Please share your honest opinion on edinburgh outskirt destinations?

[MercurialMargot]

Evening Scotsnet,

TLDR: which small town commutable to Edinburgh with great family life and easy access to gym and nature would you recommend please?

We will be moving your way (Edinburgh) in July due to my DH's job. I am a nurse so will hope to find work in one of the larger hospitals in Edinburgh. We live in a small town with lots of nature and community and are looking for more of the same.

We are going to come and have a good look around mid January and again in March but I know that the most reliable information will come from the experts. So with that in mind, please please share your honest opinions.

We are an outdoorsy and sporty family who prioritise happiness and health over status and achievement. I have a four times a week gym habit and my son and husband are both involved with the local football clubs.

We have a budget of around 600k.

From purely reading and looking on maps Penicuik looks like a great fit with the local gyms and nature right on the doorstep.

Balerno is catching my eye due to huge amounts of positive reviews for family life. I am the fundraiser for our local preschool and like to get involved with volunteering locally.

I'm so frightened of the move damaging the kids (4&8) and want to make sure we make the right decision so that we only move once.
Please help me get this right.

I’d get a job first, there’s a big difference in commuting to the royal and the western general! I wouldn’t want to do the later from anywhere in Midlothian unless you did shift work and travelled at quieter times. Also, if I had 600k I’d be living within the city bypass not Penicuik.

Yip as previous poster says which hospital you work in would play a major part in your chosen town. Western - Kirkliston , South Queeensferry anll commutable. Edinburgh Royal then Balerno ,Haddington or North Berwick (further along coast but lovely!

Yes agree depends on the hospital being commutable but I wouldn't say Penicuik was best for amenities especially with your budget - East Lothian (Dunbar / North Berwick / Haddington) is beautiful and commutable into Edinburgh with the added benefit of the gorgeous beaches, Roslin is lovely, easy access to bypass and therefore hospitals and also close to the pentlands, Roslin country park etc.

If it’s the Royal Infirmary, definitely East Lothian. I’d look at Haddington, Port Seton, Longniddry, Dunbar.

I’ve never liked the “feel” of Midlothian. There’s more deprivation than East Lothian.

If it’s the Western General, Kirkliston, Linlithgow.

Also, don’t rule out being close to nature and still in the city, the pentland hills are on the doorstep, the city is built on 7 hills, the water of leith footpath and beaches on the north side of the city!

I've lived in East Lothian, Edinburgh, and now currently Midlothian. I probably preferred East Lothian, it has the perfect balance of countryside, seaside, lovely villages, and is extremely easy to commute to Edinburgh via the A1. Longniddry is a gorgeous village, not too far to commute each day, but still far enough away from Edinburgh to feel fairly remote. The only drawback would be if you got a job at the infirmary, you would have to contend with Sheriff Hall roundabout which is a nightmare in rush hour. I wouldn't even consider East Lothian if you're looking to get a job in any other city hospital as you would have to drive through Edinburgh, and Edinburgh is the worst city for traffic. I would avoid Penicuik, yes it has the pentlands on it's doorstep, but it is an awful commuter town due to the traffic and lack of public transport links. If you want to be closer to Edinburgh, then Dalkeith could be a better shout, and with your budget you could easily get something lovely in Eskbank which is a highly desirable area. I can't speak for Balerno but I've heard it's nice, however the drawback there is you would need to contend with the city bypass which is more often than not at a complete standstill. Id avoid any location that would mean I had to drive the bypass every day like the plague!

Where will your husband be working?That will decide where you live as he won't want to be crossing the city in rush hour!
Hospital wise you have choices within the city and also St John's in Livingston is an easy commute if you're to the west.
For your budget Balerno, Currie, North Berwick, Haddington, South Queensferry, Linlithgow are all nice places that tick your boxes but it really depends where you're both commuting to

I live in Midlothian, there are parts that are absolutely beautiful. It's close enough to Edinburgh royal infirmary and I have several friends who work there. But it would be no use if you worked at the Western or st Johns, so I echo others saying you need to know which hospital first. Penicuik doesn't have much to do IMO and we ruled it out. You could look at areas like Balerno, Fairmilehead etc where you'd be close to bypass but also easy access to Edinburgh and you've got pentlands etc on your doorstep. Equally east Lothian is lovely and has easy links. But you'd not want to live there and be trying to get to the Western. The bypass is a nightmare at peak times.

Actually for Midlothian my first choice would be Lasswade over Eskbank, just remembered after I posted lol, Lasswade high school is also one of the best high schools in the area if that's of interest.

Ratho village is lovely with a community feel

Agree with others that you need to get the job first and make sure you consider the traffic. It can take my boss an hour and a half to get round the city bypass sometimes. Commuting in Edinburgh is not fun.

Midlothian schools rank terribly. Linlithgow or East Lothian is where you want to be.

Thank you all so much, this is so helpful.

I work twelve hour shifts so manage to skip the traffic most of the time but will definitely do more research. My husband works from home and can commute to the office occasionally in city centre at times to avoid rush hour so that's not too bad.

@MercurialMargot you'd need to be in work by 7.30 to miss the Edinburgh rush hour. Your 12 hour shift will generally start at 8am so as long as you're happy to go in early.
Evenings will be fine.

Bit harsh, both Dalkeith and Lasswade rank higher than some East Lothian schools. I grew up in East Lothian and my daughter is growing up in Midlothian, we moved areas when she was in early primary and her new school in Midlothian is 10x better than her old East Lothian school.

Also be aware of the parking situation at the royal - very few get permits & there have been issues with the off-site park & ride - not sure if it is even running now.

The Western is pretty tricky too.

There's also St John's depending on your area of nursing.

I'd choose north Berwick or Aberlady/Gullane over Haddington.

And South Queensferry, Linlithgow, Cammo or Dalmeny over Kirkliston or Winchburgh with that budget.

Top of my list would be Roslin, Dunbar, North Berwick, Bonaly (within the bypass but 2 minutes walk on a footpath to the Pentlands, or lovely walks from Spylaw park all the way into the city), Swanston (same as Bonaly for the Pentlands). Balerno is lovely but takes forever to get into the city.

It depends what your priorities are. Personally, for me it would be the schools. Look at reviews carefully.

Haddington, Dunbar and North Berwick fit your brief almost perfectly. You'll get more for your money in Haddington than North Berwick and it's better for routes into Edinburgh in my opinion, but all three are a good fit.

Roslin is a good shout or areas around Dalkeith. Might sound mad but you could go down to Peebles. Great for sporty families, your money will go far. East Lothian is also a good option as others say but it’s more fashionable than good value.

That's a great budget. You could definitely live on the edge of the city and have everything you want as well - if you'd prefer skipping the commute! I live in the south of the city and it's great - easy to get to loads of parks, but also anywhere else too