Help me decide where to live!

[soundsys]

So I'm from Glasgow but have lived down in London for years...

But now I'm really feeling the call of home and am starting to think about moving back in the next couple of years. So... would you help me with places to think about? I obviously know Glasgow and lots of the West of Scotland well but I was 20 when I moved and obviously what's important to me then isn't the same as what's important to me now! Trying to come up with a shortlist of places to start us off...

The wish list (which may or may not entirely exist!):

By the sea. Ideally, like, walk out of my door and into the sea by the sea but appreciate that might be a compromise! I would like to see the sea, though (if it was entirely up to me I'd go and live on an island but it isn't, so that's the compromise already).

Reasonably close to Glasgow on the train for work/visiting family - we wouldn't have a daily commute so maybe... max. 90 minutes say? Or so the kids when older can travel through for gigs/sports etc

Ideally somewhere I wouldn't have to learn to drive - happy to walk and/or cycle reasonable distances to get around locally (again, this isn't a deal breaker, I'll suck it up and learn if I need to!)

Good schools

Decent pub(s), coffee shop(s) etc

Anyone like to help my narrow it down? Thank you 🙏

@soundsys Don’t be fooled by the luxury of your own swimming pool 🤣 The house is right on the main road through the village and has very little in the way of garden etc 😊

I think Largs would be a great location for you 😊 Happy to answer any Qs you have about the area 😊

Thanks everyone! Think we'll go and explore Largs properly when we're next up :)

Does anyone have an opinion of Wemyss Bay? Have seen a lovely house there (online) and location appeals to DH more (closer to Glasgow) but when I mentioned it to someone in real life they made a face...

Wemyss Bay has, if I remember correctly:
Nice houses
A pretty train station
A caravan park
A ferry to Rothesay

And nothing else

@soundsys Yeah @thedevilinablackdress has it correct 🤣 plus a decent butchers and a fish and chip shop. Only 10 mins drive from Largs for supermarket etc but really not much there.

If you're thinking about teenagers and gigs then I retract South Queensferry! Go for somewhere with good links and short travel time to Glasgow as that's where it all happens. We often travel through for this reason and have to drive as public transport to SQ does exist but is slow, irregular and unreliable. Also very expensive!

I think you'll get a lot more for your budget on the West coast... it may also be wetter more of the time though so invest in decent waterproofs! Current mad weather excepted.