The Kingdom of Fife is small but beautiful. And it’s a great place to bring up a family. Even if you don’t choose to live here – but, say, do the short commute from Edinburgh instead – you’ll find it an enriching, calming place to come to.
If you do decide to live in Fife, you’ll find that the housing is a lot cheaper and there are many excellent schools. But its semi-rurality is what really sets it apart as a place to live and work. If you’re looking to upgrade your quality of life, while taking on a new professional challenge, then Fife should feature high on your list.
First things first. Yes, Fife is known as the birthplace of golf – with the 600-year-old St Andrews being the most famous of our many world-class courses. But if that’s not your game, you needn’t worry. There’s much more to discover across the region, wherever your leisure interests lie.
For walkers, the Fife Coastal Path is a dream. Stretching 117 miles, from the Forth Estuary in the south to the Tay Estuary in the north, it is home to local wildlife – including grey seals as well as large seabird colonies – as well as many historic sites. There are also the myriad trails in the Lomond Hills Regional Park, where you can find the oddly-shaped Bonnet Stane and take in spectacular views from Fife’s highest hills.
There are forests and woodlands where you can go mountain-biking and horse-riding. And there are lots of great places where you can simply relax, including all three of Scotland’s Blue Flag beaches: Elie Ruby Bay, Aberdour Silver Sands and Burntisland. We’ve a couple of Michelin starred restaurants and one of the best chip shops in Scotland too.
On a cultural level, there is the Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery where you can see works by famous Scottish artists including William McTaggart, the Glasgow Boys and the Scottish Colourists. Go to Dunfermline, meanwhile, and you’ll discover how Andrew Carnegie – at one time the world’s richest man and the pioneer of modern philanthropy – at his Birthplace Museum.
Fife is well connected by road and rail, with airports in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow easily accessible. Edinburgh is close by, linked to Fife by three bridges (with a fourth in Kincardine), while Dundee is linked by the Tay bridge. You can travel directly by rail to a number of towns and cities across Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. There are also good links to major English towns and cities on the east and west coast.
More information about the region and living in Fife can be found by exploring the Visit Scotland web site.
Healthcare
There are 365,000 people living in Fife and they are served by 55 General Practices with practice populations ranging in size from 2,000 to 20,000. Our Practices are grouped into seven clusters by preference & geography. There are 5 community hospitals (some of which are GP led), an established hospital at home service, expanding community geriatrician service and established access to both District General Hospital (DGH) and tertiary care centres. Our joining up care work is about transforming Out of Hours (OOH), community hospital organisation and the development of community hubs to better meet the needs of those we care for in Fife. The ScotGEM (Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine) programme is now embedding with local practices who are involved in delivering the clinical learning and this compliments the teaching and training Practice culture of Fife. The opportunities to be a General Practitioner in Fife are varied – opportunities to be part of a joined up approach whilst caring for individuals.
Dumfries and Galloway is a place where artists come for the light and astronomers for the dark.
Doctors come here for the great opportunities to combine a challenging and rewarding career in medicine with a lifestyle that’s difficult to get anywhere else.
Rural but not isolated, there’s a lot going on across Dumfries and Galloway – we have music festivals and comic festivals, book towns and food towns and some of the best beaches and countryside you’ll find anywhere.
If you like mountain biking, you’ll find some of the best trails in Britain. Dumfries and Galloway is home to 5 of the 7stanes If you like just touring quiet country lanes or woodland trails, you’ll find plenty. You might spot a red squirrel or an intriguing sculpture – the artist Andy Goldsworthy is based here and his sculptures dot the landscape.
There’s a lot to be found off the beaten track in Dumfries and Galloway too. You might want to try your feet at flounder tramping on one of our sandy beaches, or sing along with the natterjack toads in Caerlaverock.
House prices are reasonable, schools and community life is good, making the area a great place to live and whatever stage of your career you’re at.
As a GP in Dumfries and Galloway, you’ll be a key part of a well integrated health service. There’s the state of the art, just built, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in Dumfries, and GP led cottage hospitals in all the main towns. It’s not far to the tertiary care services available in the Scottish central belt and North of England and from Cairnryan it’s just a short ferry trip across to Belfast. Links with academic institutions means there’s considerable potential to be involved in research programmes to match your interests. Outside of the main towns of Dumfries and Stranraer, there are GP led cottage and community hospitals.
The Scottish Borders is a place of legends, landscape and literature. Its castles and abbeys provided inspiration for Walter Scott.
Health Services
We think the Scottish Borders is first in Scotland as the best place to live and pursue a professional career in the Health Service. With a revenue budget of over £190m, NHS Borders is responsible for the health of a population of over 114,000 people across Scottish Borders area. NHS Borders has an entirely integrated structure for the delivery of local health services, including acute hospital (Borders General Hospital), primary and community, mental health services and learning disability services. We work closely in strategic health planning with neighbouring NHS Boards in South East Scotland. In addition there is close joint working across Scottish Borders Council and the Voluntary Sector to manage, in partnership, the local healthcare and social care agenda. Click here to find information about our GP Practices.
Clinical Governance
Clinical Governance is well established, forming part of the Risk Management of the whole organisation. Clinical Governance is seen as a positive support to all clinicians with active participation by all health professions. There is a wide range of opportunities for newly appointed doctors to be involved. Please take some time to browse our website which gives interesting information about our range of services, demographics, values and objectives.
Ayrshire & Arran is situated on the west coast of Scotland, little more than a 30 minute drive south west from Glasgow City Centre and Glasgow International Airport. It offers a mix of urban and rural settings and has a wide range of opportunities for a rewarding and satisfying career in general practice.
Ayrshire and Arran has a population of over 350,000 with large towns such as Kilmarnock, Ayr, Irvine, Prestwick and Troon, smaller places like Dalry, Girvan, Largs, and Maybole and the islands of Arran and the Cumbraes.
Ayrshire is the ideal location for those who want to enjoy city life, with all of the benefits of living in a semi-rural coastal area. The area is characterised by 80 miles of varied coastline, picturesque beaches, rolling green hills and the islands of Arran, Cumbrae and the Holy Isle.
The area is steeped in history including being home to many castles, ruins and stately homes, not to mention its links with Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns, and many other historical Scottish figures. It has a bustling arts and cultural scene including book and music festivals; music, dance and theatre events; and delicious locally produced food to be enjoyed in some of our great restaurants and famous cafés.
Ayrshire boasts more than 40 quality golf courses, including two Open Championship courses at Turnberry and Royal Troon.
There are excellent transport links, including ferry services to the islands, and Glasgow Prestwick Airport where you can easily catch a direct flight to a number of European cities and holiday destinations.
Local education standards are high at primary and secondary level whilst private education is also available in the area.
Whether you decide to locate to Ayrshire, or a neighbouring area, you will find property prices can be more affordable than in other parts of the UK. While Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock are the largest towns, there are many rural towns, villages and communities throughout the region.
Health care
Over 300 General Medical Practitioners, across 53 practices, together with their practice teams, provide a full range of general medical services across 83 sites, stretching from Ballantrae in the south to Wemyss Bay in the north, and including 8 sites across Arran and Cumbrae. GP acute services are provided at hospitals on Arran and Millport, Girvan and East Ayrshire Community Hospital in Cumnock. The Ayrshire & Arran General Practice website will give you the information you need. Information about provision of wider Primary Care services in Ayrshire & Arran can be found here.
