Hi

New here, and I’ve been directed here from previous searches for information on Glasgow, this was one of the few places that seemed to have useful advice on the topic.

Apologies for the long post.

I have recently landed a contract in Glasgow, to last 6 months initially, and I am looking to relocate as commuting from my current location in the middle of England is not really feasible or convenient.

I was originally hoping to commute from Edinburgh but the cost and length make me think I’d be better off considering Glasgow. I’ve also been considering Linlithgow as it is nicely situated between both cities as well as Stirling, so it should be a good zone to find further work.

Because I am currently looking to rent, I was hoping for some advice on areas in Glasgow to consider, and to avoid (not to impinge these areas but I’m completely unfamiliar with the city and I know they all have their bad parts,.) I’m also considering doing a course either this year or the next, so ideally I’d like to find somewhere good to minimise moving costs.
From reading discussions on the interwebz over time, I’ve been able to identify the following areas as ‘nice’:

-West End (Dowanhill, Hyndland, Broomhill, Partickhill, Thornwood, Partick, studenty areas like Byres Rd, Hillhead, Woodlands)
-South side (which I believe includes Shawlands, Queen’s Park, Cathcart, Mount Florida, Pollokshields, Cathcart, Clarkston, Eastwood, Busby, Newtom Mearns and Strathbungo)
-Bearsden
-Milngavie
-Further out, Dunblane Muirend, Erskine, Linlithgow, Bishopbriggs, Bridge of Allan, Bridge of Weir, Lenzie and Stirling

And the following as ‘avoids’:

-Castlemilk
-Carntyne
-Crosshill
-Easterhouse
-Royston
-Toryglen
-Dennistoun
-Anniesland
-Milton/Saracen rd/Possilpark
-Govanhill (anywhere specific? It looks quite big and borders on what is defined as the “south side”, Victoria Rd came up)

Has this changed at all? Anywhere else worth adding to either list, especially in the city centre itself?

As I am looking for a 2 bed that allows pets, I’m struggling to find anything in the West End, which is my first choice, under £900 pm, and even then it’s sporadic. I’ve seen some properties going for £800 accepting pets but they were either snapped up or the landlord is unresponsive. I’m currently considering a 3 bed property on Dinmont rd in Shawlands, which is near the Crossmyloof rail station, so I’d appreciate any insights on that area.

Does anyone know much about Linlithgow and Linlithgow Bridge as an area? I think later down the line, it looks like a nice place to buy a property given its central location. It looks very quiet. Is it a very “traditional” place, or just a quiet commuter town?

Any information would be much appreciated.

I’m not sure what you mean by is linlithgow a very traditional place, it certainly has a lot of traditions, which you might call a community. it has grown significantly in the last thirty odd years mostly to provide commuter accommodation for families. I don’t think it falls into classic dormitory town status though. It may or may not suit you depending on what you want.

I think Lenzie, and other places service a similar market closer to Glasgow.

Which part of Glasgow will you be working in? It’s a surprisingly big place and if you’re trying to connect to “wrong” areas you’d be quicker living in Edinburgh.

Very near Queen str station.

The reason I’m asking is because I’ve heard Linlithgow has a reputation for being a bit cliqueish and distrustful of outsiders, but I hear this has now changed quite a bit. It looks like a very nice area to purchase a property later on, pending a visit.

Dumbarton.
Gods country.

I would say South Side. Its the underrated part of Glasgow. I believe all maps produced north of the river just say “Here be Dragons” given the reaction to people to finding out you live in the South. The Cathcart Circle is a very useful train route and makes it easy to the centre. Its also a very easy cycle.

You also have quick access to Cathkin Braes and even Pollock Park has a couple of trails for that quick 20 mins getting muddy.

You can get from Bishopriggs to the centre of Glasgow offroad with less than a mile of road riding all in.

I’ve heard Linlithgow has a reputation for being a bit cliqueish

No worse than anywhere else, but if this bothers you, then definitely avoid some parts of Edinburgh.

If work is near queen street, then you could also consider anything out towards Stirling or beyond. Dunblane is nice, Stirling less so.

I’m also contracting and currently split my week between Edinburgh and Glasgow, there are pros and cons to living/working in both.

Stw.geoffj@me.com if you want any more in depth info.

I lived in Linlithgo for 5 years – very friendly.

Two trains an hour to Queen Street station (about 45 min) and 4 to Edinburgh 15-20min. And next to the M9.

A great place to live if you want to be in a smaller town, and IMHO the nicest place in West Lothian.

Lots of nice places in Glasgow, its a proper big city, and as others have said, transport links from the “wrong” areas can take forever.

The south side has great motorway access and alternatives even at rush hours. West end not so hot for this.

There are posh bits within many of your avoid areas, you’d be daft to spend over the odds and end up beside noisy students or moany old people in the west end.

Shawlands is nice and services are excellent. I would move there but am in a posh bit of Govanhill. All Jag’s and Audis parked here. 10 -15 minutes by bicycle from queen street station.

Yes, a lot of cities have the “swiss cheese” layout unfortunately, although Glasgow seems a bit better than where I’m currently at in that respect. However, this is the first time I’ve looked into it, so I’m going by what I’ve found online. West End is proving a bit difficult to find anywhere (in that, I’ve found places but they’re either snapped up or the landlord is just not responding), so I’m also looking a bit farther afield, e.g. parts of the south side. Which are the worst areas in terms of students in the West End?

I’d get any wee flat Southside, Dumbarton or Helensburgh for example for a short term let then look around and see where you actually fancy for the longer term.
Do you want new build Flats, tenement or house? That will dictate as much as anything.

Anniesland/Kelvindale is OK. Close to the M8 via Clyde Tunnel. Good train connections. Sandwiched between hugely expensive Hyndland and Jordahill how bad can it be.

As a long time Milngavie resident I’d say avoid if you are going to be driving into Glasgow or anywhere east or south of the city for a 9-5 job. The north west of the city has had no road improvements for 30 yrs. Decent train service though into the city if you are going to Queen St. 15m service in peak hours. Two trains an hour the rest of the time. Nice pedestrianised town centre. If your pets are dogs there is great walking on your doorstep. Mugdock Country park, West Highland Way access off road from precinct.

Bike commute to city centre straightforward as well.

Linlithgow and Helensburgh being suggested in a thread about living in Glasgow? No idea why you’d want to start there when there are so many places within a short train/bus/bike ride from the city

Did you bother to read the OP?

😀

In the short term, I’d grab a flat in Glasgow on the South side. Long term, it depends on how much you like biking without driving. Linlithgow is pretty limited biking wise but Stirling/Dunblane/BofA is stuffed full of biking. Live in Dunblane meself, purely based on biking. Yes the commute into Weege is a bit of a pain but home life is better.

scotroutes – Member
Did you bother to read the OP?

POSTED 8 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Yup, we’re talking about 6 months here, might as well make the most of it rather than having a shitty commute.

Heading out to the (Helens)burgh certainly doesn’t help the idea of a central location anyway

I asked for information on Linlithgow as I am interested in the area. Ideally I would like a rental within Glasgow for now, as I intend to study as well, so it will probably go on beyond a 6 months stay. Just a case of finding one that accepts a cat. 😀

OP, the area you’re looking at currently (Dinmont Street) is just down the road from me and is perfectly nice. A quiet little pocket but near to the many amenities of Shawlands, some great restaurants and bars, and also a big Morrisons on your doorstep.

Crossmyloof station is only 2 stops (about 10 mins) from Glasgow Central, so pretty handy for access to the city centre and Queen Street station.

You should also look at Bothwell and Uddingston G71 post code15 mins by train into Cenral station and right on the M74

Hi, I’ve lived in Shawlands (south side) for about 7 years, and only now are we thinking about moving for schooling reasons. And then it would be to Clarkston/Netherlee area. Believe me, if it wasn’t for the kids schooling I would not choose to move from Shawlands as it had so much to offer and hugely underrated compared to the more ‘trendy’ west end. One thing I’ve noticed from living here is the friendliness of the locals-think it’s something glasgow specialises in compared to other big cities. Shawlands/Strathbungo area have had a decent amount of investment in the last few years and has improved dramatically-don’t get me wrong-there’s still room for improvement! Can’t tell from your posts if you’re a mtb’er but Pollok Park is literally on your doorstep and you can easily spend an hour on the hidden trails. There’s also Bellahouston and Cathkin Braes within easily cycling distance. To get into the proper hills requires either a 20min cycle or car trip up to Mugdock for example. If you want any more info feel free to pm me, cheers

My advice is to get some Rab c nesbitt DVDs so that you can understand the patter

South side – shawlands for a start, move further up the hill if you are feeling flush

I’d be travelling by train/bus at least initially.

Also, “up the hill”? 😀

You should also look at Bothwell and Uddingston G71 post code15 mins by train into Cenral station and right on the M74

What about Blantyre? Is that also an area worth considering?

Blantyre: no.

I rode into Glasgow from ayrshire on Saturday. Follow the a77 south from the strath bungo/shawlands side and you go through giffnock and newton mearns (the Mearns). Both giffnock and the Mearns are well to do areas…it is a good 20 minute ride down hill from the top of the Mearns to the city centre – maybe less, maybe more but I was starving at the time and wasn’t on top form…

You can take off the ‘avoid’ list

Dennistoun
Anniesland and Vicky road.

Who gave you the pointers?

#iresideinascotsbaronialmansioninkillearn

I poke poor folk in the throat with my diamond topped walking stick.

Past threads that came up through searches I did.

I rode into Glasgow from ayrshire on Saturday. Follow the a77 south from the strath bungo/shawlands side and you go through giffnock and newton mearns (the Mearns). Both giffnock and the Mearns are well to do areas…it is a good 20 minute ride down hill from the top of the Mearns to the city centre – maybe less, maybe more but I was starving at the time and wasn’t on top form…

What about Darnley?

Darnley – see Blantyre!.

Like the other contributors, I’d give milngavie a thumbs up for the great rail links.
Maybe worth considering the area around old kilpatrick (under the erskine bridge) as its not too shabby and with a cycle track which will take you to Dalmuir train station in minutes, offering plenty of connections to Glasgow.
Dalmuirs also one of the main stops outside Glasgow for the west highland line should you wish to explore arrochar or rannoch, etc.

Have to say if you are going to be working near Queen St the suggestions for Shawlands are a good bet. A very short flat bike commute. Plenty buses and trains for an alt. Good local shops pubs.

Me and mrs IRC are considering moving back into the city at some point and Shawlands, Partick, Anniesland are the sort of areas we’d be looking at. For a short term rental why go any further out?

I am originally from just outside stirling so it gets my vote. I spent various years commuting to glasgow and edinburgh by train and car. I found it ideal. Mates who lived in glasgow often took as long to get to work as me due to traffic. You can get the train straight to queen st. Its also very central for future work, in easy reach of glasgow, Edinburgh, perth falkirk etc. I am not a fan of big city living and prefer living away from it, but close enough incase I want to visit it.

irc spot on.

Bishopbriggs and nearby areas are nice. How important is a night time social life?

Have you considered Stoneybridge?

[video]http://youtu.be/cTsvLjAzozE[/video]

If you look at a radius of around 8 miles from work location, all is about the same commute. West is most expensive, then north, then south, then east. Dodgy areas are in reverse order.

Your shawlands suggestion is good, nice area and a good chunk cheaper than west end. We stayed shawlands/cathcart for 15 yrs or so and moved to East Kilbride 13 yrs ago due expanding family.

Live near a station. The Glasgow local trains are pretty good and Central is five minutes walk from Queens St so it doesn’t really matter whether you are north or south of the river.

I grew up in Cambuslang which is nice enough up the hill, with a choice of two train lines into Central – but not really rent a nice flat country. And you will be going into town if ever you want to eat or drink out.

Can’t say I’ve considered Stoneybridge, no. Ought I to?

Night time social life is completely unimportant. I’m really not into it. I like eating out at good restaurants, coffee and the occasional excursion to the cinema, but that is about it.

As for the city centre itself, what is it like in terms of decent areas? Just in case anything crops up there.

Regarding Anniesland, is the bad rep unjustified then? I was a bit surprised about Victoria Rd coming up as a “bad” spot given that it is in the middle of what is considered to otherwise be a very prestigious area, but it’s not like I would know much better, other than by asking.

Re. Anniesland I lived there until a couple of years ago and there’s plenty of decent flats in the area, and it feels safe, however from helping out on my wife’s Avon round a while back a lot of the tenement blocks which look identical outside aren’t.
You even get a few students there, particularly vets.

Its all pretty much been covered.

I’d second why have you been told to avoid vicky road and dennistoun would happily return to Dennistoun.

Remember that there’s an entrance exam for the South Side. You must be able to state at least 10 reasons why it’s just as good, or better than, the West End 😉