Moving to Scotland - looking for nice villages within 1/2hour of Dunfermline.

[Aussieaway]

We are looking to move to Scotland from Cambridgeshire next year. Our jobs will be in Dunfermline but we don't want to live in suburban area rather a village, was thinking about Aberdour? We have an 8yo daughter so need to consider good academic primary and secondary schools. Also she's in swim squad down here so would need that too. Have dog too so somewhere with nice walks. We spend a little time up there now but hard to tell as tourist. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. thanks

InCAS, Carnegie ASC and Dunfermline ASC are based in Dunfermline, and there are clubs at Burnisland and at Dollar too. You can compete from aged 8 in Scotland.

Aberdour is lovely. There's a nice primary and I think the high school would be inverkeithing.

North Queensferry is nice too. Do you definitely want to live on Fife side?

Some of the villages along the river are lovely - Limekilns, Charlestown, Culross for example.

Culross is lovely and has lots of community things on as well as being picturesque. Aberdour is very pretty and has a great beach but has a lot of traffic along main road. West Wemyss is also a beautiful coastal village but maybe too far?Lots of Swim clubs based Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. Schools in Scotland go on catchment area and everyone just goes to local school where there will be a social and ability mix, we don't seem to have the same issues as England with good or poor schools.

Agree with Aberdour, Charlestown/Limekilns & Culross. Torryburn too. Kinross also seems very popular recently, as does Milnathort. Dollar is a bit further afield. Not so sure about school catchments.

If you're happy to be south of the bridge - it really is fine going the opposite way in rush hour traffic - then consider Dalmeny, Winchburgh, South Queensferry, even Linlithgow.

Your money will go so much further than in Cambridge!

Dollar is within half an hour of Dunfermline, good primary, catchment High School is Alva which has a broad range of abilities and backgrounds (there are alternatives). Kinross has good schooling options and there are various villages between Kinross and Dunfermline, you could look at Crook of Devon, Powmill, Fossoway, Muckhart, Rumbling Bridge. I have to say that Scottish villages are usually a bit more ordinary than English country villages, often with busy roads right through the middle. There are some attractive villages in Fife but I couldn't tell you which are within your distance criteria or how good the schools are.

When is your dd's birthday as that might impact on which year she goes into?

I'm in a very small village just outside Dunfermline, been in Fife for 14 years now. We moved here to be nearer to my parents as they had relocated here too. We've now been joined by my inlaws too!

We have enjoyed bringing up our DC here, they were preschool age when we arrived and their schools have suited them and they've done well academically. There a plenty of activities, although there are some sports and hobbies that are only available in Edinburgh (I have done a twice-weekly trip to Edinburgh for my Dd's hobby and it wasn't fun).

Housing is reasonably priced and Dunfermline is well placed for travel to lots of cities - an hour on a bus to Glasgow or 40mins or so into Edinburgh. Perth and Stirling are a short car ride away.

Dunfermline has it's issues, the shops aren't brilliant but Pittencrieff park is lovely, well-kept and well-utilised by the locals.

If you want any more details about schools etc (I work in one and have worked in many others) please feel free to PM me.

Thanks for all the advice/suggestions. I'm continuing my research.

Has anyone suggested Cramond yet, outskirts of Edinburgh, I think it might feed to Royal High which gets good results. Personally I'd rather be on the outskirts of a large city especially as your children grow older and want more independence.

Cramond has woodland and beaches - though downside might be overhead aircraft noise.

I live in Barnton (next to Cramond) & travel to work in Dunfermline. It's a 20 minute drive, against the bad traffic, although if there's something up with the bridge it can be a nightmare. Best of both worlds though, as only 5 miles to city centre, yet close to beaches & country walks. Cammo, Davidsons Mains & Blackhall also similar travel. You do get much less for your money in Edinburgh though. Agree Aircraft noise can be an issue in Cramond - you can download the noise contours map - I used it for buying a house!

I don't think I would move to Edinburgh if was going going to be working in Dunfermline - way too much travel hassle and much higher house prices. I am very fond of Edinburgh as I grew up there, but it's a busy and expensive area to live in. If you want to spend time in Edinburgh it's much easier (and will be even easier when the new bridge is open) to jump on a bus/train and land up in the city centre within 40mins or so.

Fife has some lovely places to live within travelling distance of Dunfermline, coastal villages like Aberdour, historical villages like Culross or more rural places like Powmill. Primary schools are generally very good in the small villages but you do need to investigate the High Schools, or consider private (Edinburgh schools or Dollar Academy) for later on. On saying that, most of the High schools do provide lots of opportunities for a very strong academic education if the child is motivated, but there will always be some disaffected fellow pupils due to the large and inclusive catchments in this area.

*Powmill is not in Fife, but just over border into Perth and Kinross. It's only about 8 miles or so from Dunfermline.

Are you using state schools? If so I'd look at the catchments before you decide. You don't want her going ten miles in one direction and you ten miles the other way to dunfermline.
Also I think for swimming Dunfermline itself might be the best bet so school there might logistically be good (but check the reports as it might not be a great school).

Dunfermline High is a reasonably good school, very similar to Queen Anne High in its results and both are in new modern buildings with very high student rolls.

Both schools have some very talented national-level swimmers, but while they compete for their schools at times, they are always attached to either INCAS or Carnegie Swimming Club.

Woodmill and St Columba's are the other two secondary school options in Dunfermline. Both are in the same area but St Columbas is an RC school. Both are old buildings which are suffering deterioration. I probably wouldn't choose to send my children to them (mine went to one of the newer schools).

I left Dunfermline for South Queensferry after realising I couldn't get DS into any of the schools in our catchment area...double check capacity.

Watch out for the less than lovely old mining villages such as Kelty, Cowdenbearh, Lochgelly etc. Shit holes, all of them.
Aberdour is nice, as is Limekilns. To the north try Kinross which has a fairly good High School. Woodmill and St Columba's High Schools are both falling down.

We lived in Saline for years. Absolutely loved it.

You'll also want to avoid High Valleyfield, Oakley & Alloa.

Crossford and Cairneyhill are both pleasant, and both feed into Queen Anne High School (one of the newer schools).

Culross is gorgeous and seems to have a nice community spirit. Torryburn has a good primary and lots of new housing.

Bump

Is Saline a nice place to live in? Just curious about schools and local areas around Saline. Looking to move to a nice quiet area that is safe for kids within a friendly picturesque village. Currently live outside Glenrothes and it's not somewhere I wish to raise my kids. Trying to avoid any of the dodgy areas around Dunfermline

I think the kids from Saline go to Queen Anne High School.

Saline is gorgeous. I lived there for years before moving back to the West. It's a lovely village. House prices are absolutely amazing. There's a great primary school & high school children go to Queen Anne.

We were all heart broken to leave. My one lasting memory of removal day was my mum actually crying the whole 90 min journey from Saline to our new house.