Working in Leith - where to live?

[GardenGrown]

My husband has been offered a job in Leith and so we're looking to move from South East England, but we're trying to figure out what the nice parts to live in or around Edinburgh are, and areas to avoid.

Husband currently has rubbish 1+ hour car commute to work and wants to cut this down, but equally we don't want to be super central Edinburgh because we want to buy a house with a garden, rather than a flat, since we have a dog. Don't have kids yet but hope to start a family in the next few years so good schools will eventually be important.

So far we're thinking Corstorphine, Liberton or Musselburgh based on research we've done so far, but would be great to know where else is recommended for travel to Leith!

What's your budget? We live close to Leith. Craigentinny (EH7 6TR). We have a four bed house with a large back garden. Prices are circa £450-£475k, depending on detachedness and condition.

Edited to add Craigentinny PS is a bit dicey, but Leith Academy is grand. Mine have thrived at both.

I would suggest Trinity, which is just west of Leith. Yes to Corstorphine, I'd be more hesitant about Liberton and Musselburgh.
Edinburgh has excellent public transport, but I would still be looking at commuting times as traffic can be slow.

Joppa if you’ve lots of money for a house. Musselburgh for more affordable houses though some areas are nicer than others. Definitely don’t have him commute from corstorphine through town - there’s no point, enjoy the fact he can be an easy cycle or bus ride or even a walk from work! Life is so much better without a car commute.

Liberton isn’t a school catchment I’d necessarily choose if you’re going state schools. Theres a reason family sized housing is cheaper there - there are much better schools.

Thanks for the recommendation, I haven't looked there yet. Our budget is around 475 - 500k so cost wise would work for us!

Thanks for the insight, that's good to know! Lots of lovely houses there from what I can see online but that makes sense why it's so much more affordable.

Leith is on the tram line, so I would work backwards from there for an easy commute.

Yes, this totally.

I have yet to use the tram myself but everyone who commutes on it raves about how it is so quick and has massively improved their travel time.

Have a look at Willowbrae, on the rear slopes of Arthur’s Seat so walkable to Leith (or a 20 minute bike ride), as well as to Portobello for the beach, Holyrood Park on your doorstep for dog walks, and about 35/40 minutes walk into town. Or 15/20 mins on the bus.

Definitely Trinity - lovely area, decent schools, nice green spaces, near the sea. I used to live there myself. Easy walk or cycle to Leith.

confused why people are saying trinity - it’s much more expensive than the budget described, maybe neighbourhoods on either side - Newhaven or Granton.

Neighbourhoods to look at:

Trinity, Granton, Wardieburn, Restalrig, Craigentinny, Leith, Northfield, Willowbrae, Portobello. ESPC is a useful site: https://espc.com

In parts of Edinburgh, shared gardens are a thing - eg, if you’d live in a tenement, there’s usually a shared garden. In some parts of town (eg around Queen Street, the West End, around London Road), you get the right to have a key to some (really) beautiful large private gardens. Some may have a waiting list though, I think.

Or look at the Lothian Buses bus route map and work out a reasonable commute in reverse. Ditto the North Edinburgh Path Network for cycling.

Depending where in Leith, and your/your DH’s tolerance for commuting, it might not be that onerous to get the train to Waverley, then bus or tram to Leith. Places like Gorebridge, Linlithgow, and Falkirk then come into view. https://www.scotrail.co.uk/media/34924/download?inline

The primary schools are mostly all pretty solid, but if you’d be looking to be staying there through the high school years, you can work out which catchment you’d be in here: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/school-places/find-catchment-school

The Catholic schools tend to have bigger catchments, and the Gaelic immersion school will take pupils from across Edinburgh and the Lothians (and provide transport too).

Bonne chance.

I’d say Trinity but not with that budget for a house. You might get one of the ex council houses in Bellevue for that. Otherwise you’re looking at a new build on the outskirts for that kind of money.

If you decide a flat with a shared garden though, world’s your oyster

Ballgreen west of the city is on the tramline.

You won’t get a house and garden in Trinity, or indeed the bits of Leith with houses, for your budget.

There’s no way I’d cross the city centre twice a day, so that rules out Corstorphine, Liberton, etc. There isn’t a direct bus round the coast from Musselburgh to Leith, but it’s cycleable if fit. The nicest houses/parts of Musselburgh are probably out of budget too! Within the city boundaries you’ve got Brunstane and Newcraighall out that way, and are probably in budget. Craigentinny and maybe parts of Duddingston but the latter less likely. Maybe an upper or lower flat in Willowbrae, they are main door with private garden.

It’s possible you could still get an Abbeyhill colonies flat in budget. They have gardens, but don’t come on the market very often.

As others have said, you could get a great flat in a nice area. People have raised kids in tenement flats for generations. As for the dog, you’d need to commit to taking it to the nearest grass first and last thing I guess.

Will you be working, and if so where?

Does it have to be a house? Main door flats with gardens might be a solution. This is a lovely spot in Trinity https://espc.com/property/38-south-laverockbank-avenue-edinburgh-eh5-3du/36364964?sid=575217

your budget is going to be your biggest issue and I definitely wouldn't want to commute from Liberton to leith! I'm not sure I'd want to do from Corstorphine either unless you were close to a tram stop.
Does his work have parking because that makes a big difference to where you can live compared to if he's going to be reliant on public transport. Some places that are close actually have terrible public transport links to Leith (Portobello I'm looking at you!).
Also bear in mind that the "offers over" system in scotland means that properties in popular areas can sell for well above the offers over price. You need to talk to local solicitors to get a feel for what properties are selling for in certain areas at the moment but as a rough guide I would factor in at least 10%.

That’s a lovely flat and a really lovely road, I used to live next one over. Also worth keeping an eye out for upper flat maisonettes, where people have converted the attic - you can end up with a nice 3-bed over 2 floors with a private garden.

Definitely stay on that side of Princes street - the commute from one side of the city to the other takes forever (I live in the south but work on this side of town). The train + walk/bus isn't the worst option but the trains aren't always reliable so my colleagues who rely on trains don't always love that.

And my kids are thriving in one of the 'bad' schools so I wouldn't rule something out just due to the catchment necessarily. You have time before school anyway so you could visit and get a feel for different schools before you need to make that sort of decision.

This one was for sale in Wardie recently - needed updating but lots of potential. Wardie is adjacent to Trinity, has a nice primary school that feeds into Trinity Academy. https://espc.com/property/2-afton-place-trinity-edinburgh-eh5-3rb/36340080?sid=180848

Just as an example as it’s already under offer.

Definitely stay North of Princes street to make life/commute easier.

Cramond or Silverknowes you may get a small house and garden. Trinity, Leith, Portobello, Joppa you might get a flat with a garden or a small terrace, something like that.

I lived across the north of the city for about 12 years and worked in Leith all of that time. Loved it.

Also OP, just in case it isn't obvious make sure you are checking ESPC and not just Rightmove.

We're neighbours!

You can get the 21 or the 17 bus from Corstorphine to Leith, you don't have to go through town.