Leaving Edinburgh (thoughts and experiences)

[Lone Striker]

This is a great thread, and all the posts show the wide range of reasons for leaving or staying. 

 

 After 55 years in Edinburgh, it was a bit scary to consider moving somewhere else.  With one eye on  likely future health issues, we wanted a small detached bungalow - but there was no way we could afford one in Edinburgh.   

 

Mrs Striker found  the one we're in now after various  online searches, out here in a wee WL village I'd never even  heard of.  I was still working in Livi at the time, so a half-hour commute was no worse than the commute from west Edinburgh.    Now retired, and so glad we moved.  Good neighbours, not much traffic, a few places to walk the dog e.g. up to the canal.   (There's an old marker stone on the towpath  which says 17 miles to Fountainbridge !!)   It was a prefect location for us  during Covid.

 

An unexpected "pro" is that I really  enjoy trips back  to Edinburgh for the Hearts games or to meet pals, while being smug about not having to live there any more !   Its sort of the best of both worlds.    The traffic & roadworks/diversions in the city   are awful. Some of the pubs & restaurants we used to like have gone now too.

 

On balance, I'd advise anyone to do at least consider a move away, but do your homework about the suitability of the likely house you can afford  and also the travel distances to amenities/train station/airport/attractive countryside/doctor/dentist etc    And imagine what your situation might be in 10 years time too - will you still be able to cope with stairs or maintaining a big garden etc.

 

 

[Boris]

Moved to Kirkcaldy 8 years ago, primarily as property prices way cheaper. Chose kdy due to train links with Edinburgh.

Love it here. Nice house, quiet area, countryside on your doorstep. Also brilliant parks, beach, to walk the dog. 

When I did stay in Edinburgh, I rarely went into the city centre so don't miss it.

 

[Swanny17]

My word of caution would be that if you do move out of Edinburgh, it may be very difficult to move back if you realise it isn’t for you.  I know a lot of folk who have moved away for a bigger house etc and then seriously regretted it - but couldn’t move back. Do think about it very carefully and consider the consequences either way. Best of luck. 👍

[By The Light..]

I left Edinburgh in 91 and only come back to go to Tynie.

[gordiegords]

8 hours ago, Swanny17 said:

My word of caution would be that if you do move out of Edinburgh, it may be very difficult to move back if you realise it isn’t for you.  I know a lot of folk who have moved away for a bigger house etc and then seriously regretted it - but couldn’t move back. Do think about it very carefully and consider the consequences either way. Best of luck. 👍

Is that because of how much people have to pay over the home reports?

 

some great points again made by everyone, good to hear experiences.

[Cairneyhill Jambo]

I'm originally from Linlithgow but moved to Edinburgh in 1996 as my missus and I both worked in the centre of Edinburgh which cut down on the travel as well as enjoying the nightlife without fear of missing the last train/bus home.

 

We lasted 4 years then when someone was murdered outside our tenement front door - that was the straw that broke the camels back.  We moved to a small village just outside Dunfermline in 2000 near from where my wife is from and we've stayed there ever since.  City life is okay in small doses but we prefer living in a rural setting.  

 

I suppose it depends on what you are looking for.  I know a lot of people prefer staying in a small village as it has a community spirit to it and its easy to make new friends, whereas in the city, you tend to not know anyone.

 

House prices are a lot cheaper out of Edinburgh.  You mentioned commuting.  Could you not work some days from home if you moved outwith Edinburgh?

 

South West Fife is a great area to stay.  It has its bad bits but these are far outweighed by the good ones.  We literally have the East Neuk of Fife on our doorstep.  Perth/Stirling are only half an hour away and there are good transport links to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

So it really depends what you are looking for.  When we decided to move to FIfe, a family friend said to us that not all people can adjust to city life.  I suppose that's what happened to us.

 

Good luck to whatever you decide to do. 👍

 

[pablo]

Love Edinburgh or leave

[Sydney]

18 minutes ago, pablo said:

Love Edinburgh or leave

I love Edinburgh.  And I left.

[Herbert.]

10 hours ago, Boris said:

Moved to Kirkcaldy 8 years ago, primarily as property prices way cheaper. Chose kdy due to train links with Edinburgh.

Love it here. Nice house, quiet area, countryside on your doorstep. Also brilliant parks, beach, to walk the dog. 

When I did stay in Edinburgh, I rarely went into the city centre so don't miss it.

 

 

Watch if you walk around ravenscraig park, Some ***** keeps leaving poison down. A few dogs have got sick in the past year.

[Boris]

3 minutes ago, Herbert. said:

 

Watch if you walk around ravenscraig park, Some ***** keeps leaving poison down. A few dogs have got sick in the past year.

Cheers @Herbert. 👍

 

[davemclaren]

I've never lived in Edinburgh. 🥸

[cheetah]

2 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

I've never lived in Edinburgh. 🥸

 Then you've never lived!

[Konrad von Carstein]

Moved to Dunfermline in the September pre COVID, best move we have ever made!

We are semi rural, our house backs on to a golf course, neighbours are fantastic and we absolutely love being here.

Edinburgh obviously has more to offer re restaurants pubs etc but it's only a half hour away on the train.

Midweek and early kickoffs are.a pain in the arse though.

Grew up in Saughton Mains in the 80's and went to Tynecastle, sold my flat opposite Nuffield gym and wouldn't consider moving back to Edinburgh.

Edited May 3 by Konrad von Carstein

[davemclaren]

28 minutes ago, cheetah said:

 Then you've never lived!

🫢

[pablo]

Isn't this nothing more than a lifestyle choice? If you want to be in the thick of things..... art, culture and entertainment on your doorstep then you live in Edinburgh or a similar city.

 

If that's not your preference or you want to do different things, it's better to live somewhere else. A small town or the countryside.

 

Seems fair enough.

[gordiegords]

14 hours ago, Cairneyhill Jambo said:

I'm originally from Linlithgow but moved to Edinburgh in 1996 as my missus and I both worked in the centre of Edinburgh which cut down on the travel as well as enjoying the nightlife without fear of missing the last train/bus home.

 

We lasted 4 years then when someone was murdered outside our tenement front door - that was the straw that broke the camels back.  We moved to a small village just outside Dunfermline in 2000 near from where my wife is from and we've stayed there ever since.  City life is okay in small doses but we prefer living in a rural setting.  

 

I suppose it depends on what you are looking for.  I know a lot of people prefer staying in a small village as it has a community spirit to it and its easy to make new friends, whereas in the city, you tend to not know anyone.

 

House prices are a lot cheaper out of Edinburgh.  You mentioned commuting.  Could you not work some days from home if you moved outwith Edinburgh?

 

South West Fife is a great area to stay.  It has its bad bits but these are far outweighed by the good ones.  We literally have the East Neuk of Fife on our doorstep.  Perth/Stirling are only half an hour away and there are good transport links to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

So it really depends what you are looking for.  When we decided to move to FIfe, a family friend said to us that not all people can adjust to city life.  I suppose that's what happened to us.

 

Good luck to whatever you decide to do. 👍

 

Enjoyed reading that, as for working from home that’s a no no, I work all over and from a van so I’m more than use to driving about, just means a bit of an extra commute. 
 

I’ve had an offer accepted on a wee cottage so I’m hopeful I’ll get the move, for the record I love Edinburgh and I’ll be back often but I’m just fancying some peace and quiet, amongst other reasons.

 

cheers!

[Morgan]

13 hours ago, Sydney said:

I love Edinburgh.  And I left.

Me too.

 

But, I’m going back very, very soon.

 

 

[richardhateshibs]

Never actually lived in Edinburgh but see more and more families moving out to the new developments scattered throughout west lothian (winchburgh/west calder/ East calder etc) I suppose paying £350k  for a 4 bed detached new build is more appealing than dropping the same amount on a 2 bed flat.

 

However, Edinburgh is a f****** great City

[Bull's-eye]

Its the inhabitants that make or break a City.

 

I'll never return to live in Edinburgh.

 

Great place to visit though  😜

[FWJ]

On 02/05/2024 at 22:21, Swanny17 said:

My word of caution would be that if you do move out of Edinburgh, it may be very difficult to move back if you realise it isn’t for you.  I know a lot of folk who have moved away for a bigger house etc and then seriously regretted it - but couldn’t move back. Do think about it very carefully and consider the consequences either way. Best of luck. 👍

Good advice.

[jimbojambo]

I see Edinburgh more and more as a tourist city and a brilliant place to visit for the day. The council don't care about the locals demonstrated by none of the proposed tourist tax being able to go to keeping the leisure centres open. 

We left 30 years ago and our village like many others has became an Edinburgh commuter town which is a trend in most other cities. 

When it comes down to it most of us get up go to work then come home watch TV and go to bed then repeat so where you do it is to a certain extent irrelevant. 

All that said I do all my drinking and socialising in Edinburgh at the football, rugby, concerts, pubs, restaurants etc and that will never change. 

 

[Generic Username]

All of the flats I either rented/owned were in Gorgie, Dalry or Polwarth. Living "in town" is class but obviously severely dependent on what your situation is. I don't think I could ever go back to the nonsense of living in a stair. It's nice to go to sleep at night and not have to worry about hearing a commotion in the stair because the mentally unstable lassie across the way is out screaming she's the ghost of Amy Winehouse again. 

[Craig_]

The best advice I'd give would be to move somewhere with a train station. Some of the bus services from Fife/The Lothians are absolutely brutal, taking well over an hour to get into town. 

[gordiegords]

32 minutes ago, Generic Username said:

All of the flats I either rented/owned were in Gorgie, Dalry or Polwarth. Living "in town" is class but obviously severely dependent on what your situation is. I don't think I could ever go back to the nonsense of living in a stair. It's nice to go to sleep at night and not have to worry about hearing a commotion in the stair because the mentally unstable lassie across the way is out screaming she's the ghost of Amy Winehouse again. 

Lol, this is where I’m at, I’m nearly 45 and i just cant be bothered with any of that, I hear everyone’s opinions especially about probably never being able to afford to come back to live but for me I’ll be here often with the football and work, I’m basically just reversing it so now most of my days are quiet with the odd visit to Edinburgh where as before most of my days were Edinburgh with the odd one away to a quiet area.

 

 

And again for the record I love Edinburgh 🙂

[XB52]

On 03/05/2024 at 09:57, Cairneyhill Jambo said:

I'm originally from Linlithgow but moved to Edinburgh in 1996 as my missus and I both worked in the centre of Edinburgh which cut down on the travel as well as enjoying the nightlife without fear of missing the last train/bus home.

 

We lasted 4 years then when someone was murdered outside our tenement front door - that was the straw that broke the camels back.  We moved to a small village just outside Dunfermline in 2000 near from where my wife is from and we've stayed there ever since.  City life is okay in small doses but we prefer living in a rural setting.  

 

I suppose it depends on what you are looking for.  I know a lot of people prefer staying in a small village as it has a community spirit to it and its easy to make new friends, whereas in the city, you tend to not know anyone.

 

House prices are a lot cheaper out of Edinburgh.  You mentioned commuting.  Could you not work some days from home if you moved outwith Edinburgh?

 

South West Fife is a great area to stay.  It has its bad bits but these are far outweighed by the good ones.  We literally have the East Neuk of Fife on our doorstep.  Perth/Stirling are only half an hour away and there are good transport links to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

So it really depends what you are looking for.  When we decided to move to FIfe, a family friend said to us that not all people can adjust to city life.  I suppose that's what happened to us.

 

Good luck to whatever you decide to do. 👍

 

I left Edinburgh in 84 and still miss it, but not the traffic. Ended up in dalgety bay in 92 and can't see me ever leaving there. Incidentally one of my grandsons lives in Cairneyhill where his wife grew up; don't think it's you though😀😀

[JudyJudyJudy]

50 minutes ago, Jim_Duncan said:

My mate that lives in West Lothian is always frantically checking his bus times towards the end of a night out in the capital.

Whereas I can just walk back home from the toon , or stagger 

 

[GinRummy]

Musselburgh or even South Queensferry a happy medium. Quieter pace, near the countryside and fantastic transport links to the town. 

[gordiegords]

10 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

Musselburgh or even South Queensferry a happy medium. Quieter pace, near the countryside and fantastic transport links to the town. 

Yip thats for sure but I don’t need links into Edinburgh I’m not going to be needing it really, I drive for work and when I’m going out in Edinburgh I’ll probs just drive down and stay over.

 

I’m moving just over an hour away in the car.

[GinRummy]

5 minutes ago, gordiegords said:

Yip thats for sure but I don’t need links into Edinburgh I’m not going to be needing it really, I drive for work and when I’m going out in Edinburgh I’ll probs just drive down and stay over.

 

I’m moving just over an hour away in the car.

👍 seems like you’ve thought it all through. Enjoy the move, hope you’re happy in your new home. 

Edited May 4 by GinRummy

[Bozi]

Having grown up in Niddrie and briefly owning a flat in Wardlaw, my missus and I moved out to Bathgate (she's from here) 11 years ago and Tbh it's been a great move. It takes as long getting from Bathgate to Edinburgh as it used to take getting up and down the bypass.

In the good weather I cycle the 20 miles to work and get the train home, which is faster than trying to get around Edinburgh by car. 

 

House prices are cheaper and it's a good place to raise the kids, I certainly don't miss being burgled or having my motorbike set on fire in Niddrie which was the final straw for me.

 

I would imagine for anyone young and always out up town it would be a wretch but I honestly don't miss it too much 

[gordiegords]

2 hours ago, Bozi said:

Having grown up in Niddrie and briefly owning a flat in Wardlaw, my missus and I moved out to Bathgate (she's from here) 11 years ago and Tbh it's been a great move. It takes as long getting from Bathgate to Edinburgh as it used to take getting up and down the bypass.

In the good weather I cycle the 20 miles to work and get the train home, which is faster than trying to get around Edinburgh by car. 

 

House prices are cheaper and it's a good place to raise the kids, I certainly don't miss being burgled or having my motorbike set on fire in Niddrie which was the final straw for me.

 

I would imagine for anyone young and always out up town it would be a wretch but I honestly don't miss it too much 

I feel similar in that is a young mans game here unles of course you have a family and kids etc who are at school, final straw for me was walking the dog the other night and a junkie approaching me thinking I’m her dealer, i just cant be bothered with it.

 

 

[spirt of 98]

On 01/05/2024 at 21:04, gordiegords said:

After living here for around 14 years now I’m thinking about moving away, about an hours drive to a small town in an area I’m originally from, I live in Gorgie and as much as it has its benefits (being a ten minute walk to my seat at Tynecastle) I’m starting to grow a bit tired of the city life, the traffic is murder and the roads ain’t great, gorgie itself is getting pretty run down imo, more and glass on the pavements (not good when you have a dog) and a good amount of dog foul as well, Ive just came back from a walk with the dog and was approached by a lassie who thought i was her drug dealer! I wasn’t, he arrived about ten seconds later.

 

Anyway, of course there is the flip side, id have a longer commute to work, I love parts of the city and how easy it can be sometimes to move around and of course being this close to hearts but the truth is i I don’t have a close group of mates here and I don’t have a partner so I’m thinking about bailing out.

 

Interested to hear of other folks who have left and have either regretted it or actually its been a good thing for them

 

HHGH

I moved out to Broxburn in the late 90s. What a dung hole. Moved back as soon as I could. The people are more aligned to the west coast. Full of Huns too. Few Celtic fans too. 
 

sold up and got back to the big smoke quick style. 
 

if you move go east better class of people. 

[gordiegords]

1 hour ago, spirt of 98 said:

I moved out to Broxburn in the late 90s. What a dung hole. Moved back as soon as I could. The people are more aligned to the west coast. Full of Huns too. Few Celtic fans too. 
 

sold up and got back to the big smoke quick style. 
 

if you move go east better class of people. 

That bad was it? I’m actually moving north.

[cazzyy]

On 04/05/2024 at 10:24, Craig_ said:

The best advice I'd give would be to move somewhere with a train station. Some of the bus services from Fife/The Lothians are absolutely brutal, taking well over an hour to get into town. 

 

I agree with you except that some of the express buses from/to East Lothian are superb, they bolt up the A1 and hardly stop in Edinburgh till Waterloo Place. Train is better though. 👍

[spirt of 98]

11 hours ago, gordiegords said:

That bad was it? I’m actually moving north.

North will

be better than West Lothian. . 

[Hansel]

On 04/05/2024 at 14:03, Bozi said:

Having grown up in Niddrie and briefly owning a flat in Wardlaw, my missus and I moved out to Bathgate (she's from here) 11 years ago and Tbh it's been a great move. It takes as long getting from Bathgate to Edinburgh as it used to take getting up and down the bypass.

In the good weather I cycle the 20 miles to work and get the train home, which is faster than trying to get around Edinburgh by car. 

 

House prices are cheaper and it's a good place to raise the kids, I certainly don't miss being burgled or having my motorbike set on fire in Niddrie which was the final straw for me.

 

I would imagine for anyone young and always out up town it would be a wretch but I honestly don't miss it too much 

I quite fancy a move to Bathgate but my son is settled at school where we are in Kirknewton. There's not much here at all but it's near the A71, and when you think of it, it's basically Gorgie Road

 

 

[Canscot]

16 minutes ago, Hansel said:

I quite fancy a move to Bathgate but my son is settled at school where we are in Kirknewton. There's not much here at all but it's near the A71, and when you think of it, it's basically Gorgie Road

 

 

Had a girlfriend fae Kirknewton back in my youth. Lots of kids fae there were at my school. 

[il Duce McTarkin]

12 minutes ago, Canscot said:

Had a girlfriend fae Kirknewton back in my youth. Lots of kids fae there were at my school. 

 

So did I. Loads of Kirknewton boys at the raves back in the early 90s too.

[Hansel]

9 minutes ago, Canscot said:

Had a girlfriend fae Kirknewton back in my youth. Lots of kids fae there were at my school. 

Balerno High? Could do with a bit more going on here and that's why we'd like to move. Need to wait until the wee man has left school though

[Canscot]

7 minutes ago, Hansel said:

Balerno High? Could do with a bit more going on here and that's why we'd like to move. Need to wait until the wee man has left school though

Naw. west Calder High School. Back in the early 70’s

 

My nephew is from Juniper Green. He learned to fly gliders at Kirknewton. He now flies 787’s for B. A. 

Edited May 5 by Canscot

[AlimOzturk]

Live 5 mins from town, both myself and the missus live 10 min walk from our respective jobs. Our kids love their schools. 
 

only issue is our flat isn’t big enough. But, we make do as everything else works. Genuinely love living in Edinburgh and I often find the grass isn’t always greener. 

 

Edited May 6 by AlimOzturk

[John Gentleman]

On 03/05/2024 at 05:46, Lone Striker said:

This is a great thread, and all the posts show the wide range of reasons for leaving or staying. 

 

 After 55 years in Edinburgh, it was a bit scary to consider moving somewhere else.  With one eye on  likely future health issues, we wanted a small detached bungalow - but there was no way we could afford one in Edinburgh.   

 

Mrs Striker found  the one we're in now after various  online searches, out here in a wee WL village I'd never even  heard of.  I was still working in Livi at the time, so a half-hour commute was no worse than the commute from west Edinburgh.    Now retired, and so glad we moved.  Good neighbours, not much traffic, a few places to walk the dog e.g. up to the canal.   (There's an old marker stone on the towpath  which says 17 miles to Fountainbridge !!)   It was a prefect location for us  during Covid.

 

An unexpected "pro" is that I really  enjoy trips back  to Edinburgh for the Hearts games or to meet pals, while being smug about not having to live there any more !   Its sort of the best of both worlds.    The traffic & roadworks/diversions in the city   are awful. Some of the pubs & restaurants we used to like have gone now too.

 

On balance, I'd advise anyone to do at least consider a move away, but do your homework about the suitability of the likely house you can afford  and also the travel distances to amenities/train station/airport/attractive countryside/doctor/dentist etc    And imagine what your situation might be in 10 years time too - will you still be able to cope with stairs or maintaining a big garden etc.

 

 

Philpstoun?

[PapaShango]

On 02/05/2024 at 10:09, New Town Loafer said:

Have only just bought my first flat in Murrayfield and have a child on the way, but I'm already thinking about the future and I'm not sure I'd want to raise a family in Edinburgh.

 

So expensive and can't help but feel I'd get far more bang for my buck in terms of property if I stayed in East Lothian or the Borders.

I live in the Borders and work in Edinburgh and throughout my late teens and 20's came close to moving to Edinburgh a few times. Never made the move and where I am now being older and with a young family I wouldn't dream of moving. I stay in a village with a great school and a pub as an added bonus. House prices are a fraction of the city and crime levels are virtually zero. Its a great place to live if you have a young family or just want to go somewhere that isn't busy and 100mph. Don't get me wrong, its not for everyone but I tend to like the quieter area to live in. 

[lou]

Moved over the bridge to Dalgety Bay 21 years ago and it has been a fantastic place to bring up our kids but now we have both hit 50, the lure of going back to live in Edinburgh is strong, I think it will be a serious consideration in the not too distant future 

[New Town Loafer]

3 hours ago, PapaShango said:

I live in the Borders and work in Edinburgh and throughout my late teens and 20's came close to moving to Edinburgh a few times. Never made the move and where I am now being older and with a young family I wouldn't dream of moving. I stay in a village with a great school and a pub as an added bonus. House prices are a fraction of the city and crime levels are virtually zero. Its a great place to live if you have a young family or just want to go somewhere that isn't busy and 100mph. Don't get me wrong, its not for everyone but I tend to like the quieter area to live in. 

Nice one. I lived in West Linton as a child and somewhere similar has always appealed for when I have a young family. Just seems to make more sense.

[il Duce McTarkin]

10 minutes ago, New Town Loafer said:

Nice one. I lived in West Linton as a child and somewhere similar has always appealed for when I have a young family. Just seems to make more sense.

 

I've considered West Linton as a move away from Edinburgh. Always keeping an eye out for a suitable/affordable plot. Always fancied a self build.

[New Town Loafer]

40 minutes ago, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

I've considered West Linton as a move away from Edinburgh. Always keeping an eye out for a suitable/affordable plot. Always fancied a self build.

We should move in together. I'll cook.

[il Duce McTarkin]

Just now, New Town Loafer said:

We should move in together. I'll cook.

 

You're too left wing, bud, soz.

[New Town Loafer]

3 minutes ago, il Duce McTarkin said:

 

You're too left wing, bud, soz.

[gordiegords]

9 hours ago, AlimOzturk said:

Live 5 mins from town, both myself and the missus live 10 min walk from our respective jobs. Our kids love their schools. 
 

only issue is our flat isn’t big enough. But, we make do as everything else works. Genuinely love living in Edinburgh and I often find the grass isn’t always greener. 

 

I get that for sure, I don’t have kids or a partner but i get what you are saying.