Where to live (central belt)

[housemove123]

I'm NCing as I have friends on here and nobody knows yet, but we are most likely making a big move in the next few months!

I've never lived in the areas I'm looking at, and I've not even lived in Scotland for some years now and so can't easily go have a look round any time soon. Any advice would be great to narrow my search. We will most likely rent at first then buy, but regardless, we wouldn't want to move to another area if we didn't like the one we'd rented in, as it could mean moving schools (again) which would be unfair. So we have to get this right first time, and settle in the area for the long haul!

Wishlist:

• easy commute to Falkirk/Larbert areas (ideally 20 min or less but could go slightly further if really needed)
• not far from East Kilbride (ideally max. 30 min and/or doable on public transport)
• good school catchment area (primary and secondary)
• nice (pref naice) area with good parks, family activities, safe, etc.
• ideally walking distance from a train station that runs to Glasgow

I've started looking at Larbert itself, but it doesn't seem to have much going on. Lenzie has been mentioned on here before and could be a contender, but I'd love to know more about it. I don't know much about Falkirk or Stirling, except that Dunblane and Bridge of Allan have a good reputation. I've never been to either properly, only driven through and it was years ago. Can anyone advise on those places along with specific postcodes/areas to stick in Rightmove there? Anywhere else to look at? Thanks in advance!

Lenzie/ Kirkintilloch is a nice area to live in, and schools are generally good. Cafes and shops not the best but it’s 10 minutes in the train to Glasgow, and 50 minutes to Edinburgh Lots of areas for walks and good travel links .
It’s about 30 minutes to drive to Larbert or East Kilbride . Trains leave Lenzie regularly for Larbert and take under 20 minutes.

Some of the areas being suggested on here aren't "naice". Stepps, Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch and Kilsyth are all working class / average towns and are probably not what you're looking for. As a PP suggested there are a lot of nice villages surrounding EK.

There's this in Dunblane. A bit of a fixer upper but that's a good o/o price.

Ochiltree, Dunblane, FK15

rightmove link

Thank you. I know the EK/South Lanarkshire/East Ren areas and whilst I can think of a couple of places there I'd like to live, it would be up to an hour commute each way, every day, to Falkirk.

Looks like Dunblane could be just about within reach, if the right property comes up when we're ready to buy.

@OwlSeeUL8r
Actually some of the old parts of Kirkintilloch are very nice, ( Westermains area and around there) with good primary schools which are feeders for Lenzie Academy or St Ninians. . Lenzie is very middle class.

@OwlSeeUL8r What are you talking about? Kilsyth and parts of Cumbernauld are very deprived.

Stepps, Kirkie and Croy are much more like Lenzie.

OP Dunblane to EK is an absolute slog if that was important to you.

I lived in Lenzie and worked in EK for a while, but drove so that doesn't help you.
I grew up in Lenzie and would agree that the demographic in Stepps, Kilsyth, Kirky had changed hugely with all the new builds.
I would avoid anywhere east of Lenzie for getting to EK. Lenzie to Glasgow QS is 15 mins, 5 min walk to central, then train to EK would be fine - is this a parent who will be helping with childcare?

@weebarra Yes, hopefully. They'd gladly help out a bit but as I say, one not keen driving much out of EK and one who doesn't drive. At worst, we can drive over there at weekends but it would be great if they could come to us during the week sometimes.

[quote SunflowerMedals]@OwlSeeUL8r What are you talking about? Kilsyth and parts of Cumbernauld are very deprived.

Stepps, Kirkie and Croy are much more like Lenzie.

OP Dunblane to EK is an absolute slog if that was important to you.[/quote]
That's rubbish, Croy and Kirkintilloch also have very deprived areas. Stepps is average. If OP is looking for middle class areas she's better avoiding Lanarkshire altogether and sticking to East Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire.

Yep Kirkintilloch does have some deprived areas but it has some very nice areas too. I lived there for quite a few years . Most of the neighbours we knew were doctors , lawyers and professional people. And it’s in East Dunbartonshire not Lanarkshire

@RunnerDown

Yep Kirkintilloch does have some deprived areas but it has some very nice areas too. I lived there for quite a few years . Most of the neighbours we knew were doctors , lawyers and professional people. And it’s in East Dunbartonshire not Lanarkshire

Yes, I'm perfectly aware that Kirkintilloch is in East Dunbartonshire, I stayed in Kilsyth years ago so I'm very famililar with that whole shitty area. Even though it's technically in East Dunbartonshire it's not as nice as the likes of Lenzie, Milngavie and Bearsden and the schools are a mixed bag.

I was referring to people saying that areas of Lanarkshire such as Croy, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth were viable options for the OP when she clearly stated that she wanted a "naice" town. North Lanarkshire is the 6th most deprived council area in Scotland!

I would say the 'nice' areas of Cumbernauld would be your best bet, so Craigmarloch, Westerwood, Smithstone, Dullatur, Blackwood, Broadwood.

Lenzie/Bishopbriggs would also work, but I think you'd struggle to get a 5 bed for your budget

Sounds like you’re looking for Dunblane or Bridge of Allan.

Depends if schools are a priority. Of course, league tables do not tell the whole picture but Stepps and Kirkintilloch score higher in the tables than the Stirlingshire schools (bar Dunblane). Again, league tables don't tell the whole picture but it might be important to someone wanting a 'naice' place to live.

Uddingston/Bothwell/Newton Farm type areas? Can drive to larbert in under 30 mins and certainly Newton to EK can be driven in under 15 mins.

These areas have large new developments being built so nice houses and a nice area. Only downside is the secondary schools aren't on par with East Ren but East Ren doesn't work for your commute. But we're not talking 'bad' schools, just not the top 10 that you get elsewhere and I'll actually be interested to see how the schools perform in the next 5-10 years as they begin to see the impact of the new estates and amount of people moving in to the areas.

Thanks. I hadn't heard of Newton Farm before - I'll have a look.

I agree league tables aren't the be all and end all, but I would like a school that's not known for being a bit crap, basically. Doesn't need to be top 10 - more like top 100 probably! A bit above average in results, good teachers, generally engaged pupils not full of neds and drug users like my high school was. With a nice, friendly (preferably not enormous) primary school to go to now, with some clubs and good after school care.

Have you looked at Strathaven OP? It's a lovely market town with lots of new housing developments, a good high school and is about 20 minutes away from East Kilbride. Not that close to Falkirk / Larbert though...

Kirkintilloch is a mix but there's a lot of Cala housing estates going up (generally very "naice") plus other new build estates mostly made up of detached houses.

Even in the least desirable catchment (Hillhead) there's some nice leafy areas with a very middle class feel.

If you can get into the Lenzie Academy catchment (not entirely within Lenzie) you've got the same price (and "naice" vibe) as Lenzie itself.

We moved from England to Kirkintilloch last year. DH is working in Bearsden but Kirkintilloch gives me more employment options and is much better connected to the road network.

Cumbernauld / dullatur

Kirkintilloch

Lenzie

All have nice bits and stuff going on. Cumbernauld less so but I like how central it is for everywhere. I also disagree about a pop's assessment of the schools there. The catholic schools in particular are really pretty good!

I don't think EK is a simple commute for anywhere really.

The key thing with Cumbernauld is, IMO, to avoid anywhere near the town centre. It's an absolute eyesore. As above, places like Craigmarloch, Smithstone, Dullatur, Blackwood, Broadwood, maybe Balloch are your best bet. And very handy for commuting by train. There are plans for lots of new housing in the area. The demographic in those areas is vastly different from elsewhere in the town - they are full of professionals with families.

@JillsFlapjacks totally agree. I just sometimes think Cumbernauld is lacking a bit in amenities. If you have a car though it's not problem and the house prices really reflect that. Good value for money even in the very nice areas of Cumbernauld. Decent public transport in Cumbernauld as well.

Uddingston meets all of your criteria

[quote forfucksakenett]@JillsFlapjacks totally agree. I just sometimes think Cumbernauld is lacking a bit in amenities. If you have a car though it's not problem and the house prices really reflect that. Good value for money even in the very nice areas of Cumbernauld. Decent public transport in Cumbernauld as well. [/quote]
I totally agree re: amenities. As we drive it isn't so much of an issue, luckily, but I can see why it could be a dealbreaker for people.

Bothwell?