Perthshire

Does anyone live in Perthshire or has any visited?

Hiya.. Perthshire covers a pretty large area.. Is there any particular area you are looking at?
Kaylesh

Yes, Kaylesh is right, Perthshire is a massive area.  Can you please be a bit more specific? 

Well, I'm not sure. We are looking at areas to move to and Perth looks beautiful. I would want a market town within a resonable commute to a larger city, such as Perth.

Since you're looking around the entire UK and have in the past asked for information about peoples' living experiences UK-wide, I'd strongly suggest getting a rail pass and visiting a lot of areas in the UK.  Lots of places are very beautiful, but their beauty comes at a very steep price.

The thing about desirable areas in Perth - as in Bath or Bristol - is that they are extraordinarily, mind-blowingly expensive.  JK Rowling spends a lot of time at her property there, for example. 

Wages are also not going to approach what you'll find in Glasgow, Edinburgh or larger cities in England.  Jobs are not as plentiful and most are in the tourist industry.

Prices have risent quite sharply.  Wages, however, have not kept pace with these increases.

Perthshire is too vast an area to generalise.  Blairgowrie, for example, appears nice at the outset, but its schools are so dire two students are suing the council over the assualts that have been allowed to take place in schools unchecked. 

I second what Expat has said.  I have visited Perth, and I didn't think it was really anything to write home about.  The biggest attraction in that town is the local Brewster's restaurant.  It is scenic, but so are a lot of other places in Scotland/the UK. 

We are hoping to have it down to three or four areas to visit. We'll see how that all works out.

Are there any areas around Perth that you would suggest or would consider quiet market towns, regardless of prices or wages.

I second what Expat has said.  I have visited Perth, and I didn't think it was really anything to write home about.  The biggest attraction in that town is the local Brewster's restaurant.  It is scenic, but so are a lot of other places in Scotland/the UK. 

OMG, we ate at Brewster's!  It was the only place open and it was freezing!!!  It was like, 'Can we go home now?'  

The biggest problem with rural living here is that it's been, for a long, long time, quite popular for people to own holiday properties in these areas.  As a result, housing - scarce as it is - is very dear in relation to the wages of most people, which is why a lot of Scots no longer live there, and move to larger cities when it comes time to seek work.  

No, there are no areas I'd suggest that are 'quiet market towns'.  DH and his family holidayed there all his life, and it's a nice place to visit or holiday.  That's about it.  It's full of retirees and the independently wealthy for that very reason.

 And Dundee?  You don't want to go there. 

Thanks expat. I think I just ruled out Perth.

It's great because we have the ability to go anywhere in the UK. It's not so great, because then you have  so many choices. Choices are nice, but not so nice. I have spent a great deal of time looking in the Northumberland area and have found what seem like great villages.

I do not, however love the secondary schools and schools are a huge consideration. So we are thinking of other areas and would like to have a few to look at upon our arrival.

Thanks for your input on Perth. I'd take any other suggestions that you might have.