West Lothian v Fife

[Konrad von Carstein]

MODS PLEASE MOVE TO THE SHED

 

 

Currently myself and Mrs KvC are thinking about, thinking of, moving from Edinburgh, we can't afford the type of house we'd like in the areas of Edinburgh we'd like, so, with heavy hearts, are considering a move out of the city.

 

I was brought up in Hutchison/Saughton Mains and never moved out of the "greater Gorgie" locale and am now living in Chesser, so this would be a huge move for me...

 

Any one on here made the same type of move and have any advice to offer?

 

 

***I realise the potential for utter piss taking!

Edited July 5, 2018 by Konrad von Carstein
I need a proof reader...

[Notts1874]

Pick a house with a good shed.

[jacklivi1874]

Livingston has plenty nice areas with  great schools and a wonderful shopping centre..Shit pubs though 

[Konrad von Carstein]

1 minute ago, Notts1874 said:

Pick a house with a good shed.

 

FTFO

[Mikey1874]

Fife if you can afford likes of Elie or Anstruther 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Mikey1874

[eyesandears]

Don't do it mate. Stay where you are. Surely you've seen all the "out of towners" on a Friday and Saturday in our great city. Sod that. Don't become one of them!!

[AlphonseCapone]

Made the opposite move from West Lothian. Will never go back. 

[Victorian]

Nut.  Live in poverty in Edinburgh.

[Craig_]

45 minutes ago, AlphonseCapone said:

Made the opposite move from West Lothian. Will never go back. 

 

Likewise. Spent far longer than I'd have liked in Livi. But smarter now than it once was, but still a shitehole. 

[Konrad von Carstein]

For all those saying Livi, that would most likely be the last place we'd move to....

 

Some context, we are in a g/f flat with shared gardens and are now hankering for a wee bit outdoor space of our own and no neighbours above us or erses plonking themselves right outside our living room window or worse gawking in as we are sitting watching telly...

[Shanks said no]

Grew up in Corstorphine and had first flat and house here. Late 20's with one kid and another on way moved to Livingston / Bathgate. Managed to move back just before we were 50.

 

Pro's

much bigger house and garden

everything looks nice

plenty of modern amenities

 

Cons

commuting back and forward to Edinburgh is soul destroying

It is schemie under the surface - some of the schools are terrible

in Livingston you need to nearly always use your car (Bathgate is a bit better)

 

You will miss Edinburgh so much unless you are willing to give up a lot eg nights out, easy access to Hearts, friends, gigs, meals out

Although my life is far from perfect its a damn sight better than being back in West Lothian

 

[The_razors_edge]

I live and work in fife. Moved over here from Midlothian nearly 11 years ago to live with the Mrs while I was at uni in Dundee. One positive about Fife is the house prices - you get quite a lot of bang for your buck depending on where you look. If you’re seriously considering fife give me a shout and I can give you an idea of places to avoid and places worth considering 

[Konrad von Carstein]

17 minutes ago, The Frenchman Returns said:

Grew up in Corstorphine and had first flat and house here. Late 20's with one kid and another on way moved to Livingston / Bathgate. Managed to move back just before we were 50.

 

Pro's

much bigger house and garden

everything looks nice

plenty of modern amenities

 

Cons

commuting back and forward to Edinburgh is soul destroying

It is schemie under the surface - some of the schools are terrible

in Livingston you need to nearly always use your car (Bathgate is a bit better)

 

You will miss Edinburgh so much unless you are willing to give up a lot eg nights out, easy access to Hearts, friends, gigs, meals out

Although my life is far from perfect its a damn sight better than being back in West Lothian

 

This is our concern with Livingston...truth be told we would most likely look at smaller towns, however, we have just begun talking about this...so nothing will be happening soon.

The ease of getting up town is a huge hold for us, although we are trying to be logical in that we only go up town a couple of times a month...Hearts games is another matter entirely!

[Beave1874]

As a Fifer, I would say if coming over this way try and get a property in a town/village that has a train station. Markinch for example over here is a great wee place, few wee bars and restaurants. Also good schooling. Dunfermline has everything you would expect.  

 

The East Neuk is lovely but no train service. 

 

Good luck 

[Gershwin]

My sister lives in Kirknewton which is pretty affordable. Also in the catchment area for Balerno if you're looking for schools.

[jambo89]

59 minutes ago, Gershwin said:

My sister lives in Kirknewton which is pretty affordable. Also in the catchment area for Balerno if you're looking for schools.

 

Dont think it will be soon with the proposed new East Calder High School. 

 

West Lothian is decent and I’d say livi is your best bet. FWIW, I would class places like Mid Calder, East Calder, Dechmont etc as Livingston so best to broaden your search criteria if moving this way.

[AlphonseCapone]

Just now, jambo89 said:

 

Dont think it will be soon with the proposed new East Calder High School. 

 

West Lothian is decent and I’d say livi is your best bet. FWIW, I would class places like Mid Calder, East Calder, Dechmont etc as Livingston so best to broaden your search criteria if moving this way.

 

Why? 

[Samuel Camazzola]

8 hours ago, Beave1874 said:

As a Fifer, I would say if coming over this way try and get a property in a town/village that has a train station. Markinch for example over here is a great wee place, few wee bars and restaurants. Also good schooling. Dunfermline has everything you would expect.  

 

The East Neuk is lovely but no train service. 

 

Good luck 

After being born and living in Edinburgh for over 30 years, I moved to Markinch a few years ago and it's the best thing I've ever done. Do not miss living in Edinburgh one bit and cannot see myself moving back. 

 

Everything needed is within a short radius, train station with regular links north/south and golf courses all over. 

 

Persimmon have started a new build development of 70+ new homes and their marketing suite is now open for enquiries and sales. 

 

It's an area I can vouch for! 

[John Gentleman]

Has Linlithgow become unfashionable or simply too expensive? 

[jambo89]

7 hours ago, AlphonseCapone said:

 

Why? 

 

Why wouldn’t you? Mid Calder and East Calder are practically joined as is Mid Calder and Livingston.

 

You can walk from your house in mid Calder to Livingston town centre in 5 minutes.

 

They’re also represented by the same politician etc.

[hmfc_liam06]

If you're moving to Fife, then the biggest recommendation I could make is to make sure it's a town with a train station. Being from Edinburgh, you'll likely either be commuting or travelling back and forth regularly.

 

If you are commuting then somewhere like Dunfermline / Dalgety Bay / Kirkcaldy would be best. Markinch or Cupar isn't too bad either as you'd get the Aberdeen/Dundee trains which miss out most of the Fife Circle stops.

 

Your budget will also determine the area. If you have a £200,000+ budget then the new builds in Dunfermline will be ideal.

 

As above, if you've any Q's about Fife then drop me a message.

[Homme]

1 hour ago, John Gentleman said:

Has Linlithgow become unfashionable or simply too expensive? 

 

Still the best West Lothian option.

 

Cracking town. 

 

Isn't there big things happening at Winchburgh? Not that i'd advocate staying there, yet!

[Homme]

PS you couldn't pay me to stay in Livi.

 

And i'm from Armadale

[AlphonseCapone]

2 hours ago, jambo89 said:

 

Why wouldn’t you? Mid Calder and East Calder are practically joined as is Mid Calder and Livingston.

 

You can walk from your house in mid Calder to Livingston town centre in 5 minutes.

 

They’re also represented by the same politician etc.

 

Because they are different places. They might be right next to each other but that's just essentially how West Lothian is. All your arguments would work for Blackburn and Bathgate and folk from Blackburn certainly don't class themselves as Bathgate! 

 

There are only two MSPs representing West Lothian so you're basically splitting the whole county into Livi and Lithgae! 

 

Haha I don't actually mind mate I was just curious to your logic. Having spent 25 years growing up in West Lothian my experience is all the small towns are ferociously proud of their own little patch!

 

58 minutes ago, Homme said:

 

Still the best West Lothian option.

 

Cracking town. 

 

Isn't there big things happening at Winchburgh? Not that i'd advocate staying there, yet!

 

Linlithgow is the only place in West Lothian that gets a pass mark imo.

[Shanks]

I live in Edinburgh but have been working in Dunfermline since January and think it's an excellent wee town.  

[been here before]

14 hours ago, jacklivi1874 said:

Livingston has plenty nice areas with  great schools and a wonderful shopping centre..Shit pubs though 

Livingston is a shit hole. Weegie-lite. A motorway with houses built aroud it.

 

Stay in Edinburgh and live like a human.

[chuck berrys hairline]

3 hours ago, jambo89 said:

 

Why wouldn’t you? Mid Calder and East Calder are practically joined as is Mid Calder and Livingston.

 

You can walk from your house in mid Calder to Livingston town centre in 5 minutes.

 

They’re also represented by the same politician etc.

Do you class Currie/Balerno as Edinburgh as can walk it in five mins? East and Mid Calder is nothing like Livingston. Both still have an element of village lifestyle whereas Livi is an utter shit hole.  Always look around Livingston surrounding areas and not the town itself is my best bet. 

[Konrad von Carstein]

Thanks for all the replies. 

Pros and cons all round....

[Ministry MK2]

I would stay in Edinburgh if you can. Once you leave it’s difficult to get back in without dropping down the property ladder. 

 

West Lothian is full of weedgie descendants. Fife is a holding pen for Jeremy Kyle contestants. 

[John Findlay]

13 hours ago, Konrad von Carstein said:

This is our concern with Livingston...truth be told we would most likely look at smaller towns, however, we have just begun talking about this...so nothing will be happening soon.

The ease of getting up town is a huge hold for us, although we are trying to be logical in that we only go up town a couple of times a month...Hearts games is another matter entirely!

See if you can afford Linlithgow. Haymarket 15 minutes by train.

[Jamdub]

36 minutes ago, John Findlay said:

See if you can afford Linlithgow. Haymarket 15 minutes by train.

This is the correct answer...

[EIEIO]

5 hours ago, Homme said:

 

Still the best West Lothian option.

 

Cracking town. 

 

Isn't there big things happening at Winchburgh? Not that i'd advocate staying there, yet!

Linlithgow is too dear. I lived there for about 20 years and went to school there. Good amenities shops, train station , decent number of pubs in the high street 10 or 11 still.

Moved to Winchburgh a year ago had lived in Edinburgh then bo'ness previously.  Lot of new houses fewer amenities though ie pubs/ cafes. No train station until 2021 or 2022 so although there is a  good bus service it is slow at peak times as you would expect going via Newbridge,  Gogar  and corstorphine.

[Herbert.]

6 hours ago, hmfc_liam06 said:

If you're moving to Fife, then the biggest recommendation I could make is to make sure it's a town with a train station. Being from Edinburgh, you'll likely either be commuting or travelling back and forth regularly.

 

If you are commuting then somewhere like Dunfermline / Dalgety Bay / Kirkcaldy would be best. Markinch or Cupar isn't too bad either as you'd get the Aberdeen/Dundee trains which miss out most of the Fife Circle stops.

 

Your budget will also determine the area. If you have a £200,000+ budget then the new builds in Dunfermline will be ideal.

 

As above, if you've any Q's about Fife then drop me a message.

 

 

 

Don't buy a house in duloch it's a soulless maze of cheaply built houses, if you want a good house with good connections to Edinburgh and in a good catchment for schools try around Forth park or Seafield in Kirkcaldy. I like Fife its just lacking the entertainment side of things but you can be in Edinburgh in 25mins.

[chester copperpot]

I would say Fife.

 

Was in the exact same predicament 16yrs ago where I had a 2 bed block of 4 in Carricknowe Road. My then wife was due with our first kid and sold my gaff for a 4 bed detached new build in Rosyth.

 

I would say Fife as the schools etc are good.

 

[Marvin]

20 hours ago, AlphonseCapone said:

Made the opposite move from West Lothian. Will never go back. 

 

Due to my circumstances at the time I moved to West Lothian around 92ish. I now live in Bath. You do the math.

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, chester copperpot said:

I would say Fife.

 

Was in the exact same predicament 16yrs ago where I had a 2 bed block of 4 in Carricknowe Road. My then wife was due with our first kid and sold my gaff for a 4 bed detached new build in Rosyth.

 

I would say Fife as the schools etc are good.

 

 

An ex of mine moved to Dunfermline and never regretted for one minute.

[jambo89]

6 hours ago, chuck berrys hairline said:

Do you class Currie/Balerno as Edinburgh as can walk it in five mins? East and Mid Calder is nothing like Livingston. Both still have an element of village lifestyle whereas Livi is an utter shit hole.  Always look around Livingston surrounding areas and not the town itself is my best bet. 

 

I do class Balerno and Currie as Edinburgh pretty sure it falls under Edinburgh council too. 

 

Why has has the likeness of a town / village got anything to do with its location!? Morningside is completey different from Gorgie but both are still Edinburgh. What about Ratho station? Is that Edinburgh? 

 

When I first moved from Edinburgh, I lived in Mid Calder for 12 years and East Calder for 10 years. I now live in Dechmont and class them all as Livingston. 

 

But this is going slightly off topic. I agree you should look at the “surrounding area” (still Livingston ?) if you can afford it.

 

[John Gentleman]

7 hours ago, jambo89 said:

But this is going slightly off topic. I agree you should look at the “surrounding area” (still Livingston ?) if you can afford it.

 

I've got a sister who lives in the Muiriston area, which seemed very decent when I visited last year. Seemed to be plenty of schools but I can't speak for their quality. What irks me about Livi is all these 'inherited' Weegie accents. These voices really grind my gears.

[superjack]

15 hours ago, jambo89 said:

 

I do class Balerno and Currie as Edinburgh pretty sure it falls under Edinburgh council too. 

 

Why has has the likeness of a town / village got anything to do with its location!? Morningside is completey different from Gorgie but both are still Edinburgh. What about Ratho station? Is that Edinburgh? 

 

When I first moved from Edinburgh, I lived in Mid Calder for 12 years and East Calder for 10 years. I now live in Dechmont and class them all as Livingston. 

 

But this is going slightly off topic. I agree you should look at the “surrounding area” (still Livingston ?) if you can afford it.

 

My folks were in east Calder for about 12 years, it was not bad I suppose, pubs were shite though.

They moved to blackridge a out 3 years ago, best move they could have made. They were needing a bungalow due to my old mans health and 1 came up in blackridge. Luckily they ignored the stories about it being rough, it's not.

The local pub is great, still about 2.70 a pint and the locals are a lot more friendly than the ones in east Calder were. Train station is handy as well, 25 minutes to Haymarket.

[FORTHCLYDE]

I moved from Balgreen to Inverkeithing a number of years ago. I lived 2 minutes from the railway station. 

98% of all trains at the time going north or south stopped there.

Once I left my house at 12.58 and was drinking  a pint at 13.20 in the Theatre Royal. 

Don't know now but at the time there was seven pubs three bakers and two chip shops one who had won awards.

Also the night buses to Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy both stopped there although I think the Dunfermline one has moved to Rosyth 

which is about a mile walk.

During the day it's twenty minutes to Edinburgh and 60 to Glasgow although sometimes an hour during rush hour.

But train is ideal. Plus massive park and ride.

There's four Tesco North South East and West of Inverkeithing and East End park is only about 12 minutes through the back roads.

[jambo89]

1 hour ago, superjack said:

My folks were in east Calder for about 12 years, it was not bad I suppose, pubs were shite though.

They moved to blackridge a out 3 years ago, best move they could have made. They were needing a bungalow due to my old mans health and 1 came up in blackridge. Luckily they ignored the stories about it being rough, it's not.

The local pub is great, still about 2.70 a pint and the locals are a lot more friendly than the ones in east Calder were. Train station is handy as well, 25 minutes to Haymarket.

 

Funny you mention that, but I’ve been looking at houses again and had a wee look at Blackridge. The “reputation” is the thing that is putting me off, but the money for your house is incredible the further out out you go! 

 

Just now I’m only £25 for a taxi (and only half an hour)  from Edinburgh city centre and not sure I could handle going further out. 

 

It’s the old debate of location vs house which is why I always get East / Mid Calder we’re perfect although houseprices there are steadily going up! 

 

 

[superjack]

1 hour ago, jambo89 said:

 

Funny you mention that, but I’ve been looking at houses again and had a wee look at Blackridge. The “reputation” is the thing that is putting me off, but the money for your house is incredible the further out out you go! 

 

Just now I’m only £25 for a taxi (and only half an hour)  from Edinburgh city centre and not sure I could handle going further out. 

 

It’s the old debate of location vs house which is why I always get East / Mid Calder we’re perfect although houseprices there are steadily going up! 

 

 

If I was ever to move back down the road I would probably go to blackridge. As I said, everyone is really friendly and decent shops in Bathgate only 10 minutes away, and Edinburgh city centre 25 to 30 minutes on a train.