Moving to Scotland somewhere between Stirling & Perth - can you help me narrow down the area?

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In a joint venture with friends, we are hoping to move to Scotland from England.

Our criteria for location are:

A village/small town within an hour's drive of Edinburgh. Even better if it is nearish a smaller train station on the East Coast Mainline.

Nice walking/safe cycling

Good nursery/schools: DD(3) will be due to start school in August 2022 if my understanding is correct but would need to attend nursery prior to that

We all work in the Arts, so areas where there will be plenty of children/adults taking up Performing Arts activities and schools with active music/drama departments.

I've read a few old threads and think that villages around Perth sound like a good bet but I'd really like some suggestions and any other thoughts.

Am I right in thinking that the asking prices for houses tend to be the minimum that you would pay? We would be looking for 6+ bedrooms for £500–600k.

I feel very aware that some places are probably more welcoming to invading English than others. How much of a consideration should this be?

My first thoughts would be: Linlithgow, Bridge of Allan & Dunblane.

I would not want to commute from Fife into Edinburgh by road; there are some pretty villages along the train line eg Aberdour & bigger towns eg Dalgety Bay.

Kinross is nice but there is no train line.

Thanks Prosecco

I'll put these places on the list and have a proper look at them in a bit.

If we can help it none of us will have a regular commute to Edinburgh, we just want to be able to easily go there for theatre/concerts/train station etc.

Perth/ Stirling is lovely. Have happy memories of living in Perth and getting train through to stirling. I would keep options open to location to see where the right property comes up.

Offers over is minimum. They will have a closing date and people will put offers in and then they can choose best one, so depends on competition. Sometimes you will be first to offer and then they set closing date and nobody else goes for it, other times there will be quite a few offers.

Dunblane has a very active childrens performing arts scene, very good schools and a train station. You may find a largish modern house in Dunblane or Bridge of Allan for that budget but character properties of that size are usually v expensive unless they need renovated. There is not muxh movement in the housing market in Dunblane, people move in and stay there, 40 years in my parents case! I tried to move back but have up waiting for something in my budget to become available.
Youre budget would go further in the Kinross area but no train, although there is a good park and ride bus service to Edinburgh.
In my opinion the countryside is nicest near Kinross, followed by Dunblane, then Linlithgow.

Traffic is different here, outside commuting times it is really quick to get into the cities, much faster than trying to cross London for example. I live in Clackmannanshire and can be in Glasgow in under 40 mins and Edinburgh in under 50, in the evening or at weekends.
If you are willing to drive a few miles to a station like BofA or Dunblane for weekend trips try looking at large villages like Doune, better value housing. There are plenty of English people in the towns mentioned, unlikely to be a problem, just occasionally mention how superior Scottish things are and you will be popular

Best for schools would be Kinross or Dunblane (for high schools thinking long term and the rural feeder schools tend to be good). Kinross countryside is the nicest by far, lots of nice villages close by. Plenty of interest in performing arts - Kinross High incredible success in The Rock Challenge.

Looking at your map you're almost looking as far as the East Dunbartonshire borders (just west of Cumbernauld). East Dunbartonshire schools are consistently among the best in Scotland. Admittedly the best schools are in Milgnavie/Bearsden (further west) but there's a specific music programme at one of the schools and there's obviously a decent amount of culture in Glasgow as well.

Not been here long and would love your budget! Not had any anti-English feeling around here (DH and I both have public school type English accents, DD is full on Midlands).

Neither of us had realised quite how well connected the central belt is until we moved here.

Falkirk/Stirling is pretty central for everything too.

Look into Cupar too. Lovely countryside,train station. A bit further from Stirling though,but close to Dundee which has a lot going on.
Otherwise another vote for Kinross!

I live in Larbert and I don’t like it here. Although access to other areas is very good . House prices are reasonable.
Think bridge of Allan , dunblane , Linlithgow , south queens ferry, doune , Callander are all lovely.

There are special late night buses to and from Edinburgh from the Park and Drive at Dunfermline when the festival is on, very handy.

I live halfway between Perth and Stirling. Stick a pin in a map - all the schools are shit thanks to the curriculum for mediocrity.

I’d certainly not want to commute to Edinburgh from here.

Your accent is less likely to cause problems in the east of Scotland.

Auchterarder is right inbetween Perth and Stirling. And Dunning is a small village approx 5 miles from Auchterarder. Both are only a couple of miles from Gleneagles train station, trains to Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh (via Perth or stirling).

Both are on the A9.

There is also variety of smaller villages off the A9 between Perth and Stirling (blackford, braco, greenloaning) but without many amenities although close to Dunblane, Auchterarder, bridge of Allan etc.

Dunblane or bridge of Allan would be good mcrobert Arts centre at Stirling university have lots of children's groups and Dunblane is very Arty.. you can get train to Edinburgh and Glasgow from both stations

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/44236662
How about this?
Strathkiness is a small village with a good small primary school. There’s a larger good primary a couple of miles away on the edge of st.andrews (lawhead) You have St. Andrews within a couple of miles with the university and the Byre theatre, close to Dundee for DCA and can catch a train from Cupar or Leuchars to Edinburgh. You also have very arty fishing villages in the east neuk (crail, pittenweem)
Wouldn’t recommend if it was a daily commute to Edinburgh but fine if it’s just for trips

Oh, forgot about North Berwick or Dunbar in East Lothian, or surrounding villages eg Aberlady, Haddington, East/West Linton.

Maybe Peebles.

Bridge of Allan and Doune are lovely. Kinross High School very strong in music and performing arts, the East Neuk( Elie, Crail, Anstruther) has a lively community of crafts and artists.

Are you starting up music activities for young people? Sounds intriguing. Perth and Kinross have great youth orchestras etc through the council. The RCS junior conservatoire caters for loads of arty things. There is very patchy provision elsewhere. Big noise in Stirling caters for a very small minorty, elsewhere in Stirling is less well served. Falkirk youth music is beginning to improve but slowly.

Lots of music stuff via the Tolbooth in Stirling, also art, drama etc there is also things going on at the macrobert and think we also have a drama school and rock school. There is more going on than you think.

This house looks gorgeous:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62826966.html

Or this one:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74664731.html

Crieff is lovely and has a very good private school. It’s also an absolute twat of a drive to get out of in any direction! so before buying one of those houses - make sure you’ve got room to land your helicopter.

Weird comment? 35 mins from Dunblane and 30 mins from Perth.

Dunblane or bridge of Allan (best fish n chips).

It might only be X miles, but as the crow flies it’s only a short distance.

I usually get on to the A9 from Crieff via Muthill, the most annoying windy, wee village where it’s stop-start to let the cars past. Driving Crieff to Perth may only be 30 minutes, but it feels like 9 years.

I love Crieff - think it’s a special gem, but for those hankering the bright lights of Edinburgh, it won’t be for them.

Insane. You're right about Crieff, especially in the winter.