Relocating, need to be commutable to Bathgate

[ByWanderingBluebell]

Hello! We are relocating for my husbands job, he will need to be within 30 minutes drive to Bathgate. We both have cars and have 3 children so schools are important, secondary in particular. We’d like to be able to go into Edinburgh or Stirling at the weekends but keen to live a bit more rural. We’re staying in Linlithgow which is lovely but I would ideally like a smaller village with country views. I thought about Torphichen? Is there any villages if we went towards Falkirk? We also looked at Culross and Alloa but not sure if they are a bit far. We are English, although my husband has Scottish family, but want somewhere where we’d be welcomed. House budget up to £450k. Thanks for any advice!

I wouldn't live anywhere north of the Forth if you want to get to Bathgate quickly. Alloa may be okay but it's not very nice and is quite big. Culross (or anywhere in Fife) wouldn't be great because involves the Queensferry crossing. It's a nightmare during peak hours. Also Culross is awash with tourists. It's very pretty but I would hate living there I don't really know the villages around Bathgate. I always think the area around there are a bit grim but that's probably just my lack of knowledge. Anything

Sorry posted too soon. Anything smaller than Linlithgow is likely to have no amenities. There is a reason it is so popular. You need to drive around the area and have a look for yourself at the different villages.

I would avoid Falkirk area, horrendously racist protests twice a week. I can't think of any pretty villages in the area. For visiting Edinburgh you are better going by train or tram using park and ride at ingliston. Edinburgh likely to bring in congestion charge and parking already pricey so wouldn't drive in.
Linlithgow is probably one of the nicest towns in the area so I'm not sure you'll find somewhere nicer. Shopping will be very poor in lots of the smaller villages and less for teens to do.

Have you looked at Winchburgh? I don't think it is a very pretty town but it has a brand new high school and good road links to Edinburgh. I think a train station is also planned.

Definitely don't go north of the Forth. You don’t want to be doing the rush hour crossing if you can help it.

Yeah, I’m in agreement that Linlithgow is probably the nicest place in the area. A lot of the smaller places nearby are quite depressed.

Agree with others, don’t cross the bridge if you need to commute to Bathgate in rush hour.
For villages Torpichen is nice, as is Westfield. Also mid Calder and west Calder. Could also look at Kirknewton, Blackness, Kirkliston and Dalmeny.
Winchburgh and South Queensferry were villages but probably too big for what you’re looking for now.
Personally I wouldn’t go towards Falkirk.
Scotland operates schools on a catchment basis so it’s really important to check the secondary school catchment. In West Lothian there can a very big difference in the secondary school just by being a few miles along the road! One of the reasons Linlithgow is so popular

Thanks so much everyone! Really helpful. We drove through Bathgate today and it looked nicer than I expected. Anyone know how the schools are there? We also drove through mid Calder which looked pretty :)

You could maybe think of Bridge of Allan, or Doune - both are slightly further away & the former isn’t a village but effectively a suburb of Stirling.

There’s Philipstoun outside of Linlithgow too. East Calder is getting lots of new builds.

Falkirk is fine despite the recent racial tensions which are limited to one area of the town centre. Muiravonside is a hamlet between Linlithgow and Falkirk. I know a few people like the village between Avonbridge and Westfield. It begins with Strath...the very east of Falkirk area is nice, leafy, has the canal, lots of walks and woods and a reasonable high school.