Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)
  • Peebles folk – living/moving advice please
  • bajsyckel
    Full Member

    Having trawled older threads on the subject I know there are a few warm-hearted people from Peebles area on here and was hoping for some specific advice.

    We (me, OH and a young one) are considering a move to Peebles. The only snag we can see is that one of us would be employed in Edinburgh for at least the immediate future. Edinburgh is fine (great in many ways) but, like loads of others find, staying there is pretty unaffordable. So we’re considering whether a move to Peebles might work.

    We know the town reasonably well from a biking and a visitor’s perspective, and even accounting for the prejudice of someone who spent a lot of their youth staying with family in Gala, rate it pretty highly, but were wondering if anyone could offer any advice on some aspects of living there nowadays, specifically…

    – commuting to Edinburgh (central i.e. Uni/Holyrood-ish).
    One of us would have to change from a pleasant 15 minute spin to doing this 4/5 days a week. I know loads of folk do it, but is it as soul destroying as I imagine it could be? What options are there that don’t involve driving both ways each day? Are there any commuter car share clubs around? Or is it just the express bus (which seems OK in route but not ideal timing)?

    – areas of town.
    Any that are particularly desirable to live in, or areas to avoid? Compared to other Borders towns (which I know better), Peebles seems to lack any “bad” areas or streets/schemes. Instead it just seems to have loads of areas of mediocre commuter housing round the periphery with poor access to the amenities/facilities of the town centre. Given that is traffic disturbance an issue on any of the main routes (i.e. round schools, the main roads into town)?

    – stuff for young kids.
    Currently with a 1.5 yr old so any tips on stuff that might be oriented to them? The parks that i know of (down on the green and along the river past the rugby pitches) seem good. The Gytes and Pool seem OK. But all appears a bit concentrated around that area. What other stuff is there that is walkable or tucked away in the more residential areas? Any stuff about the schools to know of?

    And as always, any other choice gems of wisdom gratefully received. Thanks!

    jimmy
    Full Member

    I couldn’t do the commute myself, we live half way in Auchendinny – 20 min drive to peebles, 40 min ride to centre of town (half on cycle path), riding from the door locally and pentlands. OK I’d love to live in peebles but the commute kills it every time for me.

    Some nice parts of Penicuik a mile away which gives direct access to shops and buses, we’re a bit isolated in terms of walking distances but it’s totally serene.

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    I moved to peebles in June on my own. I commute to cannonmills so right through the town centre and down the mound.

    I share lifts sometimes take the bus other times. Its not a crap drive and the traffic is rarely noteworthy. I lived on leithwalk before and honestly the extra 40minutes each way hasn’t bothered me at all. I don’t know what you mean by bus timings being an issue? Every twenty minutes during the day isn’t too bad and the last bus is 2330 so getting pissed after work is totally doable!

    Its all worth it i think, its a great place to wake up on a saturday morning (unless I got the last bus home…) i rarely go to glentress as there is so much more to explore.

    ^I looked at Auchendinny but for me it was just dull* and I wanted a proper town.

    *living on my own.

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    rickmeister
    Full Member

    A friend drives in daily to the park and ride opposite ikea and bikes in from there, works well for him…

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    Yep thats definitely an option or you can park further away in the temple area and ride in on beautiful country back lanes…for a bit. Through the city ftom the south is doable but there is no great route that i know of.

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    Thanks for replies so far. Riding from bypass into town was a thought and something we’re familiar with. Bus wise I thought there was just one express bus each way and that wouldn’t always hit work shifts – happy to hear if there are more options that are reasonably swift. As for Auchendinny or Penicuik (or other places like Dalkeith, Newtongrange etc) to me they have the benefit of price but none of the benefits of living in an amazing city with loads accessible on your doorstep or being in a town where you have most things you need. You still have a commute that is a hassle with either IMO (probably).

    stevenmenmuir
    Free Member

    I live in Newtongrange. Takes half an hour on the bus to get near the centre, 20-40 mins in the car depending on how busy it is. You can get the train in now if you don’t mind spending a bit more. GT and Inners are a 30 min drive, plenty of local riding in the woods. Sun Inn does really good food.

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    For clarity bus times are every twenty minutes during cummute / working day time then the trail off a bit but atleast 1 an hour as far as i can work out. I take it when I can’t be bothered driving.

    All the bus timetables seem to be bollocks most are express and have wifi.

    To uni/holyrood i doubt you’ll struggle for a car share.

    balfa
    Free Member

    I had the same dilemma about a year ago. In the end I couldn’t face the long commute and opted for a house on the edge of the Pentlands outside of Penicuik. 30 minutes to the centre of town by bike or bus but still have proper hills and mountain biking from the door. Its very pleasant being able to take a longer commute through the Pentlands when the weather is good. However, if I wasn’t chained to a desk in town I’d have opted for Peebles.

    piemonster
    Full Member

    *bookmarked*

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    ^cheers for bus info. For me, being sat on a bus for 30 minutes each way is as tedious as an hour, but obviously it’s time away from home and fun. It probably will not be me doing it either- I know I’d be OK, but not sure that the oh would which makes me less confident about going for it.

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    Plus the “vibe” I get is that there’s loads going on in Peebles for kids as they get older (albeit of a genteel variety) and that’s a significant draw. Not sure towns in the Lothians do as you can get to elsewhere or Edinburgh too easily so it seems to happen there (if that makes sense).

    stevenmenmuir
    Free Member

    My kids have done, football, trampolining, gymnastics, diving, swimming, Beavers, Rainbows, ballet, music lessons and there’s probably a few I’ve missed all in Newtongrange or close by. We also have a great library that puts on special events as does the mining museum and then there are fantastic parks like Dalkieth Country park and Vogrie. It’s maybe not as fashionable as Peebles but there’s no shortage of things to do. We couldn’t afford to live any closer to Edinburgh but my son dives at the Commonwealth 4 times a week and I can’t imagine trying to get him there from Peebles. I know one girl in the club from Peebles who can’t get to all of her training sessions because of the distance.

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    I like Newtongrange Stephen, especially the parks, the mining museum and woods so it’s good to hear of other stuff going on (I always think it’s got loads of advantages over Loanhead where my mam’s originally from) so will perhaps take a look at what’s available there, thanks.

    I guess though we’re still stuck on how best to compromise, if we head out of the city (which looks unavoidable if we want to avoid ridiculous rent increases or even maybe buy somewhere) part of us says lets go somewhere where we wouldn’t feel the need to travel away from to do other things than work (i.e. not driving/traveling 30/40 minutes each way to work, then driving 30/40 minutes to family/friends/bike/etc. at the weekend – though obviously nobody forces you to do that). Partly it’s that I’m likely to be the one not doing all the traveling but have done it in the past and am not sure how my OH would really get on with it through the winter etc., or how it might pan out longer term with family things…

    footflaps
    Full Member

    I had the same dilemma about a year ago. In the end I couldn’t face the long commute and opted for a house on the edge of the Pentlands outside of Penicuik.

    Great location, my cousin in law lives near there.

    hels
    Free Member

    I think a lot depends on where you work and how flexible your start/finish times are.

    My record front door to desk is 36 minutes, but I leave at 0630, work near the bypass and have unofficial flexible working, and access to a parking space.

    I worked in the city centre for a while – the 62 bus looks great on paper but is so often late, and takes about 2 hours during rush hour. I found the quickest way to travel if I had to do rush hour was drive to Straiton and jump on X37 which dropped me right at my work.

    The bit from Peebles to Penicuik is not the bit that takes time, it is the bit from Gowkley Moss roundabout and all ways ahead, the Pentlands and the bypass create an unavoidable pinch point.

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    ^ hels, that’s pretty much what our situation would be commuting, and summed up what I thought, thanks. I’ll show them to the OH and see what she reckons, though I don’t think she’d see riding from Straiton out of the question. Any thoughts on areas of Peebles – is there a ghetto somewhere that outsiders don’t find out about until it’s too late??

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    That’s called Walkerburn

    hels
    Free Member

    I guess it depends what you like in a house. There is maybe half a street of social housing near the Halyrude school ? I don’t think there is much else. Lots of retired folk and families, although that is improving. Good high school, but lots of kids shipped up to the posh schools in Edinburgh every day.

    Still has a very small town vibe, some very tatty local festivals are still surviving, rugby players in drag and public drunkenness, that kind of thing.

    There are some new houses, all built very close together and on fields that used to flood every year, so I would do my research if I was you !

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    *This is probably no help*
    I spent a long weekend in peebles a few years ago and immediately thought “I could live here”!

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    I think I live in the bad area of peebles.

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    scotroutes – Member

    That’s called Walkerburn

    cheeky get 😉 . I quite like Walkerburn and would definitely fancy moving there for riding alone.

    Hels – thanks for the info. I know some of the new and currently under construction estates look like absolute dross and poorly planned, regardless of being poorly sited for flooding. As architect/planning/practical types we have pretty open minds as we can work with stuff we find but like good light, space, views and sound construction. Some of the town centre, “mill-era” and post-war expansion stuff seems a decent bet in that respect.

    hels
    Free Member

    You will also have the dubious honor of living in the only Conservative seat in Scotland.

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    More dubiousness than honour I expect. Thanks for the advice.

    bigjim
    Full Member

    Agonising over this decision myself, have to move out of current flat in Edinburgh so have the option of peebles/inners. Commute into central Edinburgh inevitable though, plus being a single chap I think I might lose my mind living alone in inners…

    onehundredthidiot
    Full Member

    I’d move search to other end of tweed valley. Selkirk is cheap, great riding out the door and 5 miles to the train into central Edinburgh. Houses much cheaper.

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    Inners is lovely but its a fair chunk more travel time.

    One year in still not regretting it!

    br
    Free Member

    – commuting to Edinburgh (central i.e. Uni/Holyrood-ish).

    We live at the other end of the valley, near Melrose and my wife has worked in Edinburgh for the past 3 years. She use to drive as needed to out at Straiton, but now she’s working near the Uni so takes the train from Tweedbank.

    Plenty of riding too, just look on Strava at Yair and Thornielee plus Inners is only 20 mins away.

    failedengineer
    Full Member

    Is it true that almost half the population is English?

    athgray
    Free Member

    The road to Edinburgh is pretty good. Not much in the way of HGV’s compared to say the A7 or A68. The park and ride at Staiton is an option. I work close to Musselburgh and can do the rin in about 35 mins if leaving at 6:30. The bypass gets busy quickly from 7:00.

    Peebles is a great place to live IMO. Not many bad area. There are really nice estates South of the river. I have a friend that lives in Forest Park.

    Moved here from Penicuik 12 years ago. 3 kids aged 7,4 and 2. There are plenty of clubs and activities for both kids amd adults. Forest walks, Jelly Tots, soft play at the Gytes, decent pool with kids sessions, sporty kids, music classes, beavers, drama class, dance classes, local choir.

    Peebles seems to have a decent art scene and the Eastgate Theatre often has good stuff on and films on a Sunday.

    Also, not many weekends go by without some event on. The sort of stuff you may never think of going to until you have young kids.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    I hear walkerburns on the up and up now gluptons moved out. 😉

    bigjim
    Full Member

    I’ve personally consulted Glupton on the issue and he was very positive about the whole thing 🙂

Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)

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