Rosyth/Dunfermline or Winchburgh

[MIFFY03]

We are a retired couple from Manchester wanting to move upto Scotland to be nearer to our daughter who lives in South Queensferry. We are looking at new builds but not sure of the areas to go for, any advise would be welcome.

If your DD is in South Queensferry then I would choose Winchburgh because you will be on the correct side of the Forth. I know nothing about it as a town though. I wouldn't choose Rosyth to live in but Dunfermline is fine.

Winchburgh has grown hugely in the six years I have known it. My husband lived there before he met me. There have been thousands of houses built. There is only one small Sainsbury's supermarket there at the moment and the GP surgery is a branch surgery so really struggling with patient numbers as there are too many people.
There are some lovely new schools and lovely countryside with a park that's being built. They also hope to get a railway station as getting into Edinburgh can be difficult at rush hour. Friends of my daughter's have just moved there as you get more for your money. They do seem quite happy

Winchburgh seems to have been properly designed new build town, well thought through to have open space. So different from so many new build places which are just a load of houses that have been dumped on land.

What sort of house do you want for what sort of budget? What’s important to you, facilities, accessibility, access to nice walks, proximity to daughter?

@FabuIous
Proximity to daughter would be first.
Looking for 3 bed property, probs semi detached or bungalow.
Access to nice walks as we have 2 dogs.
Would like essentials not too far away, doctors, vets, supermarket.
Budget not more than £360,000

Rosyth is a bit of a mixed area. Dunfermline considers itself to be much more upmarket but also has bad areas.

its not on your list but I would go for Linlithgow

I’m guessing with those locations you don’t have a Linlithgow budget.
Will you want public transport links or okay driving? Some lovely villages in West Fife (Limekilns etc). Consider Dalgety Bay too: good doctors surgery, decent supermarkets, lovely sea views.
Fife would probably be fine for you because if you don’t need to cross the bridge in rush hour it should be fine. From Inverkeithing or North Queensferry you could walk or cycle over!

@EBoo80 I have been looking at dalgety bay tbh. North queensferry doesn't seem to have many properties for sale. Is Inverkeithing nice?

Dalgety Bay is much better than Inverkeithing!

What about somewhere like Bo'ness? Right side of the water for South Queensferry, lovely walks around and has all the amenities you're looking for.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/157405838#/?channel=RES_BUY

Not Inverkeithing. Dalgety Bay is much much better.

I'd avoid any property close to the actual bay given that the radioactive material hasn't yet been cleaned up, to my knowledge.

Does Dalgety Bay manage to escape the Mossmorran glow?

Is there a reason you aren’t considering South Queensferry itself?
I’d think it or Linlithgow are the nicest places with facilities etc.

Why don't you look at a new build in South Queensferry, there are lots of brand new houses and flats being built there at the moment.
To be honest, I wouldn't be very enthusiastic about Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay or Winchburgh and I totally agree with @FabuIous who suggested Linlithgow and Queensferry itself. I'd take a slightly older house in both these locations anytime before a new place in the other suggestions.
There are lots of new builds being constructed at the moment in West Edinburgh though they are fairly expensive.

Winchburgh feels like somewhere that’s had the soul sucked out of it to me! South Queensferry is much nicer and at least has a train station, although some of the properties are a long way from it. If you don’t need to commute across the bridge at rush hour I’d definitely look along the Fife coast.

I'd pick Dunfermline out of any of those areas, it feels much more like a proper established city with loads of restaurants, theatres, good transport links, nice parks. I like somewhere that has a bit of life to it.

Linlithgow is nice too, as is Dalgety Bay but they're both more sedate with fewer amenities.

N Queensferry is pretty expensive and a small village but is lovely.

Winchburgh, Rosyth, and Bo'ness I consider very scruffy.

Dunfermline is a nice place, but the new build places are just not. Why do these places ever get planning permission? People need parks, libraries, cafes, shops, not just endless houses.

There’s nice developments in the city centre at Dunfermline.
Agree that Inverkeithing is not the nicest (although amazing very old buildings and fantastic connections to Edinburgh - I keep expecting it to gentrify but it just isn’t!)

@EBoo80 do you know the areas of the nice developments in Dunfermline? TIA

To be fair, Duloch in Dunfermline (the massive newish bit) has plenty of choice and is v close to the M90 to get to SQ quickly and walkable to two train stations, depending on where you are. It’s convenient for getting to places! Some areas are better than others there - feel free to PM me if you wish. Garvock Hill is a nice area closer to the town centre.

This is in a nice little corner near the main train station. Garvock Hill. Pitcorthie, which is a nice 1960s/70s estate .

Or go completely off-piste and get a big flat in an old linen weaving mill right in the centre of town.

@macaroonmayhem is doing a great job for you here OP. Whatever she said!

And, I agree with @EBoo80 about Inverkeithing - it’s long overdue a bit of a glow-up. There are some stunning properties dotted in and around the place and the high school moving to Rosyth might improve things further. Plus you would have excellent train or bus connections to SQ.

You could have a tiny castle on the high street!