Can I ask peoples honest opinions. Which areas would you say are best? Want somewhere quiet close to amenities and green space. And obviously low crime. I know Linlithgow is beautiful but where else?

Hi everyone!

My wife and I are both Scottish, in our late 40s/early 50s, and have spent most of our adult lives living abroad. We're planning to move back permanently in the next couple of years.

My wife works in senior procurement/purchasing, mainly in manufacturing and industrial sectors, and would ideally be looking for a Category Manager or Strategic Sourcing role. I'm self-employed, running an online business, so can work from anywhere.

We've recently visited Glasgow, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Linlithgow and Polmont, but want to explore other areas before deciding where to settle.

We're planning a 2–3 week scouting trip, tentatively covering Stirling, Perth, Dundee and Dunfermline. Does this sound like a sensible itinerary, or would you recommend a different combination of places? We're very open to suggestions!

We won't have a car during this visit, so we'll be relying mainly on trains and public transport. This may limit our ability to explore smaller rural towns and villages, although we'd certainly consider living in them once we relocate and have a car.

Ideally, we're looking for a quieter, attractive town or village with decent amenities, a good quality of life and easy access to nature. Trail running, hiking and the outdoors are particularly important to us.

We'd initially be looking to rent for up to £1,300/month, preferably not a flat, before eventually buying with a budget of around £200,000.

We're also curious about Inverness, although I'm wondering whether the employment market for senior procurement roles might be too limited compared with the Central Belt.

For those familiar with these areas, would you stick with our proposed itinerary, swap any destinations, or suggest somewhere completely different? We'd particularly appreciate recommendations for attractive towns that are practical to explore without a car and offer a good balance of housing affordability, safety of course ,outdoor access and employment opportunities.

Any advice from locals would be much appreciated. Thanks!