Penicuik - A Million Questions!

[HomelyHedwig]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some very honest thoughts on living in Penicuik.

We're renting in Edinburgh just now but seriously considering buying in Penicuik. It looks like there are some lovely houses and - gasp - we could even afford private outdoor space! It also looks like there's a lot to like - Pentlands, the Esk Valley, walkable to pick up necessities. We are planning to start a family soon so these could all be great things. On the other hand, I've lived in cities my whole adult life and the idea of moving out (even though Penicuik is quite close!) sort of freaks me out!

There's a lot I don't know and am struggling to find out to help me decide if I'm ready for this kind of move. I'm going to list the 8,000 questions I have, but if people can respond to any of them they chose I'd be super grateful!

• How are the schools? (Primary and secondary)
• Are there activities and playgroups in easy distance?
• Would it be a nice place to live while on maternity leave?
• Have the housing developments positively or negatively impacted the town?
• Does the town have its own sense of identity or does it feel like a satellite for Edinburgh only?
• Is there a sense of community or neighbourliness?
• Does it feel safe?
• What's the main demographic (e.g. young families, older couples, very mixed, etc.)?
• How would a teenager feel growing up there?
• Would I spend my entire life in a car and be lonely and sad while all my friends get their Deliveroo orders and go to brunch in Edinburgh? Or would I be running about in the Pentlands with my kids and friendly neighbours and playing in my giant garden and feeling smug and fabulous?

Sorry that was so long and perhaps a wee bit over the top! It's just quite a big decision and I want to make sure we go into it fully armed with the necessary information. Any and all thoughts much appreciated!

I lived in Penicuik for a few years but left about 17 years ago.

We moved there for probably exactly the reasons you are. We were newly married and looking to start a family.

We really enjoyed our time there, we got involved in the toddler group, made good friends with folk there and found our childminder there. Our particular street was mainly older people who had bought the houses as new and had brought their families up there. It was nice and friendly.

There were a few places to eat out and takeaways were good. The big supermarket wasn't built when we were there but we've popped in when we've been passing through and it looks a decent size.

Local services such as electricians/gas engineers/plumbers/garage etc were all good. All local folks looking to do a good job. Their reputation was needed to survive. Local Drs and dentists too

Bus service was decent into town and also handy for straiton. Night buses were handy pre kids.

We lived near Mauricewood primary and it had a good reputation at the time as did Beeslack which would have been our catchment high.

We moved for my job when DC were still toddlers so can't really comment on what it's like for older DC.

We were heading to a funeral in the Borders in the Autumn and we took a wee drive to see our old house and after living in a newish estate, what struck me mainly was the state of the roads, we popped in on the way back for some lunch in the pub and it was pretty decent.

I think it is demographically very mixed and I never felt unsafe. I was there for both maternity leaves and it was nice to get out walking with the pram and met nice people at toddlers group and also there was a small soft play in the sports centre and a massive one at the southern end of the town.

To be fair when we moved we were already past the night life and were generally happier to be in with a takeaway and have friends over.

Hi!
I moved to Penicuik when my son was 6 because I'd separated from his dad and it enabled me to work part-time whilst still being able to afford a decent property. Staying in Edinburgh would have meant full-time working, which I didn't want to do when he was so young. However, almost 2 years ago, we moved back to Edinburgh (son is now 14). Here are my thoughts and reasons:
Penicuik was ok. As the previous comment says, people are generally very friendly and there is a decent selection of shops. My son attended Mauricewood primary; he enjoyed it and made some good friends. Beeslack, which would have been his secondary, has a good reputation with good higher results. We had a dog at the time and, yes, there are some lovely walks around there.
However, the things which niggled at me were:
Many burglaries. Luckily, I wasn't affected, and I'm aware these can happen anywhere, but I know people who were broken into and had possessions stolen. My garden was once littered with broken bottles. I don't think it really matters what area of Penicuik you live in, although there are a couple which are worse than others, because all areas can be targeted. Maybe there just isn't enough for teenagers to do, I don't know.
Bus service - although there are the 37 & 47 directly into town, including a night bus service, it was tiring having to sit on a bus for an hour after a night out, when I used to be able to walk home in 30 minutes. If you miss your bus, you can have a while to wait on the next one. One hallowe'en, my bus didn't actually show up and the next one was cancelled. I had to stand at the bus stop for over an hour. A taxi will cost you £30-40.
Traffic - as all the new houses are built, the roads are becoming more and more congested. I used to drive to work for 8am, at which time the traffic wasn't too bad, but if starting at 9 and heading home at 5, it can be terrible. There are 2 roads from P'cuik - Edinburgh (A701 and A702). If one is shut, due to roadworks/accident, etc... the other road will be VERY congested. This began to irritate me quite a lot! Of course, if you are now working from home a lot of the time, it may not matter.
So, as soon as I felt my son was old enough and was about to start high school, we moved back to Edinburgh. I am absolutely delighted that we were able to do so. I'm not right in the city centre but it's only 15-20 mins into town. If you look at new builds, there are some really good incentives. I never thought I'd be able to afford a house (as opposed to a flat) in Edinburgh, but I discovered I could.
It's all down to personal preference, of course, and what your priorities are. I could have a large, 4 bed detached house in Alloa (my hometown) for the same price as I'm paying for a much smaller property in Edinburgh, but I have finally realised that location, for me, is more important! Good luck!

Thank you so much both of you for those really thorough and thoughtful replies! That was so helpful!

Hi, I have lived there but not for some time. It felt friendly, lots of groups to join for children but also some arty people. Some volunteer opportunities too. The shopping centre looks a bit grim now but I think that's common for small towns. Always felt safe there and it's a nice distance from Edinburgh for teens spreading their wings. Lovely places to walk- woods, The Clerk estate, pentland hills accessible from your doorstep. People often stay a long time in the more established estates, they must like it! I've not heard of burglary problems ( still got friends/family there) but could be. I certainly would consider it if you are looking for a suburb with lovely countryside roundabout, best of both worlds.

We moved to the area about 3 years ago. We're not in Penicuik but perhaps a mile/2 miles from the town centre. Our address puts us as Penicuik.

I may be about to come across badly but I'm glad we don't live in Penicuik. I find it quite intimidating when I'm in at the local supermarket or Post office/doctors etc. The town centre is grim as mentioned by another poster which is sad but not untypical of towns like this. Dog shit and litter everywhere. I'm on the Penicuik FB page and every couple of days there are reports of things being nicked and of strange folk trying their luck opening doors, loitering in gardens which makes me glad were a distance away from that.

That said, the scenery and location of the Pentlands and other lovely places to walk and explore makes up for it. But i would avoid the centre and aim for the outskirts where you are not in the middle of it.