My girlfriend and I are preparing for a move back to Scotland in the next few months.

I’m just preparing for a serious discussion about where we might live, I’ve got work lined up back in Edinburgh, but she might be looking as far afield as Gleneagles.

I hate the thought of hours of commuting every week so am very reluctant to move far out of Edinburgh, but my girlfriend suggested Linlithgow which looks like a good compromise.

Is the commute to Edinburgh a reasonable ride? 20 miles sounds ideal but what’s a good route?

She might end up driving to Gleneagles which is apparently a 45minute drive, I can get the train if I’m not up for a cycle.

What is Linlithgow like to live in, I’ve heard reasonably good things but don’t really know the place at all.

Ta

The canal passes through Linlithgow….

Some really nice places to live there too. I would.

You can get your shock serviced there…..

I know some folk who live there – seems really nice. Good riding nearby, be it road, CX or MTB.

Gleneagles

Have you seen the house prices?
What about (where we live) Dunblane / Stirling / Bridge of Allan? All have direct train to Edinburgh, and BoA and Stirling have some cheaper house options, and BoA / Dunblane have daft money houses as well.

Linlithgow – I know little beyond it seems a slightly posher than average central Scotland town, and the Primary has a great staff working there…

It’s nice. Got some friends there. Has a discernable sense of community (can be a double-edged sword, apparently). Couple of decent pubs. Don’t know about the ride into Edinburgh, but mtb-wise, I know there’s some trails built around Beecraigs. GT/Inners an hour away. Pentlands under half an hour.

You’ve not got many options for cycling into Edinburgh, the canal or the road to Kirkliston which is straight/wide and boring. Doesn’t get too busy so it feels pretty safe. I used to find it a slog but other people seemed to like it. Think ERC use it for TT. It would be uphill pretty much all the way home, headwinds were also a common feature. From Kirkliston either drop down to the A89 and head in on the A8 past the airport or go to the A90 and head in that way. There are some cycle tracks/routes of variable quality and directfullness/usefulness near these road routes.

She is looking for work in Gleneagles, not to live there.

I’m all aboard for Stirling except for the commute, strikes me that it would take twice as long as it would from Linlithgow, and cycling there is less realistic! (for me anyway, I have a friend who does it but he also did the Highlandtrail550 this year…)

Ultimately I want to keep the commute under an hour if I can, just really hoping she can get work in Edinburgh instead!

Good feedback for Linlithgow at least!

Have a look to the north of Edinburgh at Queensferry and places just over the bridges. Fife isn’t all bad!

Down the line maybe – the schools are excellent.

I work in LLG, and it’s nice enough, but property is overpriced IMO. It is the first town out of Edinburgh on the train and quite well placed for Glasgow too. The palace and loch are nice, but traffic through the town is a nightmare. It’s stunning by west Lothian standards 😀 The canal will take you right into the city. Beecraigs offers some moderately interesting riding, muddy/short though.

I think you’d struggle to make Gleneagles in 45mins. I’m in Dunfermline and it takes me 25 mins and that’s leaving so I avoid the worst of the traffic. I think you’re looking at 60mins at least from LLG to Gleneagles.

I’d rather live in BofA, Dollar, Stirling TBH.

EDIT. Fife gets a bad press, like anywhere there is good and bad. Aberdour is nice/on the train line.

Linlithgow is a nice place, don’t know too much about it though tbf, I meet my sister there every Christmas to swap pressies, and it’s always seemed good. Great location for getting onto the M8 or for heading north too. All the natural riding around Stirling not far away either.

I’d move to Linlithgow just to have more steak from Champagy Inn…

answers in bold:

I hate the thought of hours of commuting every week so am very reluctant to move far out of Edinburgh, but my girlfriend suggested Linlithgow which looks like a good compromise. it is – if she would be driving to somewhere out of the city she doesn’t want to waste 30-40 mins getting to the m/way so this makes sense.

Is the commute to Edinburgh a reasonable ride? 20 miles sounds ideal but what’s a good route?
it is perfectly doable – how practical will depend on exact employer (location, facilities, start/finish times, etc). There are two common routes: Lin-Kirkliston-Dalmeny and then follow the cyclepath into Edinburgh, or Lin-Kirkliston-Airport then follow the cyclepath on the A8 into Edinburgh. Exact choice will depend on where your office is, but the Dalmeny route is faster flowing (the A8 cyclepath is a PITA – junctions, lights, bridges etc). The train service is also good.

What is Linlithgow like to live in, I’ve heard reasonably good things but don’t really know the place at all.
generally good. Very much a family town including lots of good schools (6 primary, 1 secondary), a predominantly (but not exclusively) middle class commuter population, and more pubs and cafe’s than it should really have for its size. Its not somewhere with a real “night life” though – but you are only 20 mins from Edinburgh and 35 from Glasgow. Others have mentioned good biking locally – active, friendly club. It is popular enough that proximity to the train station and being within the catchment area for the schools inflate house prices. I’ve lived in, or had friends in, most of the nearby alternatives and I wouldn’t pick them.

Bridge of Allan / Dunblane are credible suggestions of similar “standing” too – but out of cycling distance for Edinburgh.

I’m also a fan of bridge of Allan. Cracking riding from the doorstep too!.

I sometimes cycle to/from work, I work in “Lithgae” and live 10 miles away. The Road between Linlithgow and Kirkliston is a pretty decent bike ride, if a bit like a wind tunnel at times. The canal path is pretty good, but its at least a couple of miles longer due to the route it takes through Winchburgh and Broxburn.
As for the town, not a bad place to live I’d say, footbal lteam, decent Sports Centre/Gym, a big loch for walking round or fishing and a Palace! 😀

If you’re the 13thfloor4thdeadmonk who used to be on Descent World then BiscuitFuelled (if you remember him) is/was from there IIRC, he can be found in an active twitter account by some light link stalking from ride.io/southerndownhill (since Jon_e shut the DW forums) or I can just fling you a link.

Local bike club, the Clarion, are excellent too.

Linlithgow to Gleneagles is always going to feel like your trying to get to the opposite edge of the circle, if you know what I mean.
From Edinburgh you would go north over the bridge, from Linlithgow you can go either way.
What about just over the bridge – Dunfermline etc?

Surely you would just blast straight up the M9, why would you go via Fife?

I suppose you would. My brain is wired to avoid motorways, especially when the road over Knockhill/Powmill/Glendevon is so much fun to drive. I’m still sceptical about doing it in 45 mins via M9.

squirrelking – Member
Surely you would just blast straight up the M9, why would you go via Fife?

I used to work with a chap in Edinburgh who lived in Auchterarder – he used to go up the M90.

Montgomery Scott will be born there in 2222.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Scott

Gleneagles 40mins. Edinburgh 50mins on the bike traffic free, most regular train service to Edinburgh of anywhere. Quickest is 10 mins to Haymarket. Most 16-20. Interesting locals. Own museum.

Inverkeithing rocks.
This house has trails to the back door, as well as what looks like a ‘free for the taking’ outbuilding, if you can be bothered to rebuild it.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43808506.html

This house has trails to the back door, as well as what looks like a ‘free for the taking’ outbuilding, if you can be bothered to rebuild it.

And a quaint fly tipping site just around the corner.

Kinross?