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The reason I've never been skiing (apart from the cost) is that being carted up a mountain by a machine with thousands of other people is anathema to me.
Yeah, I mean just look at the crowds....
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Who'd want to be there, eh? Horrible.
Erm....
Yeah, but Glenshee this year on a good day was horrific. They closed the road because they had 3 mile tail backs for the carpark one day.
If you have good conditions for a long period, and you have time off in the week - not around school holidays - then it's fine.
It's just so variable in the UK. It's been either whiteouts, or good conditions and mega busy, or it's been midweek.
EDIT: Ninja edit!
Or it has been midweek.
Massive Ninja Edit.
Should read OP post, not just thread replies.
ahem, Avon Tyrrell
The thread was asking about a town - so responses have mostly been appropriate (other than those suggesting Aviemore 🙂 )
I'm just getting old, grumpy and ranty.
I hate living close to people, that's why I currently live in a cottage in a field, at the bottom of a hill, and am moving to a cottage in a field opposite the Pentlands.
And that's not what the OP wants. Perhaps you should read it?
Fair point. Edited ranty post.
Here's a biscuit:
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There's a polarising view between people on here, those that think being *close* to the countryside, and living *in* the countryside are the same thing - or as good as equal. For me they're really not.
I live on the edge of a market town - lovely countryside views from the house/terrace. Then within a minute or two I can be in beautiful mixed woodland with cascading rivers. Within a few more minutes I can be up on the moors, or stopping for a drink in a historic cobbled hilltop village - maybe walk back down past the climbing crags. Several ace tech bike descents finish within a few hundred yards of my house.
Or if I go the other way I can go and buy great local food from the market, visit one of the numerous independent shops (including a decent bike shop), cafés and galleries, go watch a film in the non-chain cinema or a gig in the award winning music venue.
Not that I'm smug or anything. Heaven forbid. 🙂
How do you define countryside these days anyway?
Do you have to live in a huddle of houses miles from the nearest Village?
Can you live in a Village of less than 1000 pop surrounded by fields and woodland?
Can you live in a village of 10,000 surrounded by woods and fields?
Must the country extend at least 5 miles in each direction?
How about Nethy Bridge, for those too snooty to live in Aviemore. 😉
Or Braemar/Ballater.
I'd love to live in Aviemore personally, but those wee towns are much more attractive.
Sorry but had to comment on that Thurso vid. Spectacular wave and at least twice as big as I'd feel comfortable with!
Slough. Near nothing of note that the OP desires (unless Bracknell counts), but good travel connections everywhere.
Ft Bill.
Skiing, with spectacular touring. World class Mountain biking. World class climbing. World class surf and wind on Tiree. World class diving all up and down that coast, plus sailing, all types of kayaking. Torridon, Kinlochleven, Skye, Mull, Jura, Isla, Moidart, Knoydart, Ardnamurchan, Cairngorms all within easy reach. Moray coast for more surf, plus whisky country. If you like trail centres, Golspie & Laggan. Some properly tough running and tri events.
Ft Bill is a great wee town with a good vibe. Large enough to have an A&E, small enough to walk or ride everywhere. Seafood on your doorstep, game at the butchers. There's even electricity!
Overnight trains to London and other places in Southland. Just 1.5hr drive to airport at Inverness.
Sorry to everyone down south, but you have just been comprehensively outclassed.
Bit of a tangent, but some of the towns in the West of Ireland could be centres of outdoor awesome-ness if there was a bit of progress in land access. Place like Sligo, or Donegal town, for example. Surfing is already developed and is world class AFAICT. Mountains and landscape there offer great potential for walking / climbing (including enormous sea cliffs in Donegal) / biking, but access isn't straightforward.
Other side of the coin is that there must be a lot of new routes to discover. Compare somewhere like the Peak, where's there's probably not a single square foot of rock that hasn't been climbed / walked / ridden over.
Sorry to everyone down south, but you have just been comprehensively outclassed.
I'll remind you of that while you're being eaten alive by midges. Or when the weather fails to get over 10 degrees, in mid-August. 😉
Bit of a tangent, but some of the towns in the West of Ireland could be centres of outdoor awesome-ness if there was a bit of progress in land access. Place like Sligo, or Donegal town, for example. Surfing is already developed and is world class AFAICT. Mountains and landscape there offer great potential for walking / climbing (including enormous sea cliffs in Donegal) / biking, but access isn't straightforward.
Very good point. On that note, what about Northern Ireland? Beautiful landscapes and both Portrush and Kilkeel should get surf, looking at a map. My understanding is that most of The Troubles were pretty localised, primarily at flashpoints in Belfast and around the border (I took some guys out from northern Northern Ireland while working as a guide). Not too sure about access, but because the population is a lot sparser I wouldn't anticipate too many problems.
Ft Bill is a great wee town with a good vibe.
And let's not forget that it's the 93rd largest town in Scotland!
Hi Land Man.
Agreed Ft Bill has, is near all those things you mention but it still looks like a dump or Ashton under Lyne but near some water.
Rhosgadfan located between Llanberis and Caernarfon. Prefect for riding and walking and you can check the surf from your window as it overlooks anglesey and parts of the Lleyn.
My recommoendation has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm selling my house there and everything to do with the fact that the place has everything the op wants in a place to live!
I live in a small town in the NE of Dartmoor. Nice friendly community feel, good pubs and local shops.
We're close enough to the North Cornwall coast to go for a post-work surf in the summer. Can ride or walk on the moor from the door and we have some pretty good bouldering and kayaking within a 10-15 min drive.
Exeter is only 25 mins down the road if we fancy some city life.
On the downside, it's one of the wettest parts of southern Britain!
it's one of the wettest parts of southern Britain
you live in tavistock as well?
Ventnor on the Isle of Wight? Assuming you don't buy one of the properties that's falling into the sea, you've got watersports in on the seafront and along the coast, and downs off the back of the town. It's a bus ride or drive to either Cowes or Ryde to get onto the mainland, but once there you're 45 mins from the M25 or an hour by train into the smoke.
Edit: it's warmer and more attractive than Ft. Bill too. 😉
" Hi Land Man.
Agreed Ft Bill has, is near all those things you mention but it still looks like a dump or Ashton under Lyne but near some water. "
Aye, but you don't need to spend much time looking at the town. Look at the hills and the water instead, much better.
And yes, I had noticed that there can be a midge or two around at times. But hey, it's all a compromise.. I'll take midges over hordes of peak district ramblers any day.
@Jambo Close, and equally wet 🙂
Aye, but you don't need to spend much time looking at the town.
In fairness, looking at the town doesn't take long.
And let's not forget that it's the 93rd largest town in Scotland!
I'm still a little in shock that there's 93 towns in Scotland.
😉
Wow, amazed at the replies so far - plenty to get on Googling with.
As much as I love the sound of Scotland, with most of my clients in London, the distance would just make things very difficult work wise. Have never been a fan of the Swansea/Cardiff area although once you're West of there and into Pembrokeshire it's lovely.
Guess I'm going to have to compromise a little. N.Wales sounds like a good option as is the South Lakes and I already know both quite well. Bristol also looking good although appreciate I'd still have to drive to get most places.
Does Bristol attract a lot of Outdoors type people rather than just 'townies'. Are there plenty of outdoor type clubs and events where it would be easy to meet like minded people.
What about Bath? Seems closer to Bristol but a lot smaller with potentially less traffic issues?
+1 Grum. Hebden's not perfect but it's getting pretty close. The mere fact that it's Yorkshire means it trumps almost everywhere else.
[quote=agent007 ]Wow, amazed at the replies so far - plenty to get on Googling with.
As much as I love the sound of Scotland, with most of my clients in London, the distance would just make things very difficult work wise.So why ask the question? 🙄
Just to let you down Onion. Just to let you down...
What about Bath? Seems closer to Bristol but a lot smaller with potentially less traffic issues?
18th century housing estate. Even Jane Austen hated it.
mrhoppy - MemberI love Swansea but, you've never had problem with crime? In 5 years my car was broken into 4 times & stolen once. Amongst my friends we had cars done over every couple of months, I had a female friend locked in a cab & threatened, I was driving the uni minibus and had 2 people threaten me and make me drive round doing drug drop offs and had my wallet stolen twice. Now we were students so not in the most salubrious locations but in 12 years in Shropshire nothing has happened even though I've been to some iffy places with work.
Swansea, the Johannesburg of Wales! 🙄
Like any scruffy ex-industrial city Swansea has a rougher side but it also has lovely, safe places to live. And your experience as a student isn't representative of the rest of the population for all sorts of very obvious reasons.
Dales_rider - Membertoxicsoks - Member
Shortly to be moving to the Keswick area for similar reasons to OP, apart from the surf stuff but the coast is only a short drive away. Failing that it's Cracoe
At last thats you off my patch
Really? 😉
Ventnor on the Isle of Wight?
Ventnor is lovely, but it's also a massive climb out of there on a bike...
+1 Grum. Hebden's not perfect but it's getting pretty close. The mere fact that it's Yorkshire means it trumps almost everywhere else.
Shut up, Yorkshires a cesspit. Hebden is ruined by Yorkshire. And the oh so Leftfield Cafes.
Rhosgadfan?! Blimey. I used to live a little down the road from there. Theres a lot of chavs around that generalaarea. I had burgers thrown at my windows, eggs on Halloween, they'd ride the bins down the road, knock down walls, and generally be a PITA.
I did like living there overall, but just found it a bit tatty.
Good location for walking, riding, climbing and not too bad for surfing. But I just got bored, as North Wales is generally a bit small after spending 10 years there. Found I was doing the same walks, going to the same spots to go climbing....etc.
Bath? Less traffic issues? Have you been there at rush hour? Its horrific.
If you're worried about time to get to London from Scotland... Its about 7 hours from Edinburgh. And its about 5.5 hours from Bangor.
North Wales or Scotland aren't ideal if youre working in London. South Wales is a better bet 3 hours from london. Or brizzle. Even closer.
Rickon im glad you arent my estate agent!
Yeah but from Edinburgh you've got fast trains, and planes. And a sleeper if you prefer.
Well I was gonna say Ft Billyam from the start, even though Ft Bill itself is a right Dump. However I still traipse up there every May for the SSDT & absolutely love the surrounding area.
Midges?...Hmm...get on your wick a bit.
Rain?...Just adds to the charm of the place IMO.
Yep, Fort William wins.
EDIT, no midges in May!
Dunno if it's the best, but Bangor (Bethesda) suits me. Can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, at least near to a decent university (work). Threads like this remind me how spoilt I am. London just over 3hrs. Good line too if you get the Virgin direct service. 🙂
North Wales or Scotland aren't ideal if youre working in London. South Wales is a better bet 3 hours from london. Or brizzle. Even closer.
If you live in the right place in Edinburgh*. You can be in London in fairly quickly. Last year me and the GF seriously considered moving to England as she works for a London based company (generally from home, but with regular visits to London) But the costs, travel implications, housing, and loss of real hills and associated sports led us to stay where we are. We'd have had to live in London for it to be worth it financially. Never going to happen.
Takes 60 to 75min to get to the Airport (from Dundee) 1hr max to get through the airport, 75-90 minute flight time. And then where you're going from there. Flight costs around £65 plus £11 diesel. Bit of a long day, but she does this occasionally as a return on the same day.
You obviously have travel costs at the other end. But you'd have that anyway, seem to remember hers is about £10-£15. Luckily everything is expensed.
*apparently they might have Trams soon 😀
If I thought flying to London now and then was a good plan I'd be thinking further afield than Edinburgh. Geneva or Toulouse for starters. The time in the air is not that much longer.