cultural shock

Edinburgh is full on great city but if by downsizing you meant release capital …

try posting on Scotsnet for more specifics?