East Lothian - Dunbar, Haddington or North Berwick

[ItsmineAllmine]

Probably relocating to East Lothian and have narrowed it down to either Haddington, Dunbar or North Berwick.

NB more expensive, so would get more for our money in Dunbar or Haddington.

Any thoughts? All high schools look good.

I would always go for the seaside, so it's Dunbar or NB for me. NB edges it because the train service to Edinburgh is much better, but that may not be an issue for you, or not enough to pay the premium for property.

The school in NB is definitely better. There's a real sense of community there with lots of lovely shops in the high street. It would be my first choice.

Haddington is nice enough, closer to the A1 & bypass for car commuting (although there is a station nearby in Drem).

Don't know much about Dunbar, apart from the leisure pool. It seems to be increasing in popularity, with lots of new builds.

It’s colder on the coast.

Dunbar is definitely having a moment.

Dunbar is on the east coast main line, so you can get direct trains to Newcastle, York, London and further. Dunbar has a more arty vibe, NB is posher. Depends what you're into. I like NB for a day out but would prefer to live in Dunbar.

We live equidistant to all three - secondary schools in Dunbar and NB are better than Haddington at the moment. NB gets great exam results but that's partly to do with a lot of the kids coming from wealthier families that hire private tutors etc. NB is a lovely place for a day out or a bit of shopping but very busy at weekends/holidays so I am always grateful to be able to come home again - we considered moving there originally but it felt a bit too much like a 'keeping up with the Jones' type pf place, the parking is horrendous and house prices similar to Edinburgh. Also there have been a lot of issues with cancelled/delayed trains etc on the NB - Edinburgh train line over the last couple of years, have a Google and you'll see. We settled in our current home to be in the Dunbar Grammar catchment because the school seemed to be a good mix of what we were looking for - good results, good sense of community, great building with huge new extension and social spaces for the kids. Dunbar itself has a real community vibe and more of a mix of people from all backgrounds, plus having the main line train is dead handy. We live rurally but enjoy having all the amenities of all three towns on the doorstep; Haddington has a nice mix of independent shops and amenities too. East Lothian is a great place to live, enjoy!

What’s the deal with the schools, why would one be worse?

Mix of things really - easiest one to pinpoint is exam results but that’s never the full story as can be affected by so many factors and doesn’t tell you if a school provides great pastoral care or what the percentage of students on free school meals might be. It helps to be able to research a bit further on that stuff - find out if there’s a known issue with bullying, for example, and how the school deals with that stuff. If the headteacher is respected in the community. Whether parents are happy generally. All that kind of thing.

A colleague recently relocated to a new build in Haddington ( from Cockenzie). They are very happy. Got a lot of house for their money and builder did part exchange.
One child due to start primary after the holidays and the other in nursery.
They are a very community minded family and really like it.

My sister lives in Edinburgh and we visit regularly. The East Lothian coast is beautiful and so peaceful with lovely beaches. So you are on to a winner, imo. Nothing useful to say, really, except that there is an AMAZING coffee shop called The Loft in Haddington. I really hope it survives COVID-19.

Me again . My colleague gets the train from Longniddry if she needs to get to Edinburgh. Her DH drives to his work in Edinburgh. Haven’t heard any complaints ( before lockdown obviously).

Genuinely, if you are from London, or a bit posher-sounding than average, skiing trips every Feb etc, go for NB. If you are a bit edgier, you might not like it.

Dunbar gets the most sunshine hours in the UK I'm sure - sunny Dunny! It's a lovely little place and we often go camping there even though we only live in Edinburgh. NB is nice, it's a bit out the way in comparison and gets very busy with tourists. Also you'll get less for your money My DD's best friend moved there recently and they were surprised to find the DC (girls aged around 10) were far more 'grown up' and less inclined to play than her peers in our near city centre primary- she's found it hard to make friends as a result. My brother lives in Haddington and enjoys the close proximity to both the coast and Edinburgh, as does my friend and it's no trouble to chuck the horses on a lorry and drive up to the beach for a ride. It's got a lovely little town centre. Personally I think they all have good points, the whole of East Lothian is rather beautiful and I'd look at properties and not rule any area out.

Yes, the NB teenagers get lifted with bottles of malt whisky..... not Diamond White!

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cops-surprise-neds-seaside-town-1042636

@fascinated - that "news" article is from 2009.

I know. It’s still funny, though ;-)

To be honest I was quite surprised when I saw it all those years ago, as NB really is lovely, but I suppose kids are kids wherever you go. No offence meant!

Do we know where OP decided on in the end?

North Berwick is full of retired PCs😂

They all tend to retire there for some reason.

Did you end up settling in East Lothian? Where did you decide, and are you happy with the relocation?