Moving to Scotland from Essex

[Ainhoa76]

Hi all, we are moving to scotland from essex and have a 3YO boy. Budget of £400k for a 3-4 bedrooms house. Which areas do you recommend in Ayr, Livingstone, Stirling? Needs to be on an area for good primary and secondary schooling? thanks!!

Of those choices I would pick Stirling, there are good primary and secondary schools. This house in Torbrex needs some work but the area is great, there are lots on new builds but they are further out from the town centre:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/161078708?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

I would also go to Stirling out of those areas. It's got some excellent schools and is a nice area.

thank you !

which areas of stirling would you avoid? x

Where are you going to be working?
Ayr is quite different to livingstone and Stirling in terms of access things like major train lines and airports etc. Stirling is a good option for opening up commuting opportunities to Edinburgh and Glasgow if that’s a consideration, and you’re on the doorstep of some great countryside. The west coast can be very wet too!

I’m an Ayr Lass and I’m biased as moved abroad and came back here because I loved it so much
access to transport is ok, Glasgow is an hour away by car, Edinburgh about 1h45ish by car, prestwick airport is the next town over and then obv Glasgow and Edinburgh airports
trainwise you’d need to go via Glasgow for things like Edinburgh or England but it’s 45 minutes ish away via train. Not sure on buses - it’s quite a limited service ie no night buses

Ferry-wise not too far from Ardrossan (for Arran) or Stranraer (for Belfast)

no idea on schools BUT there’s the added bonus of the seaside which perks up at various times for things like the air show.

i agree the west coast is wet but not as cold as the east - my dad always said the Gulf Stream came into the bay which kept it milder than the East

hope wherever you go makes you and your family safe ❤️ and happy xx

The Arran ferry is currently sailing from Troon and the ferries to Northern Ireland haven't sailed from Stranraer since 2011.

I grew up in Ayr and loved it. Moved away for 15 years and lived variously in Dundee, Edinburgh and West Lothian but ended up moving back to Ayr after having my daughter as I wanted her to have the childhood I had growing up and nowhere else was quite the same.
We love living within walking distance of the beach, and Ayr has plenty of amenities including big parks, cinema, theatre, restaurants etc, and train to Glasgow. Nice areas in Ayr include Alloway, Doonfoot, Greenan, Seafield and Belmont. Doonfoot and Alloway primary schools get a good name, as does the local private school, Wellington.

Avoid Livingston unless you can drive. I moved here when I was 13 and don’t drive, it also feels like everyone knows each other and truthfully I felt a bit left out. Same situ with Bathgate, Armadale, west Calder. Everyone knows everyone. I have an English accent and I was horrendously bullied at school, ended up leaving school at fifteen.

I actually really like Dalkeith. My partner lives there and while it’s got its posh and not so posh areas, I find the people a lot friendlier. The closer you get to the city centre (particularly Edinburgh) the more metropolitan it will be with people from all sorts of places. Dalkeith is much closer than Livingston. However I would personally avoid places like Balerno, I went to school there briefly too and found it incredibly snobby.

Ayr is lovely with good transport links. The house prices are VERY reasonable. Good schools as well,
although no doubt there will be some better than others as there always is.

Raploch. Bannockburn.