this just popped up on my twitter feed. Stirling.

The op will most likely end up in kilbarchan🤑

If it was me, I’d plump for somewhere like Montrose (very briefly lived there as a kid) and enjoy the less strenuous coastal trails. Doesn’t look too far by car to reach the Cairngorms?

Montrose, Stonehaven, Arrrghbroth are pretty dire although when the sky is misty Dunnottar castle is quite impressive. Maybe Peterheid Fraserburg or Rosehearty if your tough

Pe’erheed or the Broch? Jeez, not tough, mental you mean. A knowledge of Latvian will go a long way towards integration in the better parts though.

Arbroath has the added bonus of the local burr is just so **** whiney… comfy?

Good stuff, half the family are in Forres and Nairn, lots of scenery and good stuff, but it is a cold place compared to the rest of the UK!

Remember to support your local team as well, Forres Mechanics!

Think we’re going to take a drive up to Stirling next friday and have a mooch about.
Any recommendations of where to head for and what to do?
Think we’ll be leaving the bikes at home for once as we already kind of know that there local riding to be had and it might be more productive to experience the more day to day stuff.
Any areas in and around Stirling we should take a look at?
Any bike shops, pubs and food places?
Any one local that we could meet up with for a beer/food/chat?

I know of an stw’er who is moving from Stirling soon….

Do they want to buy a house in K’ford? 😜
It’s got full on garage security for their bike collection.

Hasn’t she gone already Houns?

Hmm think K’ford May just lose out to their idyllic new place

Ponsnay/Cradleybonk/Owdill?
😁

In my view, Brewdog on Baker Street is the best pub.
Best Cafe is The Burgh on King Street. A good selection of restaurants and bistros depending on what kind you like.
Town centre is small and bog standard, but nice to sit at a pavement café in the sunshine and pretend to be on holiday with all the tourist’s foreign languages.
Great access to cites of Glasgow and Edinburgh and the Trossachs on the doorstep. Highlands only a couple of hours away (depending on where you consider the Highlands to start… 😉)
Bridge of Allan and Dunblane are nice and both have a few nice pubs and eateries.
If you are buying, check flooding history. Recent flash flooding affected low lying areas and historic flood areas have housing on them. It’s a massive alluvial plain with the Forth meandering through it.
Cambusbarron is a nice place to live and close enough to walk into town.
I running away from everything urban to live on Ardnamurchan in 4 weeks, but it’s not the location that has led me to that.

And as if by magic 🙂

Cheers jojo.
Where did you live?
General area. I’m not stalking you.

Hey jo – good luck with the move. Hope it works out!

I was in Cambusbarron (backing onto the fab trails) for 5yrs. Currently in Causewayhead (foot of the Wallace Monument).
Both a 2.5/3k walk to the town centre and very nice areas. Causewayhead prone to flooding,though I’ve only had my garage flood since being here.

Thanks jojo.

Any areas in and around Stirling we should take a look at?

When your up have a mooch around the Falkiek area lots of nice bits with cheaper housing than Stirling – also see The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel.

There are bike trails at Callendar Estate in the Falkirk area and Carron Valley trails are 20 minutes to the West. Of course neither of these are particulary challenging and as a result are derided by many 😃

Thanks fruitbat.

Any areas in and around Stirling we should take a look at?

Kings Park, St Ninians, Hospital area to Cambusbarron is worth a wander for house / nice area to live. Walk to town and station still.

As jojoa1 points out, some new housing is barely above the water table. The pre 1980’s housing tends to be better for this.

Wander around BofA high street, if you have time take a walk up in Mine Woods behind BofA or even train to Dunblane and walk back to BofA.

Bike shops – velo44 or Stirling cycles in Stirling, Roots cycles in Doune and then Stirling bike doctor for great repairs and servicing (shocks as well).

As jojoa1 said, middle of town is nice enough, pretty standard fare, with nice areas up towards the castle with a few more independent shops and cafes.

Cheers Matt.

Falkirk is a hell on earth

Falkirk is a hell on earth

😃 I’m surprised that took so long to appear 😃

For a real hell on earth try Coatbridge

For a real hell on earth try Coatbridge

But coatbridge sunnyside is the best train station name ever

Methil, Shotts, port Glasgow, Peterhead or Eyemouth.

Best of luck with the move Jo, look forward to your insta pics!.

Cambusbarron is a great shout.

House goes on the market this week in Hampshire – been searching online for suitable plots (build our own) or nice houses from Tweed Valley, Fife or Argyll. Hope that Coronavirus doesn’t kill the market dead though. Once we get a firm offer, will probably spend a week having a good look around.

– been searching online for suitable plots (build our own) or nice houses from Tweed Valley, Fife or Argyll.

Have you done much talking to planning officers yet? Hopefully times have changed but certainly in the early 2000’s trying but get permission for anything in Argyll that didn’t look like a play school house (showing my age – “Here’s a house, here’s a door. Windows: 1 2 3 4…..”) was impossible, especially if an outsider without connections. In other areas batshit mental is almost mandatory (see Findhorn). For me it would be a consideration as to where I would be looking if doing a self build.

When your up have a mooch around the Falkiek area lots of nice bits with cheaper housing than Stirling – also see The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel.

There are bike trails at Callendar Estate in the Falkirk area and Carron Valley trails are 20 minutes to the West. Of course neither of these are particulary challenging and as a result are derided by many 😃

+1, I echo fruitbat’s comments.

Biased cos I’m born and bred Falkirk. Central enough for all major cities barring Aberdeen and Inverness. 25min in car to trails in Bridge of Allan. 2 train stations on main line between Glasgow and Edinburgh and another on the line north to Stirling and beyond. Carron Valley is a bit shit IMO but Callendar Estates although tame is a good blast and flows better – I include it in my commute fairly often. Great path network (best walking neighbourhood award). Decent shops. The high street’s a shithole but generally the town’s a nice place.

Falkirk housing in general’s a fair chunk cheaper than Stirling. We couldn’t afford what we have here if it was in Stirling.

Have you done much talking to planning officers yet? Hopefully times have changed but certainly in the early 2000’s trying but get permission for anything in Argyll that didn’t look like a play school house (showing my age – “Here’s a house, here’s a door. Windows: 1 2 3 4…..”) was impossible, especially if an outsider without connections. In other areas batshit mental is almost mandatory (see Findhorn). For me it would be a consideration as to where I would be looking if doing a self build.

All the plots we’re looking at have existing planning permission – already talking to timber frame kit house builders who have built in the area and would be doing the planning / warrants etc. Appears that most activity is for second homes / B-T-L and the ‘domestic’ market is pretty quiet judging by the prices. Not going for anything too modern as simplicity/ cost / energy efficiency are more important.

Slight thread resurrection.
Has anyone any thoughts on Tweedbank?
Flooding?
I know its closeish to Yair but are there any local local trails there.

Only stayed there a couple of nights for an ultramarathon, seemed nice enough, has some 70’s council housing which yer average new money Borderer would turn their noses up at (also see Galashiels), dead handy for the train obviously, Melrose a couple of miles away, and plenty local hills and trails I’d imagine, yer man geex will know.

It’s quite spread out, I’d imagine flooding would be an issue if you’re right down near the tweed.

Yeah I was going to get in touch with Geex at some point when we’re allowed you come up again.

****Waves from Tweedbank***

I live up the road in Melrose but currently renting a place in Tweedbank whist work being done on our house.

Flooding is a complete non issue, although close to Tweed all the housing is much higher up so don’t worry about that at all. There is no history of flooding here.

Good bits:
Its nice, got one decent restaurant, lovely park and pond area and small shop. Feels safe, decent primary school and great central location. Variety of housing from newer, larger Barrets type housing to 70s/80’s smaller estate houses. Much, much more affordable than Melrose. Lots of woods and walks from the door, Abbotsford House is just over the road and is beautiful for family bike rides and dog walks. Tweedcross CX race held every year in the fields. Noticeable upping of community involvement throughout COVID, new resilience group set up and very active community. 30mins from GT, 15mins to Yair, awesome road riding from the door. Plenty of natural off road riding pretty much from the door including lovely loops on the Eildons.
Train station sees you in Edinburgh in 60mins.
Lots of agriculture around which may suit your line of work, also a couple of engineering places on the small industrial estate. Decent local brewery that puts on great springfest type events. Plans to expand the industrial estate and railhead area into business gateway type place with larger employers based there. Biggest local employers, NHS and Cooncil both a few minutes away by car or bike,

Not so good bits.
School catchment area isn’t great, high school kids go to Galashiels. If schooling is important to you then you really want to try and get into the Earlston catchment area. Lots of kids from here do go to Earlston through placement requests but you cannot guarantee that. There is a gulf of a differences between the two schools. Don’t underestimate this.
There isn’t really a village centre as such. No one place where people come together, might be a big deal for you, might not.
Potential for a lot of house building in the Lowwood area (over the railway). Not really clear on how this will impact the area but will certainly make it busier (if it happens).

Its all relative though, this is a great spot in a beautiful part of the world. Happy to chat through, just PM if you want my number for a call

Cheers Frank.
That’s very helpful.
Schools not a problem as we don’t have kids.
Mrs Stu already has a job to go to up there.
I’m not that fussed about work.🤣 Maybe something part time to pay for bike shit.
Not bothered about village center.
Any good curry hoses nearby. I know the one in Inners is OK but anything closer?
We’d already decided we liked it there but just looking for locals thoughts.
Oh and we’ve already been to the brewery…

I’ll take you up on the kind offer of your number and be in touch when we’re allowed to come up.👍

Gala has curry houses, pretty decent.

👍

Hopefully we’ll be in our new rental in 3 weeks on Speyside, just outside Dufftown. TBH wasn’t the first choice of location, but about the only decent unfurnished rental we could find that would take dogs. The good thing is that we’ll have Ben Rinnes on our doorstep, as well as lots of areas to explore within our nominal 5 mile radius. Hopefully as lockdown restrictions list, we’ll be able to get out and explore – Western Isles still in lockdown for a while longer, so decided to put the camper van into storage for a while.