Alternatives to Edinburgh

[Doughnutholes]

Has anyone moved out of Edinburgh and found somewhere with as much enrichment but it is somehow half the price? I’ve lived in the west of Glasgow for many years and grew up west coast but I’m not sure I’d go back there. Could consider Southside Glasgow. Would like somewhere with good clubs etc for kids and opportunities for meeting other adults.

we also moved to glasgow but hated it and returned back to Edinburgh. I know of others who went to perth and stirling but would prefer Edinburgh

What did you hate about Glasgow (and prefer about Edinburgh)? In my heart of hearts I know I love Edinburgh and have been here 11 years so feel settled but I am paying a mortgage for a small flat which could get me a 3 bed house elsewhere. I don’t know.

You're not miraculously going to find the equivalent of Edinburgh, but with cheaper housing. Can you think of anything you would like and that Edinburgh doesn't give you, other than just a larger house?

Why not move outwith Edinburgh to one of the commuter towns with a train station with a quick journey into Edinburgh? Albeit this idea has gotten very popular with the 30 plus professional crowd which has massively driven up house prices. Same with people with second homes in Perthshire / Fife. Work in Edinburgh during the week and decamp to the holiday home at weekends.

My friend lives in Dunblane and it seems lovely. It has a train station so you can get directly to Edinburgh or Glasgow and a real community feel about the place.

Glasgow seems an aggressive city to me. There seems to be more people in poverty / with addictions out on the street. Leads to an aggressive atmosphere in my opinion. It’s not somewhere I’d ever consider living.

Edinburgh has that in very confined spaces (the Tron) and is more easily avoided. It has history and museums. You have lots of free options of places to take bored kids of a weekend that are just a short bus ride away. That’s a real advantage, and why a number of friends I have choose to live in a squashed tenement flat in marchmont / Bruntsfield rather than a more spacious place in suburbia. I’m not sure there’s a middle ground. Glasgow is not much cheaper, but lacks the range of museums and feels much less safe.

Unfortunately I agree Glasgow has taken a downturn. I went to uni there and it was amazing but has changed so much since then. However, I do like some of the southside areas and there are affordable houses there. I’m just not sure I want to go back west again or that the trade off is worth it.

someone asked if the house was the only reason to move. It is a big part of it but I also do love having nature on my doorstep- so I think if I were to move I’d probably have to sacrifice the amenities/culture which I don’t think I’m willing to do.

Someone mentioned Dunblane- it is quite expensive now too!

I live nothing more than the Victorian baths here for swimming and there is so much for kids. I’m just going to be stuck in a wee flat forever !

It’s a different sort of lifestyle. I know families of 5 living in what are essentially 2 bed flats. Bedrooms made out of box rooms etc. people on hear would be horrified - mixed sex teen siblings sharing a room blah blah blah - but you can partition rooms and would they rather grow up somewhere vibrant and fun with good schools and lots of opportunities or some soulless backwater new build housing estate where they can have their own 9ft x 9ft ‘room’.

Haddington, Dunbar, Biggar are all places I’ve known people move to. Crieff? But you can’t beat Edinburgh 😂

i think it depends on your priorities. I couldn't live in the west, it's too damp and I'm happy to sacrifice Edinburgh house prices for an easy commute, an international airport on my doorstep, good rail links, theatres, cinemas, lots of green space, places to walk and the beach!

If you're going to relocate, I wouldn't do it just for a bigger house. Do it for a bigger house and to live in beautiful rural surroundings, for instance. And make sure that you are in easy rich of some decent culture (which is not exclusive to Edinburgh). Think of it as a lifestyle that is different but, in its way, as good as the lifestyle you have now.
What kind of activities do your children do? Even small towns can provide a lot of activities for both children and adults.

Thanks for the input. In terms of activities they do it includes swimming, climbing (at climbing wall), and Brownies and music.

I like nice cafès, swimming, walking in quiet places, cinema, book shops.

@Solongasnake yep, it would have to be a change in terms of surroundings to make it worth it.

I had considered Dunbar before but it seems quite built up now putting pressure on schools and services. I had also considered South Queensferry but similar situation to Dunbar. Where I am just now I have a good GP practice.

@Doughnutholes i have a small flat too, but i am happy here. I felt so unsafe in Glasgow, always checking my pockets to make sure i hadn't been pick pocketed. There was so much crime, and very little community feel.

Edinburgh feels like a wonder of the world. Friendly, fun, creative. To me Edinburgh is a 10/10 and glasgow a 2/10. I would live in a small 1 bed here rather than a larger 3 bed any day.

there are naice bits of glasgow and naice bits of edinburgh, as there are in all cities.

dont rule out a whole city on the basis of one visit to a nedsville area. probably 10 mins away from it there is an affluent area!

It’s the city centre that’s Nedsville in Glasgow though isnt it? You’d feel unsafe walking home at night.

I’ve lived in Edinburgh all my life (45 years) and I think it’s gone to the dogs. I’ve heard Glasgow city centre at night is now an absolute no go but Edinburgh is going in that direction.

Oh well. Is this turning into a Glasgow v Edinburgh thing? 😅

Honestly think I’m just gonna end up staying in Edinburgh and some of the comments have probably confirmed maybe what I was already thinking . I have actually got a small private garden. The flat itself is just small, as in, only one person can be in the kitchen, small. And it isn’t a new flat so needs refurbished in lots of different ways.

But I’ve got a really good GP, great range of grocery shops available, work close to home and have got some lovely park spaces nearby.

@famps I agree about your sentiments regarding Edinburgh. I come from a wee run down town so can’t believe my luck living here at times. But there is a bit of a feeling of failure when all my family have beautiful large (ish-compared to me) homes elsewhere!

Life is too short to spend it being envious of friends and family. You live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and close to great countryside and the seaside.

Melrose. Train to Edinburgh when needed. Great schools. So much to do

Thanks. When you say so much to do- can you give a few examples? What about teenagers- is there much for them!

I've heard that Edinburgh is going downhill. It would be really interesting to hear how it's going downhill though?

I’m just one of those people that’s always dissatisfied. Frustrating.

Glasgow has tons of free museums compared to Edinburgh as well as lots of day our options for countryside/coast from down the Ayrshire coast to Loch Lomond and beyond.

Edinburgh is like little England. Too touristy and uppity with not enough grit, realness or friendliness and a much worse homeless problem. The only thing that's better are the buses!

You see it’s that ‘grit’ (aka aggression) that I dislike about Glasgow.

Keen to hear about the free museums. I quite fancied the science museum- until I saw the prices! I do like the Burrel collection though.