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Shut up, Yorkshires a cesspit. Hebden is ruined by Yorkshire. And the oh so Leftfield Cafes.
Where is it you live - Dundee? 😆
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.
*realises ive not read the OP 😀
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.
I know it's near some nice mountains, but Geneva is really not an appealing place.
Edinburgh for balance of access to outdoor stuff, plus work and culture etc. Just for access to outdoor type stuff then Aviemore, Fort William or Inverness surely.
I'm splitting my time between Edinburgh and London these days - London is great for work and for culture etc., but as a place to live generally Edinburgh takes a lot of beating.
Where is it you live - Dundee?
😆
Say what you like about Dundee. But I can pass a Cairngorms NPA sign in under an hour. And ski in around the same time. About an hour for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs NPA. Well connected international airport in around the same time. Aviemore and Fort Bill can be reached by day trips.
The city itself is no great wonder of the north. But there is a lot of great stuff not too far away. I like it.
*reads OP
*notes surfing
I'd like to be near the highlands - but the Cairngorms just don't cut it for me. They might have good skiing etc but I find them pretty unattractive compared to the west coast. For me the west has a real magic that just isn't there in the Cairngorms.
And while being near stuff is nice it's better to be right there in amongst it. I was near the Lakes when I lived in Lancaster which was cool but it's much better to have decent stuff from the door.
So ner!
Very true
But al that needs balancing with employment availability.
And as much as I agree with you about te west coast. It's just so damned wet.
The problem with the West Coast is that there just isn't the same variety of riding. There are fewer routes, they tend to be much longer, there is less opportunity for variation and even the roads are more limited.
Tis a shame, to be sure. We seriously looked at the West Coast as an option but all of the above, plus additional distance from services and poorer transport links, eventually put us off.
but the Cairngorms just don't cut it for me. They might have good skiing etc but I find them pretty unattractive compared to the west coast. For me the west has a real magic that just isn't there in the Cairngorms.
I used to feel like that but I've got to know the Gorms a bit better over the last few years and they've got a charm of their own which is different to but the equal of the west.
Ventnor is lovely, but it's also a massive climb out of there on a bike...
Which means it's downhills back home for tea and medals. 🙂
Has the OP been back to respond to any of the [s]haranguing[/s] salient points made in this thread?
Where do you want to live? It shoudl have been called STW a place in the hills.
FWIW - Stirling is good for most stuff, main railway, motorway, nr airport and trails from your front door, nae surfin but.
South Wales is a better bet 3 hours from london.
2 hours from Cardiff. There are some nice parts within a 20-30 min walk of town and the station, which is really convenient. And you're still only half an hour by bike from the trails. Only disadvantage of taking the train to London from Cardiff is arriving at Paddington!
And while being near stuff is nice it's better to be right there in amongst it. I was near the Lakes when I lived in Lancaster which was cool but it's much better to have decent stuff from the door.
In that case the answer surely is to live in Balerno. All the advantages of Edinburgh plus riding in the Pentlands straight out of the door.
Balerno
True, it's a nice place. I won't say where I'm moving too, but it's close'ish 😉
If you're used to craggy, rugged mountains, then the cairngorms do look a bit boring, but after spending almost 2 years up here - they're great, and do have a real charm. Big walk ins though, for many walks.
There is a compromise involved depending on which sports you really favour. I cant think of many really decent surf breaks with good riding on tap too. Personally i prefer living very near the beach for surfing (I live in S. Pembrokeshire near Tenby) so have some good surfing on my door step but the mtbing aint brilliant.
Just to pick up Bath, very nice place to live, lots of stuff in town a cracking country outside. Very sporty town but still a few hours from surf. Decent riding within site of the city centre.
Bloody awful traffic, live on the side you need to get too!
Can't believe Fort William is mentioned by so many people. Yep, location is incredible but really, the town is utterly dismal. It just sucks the life out of you.
the town is utterly dismal
It has pubs that serve half-decent ale. It has chip shops. It even has one or two - OK maybe only one - half-decent restaurant. It's got more going for it than some.
it just sucks the life out of you
Despite my positive comments above, there is an element of this I admit
Wow thanks for all the responses. As much as Scotland appeals, it's just too far from family, and current work commitments, plus I'd have a real job in convincing the other half that the climate would be bearable (she really feels the cold). So will have to be just holidays up there I guess. Thought Edinburgh and Glasgow had a really nice vibe to them though when I've visited.
Similarly looking more at the N.East, it seems pretty remote from the rest of the UK, but then I've never been there so I'm just making assumptions really by looking at the map and could be totally wrong. South Wales doesn't appeal to be honest as a place to live, Pembrokeshire is stunning but I've been tarnished by a couple of friends stag nights out in Cardiff/Swansea that I'd rather forget to be honest.
So that leaves North Wales, Bristol Area, The Lakes (Kendal/Keswick) or somewhere like Exeter or Barnstaple/Braunton as strong contenders. Appreciate that everywhere is a compromise to some degree so it's just weighing up the plus and minus points of each now I guess?
It has pubs that serve half-decent ale. It has chip shops. It even has one or two - OK maybe only one - half-decent restaurant. It's got more going for it than some.
Easily pleased aren't ya 😀
Outdoors stuff in the Lakes speaks for itself - it is phenomenal. Would you want to live there, though? Each summer, the place starts to smell of death. You can't swing a cat without hitting a busload of pensioners assaulting the hillside with trekking poles. It doesn't have the type of outdoor attitude or vibe that you're looking for, IMO.So that leaves North Wales, Bristol Area, The Lakes (Kendal/Keswick) or somewhere like Exeter or Barnstaple/Braunton as strong contenders. Appreciate that everywhere is a compromise to some degree so it's just weighing up the plus and minus points of each now I guess?
Easily pleased aren't ya
😆 you mean there's more out there? 🙂