we are thinking of relocating to Scotland.
The job interviews so far are either in Edinburgh or Aberdeen. Our preference is Edinburgh because we know the area better (and the biking!) and could live rural south of the city and commute.

We don’t know Aberdeen so what is it like and what are the surrounding areas (commutable to the City etc) like. Money is much better in Aberdeen but money isn’t everything.

Thanks

Im a resident of aberdeen …..if i could get work in edinburgh id be gone in a heart beat- but not actually in edinburgh but somewhere near.

trail rat what line of business are you in?

Oil

He means baby oil.

He works in a massage parlour.

Ditto Trail Rat. I live and work near Edinburgh, but i’m in Aberdeen every so often. It’s good for a night out, but I don’t look forward to the drive just to get to the M90. My line of work is pushing me closer to Aberdeen, but i’m resisting and even considering Belfast.

Edinburgh is a great city.

I Grew up in Aboyne, studied in Edinburgh and now live in Aberdeen. I’d say Edinburgh is the nicer city for the city itself. In my opinion you have better options for MTB’in from your door out in the Pentlands if you want to bike from the city centre. However you can live some pretty cool places for biking out along Deeside within commutable distance of Aberdeen, Aboyne being about the furthest most commute from (45 min drive). Aberdeenshire is a reasonably affluent area and always scores highly on quality of life surveys employment etc (without trying to sound pretentious) so if your not so much a city person I reckon it’s a pretty fantastic place to live. I’d suggest living inland (maybe 10 miles at least) as there can often be a marked difference in weather and temperature with the Harr.

I’d say the worst thing about Aberdeen is the traffic, it’s desperately in need of a bypass (long standing legal battle). There’s double lane road running up the middle of it that is the only direct route to cross the city, 2 key roundabouts at the north and south end in grid-lock each rush hour. I’d pick where you live carefully depending on where you need to commute to.

Horses for courses and all that but if you want to live somewhere rural I reckon the shire is a good bet especially if there’s more money. (I could quite happily live in Peebles though!)

Damn Tex D beat me!

Work in Aberdeen, live 30 miles away on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Some of the best riding in the world is a 45min drive away. It may not be the best city but if you want to live rural and commute, you cant beat it! Money may not be everything but sure helps!

You in Aboyne then dogarden?

Alford

If you do go to Aberdeen I’d get yourself somewhere to live outside of the city.

Also it seems like everybody there is either smoking and/or drinking.

I’d go with Edinburgh every time. Far nicer place to be IMO

Horses for courses init. Looking for city life got to be Edinburgh. On the other hand Aberdonians looking for city life head off to Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt even that there London (basically it’s quicker and Easier to get to a European city than London). Oh and the riding around Aberdeen is beautiful. Up here it really is empty. Loads of quite back roads leading up onto forest trails etc etc. Personally I like Aberdeen, though more despite the city than because of it. Jonathan Meads did a great show programme about Scotland one of which featured Aberdeen. Friendly people too. Dee Valley is nice.

thanks everyone.

We won’t be living in either City but thats where the jobs are.
Neither of us are city types as we prefer the countryside. Would be happy to live out of either city and get up early and commute in.
The biking near Peebles is a big pull but so is the extra 20K in Aberdeen but as said money isn’t everything!

Yeah im out in culter now , Rural definantly beats city center living , been in auchenblae and durris as well been happy in all , in the city i was depressed within about 2 weeks ,having to use the same limited routes to get out of the city by the skin of my teeth where as from current house i have many different directions to go

Have to be careful where rural you live if you want to cycle to work up here due to reasons mat suggests the roads are nasty places to be at times

There is good riding near by but aberdeen sorely needs a good non conglomerate bike shop near by….unless anyone knows of one ?

I still go back home for a good lbs. might try stonehaven again now it has a new owner.

commuting into edinburgh from the west or south can be a slow business depending where you are going / coming from

It is however a great place to live

As others have said, Aberdeen city itself is a bit of a dump but inland and N/S are some nice areas. I also live near Alford but am about to move to Edinburgh which tells you my preference! Look at where your office would be when considering where to live near here. Around Stonehaven can be nice as you can get most things there.

Trailrat – out of town I really like the bike shop in Ballater near the central carpark (not the small one, the owner there was quite rude to me). The new guy at Stonehaven also sorted me out very quickly once and fitted me in when all the shops in town said I’d have to wait 2 weeks just to get a mech hanger straightened!

Never been to Aberdeen, but I work in Edinburgh.

It’s a pretty city, but I wouldn’t want to live in it. Did my city living when I was at university in Glasgow.

There are some good places to live around Edinburgh. Ignore what the snobs say.

I’m from Edinburgh but been up in Aberdeen for 20years (tells you my preference)
Edinburgh if you want city life, good pubs, restaurants, bit of culture, riding trail centres.
Aberdeen if you want rural life, OK pubs, some good restaurants, a wee bit of culture, having a job, better bike riding off and on road (although Inners would swing it if you were a downhiller)
I live in Inverurie and commute to Altens a couple of times a week. The amount of route choices make it a really nice bike ride. Agree with the guys who say choose your route carefully. Enjoy the long way round if its better. MTB riding from the door is pretty good too.
Tough choice I could handle both.

alpine girl, Cycle Highlands! Rich is sound!

Ho hum
It’s a pretty city, but I wouldn’t want to live in it. Did my city living when I was at university in Glasgow.
There are some good places to live around Edinburgh. Ignore what the snobs say.

Do you commute in? Having seen the size of the traffic jams on the main routes in and out of the city at rush hour I would be very hesitant to do that – along with the shortage of parking

Its not snobbery to point this out

One of the things I love about the city is that I can cycle anywhere in the city in a short time and its quicker by bike than car

I’ve used rich in cyclehighland and he is really good and had an emergency at bike remedy in Stonehaven And he sorted me über fast!( bent hanger…) they do exist!

TandemJeremy – Member

Do you commute in? Having seen the size of the traffic jams on the main routes in and out of the city at rush hour I would be very hesitant to do that – along with the shortage of parking

Luckily I live close to a train station and catch the train in and out. I would hate to have to drive in and out.

Maybe I should not have said “snobs”. However, some Edinburgh folk are quite dismissive of the towns that lie within reasonable commuting distances from Edinburgh 🙂

Difficulty there is the aspiration to live rural and work in town, without a nightmare commute every day.

Lived and worked in Edinburgh for a little over 20 years, thoroughly enjoyed it. However, work was in town, I (and then we) stayed within reasonable bike / bus commute distance. We were on the point of looking to find a bigger house, and then got made redundant – so moved to very rural Morayshire instead..

Ideally you could find a rural place that was within park and ride distance, or train commute possibly? I wouldn’t fancy a car commute into either, to be honest.

Money might be higher in Aberdeen, but (in true Location, Location, Location style) you might want to add up whether that equates to a better house, better style of living and easier commute – you might be surprised..

just my tuppence-worth.

Lived in Aberdeen for 8 years. Hate the city, love the countryside. Don’t try to commute through the city (i.e. crossing either of the rivers) – it will drive you insane. I work in the north of the city, so picked a house to the north – much easier commute that way.

Moving to Edinburgh at the end of the year – ready for a change of scenery. From the very quick survey I’ve done so far it looks like I’ll be saving about £50-80k on the price of the sort of house I want.

J

As with Aberdeen, if you decide on Edinburgh you just need to work out what will be the best commute for you. Cycling in works for lots of folks and there are trains coming in from the West, East and North too. The re-laying of the Borders rail link will open up another corridor.

Edinburgh also has one of the best bus services in the UK.

FWIW, I live on the outskirts of Edinburgh with trails to the Pentlands within metres of my house and a 35 minute cycle in to the city centre.

Edinburgh will also have a fantastic tram service soon….

😛

Live in leith at the moment but my time is split with living in the borders. Commute not too bad but then I’m in town by 7.30 to walk the dog on my way to work. I can do the 52 mile commute in 1hr20mins in the morning and a bit longer in the pm. But then my travel times are a bit out of kilter with the average commuter. I’d chose Edinburgh but for an extra 20k aberdeen.

I live in Edinburgh but go to Aberdeen for meetings quite often, and find it a bit grey, but that might be biased by having to get up for the 5.30am train! Both would be good for biking anyway.

I have lived in Aberdeen the past 15 years but I had many friends (including my brother) who went to university in Edinburgh. As many people have said, Aberdeen itself is a bit grim – as a city Edinburgh is far nice. Riding wise however Aberdeen is fantastic – I live in Cults and I can cycle 15 minutes to various local trails or a 20 minute drive to some proper mountains, fort William is also do able in a day. I think it is easier to ‘pop out’ for a nice all mountain ride after work in Aberdeen than it is in Edinburgh.

Essentially, as much as Aberdeen the city is grim, the countryside is absolutely fantastic. If you are looking for houses it is definitely worth looking out Cults/Milltimber/Bancory way depending on your budget – I work in the centre of town and it takes me 20 minutes to drive in the morning, can cycle it in 30.

Forgot to mention, when looking at the money aspect housing in Aberdeen is considerably more expensive than it is in Edinburgh as the majority of employment here is in the oil sector which tends to pay quite well.

OP – I don’t know where you are relocating from, but I found moving up to Glasgow from the south west a real shock in terms of climate and sunrise/sunset.

Aberdeen will be worse than Edinburgh in that respect. It will be mega-light in summer, but ever so dark for a long time in the seemingly never ending winter :brrr:

Good point, it is a massive difference from down South. Great for the summer – doesn’t get dark now until around half 10 however the winter it can get very bleak.

I love Edinburgh, it doesn’t feel like living in a city – i think because you nearly ways have views out to Fife or Arthur’s seat or to the Pentlands -Plus the festival is just starting and there Is a real buzz.

I can get a bus to walk in the Pentlands and a different bus back, or down to Portobello to be by the sea, or to the airport all in about twenty minutes. Train straight to London and yes eventually a pointless tramline ……

Aberdeen is one extra hop from anywhere else. Edinburgh is far enough from most other places as it is!
Edinburgh resident of 5 yrs
Perthshire resident of 10 yrs

Having gone to college in Edin out at Sighthill I don’t think sweeping generalisations that one is grim v other hold.

Yes Edinburgh has benefit of being a larger city with perhaps a bit more culture.

I live between Westhill and Alford and work west end of Aberdeen. About 16 miles out and commute door to door takes 30 mins max but generally a bit less. Pitfichie I can see from my lounge window and some v nice trails out my door.

Previously in Culter. Moved to get more house for the money and never regretted it. There are many more options than the Deeside corridor.

I lived in Aberdeen 96/97 when I worked for shell. I loved it up there and would happily move back. I still have a city centre property there and when there are no tenants in it we have very happy weekends in the city. Lots of very good proper mountain biking up there and I used to have some great evening rides from the city centre and up to kirkhill.

Depends what you want I suppose.

Love living in Edinburgh and spend a lot of time in Milltimber, Aberdeen too as the in-laws live there.

Would move up there if needed. Banchory end of town is quite nice.

Having lived and worked in both places, wild horses couldn’t drag me back to Edinburgh. I much prefer being up here.

As for property prices I doubt that there is actually much difference between the two cities these days.

Aberdeen is not that bad!

Edinburgh is the better city if you like city living. It’s also better for arts & culture – but then it has twice the population and it the seat of the Scottish Parliament so you’d expect that.

Aberdeen wins if you want to live out of town or get out into the countryside. Less than an hour from the closest munros and on the edge of the Cairngorms National park. Plus more money from oil jobs = more money to be able to go and do things.

We live north of Edinburgh. OH commutes in by bike and train, the monthly train ticket is expensive, but driving in over the FRB would be a nightmare.

The riding by us is superb. I used to live in Stirling with rides in the Ochils or south in Cambusbarron and the Touch Hills, all from your door step. Under an hour to drive to Peebles or the Trossachs, right near the M9 for trips further north / south.

I now live further east, house prices even cheaper and an easier commute into Edinburgh. Some amazing quiet road for the road bike and stunning scenery.

Best of all worlds…