Countryside holiday with toddlers

[Spanieljoker]

I have 2 daughters, 3 and 1 yo
We are considering a move around the area of Killearn/Balfron
We would like to book a holiday (1 or 2 weeks) in a countryside cottage to get a feel of the area and decide if we really like the area. I would like to try to do this off-season because it’s probably a better time to do this.
when would you recommend we book our stay? And any villages rec ?

many thanks ☺️

nice villages. blanefield is nice too. and drymen - if you like it there you can usually find deals online for the buchanan arms hotel and spa (the spa is not fancy). not sure about hotels in the places you like though sorry.

im not sure about schools these days but the main disadvantage for me is the lack of train station to all these places. the nearest one is milngavie.

it’s nice there too but a bigger town, busier with a large tesco, waitrose and aldi etc. My friend from balfron shopped in milngavie weekly and bought a few bits from the co-op in balfron or killearn during the week.

Drymen came to my mind too, there are quite a few decent sized hotels and some air b n b's there. Its also not far from glasgow/stirling if you want to do day trips.

September would be a good time to.visit as the weather can be ok then, although maybe seeing it in tne rain might give a more realistic representation of 90% of the time here.

Noted, thank you ☺️
If anyone lived around the area and can tell me about their experience raising a family there 🙂💐
thanks !

Arnprior Farm on the road towards Stirling is good for wee ones. It has pumpkin picking.

Drymen would be closer to Balloch for the train, I think?

Go in peak season!! We live in the Cotswolds in a very tourist heavy area. If you can survive the tourists you will be fine.

My thinking was to go off season when the weather is the worst. therefore if we can survive we are good to go (I think) 🤔😂

Fintry is lovely

remember that we get snow up here in winter so if you live over the other side of a big hill in the middle of nowhere it’s less likely to be gritted and more difficult to drive, ive had fun sliding down hills, including ones i was trying to go up….!)

check the public transport provision for the area and potentially schools to see how they perform etc.

what are your/dc’s hobbies?

I’ve heard good things about Balfron High School (?) Not sure about primaries yet, I need to investigate
We have two dogs (well probably gave a third soon) and we enjoy gardening, country walks… we lived in the countryside for a few years (Cotswolds)

I live in Strathblane with my 2 young children and can’t recommend the village/area enough. Nice pub (here, Killearn and Drymen), school and nursery are fab, cafes, walks and community. Lots of young families. We have incredible access to so many beautiful outdoor walking spots within half an hour e.g aberfoyle, Campsie Glen, Loch Lomond.
Balfron high school also excellent.
Realistic down sides- the winters in the valley are long and wet, the commute into Glasgow sucks (if that’s what you’d need to do), property prices and competition for houses, frequent road closures, speeding through the village. Good luck with your move and happy to show you around if you do end up here! Ellie

Thank you so much I needed some positivity 😍
regarding the commute into Glasgow. We will work mainly remote/work from home. But maybe occasionally we’ll need to drive to Glasgow. But once a week maximum I think. Is this reasonable?

No worries- it just popped up on my Facebook and was like 🤓 I live there!
Yeah once a week is absolutely do-able. I now WFH but do remember the grind/stressful traffic when I was going in 4 days a week. It could take anywhere from 40 mins to upwards of an hour depending on traffic.
The Kirkhouse inn is decent to stay in btw but there are also a few self catering places available on air bnb in Killearn, Balfron Station and the surrounding countryside. October in the Blane Valley is breathtakingly beautiful if you’re considering an off season visit!

and do you enjoy Glasgow for a day out with your children ? I’m trying to figure out how people feel about the debate Edinburgh vs Glasgow 🙂

We do sometimes go into the west end (which is a 25ish min drive) for the cafes and park then also to stuff like the cinema and science museum- plenty to do. Edinburgh maybe has more but is a very different city- more polished/touristy where as Glasgow is more diverse and arty I reckon. We get the fast train to Edinburgh from Glasgow or Croy pretty regularly. It’s pretty accessible from the shire for day trips. I don’t drive to Edinburgh personally as the traffic can be a mare! Train and tram much quicker 👍👍