Moving to Glasgow from NZ with 16yo

[Tinofcurses]

I posted something similar in Education, but someone suggested I might get more info here.

I have tons of questions...

We're planning on moving to Glasgow from NZ at the end of 2020. ds will be 16.5 by then. He will have completed year 11 in early Dec 2020, with 2 more years of school to go if we stayed here. I'm thinking he should probably go into S4 in January, and then carry on from there.

Does that sound right/possible? Will he be super old compared to the rest of his year? If so, does it matter? How does the secondary school system work anyway? I went to school in England about 500 years ago, and ds has only been in the NZ system so far, so I'm clueless.

Also, any thoughts about which parts of Glasgow to look at? We're looking for an inclusive, mixed, non-catholic school, and plenty of shops, cafes and places to walk a dog. Ideally fairly central, or at least with great public transport (no car).

We'll be renting initially, and then wanting to buy a 2 bed flat or house with a budget of around 200-220,000 (is this realistic? I have no idea).

Actually, another property related thing...Do flats for sale in Scotland have rules about pets? I know it can be difficult to find a place to rent with a dog, but is it generally ok if you buy? We will be bringing our dog, but she will stay with my parents at first if we can't find a rental property with her.

Sorry, I did warn you I have tons of questions!

@WaxOnFeckOff - I definitely want to be in a city (as does ds) and I don't want to be too close to my parents! They're only in their 60s, so there's a bit of time before they'll need any support from me. It's very much the other way around at the moment.

Ah that's okay then :)

I'm city born and bred but in my 50s I'm looking for the peace and quiet. as soon as DSs get shoved out the nest. I still technically live in a city but it's teeny tiny - great schools and access to the countryside though... :o

Cairngorm is over 2 hours from Edinburgh. It’s an hour to Loch Lomond from my house and a further hour and a bit to ferries to many inner Hebrides island. I know lots of climbers and walkers who’ve moved to Glasgow for the access to the outdoors. Who knew they were all wrong?

“ I know lots of climbers and walkers who’ve moved to Glasgow for the access to the outdoors. Who knew they were all wrong?”

Well if they moved from Edinburgh to save 20 minutes on a 2 hour drive it seems a bit like a lot of effort.

If they moved from somewhere else because they wanted to be in Glasgow and also get access to outdoors, fair enough.

I think we’re fairly lucky in Scotland tbh, that you can live in any city and still be in proper deep countryside fairly easily.

There’s much more on the West, you just need took at a map

Never mind wilderness - can I get a decent coffee/beer/vegan restaurant/second hand bookshop in Scotland?

Last time I was over (18 months ago maybe?) the coffee was not great.

Well I guess it depends where they have moved from and the motivation for the move (employment maybe?)

Maybe they should have moved to Stirling - or Fort william - or Aviemore...

I’m sure not many people care about it, but I do and that’s why I live in Glasgow. For me it’s one of its great advantages.

....Bangs head on table....

Right, back to the OP. Coffee I have no idea about as I don't drink it. I think it mostly seems to be chain coffee shops but no doubt there will be artisan coffee shops if you know where to look.

Beer much easier to come by, do you mean beer or lager? There is a real ale society that will have a list of good bars - I believe brewdog do a decent pint but again not my area of expertise.

Veganism is certainly on the rise and most places will have Vegan options nowadays and again, I'm sure someone will be capitalising on the trend and there will be specialist restaurants in bigger places.

Book shops, no idea.

I can see that none of your requests seem to be in my area of knowledge and yet I've still posted - i'll fetch my coat....

All of those questions OP really do suggest if you want Glasgow, you do need the West End.

I’m sure not many people care about it, but I do and that’s why I live in Glasgow. For me it’s one of its great advantages.

Yes, each to their own, but if I was after countryside pursuits I wouldn't live in Glasgow in the first place if I was choosing it on the basis of how quickly I could get out of it. I'd rather choose somewhere I wanted to live and suck up the extra half hour (if that) to Fort william and also enjoy that I could be in the Cairngorms in an hour and a half or in the Borders in jig time.

OP, it sounds like you're more suited to the West End (around Byres Rd) or Shawlands (around Kilmarnock Rd)

But you have a Southside budget.

Glasgow is SO easy to get around - it has a really good transport infrastructure & you could easily go between both.

“can I get a decent coffee/beer/vegan restaurant/second hand bookshop in Scotland?”

Yes... mebbe no all in the same place though, lol.

Glasgow is actually pretty good for vegan restaurants though.

The Glad Cafe is a great cafe, music venue in Shawlands that has vegan food. Big Bear Bakery does plenty of vegan options (and gluten free). Locavore is a fab, ethical grocers who do veg box deliveries.
Kilmurry and Co (bar/cafe/restaurant) good for brunch, cocktails. All within walking distance of Shawlands. You will have plenty of vegan options and good coffee in West end too.

As pp said though, Glasgow is a not a big city. If you want a particular kind of food that you can't get locally you can jump on a train or a bus and in 20 mins be in town.

Do you k ow where you will be working?

There’s much more on the West, you just need took at a map
@Aurignacion
For someone who was concerned this thread was going off on an East vs west tangent - thanks so much for doing your part to keep it on track. Or not.

Cairngorm is over 2 hours from Edinburgh. It’s an hour to Loch Lomond from my house

Perhaps to Cairngorm mountain but the national park is within 90 minutes and covers an area of wilderness twice the size of Loch Lomond National park - it is rather more than one mountain! and exists without the 'wilderness' paddle cruisers and ice cream vans - which may be conveniently close for you, but as I said before, not exactly wilderness. Incidentally the Pentlands are 20 minutes from Edinburgh - but I'm not using them to attempt to perpetuate the Glasgow vs Edinburgh divide you seem so keen on pushing as they aren't actually relevant to the point of wilderness accessibility that you seem to keen to push regardless of the OP's botherdness

I know lots of climbers and walkers who’ve moved to Glasgow for the access to the outdoors. Who knew they were all wrong?

From Edinburgh - that seems an expensive shift, especially as good rock climbing around Glasgow is limited until you get properly north, and Edinburgh has an abundance of outdoor climbing sites within a 60 minute journey. Perhaps they weren't able to google map or use UKC? I expect they're the same people who take 2 hours to get to the Cairngorm national park from Edinburgh!

can I get a decent coffee/beer/vegan restaurant/second hand bookshop in Scotland?

Yes to all the above - in fact I believe that Glasgow has slightly better Vegan provisions than Edinburgh (which is excellent). Both easy access to very good coffee, beer and books!

Late to the party but yeah, what a load of mince some people are talking about Glasgow.

Yes there are pockets of deprivation and drug addicts. Show me a city anywhere in the world with 600,000 people which doesn't have deprivation and drug addicts.

Children will not get their heads kicked in at a state school. What a ridiculous statement.

£220k is a tight budget if you were looking for Bearsden/Milngavie or Newton Mearns. But OP isn't. She can easily afford to buy/rent in the catchment for Shawlands, Hyndland, Bannerman High or a 3 bed semi in Bishopbriggs.

As for the entrance thing - it's always going to be awkward moving from Aus/NZ because of the mismatch in school years. It's really something you need to discuss with the school given what he's already been doing in NZ and what his plans are for the future. Starting at Christmas in S5 and then going straight into Higher prelims isn't really going to work. If he's going into S4 and recovering some of the work he's already done in NZ it might be easier but again, he'd be unfamiliar with the English texts, history etc. Going into S4 but not actually sitting the exams in the following May and using the time to acclimatise seems really sensible, then straight into Highers just before the summer.

As for the age thing I don't think it's really that big a deal. Scottish schools seem far more flexible than their English counterparts. But it's a conversation that they'll probably only be willing to have when you have agreed a move and can prove you're serious. No harm emailing now and asking though, they can give you guidance in general terms.

can I get a decent coffee/beer/vegan restaurant/second hand bookshop in Scotland?

Oh yes. You can't move for hipster coffee, vegan eateries and vintage shops in Byres Road.

There is a good second hand bookshop in Skirving Street in Shawlands and I believe there is an Oxfam bookshop on Victoria Road...other side of Queens Park.

There's a whole plethora of wee coffee shops/bakeries that have opened in Shawlands/Strathbungo/Nithsdale Road/Victoria Road.

This is a new one I've not been to yet but want to get along to as I've heard rave reviews

https://www.facebook.com/795714820768975/posts/1056817211325400?d=n&sfns=mo

Links below - 2 bed traditional flat in Milngavie, Douglas Academy catchment which I believe is in top 10 in Scotland?

And, 3 bedroom flat in Jordanhill catchment....

Not sure why people seem to be making this so difficult. £220k would be a tight budget for a large, 3+ bed family home in East Dunbartonshire / East Ren etc, but it is very doable for a 2 bed flat.

Also not sure why so many people are suggesting Shawlands. Having lived there myself for a few years I think it's fine but doesn't live up to all this hype.

Moor Road, Milngavie, Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, G62
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86608448.html

Orleans Avenue, Jordanhill, Glasgow
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75127357.html

Probably because it would suit the OP's description of what she would like a hell of a lot more than Milngavie or Jordanhill.

Op Milngavie is an affluent suburb. It isn't particularly 'inclusive', but pretty middle-class homogenous. Jordan Hill is another affluent area with incredibly inflated prices because of the school which Co sistently tops the league tables. Again it isn't a particularly inclusive areas. I have friends who are a lesbian couple who moved AWAY from Jordanhill when they had a child. It also has bugger all in it. You would have to walk or get public transport into the west end for a decent pint.

You'd be hard pressed to get a place at Jordanhill. Kids going there have typically lived in catchment since (before) they were born.

Maybe people who're currently actually living in Shawlands (or environs) actually think it is worth the hype

FWIW I was brought up in Bearsden/Milngavie - went to Bearsden Academy (but lived in Milngavie when we came back from NZ but had a tantrum about the idea of yet another new school so went back to Bearsden Academy ) and my dad still lives there. Had great friends and did really well at school. But dh was a Southsider, so when I moved back from England, this is where I ended up and I'm a convert I think it has a much better community feel - and personally, I think Shawlands Academy is a better overall school than Bearsden Academy because it is more holistic and has better pastoral care (judging by friends' experience with their kids at Bearsden Academy ). This is reflected in its low dropout rates from Uni

The other good thing about Shawlands Academy is that it is one of the most international schools in the country (according to the British Council ) - with 55 languages spoken by young people at the school!