Stranraer

[ChaoticSolitude]

Hi guys! Some advice would be much appreciated re: relocation.

Is there anyone here that lives/has lived in or close by to Stranraer?

We currently live close to London but since having my DD have wanted desperately to move somewhere nicer for her childhood. She has just turned 4.

I really want somewhere coastal with nice beaches, somewhere with good value in regards to property with a large garden.
And most importantly somewhere safer and cleaner for her to grow up.

I have found some very beautiful houses in central Stranraer. At stupidly reasonable prices. The research I have done seems all positive. I have a potential job offer in Glasgow - which I know is a lot of travelling - but it is only two days a week for practically a full time wage.

I want some brutal opinions on the area, particularly the London Road/Lewis Street area. Some of the property has been on the market for a looooooong time and I can't understand why.

I know flooding has been an issue in the town generally but as far as I can see this area was largely unaffected?

General opinions on schools (primary), weather (so far mild but wet I have been told?), and potential of part-time work.

Interested to hear from anyone who commutes as would be great to get some reassurance on the reliability of the local train service.

Are the nearby beaches nice/clean? Is it warm enough in summer to get in the water? I have been led to believe midges aren't such an issue here?shudders

Mainly - I just want to know if this is a good place for my DD to grow up. I know nowhere is a paradise but I want to be away from all the shite that goes with living next to London.

Any advise greatly appreciated

Thanks
L

No!! And it's way too far to travel to Glasgow for work. How about Ayrshire??

Ayrshire, Helensburgh,

I wouldn't move to Stranraer if you'll be commuting to Glasgow. There are lots of costal towns and villages further north in Ayrshire that have nicer cleaner beaches, better public transport links and are much closer to Glasgow. Troon and Prestwick are lovely but you might find the house prices higher.

Maidens is a stunning little village but very limited in terms of local resources.

Ayr, Kilmarnock, Irvine all have good points and bad points.

I've lived in Dumfries and Galloway as well as Ayrshire if you have any questions specifically I'd be happy to answer them.

Seeing 2 hour commute written down and the reality in that area is a little different. Infrequent and not the most reliable train service and not great roads. For outdoor pursuits Perthshire is great, water sports the east coast of Fife. Both easy commuting to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

And yes further up the Ayrshire coast, what about Isle of Arran?

I am not from Scotland, so I don't know much about living in the area but I have travelled through it more times than I can count, as that's where the ferry from N Ireland used to arrive. We always used to remark on it looking even more unloved than where we had come from, and it honestly just looked so...sad. I think it's not that there's anything wrong with the town itself, it's the isolation. The road from Dumfries to Stranraer just seems to take forever, and it's mostly single carriageway and the town itself feels almost eerie because there never seems to be anyone about.

I don't want to be horrible, that's someone's home I'm talking about. And believe me, I live in a village in N Ireland that would probably make half of mumsnet weep with its drabness and lack of facilities, so I'm not looking down on it. What it needs is a few jobs and decent roads. Because the coastline round there is lovely.

Dumfries so much better with excellent transport links to Glasgow.
or even closer Moffat.
Stranraer v v depressing. dreadful secondary school

going further east along A75 there are nice market towns with easy access to the lovely forests and beaches .

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-90292859.html

I have friends in Perth who commute to Glasgow daily. I think that's about an hour on the train. If you're fine with two hours then possibly look to the Dundee/Angus area as there are some lovely beaches not far from most places and the train links to Glasgow are at around one an hour (you'd have to double check that as I'm not 100% sure). I don't know anyone who would commute more than an hour around where I am though.

You could go pretty much anywhere with that commute, so the best thing to do would probably look and frequency and reliability of the trains in each area. If you were to even live in or just outside Glasgow then beach day trips or holidays aren't too far away.

Dumfries is pretty dismal and far from anything too. I’d move nearer the central belt if I were you. Much easier access to work, study and leisure, better schools and transport links. You will have to pay more to get a house near a decent school though. But then you’ll save a fortune on petrol/ the mileage in far off rural parts is scary.

Agree with what @PenguinsOnParade said. I wouldn't live in Stranraer and try and commute to Glasgow. I work in Glasgow and live just outside it but am from the East Coast. Perth is 1.5hrs away in the car and there are lovely beachy areas both on the East and West coast that are much less deprived and with much more going on.

You could look at St Andrews. There are a lot of English people there, it's small and beautiful and the train from Leuchars (nearest station, nearby, v cheap parking) to Glasgow is 2hrs with a change in Edinburgh. I did it for a while and it was manageable as the Edinburgh leg is generally on time and runs every 15mins - definitely would have been fine to do 2 days a week. People in Glasgow would be surprised though - I don't know anyone who regularly commutes more than 1.5 hrs.

Would you be working reasonably centrally in Glasgow? There is a tube, suburban rail and bus routes but not all areas are well served.

Also agree re Isle of Arran - the ferry drops you off directly at the train station and actually it would be a pretty pleasant commute. Arran is gorgeous, very friendly and although is an island it's not actually as remote as you might assume from "Scottish island"

Madame pewter... Dumfries is far from dismal. the town centre shops are like every other small town but other than that it is v v much alive with lots of arts and music things. fantastic schools in the top 50 in Scotland.
lovely walks. and cheap houses..a fantastic community feel to it.

Dumfries is lovely, not a huge place but plenty going on and as others have said a great community.
Unfortunately Stranraer is a sad town at the end of a long road.
Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas are lovely small towns. Kirkcudbright is an art town and castle Douglas a good town.
All the beaches along that coast are good and there’s loads to do.

Each to their own, just my view

Hi! My whole family is from stranrear- we spent all of our summer holidays there right through our childhood and I go back a couple of times a year at least. So, location- I feel like if you were looking at stranrear itself it's a bit ropey- it's quite a run down wee place, where people mainly just go for the ferry and the train. But (and it's a big but) around stranrear is absolutely lovely. Portpatrick (in my photo) is about 5 miles away and it's literally a picture postcard seaside town. The beaches right around that area are quiet and clean, the countryside is like something out of a story book- it's an absolutely magical (albeit isolated) place to live if you're a kid. Transport- I can get to edinburgh -ish in about 2 and a half hours by car, and probably the same by train. I would say the road is single lane both way from ayr, which is about 50 miles away and there is a very good chance of getting stuck behind a lorry for a lot of it! But if you are willing to take that into account, I would have a look at the area around stranrear instead of the town itself. Google portpatrick, sandhead, and labrax beach- I love it there.

How about Helensburgh. Very easy commute up to Glasgow.

PS. If you are looking for a great place in scotland which is a wee bit easier to get to, with beaches, reasonable house prices , and amazing schools I would also reccomend East Lothian- 20 mins from edinburgh and bloody lovely!

God no. I visit several times a year and as an example, Poet Logan is one of the most deresding places Ive ever visited. Just so very tired, unloved, decaying and barren. Nobody around apart from scruffy people in slippers shuffling to the general store. Run down pubs with bushes growing on the roof, patched up windows and broken downpipes. Its like the life and soul has been ripped out of it.

There’s slways a reason why houses are cheap.

ffs PORT Logan, not poet.

Ok I’m in Ayrshire

Stranraer to Glasgow is not 2 hours on the train.

The roads are awful in winter.

My friends who run a business in the town moved to ayr for their kids.

It’s pretty but it’s the arse end of nowhere and there’s a reason houses are dirt cheap.

Argyll and Bute might be an option for you then? Quiet, safe and rural. Dunoon, Helenburgh, Rothesay all within commuting distance to Glasgow (depending on how long you're happy to stay on a train).

Ah I know the London Road property you’re looking at. Friend from above is in love with that house. She still wouldn’t move bsvk though it’s half the price and twice the size of her present house.

Also agree re Isle of Arran - the ferry drops you off directly at the train station and actually it would be a pretty pleasant commute.

Do people actually reliably commute from arran for work?

Ds has tried to get onto the island twice this week to do a job and the morning ferry had been cancelled last minute both times. He now knows why the guy said to him they struggle to get tradesmen over to do work.