Crieff vs Auchterarder

[NikkiBM]

Hello,
Looking for some advice. My husband and I currently live in central Scotland and are looking to relocate. It needs to be the right move as we plan on this being our 'forever home'. We have narrowed it down to a few areas with Crieff and Auchterarder currently at the top of our list and would be great to get some opinions on where would be best (we are open to other suggestions too).

Here are things we are taking into consideration for our move (in no particular order):

1. We are big foodies. Food is a big part of our life. We love going out to nice restaurants, cooking, trying new food/restaurants etc. We also enjoy a good takeaway every now and then (although takeaway scene is not as important as having a good selection of proper nice restaurants nearby).
2. We want to live somewhere very dog friendly (lots of dog friendly establishments, nice dog walks, plenty greenspace, good vet, decent out of hours emergency vets just in case).
3. Good, friendly community and low crime rate. Somewhere welcoming of 'outsiders' (mentioning this as I know some small towns/villages can be a bit funny with new people).
4. Good healthcare (GP, Dentist etc) close by and not 'too much' of a travel time to hospital (just in case of an emergency).
5. Must have good Internet/phone signal in area (very important as we both work from home).
6. Good independent shops as well as a supermarket nearby (preferably an Aldi).
7. Decent salon and also massage available nearby.
8. Good wild swimming spots nearby (this is not something we currently do but we would like to take up).
9. Beautiful scenery, wildlife, semi-rural (not interested in living in a polluted, crowded concrete jungle but also do not want to be so remote that it rules out lots of other things on our list).

10. Don't want to be too far away from Stirling (within a hours drive) - family live there. 11. Car mechanics nearby. 12. Transport links (we have a car so this is not mega important... but just don't want to feel 'cut off' if our car was ever out of use for a period). 13. Worth mentioning we like older style houses (rather than new builds) with decent sized garden etc - we have this where we are at the moment so wouldn't want to have to give that up for an area with completely astronomical house prices. 14. Community events (ie Highland Games etc), Community groups/activities that we can get involved in.

Based on above, would be great to hear your thoughts/suggestions! Thanks!

I really like Crieff but I don't know how well it meets your criteria.

The advantage of Perthshire is that it's easy to get to a good chunk of Scotland from if your foodie journeys are more about day trips/weekends out to locations.

But if it's more about being able to wander to a restaurant well you have the options in Crieff itself but not the same variety a short bus or taxi ride away that you'd have in say the East Neuk. And don't underestimate how hard it can be getting a bloody taxi in the evening in smaller places.

It sounds from your post like lifestyle is important to you (I don't mean that as a dig, just that it shines through that these are the things integral to your happiness).

I'd caution against getting carried away with the type of properties you can afford being the deciding factor. There's no point being in a great house in a place that doesn't do it for you - especially when you work from home and are there all the time.

Did you rule out Perth itself? It's such a small city with beautiful views within very easy reach and some lovely period property. Great for train out to open up many dining options.

Sorry I missed your question . Yes I’d go as far as Newport onTay, Ceres, Strathkinness, Drumoig ( not a village per se - super nice housing round a golf course but lovely setting , Madras School catchment , buses every ten mins to St Andrews and Dundee), Blebo Craigs, kingsbarns. All lovely places to live.

Newport is a good call; 15 minutes to St Andrews, straight over the bridge into Dundee city centre, an hour to Stirling. The Newport Hotel is lovely, it has a few nice cafes and an art gallery, V&A right over the river, tons of green space and big parks near by. There's a lovely walk through a farm estate with herons and lots of wildlife.

Sorry to say that the Newport restaurant has closed down. I think this includes the rooms.

Actually what I said above isn't entirely true.

I believe the restaurant has reopened for more casual dining and is now called the Newport Inn.

I’m so glad you’ve had some nicer responses after weirdly hostile early contributions! I can’t necessarily comment on the places you are choosing between, but wanted to suggest Aberdour, Burntisland and Kinghorn as other Fife options that aren’t East Neuk levels of unconnected but have nice foodie and community stuff going on. Not Michelin level obviously - but I’m assuming that nice delis, decent coffee shops etc are a more frequent part of your life than Michelin dining. (I’m jealous if im wrong). And you’re a 30 min train from Edinburgh for city culture. Burntisland has its issues but has the most delightful and foodie friendly high street, plus gorgeous Victorian housing stock.

Yes - haven't been yet but reviews from friends are very positive.

I used to work in Crieff and there is a bit of a drug issue which can lead to a bit of antisocial behaviour in St James square (next to the lovely deli), convenient for local police station at least. It had a couple of years as a business improvement district and that was really positive. Essentially businesses had to pay in and funded by council/ grants. They failed to get the votes to keep it going though.

Auchterarder has a nicer feel about it no Aldi though!