I might be relocating to Aberdeen – advice on locations to live please

Evening all.

Work might be taking me to Aberdeen.

What thoughts do the STW massive have on places to live in the vicinity?

Naturally I’ll be wanting to strike a balance of not to great a commuting distance (although perhaps ridable – snow permitting), countryside on the doorstep etc.

Word is its quite an expensive place to live.

Ta in advance.

my advice would be to live anywhere but there, it’s a crap hole and not worth living in.
I spent about six months there, hated it. the weather is crap, the food is balls, there is no nowhere descent to ride from the city, its grey miserable and rubbish.

I grew up in Cove and always liked it, as a quiet village near the sea, within easy access of town and the road South….though I did move away as a teenager so not sure what it’s like now. Probably doubled in size without adding any redeeming features

Out towards Deeside is obviously nice and nearer decent riding and bigger mountains, but more of a commute and £££

Sancho – are you sure you were in Aberdeen? I can’t think of a better MTB place.

Lived there for 14 days… it was bleak…. lol

This threads been done before has it not?

iirc the upshot was to find somewhere out of town, Deeside ideally and your sorted.

Be careful with the bins though, notorious for head locks

Where will work be? Until the bypass is built traffic is grim.

It’s not as bad as those above make out.

I think this was the one I had in mind;

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-live-near-edinburgh-or-aberdeen

Find out where you will be working then pick your side of the city from there. Traffic in the city at rush hour is pish. If you are working in Dyce (north west of center) then living in cove would be a poor choice (SE), if you we’re working in Altens then cove would be good.

As has been mentioned trails riding from the city centre are limited as there are few decent sized hills on the outskirts of town, if you have a car then you have the Cairngorms on your doorstep.

Stone havens a nice commuter town…o
Lots of local riding too….

Stonehaven would work especially well for city center work, doddle on the train

I happen to know that one of the best things in world originated in Aberdeen, so it’s a nice place to be.

Good pubs,best chippy in Scotland,riding folk,good lbs,surf at the beach and crazy fireballs at Hogmanay….it’s a great place stoney…

Shame its lethal to ride to town from stoney

And the trains in explicible expensive for the length of time it takes to get to town.

Word is its quite an expensive place to live.

That kind of depends. If you are used to London then no it’s not expensive, but compared to many places it is. Probably on a par with Edinburgh.

DrJ Aberdeen is pish when it comes to riding, youhave to go a long way to find good riding, plus its stupid expensive.
i can think of many places better than Aberdeen for riding. hence I never located there and stayed in Leeds.

plus its as expensive as london or more so. in a number of areas, accommodation, hotels, taxis, flights, etc etc it is a city ripping off the oil industry and making a mint out of it. but good luck to them, i’d leave it if i were you.

Hmmm Kirkhill, Coutesswells, (rideable from the town centre) Scolty, Piftichie, feteresso (about 30 min drive), the Cairngorms ( an hour or so) and a host of other places. Yup you’re right no decent riding at any of those places. No other good outdoor sports like climbing, kayaking, surfing either.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect by any means but there are worse places to live.

DrJ Aberdeen is pish when it comes to riding,

Really? You obviously didn’t know where to go.

they are ok places but not very good and the cairngorms are not local by any means, like I said when you try a few other cities that have great riding on their doorstep then you will realise Aberdeen has very little local mountain biking that can cut it.

Not Tilleydrone, or to give it its formal title ‘Run down Tilleydrone’

Struggling to think what you mean sancho

Been here 3 year and im still discovering new trails weekly within half hour.

Oh and sweepy mrs tr teachers kids fae tilly – says its a different world down there !

Just been out for 50k on quiet roads eerilly quiet place in morning. During the week i wouldnt go near them morning or night.

my advice would be to live anywhere but there, it’s a crap hole and not worth living in.
I spent about six months there, hated it. the weather is crap, the food is balls, there is no nowhere descent to ride from the city, its grey miserable and rubbish.

I lived in Aberdeen city centres for a year and loved it, still got a property up there.

Didn’t rain very often, rode the mountain bike twice a week right from the door to some great trails and saying the food is rubbish is an very odd comment.

DrJ Aberdeen is pish when it comes to riding, youhave to go a long way to find good riding, plus its stupid expensive.

You clearly didn’t look in the right places, kirkhill is what, 20 minutes ride from the city centre.

If you think Kirkhill is good mountain biking then I suggest you try riding further afield, its ok, but well its just that ok, certainly not inspiring and well not very good, the food isnt great and very expensive, particularly the curries, but I have Bradford on my doorstep so im very critical of good curry and Ive also got a lot of great riding on my doorstep hence why Im not particularly excited about Aberdeen. But if its where you live and you make the most of it then kudos to you.

All restaurants in town are expensive imo for what you get

I rarely eat there

Echt tandooris my fav curry house
Garlogie inns is a fve for pub grub .

I live about 3 miles from countesswells 8 from scolty and have found various other trails that dont get advertised at all near by.

Takes a while for the locals to show you the good stuff ime.

My favorite local trail atm is the clachnaben loop via the bothy climb to the shooting butts. Best ridden at night to ensure its void of walkers on the way down.

Lived in the ‘don’ for 20 odd years before moving to Brum.

Depending on your money situation, probably good to live in either the West of the City, (Cults,Culter or even Gt Western Roadish) and if you have a car then either Stonehaven or Newtonhill. The congestion is NOTHING like it is in Brum so doesn’t bother me whenever I go back.

Some good riding around Stonehaven up beside the TV mast(if you can find some trails the FC haven’t found),and if you have a car you can try some natural trails over Sauchen way and out towards Aboyne/Braemar etc.

If you get a week or two off you could even cycle over to Skye like I have and get a mate or your missus to pick you up and take you back home! Just not in the Winter.

I live about 3 miles from countesswells 8 from scolty and have found various other trails that dont get advertised at all near by.

Do tell, Countesswells is my nearest trails. Often thought there *must* be more…

Metalheart,
There’s lots in Countesswells, mostly just short sections of singletrack that will somehow link together.
Just take a couple of hours and go and get lost (in the nicest possible way…)

Rugbydick: yeah, I’m aware that there’s a fair bit. Recently crossed the road from (the ‘middle’ car park) to find some steeper stuff and a better Route home. Plus stuff the back of Cults (which I remembered from bitd). Thought there must be stuff Contlaw Rd way or another link through?

I live on the other side of malcolm road and my local woods has walking trails in that on the xc bike are good for killing an hour. Then there is the hill of fare , loads ot trails in drumtochty , found , built, cleared a fair bit when i lived down there but near the cairn o mount end as oppose the tv mast

There is a link up from contlaw to countesswells , ive ridden it once but i have no plot and i was following someone else. Im not going to try and describe it but it does go through some land thats quite clearly marked up as private several times…. Obviously doesnt know abut land access rules

Trail rat: was the link up up a dirt road past various houses/farms/*estates*? Its recently been tarmaced and I think I might come down that….

Which direction do you head normally, north, west or east (trying to gauge which woods). I’ve looked at the trails headed south (above & to west of Kippie Lodge?) but it always looks wet… 🙄

ETA: apologies to beamers for the hijack…

where is the great chippy at bobbyatwork?

Metalheart drop me an email tomorrow

Guessing he means The bay in stoney

I disagree . Still hasnt beat mike at cairnie chipper in arbroath for me