Moving to Edinburgh/vicinity

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I moved to Glasgow as a teenager and now I'm in my mid 30s and seriously considering leaving - I've had an itchy feet feeling for some time.

Initially I was exploring staying with my current employer and moving to one of their English city office locations but now I can't stop thinking about Edinburgh/vicinity being the better option.

I work in financial services, mostly remotely (currently 2 days in the office and some travel). I live alone and have a small dog who would need to be looked after when I'm out for work. I also don't drive or have a car currently but it's absolutely necessary, I could probably sort myself out and learn. I'd prefer if any commute was under an hour and reliable on public transport.

Lifestyle-wise, I'm a huge reader, love taking my dog on nice walks and enjoy a relaxing glass of wine. Happy to live in a small/modest home and have a better environment around me - somewhere quieter with nice walks/scenery, a few local amenities, some sense of community.

Any suggestions of towns/areas I should investigate?

Where do you live in Glasgow? I can think of areas that would suit your brief.

Budget is probably going to be the biggest driver.

If you go on Rightmove there is an option called where can I live, you can put in your budget and criteria such as travel time to work and it will identify areas with properties usually in budget and then anything that's currently for sale in those areas.

Depends on budget. Morningside, Marchmont, or Stockbridge in Edinburgh if you can afford it. Big green spaces nearby and very dog friendly. Mostly independent shops/coffee places.

Look at East Lothian - many places have a good rail service into Edinburgh, or it’s not far to drive to a railway station. Beautiful places for walking etc.

Do you like coastal or rural OP. Coastal, East Lothian or perhaps the East Neuk. Somewhere not far from a train or bus service to get in and out of Edinburgh. For something more ruralish, the Borders or up to the likes of Kinross. Some places have good bus services but you’re hammered with volume of traffic at rush hour, aka getting from Fife over to Edinburgh but if you’re only doing it a couple of days a week, it’s manageable. Also what about South Queensferry or Linlithgow. Lots of places really. What’s your budget.

Anywhere within the city bypass will get you into the city centre by bus in under an hour, as will parts of east/mid/west Lothian but the traffic can be bad travelling by road so I wouldn't go too far out unless it's on a train route.
This really comes down to budget......

Budget based on my current salary is probably around £300k for a one bed - this may go up if I secure a new role with a higher salary.

In your 30s I’d look at Bruntsfield, Marchmont, Stockbridge and surrounding areas. I’m in my 30s and most of my friends live in those areas or nearby. All pretty good balance of having some nice shops/coffee shops etc locally, being able to get into central Edinburgh (easy walk) but also able to get out for walks/nature too - in south Edinburgh you can easily walk to Holyrood, the Braids, Blackford Hill. Not much further and you’re in the Pentlands (easier to drive to the Pentlands but can cycle down the canal/Water of Leith and there’s some limited bus services). You would get a one bed for your budget, maybe even a two bed or a one bed with a decent box room to have as space for guests/work space etc.

Commuting to Glasgow from Edinburgh is doable too if you wanted to keep your current job - I don’t think I’d want to do it every day but once or twice a week is fine. It’s 45 mins ish on the train so depending on how far it it’s from the station on either side it could be around an hour or so.

I love the towns/villages around East Lothian but absolutely wouldn’t want to live there in my 30s - especially if single. I imagine they’re lovely for families but I think you might find it harder to make friends there and you may be trying to get into Edinburgh for a social life, which is going to be a bit limiting.

Can I just piggyback here as it’s a recent thread and I want to ask a sort of parallel question. My needs are slightly different, but also considering moving to somewhere near Edinburgh. We are in our late 50s and looking for a small new build, downsizing, as a UK/Scottish Base that we could live in for a couple of years, then rent out while we spend five years in France, before returning to the UK. We don’t want to come off the market totally in the UK as it moves a lot faster than the French market. I lived in Glasgow until I was 25 and have also lived in Edinburgh city centre but not for a long time. I am seeing some of the new builds around Miller Hill and over towards Musselburgh and Portobello and compared to the price of new builds where we live in central England, they look very attractive. I would welcome any views on this area as I don’t know it. I like the idea of both this city under the coast being accessible. We will be retiring so don’t need to commute and don’t have to think about schools.

Our budget will be about £350,000 but lower would be even better.

We only need two beds but three beds would be nice. Please tell me to start a new thread OP if this is too much away from what you are asking. Thanks.