Advice on move to Edinburgh or Glasgow

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DH and I currently live outside the UK in a European city. We are planning to move back to the UK very soon.

We were planning on going to Edinburgh but we are now wondering if Glasgow might be better for us.

We are in our 40s with no kids. We love walking in the hills and would like easy access to the countryside. No great interest in night life such as nightclubs etc but enjoy eating out from time to time.

We are looking to rent initially, ideally 2 beds with preferred budget of no more than GBP1000 per month.
DH will be working from home (he can move with his job) but I would like to find work in book-keeping/office management type role but of course at this stage have no idea if that is a)possible or b)where that job would be so it is probably best we stay fairly central or near to good transport links.

One final thought that may have some bearing on where we should look is that we are English, though I am not sure if this matters as much as some of the press make out.

We are going to Scotland next week to check areas out and maybe even to find a flat to rent so I would really appreciate your input on where you would recommend for us.

Glasgow is better in terms of hill walking - you're less than an hour from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs aren't much further. Property is way cheaper too.

There are very good train links to Edinburgh so you can easily go and visit but if you get a job there the daily commute is long, tiring and expensive.

I wouldn't worry about the English thing. Whilst I've no doubt there are a few arseholes, they're few and far between.

Stirling is an interesting option. Are there many job opportunities there (DH is in IT and I am looking for a bookkeeper/office manager role) or would it involve a commute?

(I am a bit obsessed with the job market in any place we may end up. Being the wrong side of 40 and all that.)

I think we would like the ideal world of not much of a commute during the week and then relatively easy access to the countryside at the weekends.

I always think of Edinburgh as being quite entrepreneurial with lots of start ups and small businesses. Have I made that up or is that equally true of anywhere in Scotland?

And of course the West Highland line starts in Glasgow which is pretty useful for car free hiking...

Oh that sounds good.

Off to google where the West Highland line goes.

I would say that job opportunities are better in Edinburgh than Glasgow. It's the reason I moved to Edinburgh although that was over 10 years ago. I absolutely hated the commute. It's fine at off peak times but at rush hour it's pretty hectic and the trains are awfully dear at that time.

Glasgow is better in terms of hill walking - you're less than an hour from Loch Lomond

Stirling is less than an hour from Loch Lomond too - and also less than an hour from the beaches in Fife in the opposite direction.

OP yes, there are places to work in Stirling/vicinity (look at Prudential/Capita/IFDS all on one campus) plus Uni/innovation park etc etc. added to that loads of folk commute in and out of Glasgow/Edinburgh too. A local business to me was looking for a part-time book-keeper recently - there are loads of small businesses that would maybe part employ you too.

Most of the Finance type jobs in Edinburgh are on the West side of the city so handier for commute from central belt.

GLASGOW !!! woop woop!
much cheaper than Edinburgh and much more to do, friendlier city in general and its a twenty minute drive to Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond!

Edinburgh is a gorgeous city, to visit, but nowhere beats Glasgow.

Safe travels!

Everywhere beats Glasgow! :o

for friendlier - read nosier....

Another vote for the Stirling area then (since Inverness is not an option ) - very easy access to all over the place and an easy commute to either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Milngavie is the start of the West Highland Way.
And also has a Waitrose.

I think Glasgow has better facilities for sports & leisure, transport & infrastructure is better too. And the shopping

Edinburgh is fantastic during the festival (very overcrowded too!) but there's not so much on for the rest of the year - gigs/concerts etc are better in Glasgow. A much prettier city & more walkable, but more expensive for renting.

Agree with others re: Stirling being a good option, or the north of Glasgow eg Bearsden/Milngavie.

Would you like a more suburban area or being in the city?

Another vote for Glasgow for fantastic access to hills and scenery. It's all a bit ...flat, over on the east coast....

In Glasgow, I'd recommend the west end rather than the southside for a child free couple. Again, much easier to get to the hills/mountains/lochs - I can be at Loch Lomond (Balloch) in about 35 minutes...it's a straight run in the car along Great Western Road. :-)

Edinburgh is great, I love it, but can get very busy, and be very expensive. Glasgow is not as pretty, but has a fabulous energy :-)

Stirling has a Waitrose....and every other supermarket except Asda - but we are getting one of those too. Excellent sports facilities too, both at Uni and own Sports centre - can do pretty much any sport imaginable plus cultural stuff :)

Transport is better in Glasgow if you are happy with a motorway ploughing through the city centre - Edinburgh has trams.....:o

Embra has two Waitroses and they deliver. Just sayin.

Glasgow has a subway

Edinburgh is freezing

Stirling is lovely but there is minimal facilities of any kind. Poor selection of shops, restaurant, pubs. Leisure facilities are meh. I speak as someone from Stirling, now live in Glasgow suburbs. Fabulous to visit but wouldn't move back.

Glasgow has a Whole Foods...

Glasgow is soaking

Edinburgh has trams

Edinburgh has the far nicer accent.

You don't even need to leave Edinburgh to go for great walks - just head up Arthurs Seat!

I love Edinburgh so of course would choose there. I've only ever been a visitor to Glasgow so it's much easier for me to pick out the horrible stuff. We really need som impartial Scots to give a more realistic opinion of both cities.

Would you like a more suburban area or being in the city?

I don't think we have a strong preference really.

I wouldn't want to be somewhere where there was no real greenery/parks and no amenities either like a flat on a huge housing estate. Of the two I would choose greenery over amenities I think though. But then I don't want a long commute...

the leafy west end of Glasgow it has to be then. Sorted :-)

I just had a look on the wikipedia page for the West Highland line and Scotland really is stunning.

Y'know, I've NEVER been bitten by midges. Can go through giant swarms of them. Must have soor blood.

Ovo my MIL is like that. There was one memorable occasion when we were walking along side by side. There was not a midge near her while I was like Linus from Peanuts.