Urban, suburban or rural?

[zinrepus]

Hello lovely Scotsnet folk! DH and I are planning a move up to Scotland in the near future. I did a postgraduate programme in Edinburgh and have been wanting to return since I moved.

I have pals in Edinburgh and my family are abroad, so we probably don't want to go too far afield from the city (max an hour away driving time). We'll be looking to move and start TTC our first, with plans to lay roots down for the forseeable future. We won't be able to afford a £500,000+ house, but should be okay with anything in the £2-300,000 range.

I'm conflicted at this point as to how close to the city centre we should be looking. I grew up in an urban area (7.5 million people) while DH grew up quite far removed from anything (3,000 people in the local area). I know we would have access to far more amenities as we get closer to the city centre, but also feel like there's something to be had from the village experience (maybe that's just me romanticising it).

Part of the beauty of Edinburgh is you can live within an hour of the city and experience urban, suburban, or even rural living...are there any people who have strong opinions one way or another about location? I'm happy to hear pros and cons to help us inform our decisions...

I always recommend Portobello, because that's where I lived when my dc were wee. Fantastic sandy beaches, fresh air, 15 minutes by bus from Princes Street, good schools, excellent independent shops on the High Street, close to Musselburgh and thence East Lothian countryside. My old flat last sold for about £250k so within your budget too.

(Old flat was two big double beds and a single, ground floor, main door, small gardens front and rear.)

Have a look on ESPC; you'll struggle to get a 2- bed in the city centre & desirable areas eg Stockbridge/Bruntsfield for £300k.

And even in the suburbs that could be a push. Edinburg is really expensive!

And that's part of why I'm asking. I know properties show up in Leith occasionally in that price range, and living outside the city centre is fine for me. I suppose I'm wondering if anyone here had any bad experiences living just inside or just outside the bypass. It seems like out there would be more aligned with our needs, but I wouldn't want to invest out there to realise those areas are particularly grim...

How about Stirling? Small city, lots of access to rural living but loads of facilities and activities for families and decent schools and still only an hour by car or train to Edinburgh. I've lived mainly south and west Edinburgh and in midlothian. Definitely worth looking at a few houses and getting your own feel for the area. Or post a few that you like the look of and see if people can give a view.

Nothing grim about Porty, it's quite gentrified since I lived there. Or maybe it was me leaving...

@HirplesWithHaggis I love the idea of Portobello, the question will be what kind of places are available! It'd be fab to be that close to the water and just that little bit outside of the city, while still getting in quickly enough!

We moved up here 20 years ago with the same dilemma. We chose to live in East Lothian and we have never regretted it. It's been perfect for bringing up children (lots of wide open spaces and a village community, not to mention the beaches) but also fine for commuting. We both work in Edinburgh. The only downside is getting home from a night out in Edinburgh.