We looked at moving to the borders – lots of attractive properties in flood risk areas. Go on street view and the neighbouring house has sand bags against the back door is not a good sign.

brads can do one. I live in hawick and it is on its uppers and so is Selkirk to a lesser extent. Selkirk high is decent but small some outstanding teachers I’m a teacher in hawick and it is pretty much like a tough inner city school.
Riding from Selkirk is brilliant, bowhill, Yair, 30mins along the top to inners, drop off the top to thornilee.

The non tweed part of the borders does suffer from a fair amount of low paid jobs and seems to have a good amount of poverty related issues. But the towns and the majority of people in them are welcoming and friendly. My missus has been here all her life (me only 7years) and I seem to spend half my time waving at folk or chatting. My shop would be quicker if so many folk didn’t stop to chat. There are some small town issues and common ridings are a spectacle but can bring out a lot of insular behaviour.

Let’s not forget hawick has a world class pumptrack.

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Probably worth pointing out the obvious, if you buy that house you wouldn’t be moving to Selkirk! Its about 40min drive from Selkirk. You are probably closer to Hawick than Selkirk in journey time. Either way, the quality (or not) of Selkirk as a town will have little impact on your life.

Your primary school would be Kirkhope, 25 mins drive each way.
You asked about running clubs, Gala Harriers running club, 45mins each way

That is properly out in the sticks. You’ll need decent chest freezer for winter!

That’s properly hidden away. It’s an hours cycle to hawick from there the road to Selkirk is better but I’d guess an hour on the school bus nearest pub is at tushielaw (nice bloke owner famously had a strop on 4beds or whatever that BnB program is).

It’s dead end road leading to overphawhope bothy which can sometimes have the drinking brigade in. One of the landowners is less than welcoming (only puts up signs I think they are effectively absentee).

I can do one can I ? lol
Fair enough, but really, It’s “on the uppers” and the school is like a “tough inner city school”

Haud me back ! haha

They may well be getting better for for as long as I can remember they were crap. One shop closing away from being nothing backwaters.

I even looked at housing in the area now that I’m planning a move out of East Lothian but appealing as a huge stone built house for 1 bedroom flat type money might be, there is no escaping the brutalist nature of a bleak town filled with bleak folk and farmers.

Sorry if you feel insulted but we are all entitled to our opinions, and that’s what was asked for.

If you want to see what your kids will become go to a pub in Selkirk one weekend and meet the locals.

My mate did 6 years in Selkirk High, then uni, then travelled with world with work in finance, now lives in Edinburgh on a stupidly large salary. Maybe not typical, but judging a school but the local pubs is a bit weird.
Having said that my parents sent me to Earlston even though we were in Selkirk catchment.

I’d recommend the OP spends a few days driving round different bits of the Borders. I couldn’t imagine living up the Ettrick or Yarrow, but there are lots of nice villages and hamlets where I’d be happy. Road riding around Jedburgh, Kelso and along the border is superb.

Two words. Walkerburn. Oh wait, that’s only one word.

A bit of perspective needed really in relation to getting hung up about schools, whilst Earlston is a good school, there are no bad schools in the borders. Nothing wrong with Selkirk. Don’t discount Kelso. Less than 2 hours drive to Glasgow, 35 minutes drive to Berwick Train station for Newcastle. Great riding around there too.

Looked at buying a house in Walkerburn last month.
House was braw. Walkerburn is like the town that planning permission forgot.
And it smells like it has a huge chemical factory in the centre of town. Oh ! wait ! It HAS !

And it blows up.

but judging a school but the local pubs is a bit weird.

You misread. I did no such thing.

This thread is annoying. It’s made me want to move there again.

That house is probably about 20miles from hawick but easily 45 minutes drive. That’s sort of money can put you closer to bowhill and I’m sure they rent paddocks. There’s a lot of horses around thanks to common ridings, folk hire them for £250+ per day which is a lot of money with 2 ride outs per week over 6 weeks and a good half dozen common ridings.

Closer a d saves a whack https://www.bspc.co.uk/4-Bed-Detached-Cottage-For-Sale-Winterburgh-Ettrick-Valley-Selkirk-Ettrick-Valley-TD7-5HS

Awesome thread and reading with interest. We were due to move to the area this month but the year we’ve all had had put a halt on it. The boyfriend was offered a job in Melrose but with nothing for me nor a place to live we’ve put it on hold. My plan was to commute into Edinburgh but then I saw the rail costs and although others are prepared to commute to work for over an hour, I’m not. I’m now wondering if I’m being too narrow minded and should look further afield as even under an hour drive is less than the five now. Priority is biking only really and being within reach of a decent hospital as I go every eight weeks. No kids to consider. I may look at East Lothian having read this thread now.

GolfChick:

I may look at East Lothian having read this thread now.

East Lothian has plenty of signs for the ‘Golf Coast’ so it could be ideal for you 😀

Ettrickhill house would be a good option for someone.
But with Ettrick school being shut permanently last year, its not so good for a young family now.
https://scottishborders.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s38322/Item%20No.%2010b%20-%20Recommendation%20to%20close%20Ettrick%20Primary%20School%20August%202019.pdf
The Ettrick Historic School Roll trend was not upwards. Which probably tells you something about the area.
The six acres of pasture/ equestrian land, with the house, would be useful.
If you have your own horse/ horses then having your own land is the best option. And having the land next to your home is a plus.
Equestrian land in the borders is in demand.
With the Scottish borders being the home of the biggest annual equestrian event in Europe having some effect.
Keeping a horse at Bowhill is not everyone’s first choice.

East Lothian is properly expensive when compared to the Borders.
The entire area is an Edinburgh commuter belt now and cheap (not) crap lego boxes are being flung up at an awesome rate.
Nice houses in nice places will cost serious money.

That house is probably about 20miles from hawick but easily 45 minutes drive. That’s sort of money can put you closer to bowhill and I’m sure they rent paddocks

When we asked Bowhill was £60 per week per horse which was out of our reach plus livery is not for everyone.

Echo what is said above that house is way out, I’d live there* as I don’t have kids but the nearest school for them at 6 is probably Ettrickbridge.

*it’s nearly 4 time the cost of my house though!

Nice houses in nice places will cost serious money.

True

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/9172742/

Ettrickhill house would be a good option for someone

Do you have a link to this? My searches don’t reveal anything by that name?

The place that Retties call Ettrick Hall is known, by some, as Ettrick Hill. Birth place of James Hogg, The Ettrick Shepherd.

https://www.bing.com/maps?q=td7+5ja&FORM=HDRSC4

on ordnance survey

AHh – so they’re one and the same!

I love the house but I have three kids. I wouldn’t fancy spending nearly an hour a day driving them to and from primary school. They wouldn’t thanks me for spending nearly two hours a day on the bus too and from High School when they are older. And I would very quickly get bored of doing the same in evenings for sports clubs, meeting mates and all the other normal things kids want to do.

Once kids are away from home I’d be very content looking at houses like that.

Echo what is said above that house is way out, I’d live there* as I don’t have kids but the nearest school for them at 6 is probably Ettrickbridge.

nope, its shut down Nearest is now Kirkhope

In a similar way that “the North East” and England are the same place

And Kirkhope and Ettrickbridge are

Good point, I was mixing up Ettrick PS with Ettrickbridge. Ettrick closed, everyone goes to Kirkhope, Kirkhope is in Ettrickbridge.

I’ve caught up now.

Its Hunter Cabs that, have the contract to, drive the bairns to and from school
https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20040/clothing_meals_and_transport/98/school_transport

Just to confuse matters locals refer to Ettrickbridge as Brigend 😉

Has potential, but Under offers

https://www.galbraithgroup.com/property/kel200052-burnhouse-north-lodge-amp-stables-stow-galashiels-scottish-borders-td1-2rx

If cheap, remote and rural are the criteria then Eskdalemuir is a possible.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73610094.html

We moved to the Borders from the South East almost a decade ago, with an early teen son. Let me go through a few ‘issues’ raised.

Schools
Frank will know better than me now, as he’s kids are at school – but mine went to Selkirk and no complaints. But, be aware if you’re out-of-town – it can be a long way (time) to school for them on a bus/taxi.

Work
Depends on what you do. If it’s just a job then there’s work, but for anything over/above basic them there are a limited number of employers – with SBC and the NHS as the biggest employers. Otherwise it’s Edinburgh and the Central Belt.
The train is relatively inexpensive (compared to what I was use to), in that for £20 return at peak and no parking charges it puts you right into the middle of Edinburgh.
Commuting by car is fine too, if you leave early. An hour gets me to anywhere in Edinburgh (I work on the west side), but can’t see me going back office based as I’ve now been WFH since March.
My son has never had a problem with getting work, since 16 – as it’s quite an old demographic so plenty of hospitality jobs (although now they’ll be an ‘issue’) for 16-18 y/o, and he now works for a national employer locally in the construction industry (who are doing well).

Houses
Buying and renting is cheap by comparison, but so are the wages – see above.

Living out of town
We do, but all of a mile.
Unless they can walk/cycle to friends/school/clubs etc (and remember it’s dark by 4 in winter) – it’s Dad/Mum taxi.
I would not live somewhere like Eskdale. With kids, nope. Without kids, nope. Just too far from anything. My son had a school friend who lived by St Marys. An hour+ everyday on the school bus in and then out. Nearest supermarket/garage/decent shop etc, a 1.5 hour round trip. They managed 2 years.

Cycling
Is brilliant and I wouldn’t swap it for anywhere. I ride with folk from all across the Borders. Always someone to ride with and I’ve also guided many folk from Singletrack here plus made all may original contacts through it.

Horses
My OH has them and did have him liveried at Bowhill (mentioned earlier) for a while, but moved on to be closer to us. Bowhill can’t be beaten for (horse) hacking – there is everything. And while cheaper than the South East it’s still expensive, but anything to do with them is. And like golf in Scotland, lots & lots of ordinary folk have horses.

Travel
For someone like myself use to London and the South East and before that the M62 ‘belt’, the roads are empty (and fast). Selkirk is 9 miles and 10 mins for example, by car.
BTW budget for your kids to drive ASAP, mine had his first driving lesson on his 17th birthday.

Public Transport
Train is good to Edinburgh and the buses are ok between the towns and roads in-between – but stop pretty quickly on an evening, so a night out in Galashiels or even just back from the train station after an Edinburgh night is a £20 taxi for a 15-20 ride.

And finally Selkirk. Yep, I’d live there (it’s 9 miles from us). Small town with local shops and plenty of reasonably priced houses. My son lives there and so do a few friends. It’s neither run-down nor struggling (any more than anywhere else IMO). Big cycling culture too, with lots of trails rideable from the door.

Bottom line, we love it here and aren’t moving anywhere else.

Sounds like you’re in somewhere like midlem or lilliesleaf?

Not a bad guess, but nearer Newtown/Bowden.

Good gravel riding around Midlem and the ‘leaf.

Nice. I grew up in the leaf and did a lot of biking up from Bowden. The lanes around there are great riding.

Parts of East Lothian get 660mm of rain a year

The balance is that the locals treat the roads as a race track and are the biggest NIMBY’s going

You also need to ask why so many East Lothian kids go to public schools even at primary level

Hahaha very good.
Did you fall out with someone from East Lothian. The most desirable area in Scotland.?

A tiny tiny proportion of kids go to private school as the area is awash with fantastic schools.

I also think what you actually mean is that cyclists get to actually use the roads, ? I can’t imagine why you think that’s bad.

Downside is it’s expensive and some areas still have a poorer area which is a throwback to a mining history.

20mph trial
Working with Sustrans Scotland and the Scottish Government, we are set to launch a 20mph trial in October 2020 across 91 towns and villages in the Scottish Borders.

https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20031/roads_and_pavements/882/school_travel_and_road_safety_education

https://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Selkirk-Farmers-Market-418374651965834/

https://cyclescottishborders.com/events/

https://scotlandwelcomesyou.com/scotland-cycling-events/

https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/18161062.televised-urban-downhill-race-planned-selkirk/

Second Friday after the first Monday in June
(first friday after the second monday)