Relocating in a few years - but where?

[missfliss]

Currently live in Sussex ( coastal) with husband.
Both his parents are Glaswegian - and we are seriously considering making a move to Scotland when our son ( now 12) is older. We aren't looking to move now A he's settled into a specialist school ( has SEN) and would be very disruptive.

Looking for somewhere:

• coastal ( I'm a keen sea swimmer and like to go in all year)
• friendly with a good community feel
• good local amenities ( shops / pubs etc)
• picturesque
• access to city in under 90 minutes ( Edinburgh or Glasgow)
• where a budget of 450k would buy something nice with outdoor space

Any tips

Cheerful and polite bump - hope the tone of my question was ok. Maybe not enough to go on or conversely too precise.
Any tips or suggestions welcome - school not a consideration, more a nice place to agile away out later years but with access to a city for some cultural attractions ( galleries / theatres and museums).

Broughty Ferry near Dundee.

Or Monifieth or Arbroath, or stonehaven

Maybe somewhere along the east Neuk of Fife

Was going to say the same! Come to Angus. You'll get a LOT for 450k.

Helensburgh

Ooh thanks all - will look into

East Lothian. My SIL is a year round sea swimmer there. I think it's a good wee community of them.

We've just returned from a holiday on the Ayrshire coast near Turnberry. There are loads of places to swim nearby and I saw a group in swimming at Turnberry beach even though it was late in the day and quite chilly. They were loving it. Other than them and us and a couple of people walking dogs it was deserted.

Oh, and people we met out and about were very friendly - my oh who's also from Sussex thinks it was because the could understand me as I'm a Glaswegian but I think they were genuinely happy to see people.

More lovely replies to investigate - Thankyou all

If your coming from Sussex the weather will be very different. If you like outdoors lifestyle, spending time in garden etc then think about what you're looking for. East coast is cool but dry and no midges. West coast warmer and wetter and midges in summer. And some of the west coast can be incredibly wet from September to Christmas.
Inverness/Moray sunny and dry but harsher winters.

It depends how close you want to be to Glasgow really!
As another poster said West is wetter but warmer and also midges, East is drier but cooler.
There are some beautiful villages/towns around Dundee right on the coast. Stonehaven would hit most of your criteria other then distance (there is a ASN school too)
Personally I would look into school options first then work backwards for areas!

Thankyou - school won't be a consideration at the point we move - son a teen now, so will be in a few years when he has left school.
We have holidayed in Fife before and liked it, but open to other areas - the theme of warmer wetter west with midges versus cooler drier east is mentioned a lot. What do you all do about midges? Is it something you just put up with or is repellent a thing?

Flying the flag for Dumfries and Galloway - Castle Douglas/Kirkcudbright are lovely parts of the country, close to the Solway Firth. Whether you'd get to Glasgow or Edinburgh in 90 minutes is questionable, but Carlisle isn't that far away.

I'd also suggest north of Dumfries: Thornhill, Penpont, Moniaive (pronounced Money-ive) for ease of access to the M74, across the Dalveen Pass (possibly my favourite piece of the world right there). You'd have access to plenty of burns, the river Nith for swimming etc., and still not far from the coast - about 40 minutes or so to CD.

Lots of outdoor swimming going on the East Neuk. Elie has a wild swimming group called the Blue Tits. Both St Monans and Pittenweem have outdoor tidal pools that are well used.

What do you all do about midges? Is it something you just put up with or is repellent a thing?

Live on the east coast!
But there are good repellents

I second Dumfries and Galloway especially Galloway it’s self where Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright are situated, ticks every single one of your boxes. It is definitely wetter; lots of rain in the autumn/beginning of the winter and warmer here but also pretty windy at times, good news no midges. But unless you own a helicopter you’ll not get into Glasgow in 90 mins realistically you need to allow 2 hours by car. Public transport to Glasgow is also pretty rubbish there are fast trains from Lockerbie but the service is becoming increasingly unreliable or slower trains from Dumfries.
Personally I’m not mad on Carlisle it’s a fair drive for an okish shopping place. I’m no shopaholic so on the rare occasions I do want to go shopping I go to Glasgow because it’s a great city hundreds of shops of all types and you can combine it with other things; fab museums etc most of my friends/work colleagues do the same thing.

If you aren't worried about schools then Ayrshire or Inverclyde coast ticks all your boxes and you would get a lot for your budget. Anywhere on the railway line from Troon/Ayr all the way up and round the Clyde coast to Greenock. Most places will be under an hour on train to central Glasgow, less to drive if ILs in suburbs.

Lots of sea swimming groups just search the town names on Facebook. Yes it's wetter overall, although there are still plenty lovely days and it's gorgeous even in the rain with views across the islands from every town and village. I am from the east coast now live on west coast and I genuinely don't find it any worse. Or the midgies. Puzzles me why it's always mentioned on here. Really only an issue at dusk and smidge repellent works well. It's certainly not enough of an issue to factor in such an important decision.

Gourock is a pretty town adjacent to Greenock with lots of facilities. Stunning views from many properties.
Largs is very popular with retirees and is a bit more touristy (and middle class) with associated facilities. There are also quite a lot of English residents so you wouldn't be so out of place as you might find in some of the other towns. Ardrossan (part of the "three towns" has some stunning traditional seafront properties that come up at amazing prices) and does have local facilities but it's quite a different demographic from the others I mention and I suspect you might find it harder to blend in not being a local. Prestwick is meant to be quite nice but I don't know it well. Irvine/Troon/Ayr are all bigger towns.

Some of the villages (wemyss bay/skelmorlie/Fairlie) are lovely but don't meet your criteria on facilities which is also why we ruled them out. Seamill attached to West Kilbride is gorgeous and has some facilities and lots of crafty shops in the village so might be worth a look but we still found it too small.

Although I don't know it so well the recommendations of Helensburgh and that coast are worth a look. Particularly if your in-laws are to the north of Glasgow.

Even as a born and bred east coaster I don't think that's a good suggestion in your case. Just signing yourself up to a lot of long boring stop-start drives along the m8. Which is even more grim from October to April - don't underestimate just how long and dark Scottish winters are. On the flip side this time of year is wonderful.

”don't underestimate just how long and dark Scottish winters are. On the flip side this time of year is wonderful.”
^^ This.
”Or the midgies. Puzzles me why it's always mentioned on here.”
^^ And this. I was in fairness eaten alive around dusk when right up the west coast beyond Oban as I am top of their menu but have never had a problem where I live in south west Scotland and I regularly walk my dogs at prime midge time.
im interested in the comment about not being “out of place” in a town with a lot of English residents I’m very obviously English as are other members of my family, we live in various parts of Scotland and have always received a warm friendly welcome from the Scots in fact much friendly than that we ever received in England. It’s one of the great things about living here. I was at a conference recently and met a few people from abroad who’d moved to Scotland for work again they commented on how friendly and welcoming the Scots are. We all moan a bit about the weather but it is a wonderful place to live.

@NosnowontheScottishhills I think it depends on the area to be honest! Also English and my area is very hit and miss to what the reception is like once they realise your not a tourist and have bought a property!

Many responses to if DH or I have a opinion is we don't understand as outsiders and English it doesn't matter how many years, how many community groups involved in etc but I am rural North East where unless your family have been in the town 4 generations then your an outsider too. We just ignore it and smile.

That’s very interesting and as you say maybe depends on the area. I’m rural south west and IME experience most Scots are curious as to why I moved here they take this beautiful quiet area for granted I guess and where I’m from but very welcoming and accepting.

I also think housing pressure and cost can be a factor in it as well. Around us affordable housing is a problem and the housing market prices is well above the Scottish average, houses usually sell pretty quickly.

I remember being in the pub just after we had bought and had a guy ranting at us for being another outsider taking houses away from locals and that we should "go home". The barman did point out our house had been on the market a year before we bought it and no local wanted to touch it due to how much work it needed!

”Or the midgies. Puzzles me why it's always mentioned on here.”

I think the midge problem varies a lot by area. We've just been away for a weekend in Argyll, chalet next to a sea loch. View was stunning but we couldn't sit outside for a drink in the evenings. Got driven inside by swarms of midges even with repellent.
But i know people who live at the seaside on west coast who aren't bothered nearly as much.

So much to bear in mind - Thankyou everyone

@ErmentrudeTheCow You're right - there were none on the west coast - thankfully!