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Each group of people have general characteristics. This is a well known fact. You clearly belong to a group who like to argue... a troll perhaps.
One of the least diverse parts of the UK.
Scotland as a whole or Aberdeen ?
that because you never hit the banchory pay grade did you. 😉
Nailed it. Upper lower deeside.
Could move to inchmarlo- the retirement village.
Scotland is 94% white
Aberdeenshire is 97% white
Scottish people are 99% welcoming
Argument solved.
Source (except the welcoming thing): https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ods-visualiser/#view=ethnicityChart&selectedWafers=0&selectedRows=0,1,2,7,12,16
Scottish people are 99% welcoming
You have some solid evidence for the other 2 statements but the what is the last one based one?
You have some solid evidence for the other 2 statements but the what is the last one based one?
I know 100 Scots and one is a ****er. So it’s a carefully researched source.
Please find another thread to hound me on. I actually want to help the OP with what could be a life changing decision.
Please find another thread to hound me on.
Hound you? Seriously? You made a stupid, cliched, statement, which I thought was a little strange.
I actually want to help the OP with what could be a life changing decision.
Okay here's my take on Aberdeen. City is a bit of a shithole, with relatively expensive housing due to the O&G, not as expensive as it was but still expensive.
Like all UK cities, there some extremely rough and grim areas of housing. It also has some area of lovely Edwardian and Victorian town houses but they are very expensive.
It's most redeeming feature, is that you are only a short drive from some really fantastic landscapes with loads of outdoor stuff.
Winters are long, dark and cold.
deleted - it’s not worth it
Okay here’s my take on Aberdeen. City is a bit of a shithole, with relatively expensive housing due to the O&G, not as expensive as it was but still expensive.
Like all UK cities, there some extremely rough and grim areas of housing. It also has some area of lovely Edwardian and Victorian town houses but they are very expensive.
It’s most redeeming feature, is that you are only a short drive from some really fantastic landscapes with loads of outdoor stuff.
Winters are long, dark and cold..
Is that a synopsis of what we said on the thread or your own opinion.
Because it covers both.
My brother works in the oil and gas industry and has lived in Aberdeen for the last 5 or so years after 15 years of moving around the globe to various locations around the world with his family. Aberdeen is a very nice place. Sure you may or may not like the city itself (I don't but then I live near Derby!!) but no need to go to the city much, but the surrounding area is idyllic and there is plenty of outdoors activities to get stuck into if that is what you're after. My brother really likes it there. However in the past its not been a cheap place to live. He pays over double what I do for Council Tax (I live in the East Midlands of England - so not exactly a poor part of the country) and pays London prices for trades people, so significantly more pricy to live there. Of course it has it's dodgy places...what town or city doesn't. However the decline in the oil and gas industry is biting and certainly he seems to think house prices are softening. He see's no end in the continuing decline of the Oil and Gas industry..just varying rates of decline so over the next 10 years or so you might see the living costs in Aberdeen re-balance to the levels you see in the rest of Scotland.
Buy by and large he's enjoyed living there, is a keen Triathlete and likes bit of MTBing so no shortage of that in the area. Looks like he's going to be re-located later this year and was planning on keeping his house to come back to in 3 - 5 years, but now concerned about house prices softening so will most likely sell up.
An observation from me and the rest of the family south of the boarder, Aberdeen is pretty isolated and a real PITA to get so. So much so we saw more of him when he was located in other areas around the world. It's a good 9hr car journey or a pretty convoluted and painful train ride away and flying is expensive as its an oil route and commands a ticket premium so even though he's lived closer to us than for a long time, he's more difficult to get to. When we've holidayed together its another grand of cost for him on top of the holiday cost as flights are limited from Aberdeen so it's a flight to LHR or another airport the day before, a hotel stay for the family to get anywhere, and the same on the return. But when we have made the effort to go and visit we've always had a great time. I see no real downsides to living there.
I personally wouldn't live there because it feel a bit too isolated from my friends and family, but that is the only reason. Other than that it's a lovely spot.
True on long winters and dreary weather - I've been lucky to have enjoyed good weather whenever we've visited but the winters are long. Doesn't bother my brother - he lived in Norway for 5 years before Aberdeen so accustomed to inclement weather, but if you're the sort where the weather and seasons affect your mood then it's probably not the best place to live.
I'm not sure being Indian would be an issue. Going to the wrong school more likely to be a problem, Scots tend to save their ire for other Scots from the wrong background.
It's funny for me being back up in Scotland and have folk take a close interest in what high school I went to to. Hilarious if it wasn't so messed up.
Is that a synopsis of what we said on the thread or your own opinion.
My own opinion.
I have never lived there but I have worked in the Offshore and connected industries for 30 years, so I have spent quite some time there.
No one cares what school you went to in Aberdeen. That’s a Glasgow thing.
Aberdeen isn’t expensive. Ok taxi fares are a bit steep but everything else is just the same as the central belt and way cheaper than London.
As a city Aberdeen has a lot going for it. Good parks, dolphin watching, beach for surfing, good live music venues, theatre, art gallery, museum 50m pool.
I do agree though that the best is the quiet easy access to Deeside and the Cairngorms.
Aberdeen uni has a road cycling club and some good little pubs and coffee shops nearby.
I agree on the long dark winter but that’s the same for most of Scotland. Aberdeen is also very sheltered from the prevailing weather from the west so it gets much less rainfall than Glasgow.
I do agree on the comments about remoteness.
As for attitudes to different races. Well there used to be a lot of Aberdeen folk who were very insular. My wife tells me stories about older folk in the hospital not wanting to be treated by an Indian doctor. She also gets the when are you going back to your own country comments. However I think that is a small minority of not very far travelled older daily mail readers who you can find anywhere in the uk.
I recently went to a primary school competition in Aberdeen and it was full of rainbow faces from all corners of the world. So the future is bright the old Daily Mail readers will all die out.
Wow, lots of great information (and lively discussion...ha). Thanks so much!
I'm not necessarily committed to living in the most affluent area possible. Really I'm probably happier in a place that's a bit more mixed. I don't live in as affluent a place possible given my current salary and love our neighborhood (it's also why I managed to end up with a good downpayment saved up despite brutal childcare costs in our region). That being said, if a place like Banchory checked all my other boxes and I could afford it, I wouldn't be adverse as long as people weren't mostly focused on their affluence. I'll worry about neighborhoods if they offer me the job, though. I wanted to get a general sense of what's possible though as all my other options are in the US which I understand much better how salary translates to standard of living. So I'm really grateful for all your input.
fanatic, I understood what you meant about Scotland and race. I didn't assume everyone was perfect. The correlation is perfect between demographic diversity and interpersonal tolerance isn't perfect. Sometimes it's easiest for pretty homogenous places to be welcoming to different looking individuals as they're basically token representative of diversity who then basically just gets integrated into the dominant culture. It's only when the minority reaches critical mass that things tend to become more clustered. At least in American high schools, which part of my academic work is on. Scotland could be different for all I know. The university has a really diverse student body, though we'll see how Brexit affects that as a lot of them are from different parts of Europe.
I'm not sure how I'd feel about the remoteness. On one hand, it would be convenient to a bigger airport to go visit family. On the other hand, I feel like we in the US have a little different understanding of distance. I don't think it as wildly inconvenient to drive home to see my parents and it's basically like driving from Edinburgh to London. Two of my other options are US based, but are far enough from where I grew up that the time it would take me to drive home would allow me to leave Aberdeen and be finished with dinner in Kiev. So I don't think it would be too terrible to have to travel to Edinburgh to fly out.
The dark I'm a little worried about. Again more for the wife than me. I obviously like light, but I'm generally ok as long as I can get outside during the day. Do people mountain bike with lights up there in the winter? Or is there enough snow to make it unfeasible? I'm not afraid of the cold at all in and of itself. Aberdeen would be the second warmest place I've ever lived in the winter. Our average Jan/Feb lows here are -11 and I'm out all the time in that, so I'm well kitted for the cold at least.
In any case, I really appreciate everyone's input. Academic jobs are weird in that you spend a lot of time and effort applying to a lot. Most you don't hear from, then all of a sudden you need to make some life changing choices very quickly, so it's helpful to get a sense of things ahead of time. Thanks again!
We use lights . Plenty of groups out and about.
Minimal smow
Last good dump that hung around was in 2010 .
There are a lot worse places to stay than Aberdeen and it is more cosmopolitan than many Cities, especially Americans! I've just moved back temporarily (spent first 26 years here) having lived in many different areas from London to middle of nowhere in The Highlands and for some reason it seems to have improved recently.
As pointed out above, house prices have dropped. Not surprising when you look at the number of new estates that are still springing up, some of which are fairly awful and I'm astonished they got planning permission! I'd agree with trailrat and recommend West out of the city ie. Mannofield (I know of a nice 3 bed semi for sale £10k under valuation 😉 up Deeside to Culter which now seems to be a much easier commute and minutes from good trails etc. That salary should get you something decent to rent before you decide if and where you want to buy.
You could consider Inverurie which is 20 miles northwest. Nice market town close to the trails maybe like you have near Boston. Its got way better transport links than the likes of Banchory. The commute is fine too with a multitude of options on quiet'ish roads but you'd be better with a road or cx bike.
I moved up to Aberdeen from Edinburgh nearly 30 years ago. Never regretted it. Moved out to Inverurie 15 years ago and haven't regretted that. I have 12 and 9 year old kids and I can confirm the 'shire' is a good place to bring them up.
As for the MTB in Aberdeenshire its gone from great to epic. There's no trail centre up here (yet) but the natural trails are special and the local trails association works hard on these. If you looks them up on Trail Forks that should give you some idea of the quantity, quality and amount of trails there are.
Winters are dark, there’s no hiding that. You wake up in the dark and drive home in the dark. You might get out on your bike with lights, but your wife and son might not be so hardy.
On the flip side, there’s nothing more breathtaking than going for a walk up a hill on a crisp blue winters day and looking at the snow covered Cairngorms in the distance. And, it all becomes so much more worth it in May onwards when the days start getting longer and the weather warms up. One summer day in Aberdeenshire is worth a 100 summer days stuck in London (or any other big city).
I got used to the remoteness personally. My family and my wife’s family are from the south coast of England. We drove down there about twice a year with three kids - about 12 hours including stops. iPads were our saviour. We never used Aberdeen airport due to the cost. If we needed to fly abroad on holiday then Edinburgh or Glasgow are much cheaper and not far away. The only annoying thing about the remoteness was the lack of shopping in Aberdeen - as I said before Amazon will be your new shopping centre.
It sounds from your last post OP that you’ve got a decent appreciation of the place despite our squabbling. Hopefully you get the job offer and then it’s up to you and your wife to decide. Good luck.
Last good dump that hung around was in 2010 .
Hmm yes that makes things a bit easier, says the guy whose ribs are still healing from being overeager to get out as things melted and slid right off the side of wooden feature.
@Stabilizers: I basically choose what jobs to focus on using HigherEdJobs.com and Trailforks. Not always in that order. 🙂 Of the four places for which I'm currently a finalist, Aberdeen and two of the others have spectacular riding, though different styles of terrain. The fourth? Eh, well it's close to family. And improving a bit.
My wife read this whole thread. If U of A would happen to be my best/only offer, she seems to be onboard. Though I do worry about the winter dark with her. Guess I'd need some of those full spectrum bulbs.
My wife read this whole thread.
Hello mrs_marcusbrody! I hope you know your husband does this 😉
I basically choose what jobs to focus on using HigherEdJobs.com and Trailforks. Not always in that order.
All said in jest of course. I do it myself. Currently living in Perth, Australia conveniently close to one of the best windsurfing beaches 🙂
I moved to Aberdeen for Uni in 2002 and have been here ever since. My job is in the O&G industry so that is partly the reason I'm still here but not sure if there is anywhere else I'd like to live anyway. A lot of people seem to think Aberdeen is isolated from the rest of the country but it's only 2.5 hours in the car to get to into Edinburgh and much closer to other areas in the central belt.
The city itself is nice enough I think. Plenty of amazing architecture and all the amenities you'd expect from the 3rd biggest city in Scotland - art gallery, parks and gardens, shops, cinemas, restaurants, swimming pools etc. Nice beaches and a wealth of forests and hills for walking/biking within a short car journey.
That salary sounds manageable to find somewhere nice to live - depends on what you are after. I am in Airyhall on the edge of the city and love it although would quite like my next house to be out Deeside in Cults/Bieldside/Milltimber (still very close to city centre). ASPC is the best website for property searching. I cycle the 6 miles to work every day (passing Aberdeen Uni) and although it's not ideal as I am going right through the city centre it doesn't put me off.
Aberdeen would be the second warmest place I’ve ever lived in the winter. Our average Jan/Feb lows here are -11 and I’m out all the time in that, so I’m well kitted for the cold at least.
It's not the air temperature that makes Northern UK winters uncomfortable.
IME I am a lot more comfortable in -5 to -10C, than I am in 1C. It's easy to keep the cold out with good clothing as everything seems so dry.
I spent the winter working in Northern Norway, it was more pleasant at -10C than at -1C.
The east coast of the UK in winter, with a NE'ly wind blowing is absolutely miserable.
Hello mrs_marcusbrody! I hope you know your husband does this 😉
Oh she is under no illusions as to what she married herself into. 🙂
It’s not the air temperature that makes Northern UK winters uncomfortable.
IME I am a lot more comfortable in -5 to -10C, than I am in 1C. It’s easy to keep the cold out with good clothing as everything seems so dry.
I don't disagree with this. 1C and raining is among my least favorite weather conditions, but it depends on what I'm doing. Still, I've got good rain gear and will head out if it's not pouring. If it is, the dog doesn't want to go either so I'm off the hook. This winter has been extremely warm by local standards so we've gotten a lot of the precipitation we normally get as
If it's not raining, I'm not sure I prefer the colder temps just for the lower humidity. I feel like it's just a bit easier to regulate temperature for high output activities when things are above freezing.
I am in Airyhall on the edge of the city and love it although would quite like my next house to be out Deeside in Cults/Bieldside/Milltimber (still very close to city centre).
If you're love where you're at, what are your reasons for wanting to move to a different area?
Also, general real estate question: As suggested, I looked up things on ASPC. What does "Price over" tend to translate to? I assume that they'll look at bids that come in over a that figure, but when I'm trying to get the feel for how expensive an area is, I don't know if sales tend to end up being around the "Price over" price or way above it.
Thanks!
Also, general real estate question: As suggested, I looked up things on ASPC. What does “Priced over” tend to translate to? I assume that they’ll look at bids that come in over a that figure, but when I’m trying to get the feel for how expensive an area is, I don’t know if sales tend to end up being around the “Priced over” price or way above it.
In theory you are correct however the reality at the moment is that you are unlikely to have to pay more than that price as demand is low. If you register on the ASPC site (it’s free and I don’t remember too much spam) you will be able to look at the “home report” which will have more detail and will include a valuation figure rather than what someone wants. I’d still treat it with a degree of caution but it should be more or less what you’d expect to pay.
I moved up to Aberdeen for college in 2001, and naturally got sucked into the oil industry. Moved out to Torphins way a few years later, got married, had kids, and escaped to civilization three years ago. No exaggeration, it would take a six figure salary for a one day week to get me back there.
Aberdeen as a city was somewhere I could never warm to, no matter how hard I tried. It has all the ingredients of somewhere brilliant yet manages to fail hard. Because of the oil, there are folk from the whole world over living there, and yet there are no celebrations of culture. Like, at all.
Loads of green spaces and cool architecture, but none of it is maintained particularly well. They concreted over the rose hill a few years back...
Aberdeen has its own Highway Code, which is often in direct contradiction to the lane markings. It's a horrible place to drive in.
It is DARK. Capitals entirely deliberate. If my wife hadn't bought me a Philips goLite eight years ago I honestly would not be here today - I was at the stage of working out the best way to commit suicide to not leave too much of a mess behind. So light therapy works, but honestly do not dismiss the mental effects of getting up in the dark one morning in late September and knowing you're not going to see daylight until Saturday at 10am. If you're lucky. Exercise does help, but SAD is VERY real and finding the motivation can be incredibly tough.
Don't get me wrong, there are some lovely parts of Aberdeenshire - and, as has been mentioned, some incredible mountain biking - but the dark and the damp far outweigh the pretty scenery you don't get enough time in.
In my experience, the behaviours around 'Price over' depends on demand in the area at the time.
Properties in Scotland generally need to have a rudimentary survey / valuation completed before they hit the market ( https://www.mygov.scot/buying-a-home/home-report/), and it is usually this valuation the figure is based on.
We bought a 1 bedroom flat in Banchory in 2014 at the tail end of a period of high demand, and paid 5k over* the valuation price. When we moved to a house in 2017, demand for property was much lower, and we paid 5k under the valuation. I'd not expect to pay over the valuation price in the current environment. You'll see things like 'Offers over £xxx', 'Offers around £xxx' and 'Fixed price of £xxx' depending on how long the property has been on the market and how desperate the seller is to get rid of it.
You can put a simple offer in for a property, and that may be accepted. Or, if there is deemed to be more interest in the property, the seller can set a closing date - where sealed bids are sent and opened / decided on at that date. I tried to avoid those!
* Mortgage companies will usually only take the valuation into account when providing a mortgage. If you do end up offering over the valuation, this will need to come out of your pocket above any deposit you have towards the property. It seemed like a cash gift to the seller, and did not sit well with me at the time!
It’s not really damp is it? Aberdeen weather is a lot drier than the west.
Yes the short days in winter due to the northerly latitude have an impact. However you can get some nice sunny winter days. My antidote is to go on a warm climate holiday during the dark months. It helps the mood by breaking up the 16 week or so period of short days/long nights. I’ve never understood why people go for warm climate holidays in British summertime.
you’re love where you’re at, what are your reasons for wanting to move to a different area?
That's a fair point! I think those places might just feel more 'village' like although I guess they are really not. All are within 5 miles of my current house.
is DARK. Capitals entirely deliberate.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some lovely parts of Aberdeenshire – and, as has been mentioned, some incredible mountain biking – but the dark and the damp far outweigh the pretty scenery you don’t get enough time in.
I don't know where you've moved to but I don't really get the dark or wet thing. Obviously the further north you go the darker it gets but you are talking a few minutes here and there. Lets compare it to Glasgow for instance - I know where I'd rather live (considering weather alone).
Hours of daylight 1st Dec 2019
Aberdeen: 7 hours 10 mins
Glasgow: 7 hours 29mins
Average Yearly Rainfall:
Aberdeen: 866mm
Glasgow: 1245mm
I don't think that's a fair comparison, really. What are those figures at actual midwinter? And Glasgow has more rain, maybe, but smir and haar? Hell no. Glasgow also has decent public transport. I mean, how much easier would it be to get from ABZ to town if the railway station was on the terminal side of the airport?
Glasgow is 6:58
ABERDEEN is 6:40
So that’s 18 minutes difference at midwinter.
It’s a fair point about the integration of the airport and trains although the roads are much quicker now that the bypass has opened so probably less of a need.
Obviously the further north you go the darker it gets but you are talking a few minutes here and there
Quite. This map puts it into some perspective.
That's the US and Canada transposed onto Europe at the same latitude.
The Aberdeen knockers are getting a bit delusional now. Rail links to an airport are non existent in Scotland. Why is Aberdeen called a shithole for not having a rail link to the airport when the installation of a Glasgow rail link to the airport is still a concept?
We don’t get HAAR in winter in Aberdeen it’s too windy. The thing about the HAAR is you just drive inland to Deeside and enjoy the sun. Then in winter when it’s -7 in Deeside stay at the coast and it’s ice free.
Aberdeen as a city was somewhere I could never warm to, no matter how hard I tried. It has all the ingredients of somewhere brilliant yet manages to fail hard. Because of the oil, there are folk from the whole world over living there, and yet there are no celebrations of culture. Like, at all.
Loads of green spaces and cool architecture, but none of it is maintained particularly well. They concreted over the rose hill a few years back…
This sums up the city of Aberdeen to me. I've lived in the Shire for 12 years and worked up here for 20. Aberdeenshire in general is great for all the reasons mentioned previously. The city is so dilapidated it's unreal, considering the amount of money which has passed through it over the years. I've never understood it. It's been in a position to put itself on the cultural map for decades and did nothing. Wood Group and Shell offered to pay for a bypass in the late 70's/early 80's and it was knocked back. Finally it became a thing in 2019! I was in the town centre yesterday and it depressed the life out of me (in fairness most centres are struggling). It's also surrounded by industrial estates on pretty much all points of the compass. I think the fact that a lot of the workforce is transient has had a negative effect. I'll be flamed by Aberdonians for saying it but Dundee seems like a working class city doing a good job of transitioning itself into a cultural place to visit. The geography of Aberdeen makes it a little insular also. The other three big cities are less than an hour apart, whereas Aberdeen sits alone somewhat.
mean, how much easier would it be to get from ABZ to town if the railway station was on the terminal side of the airport?
Now I realise you won't have experianced it but the bypass is here.
The bus to town works as designed and is regular and quick.
The many criticisms of Aberdeen city are fair. You won’t hear me defending the city - it could have been made so much nicer if the council had got their act together. Now with the oil industry in decline I can’t see anything ever getting better. Talk of there being art or culture there is laughable. Considering it’s the third biggest city there is nothing of note.
But.... that’s the city. Don’t live in the city. Don’t rely on the city (except for work). Don’t expect the city to enrich tour life. Live somewhere on the outskirts close to the natural amenities that AberdeenSHIRE has to offer. I lived 30-40 minutes drive to the city and if weren’t for work I’d only go in maybe once a month to take the kids to the water slides.
So yeah, this city is pants. But don’t let that be the main deciding factor.
On the other side of the argument I live in the city. I can walk to the centre in twenty minutes. There are open mic sessions in the pubs most nights and various live music offerings. Great choice of food and beer on offer all within an easy walk. Great cafes with nice cakes all within a short walk. I’ve been to some great gigs recent at intimate venues Tivoli, Lemon Tree and Music Hall.
Great shows at the theatre and a newly refurbished art gallery with a cracking rooftop terrace and cafe.
I don’t have to drive a twenty of thirty mile commute each day I just have a twenty minute cycle commute and I’m within easy reach of three great city parks and some smaller ones.
At the weekend I can jump on the bike and cycle out to Ballater and enjoy all Deeside has to offer or jump in the van and take the kids out for a walk/explore at the local castles nature reserves etc.
Talk of there being art or culture there is laughable. Considering it’s the third biggest city there is nothing of note
Apart from the newly refurbished art gallery you mean?🙄 The spectra light festival a few weeks ago was also pretty good and very well attended.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned skiing yet. There is some, although got to be opportunistic with the weather and conditions. Pic was Friday at Glenshee, around 1.5 hrs from town (or only an hour from the promised land of Banchory 😜)
EDIT... tried to post my own picture but no luck, hopefully this one from the same day nicked from winterhighland will work
Dinna worry, there’s minky parts of Banchory n aa (ye ken).
I was born in Aberdeen and lived most of my life within 25 mile radius of same.
Best place I’ve lived was Insch. Got a bit tricky in the bad winter (09/10 I think) mind.
I lived right on the outskirts of Banchory for three years too (rented an estate cottage close to the river Dee, absolutely beautiful location).
Aye fowk can spik funny in aiberdeen, but toonsers easier n teucher, ken.
Another Airyhall dweller here and am always surprised by the amount of people with strong negative feelings towards Aberdeen. I've lived in much bigger cities and have always found Aberdeen to feel safer and quieter in comparison. I love the fact I can go for a run outside my front door and immediately be on trails through the park and on into the forest without the need to run on pavements and the same goes for mountain bike jaunts. This was an extended commute home last summer:
There are a few options for off road riding out of the city and tons of options for road cyclists to get into the countryside on quieter roads within a few minutes of heading out. If you want to load the mountain bike into the car, you have access to tons of locations along Deeside and out to the Cairngorms. We're glad we stayed inside the city as I think it made things easier when the kids were young, as there were plenty of good parks and things to do for a knackered mother on maternity leave! I would say that it can be a bit limited during the winter for kids indoor activities if the weather is particularly bad, especially when compared to big cities. I've been here for 20 years now and would struggle to move to another city that has the same mix of job and outdoor opportunities within easy reach.
Did my 5 years in Aberdeen and enjoyed it - it's the place I got into MTB, and there are endless possibilities, including within riding distance of the city centre (Kirkhill, Countesswells). We lived in Ferryhill, 5 mins dawdle to Union St and our daughter went to an excellent primary school (secondary school might not have been so good, but we moved away before it became an issue). We had academia money to put down as a deposit, so the house needed some work, but we sold it for oil industry price. Most of the people sent there as "expats" thought it was going to be a hardship posting, but all were reluctant to leave.
Well, I got an offer from one of the other places I interviewed with. It's funny, as it's almost the exact opposite of Aberdeen.
It's in Las Vegas - literally one of the 5 sunniest cities on earth - at a pretty new college. I'm not super excited about the area's sociodemographic characteristics - the rich seem richer and the poor seem poorer than in Scotland, but it has advantages in ease of visiting family as airlines all fly to Las Vegas.
Biking again is very different, but very good in its own way. It's rocky, loose, desert riding. If you've ever seen videos from Bootleg Canyon, that's right next door and if I wanted, I could live at the base of it and commute via bike trail to work, which would be nice. You can ride all year round (though if you want to in the summer, you better be up early).
Pay is ~80k USD, so ~60k pounds, which is good.
I hope to stall this offer long enough to at least see if I'll get one from Aberdeen. As I'll then have to make a decision really quickly, this thread has been very helpful. So thanks!
Las Vegas or Aberdeen lol - the horns of a dilemma.
tbh the College / University would be by some distance the most important factor for me (I'm an academic myself, so know how hard it can be to get the right post for two people) - although it does depend on the role I suppose.
Good luck with your decision.
tbh the College / University would be by some distance the most important factor for me (I’m an academic myself, so know how hard it can be to get the right post for two people)
That's the part that makes it hard. I just don't know as much about the department in Aberdeen. With US academic job interviews, you visit in person, give talks, eat multiple meals with different permutations of current faculty, meet with the dean, etc.. You just end up with a lot more info.
Im hoping to become one of the transient mob of mercenaries myself for a period, although only mon-fri. logistics will be a bastard but i love the idea of spending the summer nights riding Ballater and Scolty etc!!