Needing Edinburgh Nurses Input

I'm from Edinburgh........ but currently live in London. Its a great city, if cold in winter!

good luck.

Karen

Hey there everyone,

I am currently working in London, but have recently interviewed for a job at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. I have recieved an offer, and am seriously considering moving. Does anyone have any suggestions for safe, affordable areas to live which are close to city center and/or the hospital (located on Crewe road)? I have heard that Leith and Portobello are nice but thought I would try my luck and see if someone who actually lives in the city could make a suggestion.

Thanks!

Hiya

I live in Dunfermline which is on the other side of the Forth Road Bridge. I currently work for a nursing agency and have been to the Western General Several times.. it takes me about 25 min to half hour.It really depends on how much you want to spend.. The closer you are to the centre of Edinburgh the more expensive it will be.Also will you be driving or depending on buses etc.. The bus times aren't always convient for us shift workers..

I pay £380 for my two bedroom flat here in Dunfermline but it would be much more expensive nearer Edinburgh.All depends what you are looking for..

Kaylesh

Hey thanks for the input Kaylesh,

I was kind of hoping to find a studio or one bedroom somewhere walking distance from city center (My walking distance is anything up to 45 mins away) preferably close to the Western. I have heard that once you cross the bridge that things get a lot less expensive housing wise, but feel that to start I want to be sort of close to the action. I have visited Edinburgh quite a few times and absoultely love it there, it has to be my favourite city in the world. I just don't know what areas are safe for a new person to move to. Every city has those areas that you don't go to after dark and if my move to London is anything to go by, I will undoubtly end up renting above a crackhouse or the like if I don't get a local's input.

Once again thanks for the reply I really appreciate it! Do you have any other suggestions. I have been looking on the web and have found a lot of places for £3-400 a month close to city center which would suit. Now I just need an area!

Pete

Hey thanks for the input Kaylesh,

I was kind of hoping to find a studio or one bedroom somewhere walking distance from city center (My walking distance is anything up to 45 mins away) preferably close to the Western. I have heard that once you cross the bridge that things get a lot less expensive housing wise, but feel that to start I want to be sort of close to the action. I have visited Edinburgh quite a few times and absoultely love it there, it has to be my favourite city in the world. I just don't know what areas are safe for a new person to move to. Every city has those areas that you don't go to after dark and if my move to London is anything to go by, I will undoubtly end up renting above a crackhouse or the like if I don't get a local's input.

Once again thanks for the reply I really appreciate it! Do you have any other suggestions. I have been looking on the web and have found a lot of places for £3-400 a month close to city center which would suit. Now I just need an area!

Pete

What about calling the recruiting folks at the Western and asking what areas nearby them are considered "safe" vs "unsafe" areas? I don't really know the areas there at all sorry i can't be of more help.. all i've had to do is drive there and park. LOL. Or trying calling some of the property agents in the area and asking them the same questions.. They should be able to tell you where is considered a "good area" to stay.

Kay

An excellent plan. Will get on that tomorrow! Thanks again for your help. We may end up working a shift together if you work at the Western! Be sure to introduce yourself to any Canadian Nurses on the BMT unit should you find any there in the future!

Pete

my friends daughter is a medical student there- I'll ask her where she lives. she loves it too and is never coming south again!

I'm planning on moving home in the next couple of years too- I've given up trying to civilise the english!

Karen

Hey Karen,

That would be great! I really appreciate any imput!

Pete :cheers:

Hi Pete!

Sorry to come in so late on this thread, but I've only just joined allnurses.com.

I currently live and work in Edinburgh (at the Royal Edinburgh -psychiatric hospital). My only experience of the Western was as a patient

Sounds like the very best place for you would be Stockbridge. It's a very easy walk, pretty area with lots of small, good shops, and an easy walk to Princes Street and the centre. Crewe Toll isn't too bad either, but avoid Muirhouse, Pilton and Granton like the plague!!! There are some flats available in the New Town, but only if you're very well off ....

Further afield, Marchmont, Bruntsfield and Sciennes are very studenty, but you can get a flat share there fairly easily, although some students won't share with you if you have a job as it puts their council tax up too much. They are about an hours walk, but there are good bus links.

Hope this helps a bit :wink2:

All the best

Traprain

Thank you sooooo much for your input Taraprain,

Sorry I haven't written any sooner, but I haven't been on the site for a while and I have been having dramas with the whole Scotland thing. It has been over a month since I got the verbal offer, but am still waiting on the refrences to come from Canada before they send the written contract. It is taking sooooo long it is driving me mad. I had thought that by now I would preparing to make the big move, but instead I still haven't handed in my notice here in London yet. I was kind of hoping to be there before it got really cold, but the way it is going that isn't going to happen. I really appreciate your advice believe me! I have printed off your advice and will start mapping out the areas tonight in my Edinburgh A-Z.

Cheers!

Pete

Hi Pete!

Hope you see this before you do too much searching...I didn't mean to say Crewe Toll - it was Comely Bank I meant to put. My excuse is that the Western is on Crewe Road, and I just put the wrong thing. Students are coming back for the new term now, to several different unis and colleges, so it might be a good idea to get your skates on if you want a good choice of flat.

If you're from Canada, you shouldn't find Edinburgh cold at all. It's a little...moister...than Canada. But Edinburgh has it's own microclimate, and tends to have better weather than much of Scotland. I used to live in Buckinghamshire, and found the breezy weather here very refreshing, but not too cold. We only had one decent snowfall last winter, which lasted a couple of days.

We're trying to move to Orkney, and are having the same hassles getting a job for me sorted out. We just work on the assumption that if it's meant to be, it will all work out.....

Good luck!

Traprain

hi there, :)

Just read your thread about Edinburgh. I did my nursing training in Edinburgh and my first job was in the Western General Hospital it seems like many moons ago! It is a good hospital to work in certainly I enjoyed the time i spent there. I loved living in Edinburgh and I can understand your looking for advise about where to live. In fact I am looking for the same advice on New York as I hope to eventually go and work/live there at some point. (not having much luck at the mo) Anyway I'm going off on a tangent.

I had a little flat in Haymarket which is walking distance from the city centre and I use to catch a bus (short journey) down to the hospital. I would reccommend that area definitely. Edinburgh has become very exspensive to live in these days. Places that use to be considered a bit dodgy have improved themselves. I had friends that had flats in leith (use to be considered not so nice) but now its very up and coming been given quite a facelift. I think Stockbridge was mentioned by someone else and it is particularly lovely there however it was mega exspensive when I was looking to buy and rent goodness knows what it must be like now. I guess it depends how much you are willing to spend. There are places that are considered very nice morningside , i think marchmont as well,but may also be exspensive now.

The hospital may be prepared to give you advise or even give assistance with staying somewhere for a short spell. Until you have had a chance to look and see what is out there. I am a firm beleiver in gut feelings. You can usually tell the sort of place to live in by the state of the flats/houses outside and in ,and even how well the gardens are kept. There is usually a noticeboard in the hospital that people put up adverts for renting rooms/flats you might ask if there is anything up at the moment. Sometimes it is nice to share to start with (shorterm lease) and then it is also a potential to make friends whilst not puting you in such a rush to commit to a place you may not like. Also the public transport is pretty good and there are other places not that far out of edinburghs city centre that are nice to live in as well. more suburban I guess.

anyway good luck :)

Hey thanks for that Bubbles. I will keep those places in mind!

Pete