Moving to Kirkcaldy

[Lonecatwithkitten]

My husband and I are making our long term plan, my requirement is to be able to walk my dogs on the beach everyday. He needs a cycling club. We need access to an international airport for his work, to Standsted to my southern family and Shetland to my northern family. We have narrowed it down to Kirkcaldy, there are good work opportunities for me, we like the train access to Edinburgh and obviously Edinburgh airport is within easy reach. DH will mainly work from home and then travel away to oversee the final two weeks of any project. He will only work on two maybe three projects a year.
Mum was born and grew up in Bathgate and I spent large parts of my childhood there with my Granny. All my adult life I have been trying to move to Scotland. I worked two calving seasons around Turiff and so am aware of the worst of the weather. My husband spent a winter in Iceland and another in Arkhangelsk inside the arctic circle - so is well used to the cold.
A quick check of property websites shows we could afford the type of house we would like.
My biggest worry is finding a community. So DH needs cyclists and my hobbies are mainly crochet, though I love to sing in contemporary choirs. I realise that the onus is on us to make the effort, but is Kirkcaldy somewhere that has a good sense of community that would welcome newcomers?

Just bumping this for you as I really don’t know much about Kirkcaldy.

If I wanted that area and coastal I would look at Aberdour and maybe Burntisland.

I am more familiar with the East Neuk of Fife which may also fit your requirements but the train station is at Leuchars outside St Andrews or Cupar.

It takes around 30 mins to drive from Kirkcaldy to Anstruther which is the biggest town in the Neuk.

I personally wouldn't move to Kirkcakdy itself. There is not a lot there anymore.
I personally prefer Cupar then towards to East Neuk.
Burnt island and Aberdour have some nice properties but I wouldn't want to live there.

If St. Andrews and surrounding are too expensive then Cupar is a nice mid way point. 30 mins to Dundee, has a train station, thriving high street etc. 20 mins to St Andrews or Leven beach or 25 mins to Tentsmuir beach.
If you have kids the secondary gets a good reputation and lots going on in the local community.

I'd agree with Aberdour, Burntisland, Dalgety bay, as all are on the train line to Edinburgh.

Kinross is nice too (but not on Trainline).

Dunfermline is nicer than Kirkcaldy, more to do but lots of new build estates & commuters.,

I think it depends on budget, what age & stage you see at?

I love living in Kirkcaldy and I think it has a lot to offer! I personally prefer it to Dunfermline when we were looking to move here we much preferred it plus more for your money!

@ProseccoThyme

I'd agree with Aberdour, Burntisland, Dalgety bay, as all are on the train line to Edinburgh.

Kinross is nice too (but not on Trainline).

Dunfermline is nicer than Kirkcaldy, more to do but lots of new build estates & commuters.,

I think it depends on budget, what age & stage you see at?

Kid will be all grown up, I will need to work part time, DH will be semi retired doing his work bucket list of projects. We like older Victorian properties, which Kirkcaldy seems to offer, along with lots of potential employers for me. We want to have a reasonable size garden to grow veg etc. Space for our dogs and be able to walk them on the beach. No one has gone it's horrid. Just maybe not exciting! Not exciting is fine.

It's honestly got so many gorgeous points! Beveridge and ravenscraig park plus the castle, pathhead sands, the raith woods, the harbour at dysart plus close to the coastal path and closer to east Neuk where we spend plenty time! I love the Victorian houses, out my budget but the areas they are in are beautiful! We also have a dog who has no complaints about his Kirkcaldy based adventures!

@Labralion

It's honestly got so many gorgeous points! Beveridge and ravenscraig park plus the castle, pathhead sands, the raith woods, the harbour at dysart plus close to the coastal path and closer to east Neuk where we spend plenty time! I love the Victorian houses, out my budget but the areas they are in are beautiful! We also have a dog who has no complaints about his Kirkcaldy based adventures!

Labralion being able to walk the dogs on the beach is a massive part of the attraction. We will be coming from the super pricing South East so we look at the Victorian properties and think bargain. We have both worked very long hours in our industries and this is our down sizing.

My choir has a branch in Kirkcaldy! (Or at least it did pre-lockdown) Take a look at Sing in the City.

Good job this form is anonymous so I can speak freely knowing some maybe offended.

Kirkcaldy is a dump. Loads of empty shops and huge swathes of industrial sites. It's grim. Poverty is very high in fife overall.

I'd go for East Lothian instead.

North Berwick is beautiful and like a mini example of Cornwall. Look there instead. Beautiful beaches and community hobbies.

If coming from super pricing south east Kirkcaldy wouldn't be top of my destination list! As PP says East Lothian, or else further up Fife coast more picturesque and less deprived.

@iwantedfairies

North Berwick is beautiful and like a mini example of Cornwall. Look there instead. Beautiful beaches and community hobbies.

OP's from Bathgate, maybe she doesn't want to live in Little Cornwall?

I agree Kirkcaldy wouldn't be my first choice, but as this is an anonymous site I can say North Berwick is homogeneous, middle class, chichi and so, so, so ridiculously overpriced. Though it is very pretty, I'll give you that. The comfortable Victorian with a huge garden will be a two bed flat in NB.

I only know Kirkcaldy from visiting for the ice hockey (Fife flyers are based there).
Not the most salubrious looking of places, but each to their own. Been to better places, been to worse.

@iwantedfairies

Good job this form is anonymous so I can speak freely knowing some maybe offended.

Kirkcaldy is a dump. Loads of empty shops and huge swathes of industrial sites. It's grim. Poverty is very high in fife overall.

I'd go for East Lothian instead.

Originally from the Kingdom myself and I agree with you. It's a place to get out of as quickly as possible. I still have relatives there so still have to brave it occasionally 😬

The East Neuk of Fife and areas around Broughty Ferry are nice, as is Kinross. It's not all awful, but you definitely want to avoid the old mining villages (no Victorian houses there for sure!).

Places like Cramond, Potobello & South Queensferry have nice beaches but are still Edinburgh & high prices.

I have to agree, Kirkcaldy isn’t a place I’d move to. There are other much nicer parts of Fife that are better to live in. Aberdour, the East Neuk etc. Good connections on the Fife Circle for the train.

Cycling wise, Kinross is a consideration but that’s Kinross-shire, not Fife. Not far from Fife though. Just on the border. No train but park and ride for the bus to Edinburgh or drive a short distance to Cowdenbeath or Dunfermline for the train.

I think it depends how you feel about living near areas of deprivation and the run down shopping area. I worked with someone who lived in Kirkcaldy and she seemed to be involved in loads of community oriented activities. Also had a gorgeous Victorian house near the beach!

I wouldn't move to Kirkcaldy either. My son was born there, but that was about my limit of going there.

There are much better places, Dalgety Bay, North Queensferry, Dunfermline, Limekilns, Burntisland

@Londonnight

I wouldn't move to Kirkcaldy either. My son was born there, but that was about my limit of going there.

There are much better places, Dalgety Bay, North Queensferry, Dunfermline, Limekilns, Burntisland

Anywhere up the coastal path is gorgeous.

You're going to get poverty everywhere and unfortunately most high streets are dying a slow death.

I think limekilns or Aberdour would suit you. Aberdour is expensive but stunning place. Lots of gorgeous little shops and cafes, a good sense of community.

I went to uni in Fife and a I know a few people who’ve settled in Burntisland and are loving it.
Interested to hear North Berwick described that way, I haven’t been for 20 years, but my grandparents lived in a council house there, it is very pretty though.

I am a Fifer and grew up in Glenrothes. Kirkcaldy wouldn't be my first choice as a place to move to but the adjoining Dysart is nice, has a beach and possibly a better sense of community. On the whole I would probably prefer one of the coastal villages - Kinghorn, Burntisland or Aberdour. They all have stations, albeit with fewer trains and are, in my opinion, much nicer places to live.

It depends how naice you want. Kirkcaldy is more deprived than some other options mentioned above.

vis.oobrien.com/booth/

Dalgety Bay is fine if you like living near radioactive beaches☢️

Dunfermline has a big cycle club (Dunfermline cycle club, unsurprisingly). There are some lovely big old stone villas in the older part of town but things are moving very fast.

This in Limekilns is nice, right on the shore. Great dog walking, lots of tracks and trails and a very good pub just along the road!