Relocating to Aberdeen/shire July 2021

[achefswife]

Hi!
I'm brand new to mumsnet, but was advised to come here for some advice that I am sorely in need of.

I'm an English teacher and have accepted a job at Northfield Academy in Aberdeen, starting in Aug 2020. I currently live in East Lancs with my husband and two boys (aged 4 and 6). Covid has absolutely ruined all of our planned visits to scope out areas to live in. We know Aberdeen as tourists on hols, but not to live. Husband's family are originally from there and we loved everything that is offers and want to raise the boys there.

Husband is a Head Chef but as it's my job that is taking us there, it has to be the main focus re travel and boys. I have read every thread on the internet about relocating, but would love some advice on specific areas. We have done big moves with the kids before, but as they are now at school, it feel much scarier.

We are thinking of Banchory (anywhere on Deeside)/the Culters/Inverurie/Huntly/Banff/Newburgh/Ellon/Balmedie/Cove. I would like to be max an hour away from work. What are schools/high schools really like? I know league tables aren't always indicative of the quality of teaching.

The only thing putting us off from living in or near the city is that we have heard the harr on the sea ruins your summer. Is this true? All advice is truly welcome.

Thank you x

The harr won't ruin your summer. What an exciting adventure. Banchory is expensive. But Inverurie seems like a trek. I'll have a think.

Hatton of Fintry, Newmachar, Kintore. I think they are lovely but probably slightly cheaper than Banchory.

@OhioOhioOhio thank you so much! We are going to be renting initially, but don't want to move the boys from the school they will start at so we need to get the area right!

This is exciting. I love projects like this. Banchory end of town is posh. Very, very fancy houses. Lots of people used to send their kids their instead of Hazlehead secondary for its elite reputation. However, very sadly and tragically a young boy was stabbed in Banchory (I thikk, am almost certain) secondary. It was exceptionally shocking. Im going to read your post again, see what other suggestions to make.

Huntly and Banff are way too far out. I also think you could get somewhere much more convenient than Newburgh although it is lovely. If you were in Huntly or Banff and you'd got the job it would be manageable, just. But the A96 isn't great, especially in the dark and bad weather. As you are starting from scratch I'd say you need a much more local area. You'd get more for your money in Kintore compared to Westhill. Kintore ht has an excellent reputation. Loads of new houses there. Look around Kintore there are loads of wee villages.

Hi OP, I think you may want to ask to change the title to 2021. People might think it's an old thread

the new ring road...AWPR will have opened up a lot of options for you

we can get from Montrose to Costco in Westhill in little more than half an hour

the east coast towns are generally lovely with good communities and nice beaches!

Banff and Huntly would be too far I think. Inverurie and Banchory would be borderline for the commute you want. (If you are going Inverurie way the haudigan roundabout to get into Aberdeen can be busy at rush hour). Cove , peterculter , Ellon and Balmedie are all nice. Lived in most of them and never heard anything bad about the schools. Cove is the only one I think you need to worry about the haar with. It doesn't ruin summer, you still get the sun there but some days the haar can come in. Also what about portlethen? Cults, bieldside and milltimber are nice also hut expensive. I think it was cults the boy was stabbed. But that was a one off shocking event. Unless it happened at Banchory too?

Banff or Huntly would be too far for a daily commute. I have relatives who work in Aberdeen and live in Portlethen. It's nice and they seemed to get more for their money than Westhill or Inverurie. Easy commute.

Northfield Academy

Oh I wish I hadn't said. Yes I think it was Cults. It was awful. My friend lives out there and commented that some of the other Mums changed their opinion of the local schools because of it. Really I don't know so shouldn't have said. Sorry. Kemnay is another nice location.

Congratulations on the new job! My vote would be Banchory, Cults, deeside if you can afford it - lovely properties and really good schools, but it can be pricey. Kintore, Inverurie, Newmachar, Balmedie are all good also, and handy for Northfield as well as the coast. Banchory and Inverurie are small self-contained towns, the others are more villagey. I’m less keen on Cove and Portlethen - these are extended housing estates / commuter towns with little in the way of amenities. Cove also in the catchment for the new Lochside Academy, which doesn’t have a great reputation (but Cove primary school is fine). When you’re researching properties, the ASPC website tends to be used around Aberdeen rather than rightmove. Don’t worry about the haar, the north east beaches are beautiful and there will be loads of space for your boys to run around!

We did North Manchester to the shire in Nov 2019.

The haar is fun! We are technically 45 min from the city, but I don't think I'd commute if I could help it. We go to Banff a lot, and it really is lovely, but the road can be a bit scary in heavy rain (we don't even try in ice).

Where we are is 20 min from both Fraserburgh and Peterhead so no trouble with supermarkets or delivery, but still very rural.

Check for flooding, as there seems to have been a few unexpected floods this year. The maps SEPA have are very useful.

Not sure what your budget is, but I did read that Westhill Academy has really improved if late, and that’s an easy commute to Northfield.
Stonehaven is lovely. On the coast , with a train line into town ( but nowhere near Northfield).
House prices are falling here due to downturn in Oilfield so you might get closer into town.

No, the haar won't ruin your summer.
In the league tables, last time I looked (ages ago) Northfield Academy was I think the worst performing in Aberdeen City. This likely just reflects the relative economic prosperity of the catchment area.
Stonehaven (Aberdeenshire) may also be an option to live; as commute times are massively quicker than they used to be, thanks to bypass opening and oil downturn/ then covid home working.

Potterton is nice too. There are loads of new builds around here.

Good luck at Northfield academy!!

I'd try westhill or Hatton of fintry

All of your messages are fantastic! Thank you so so much. My work experience is in economically deprived schools, hence the Northfield job, but we are looking to be out with the city.
Excellent to know re roads and weather going north. Inverurie is looking like a top contender due to the train line and lots of villages around it. I absolutely love Deeside. What is it like for winter weather and commuting?
I will change title to 2021 😂.

Is it possible to edit the title?

Stonehaven would be my recommendation. You get more for your money south of the city and the AWPR means the commute would be easier. Everything you'd need in a lovely seaside town on the train line for Aberdeen, Dundee , Edinburgh ,Perth and close to the A90.

Would not recommend Cove due to Lochside although it is a new school so may have improved dramatically by the time your DC are ready for secondary. Westhill, cults and banchory academies all have excellent reputations. I'd say stonehaven is similar to banchory but with seaside

The commute from Banchory into the city is pretty slow, pre-covid most people would leave before 7.30am to get into town for 9am starts. Banchory Academy has a good reputation although the town has a mix of very expensive detached houses and quite small terraces/bungalows and if you fall between these two extremes you might find it odd. There are lots of independent shops on the high street and an active local community. With oil prices being so low property has dropped a lot recently, especially rentals so I would rent for 6 months and then properly househunt once you're up here.

I think if you report your post the mn team would change the title but I'm not sure. I think Stonehaven is a good idea, especially as pp mentioned the A9. I'm assuming you'd be visiting South for holidays. Northfield wouldn't be an easy post but if that's the kind of catchment you are used to then you will be well prepared. The awpr is very, very good. Stonehaven is magical, it really comes to life in the summer. It has an outdoor pool and loads of tourist experiences. Having said that Inverurie has everything you could think of needing and easy access to Aberdeen. Do you have a contact at your school? August is quite a while away to have a position already.

We will maybe try and have a look at Stonehaven! House prices are good from what I’ve seen and I’d love to be by the sea. We lived in Oban and Tarbert previously, and it was heavenly.
@hemhem good advice re Banchory. We would definitely fall between the two. It did feel very ‘money’ when we were there, but was so pretty and good for the kids.
@OhioOhioOhio I had the position since Nov 2020, so it is a long time. However, because of the differences in the Scottish and English summer hols, we only have 3 weeks to move, settle, and give the kids a chance to enjoy their hols. It feels much more pressured because of all the reccy trips that we’ve missed.

Oh if you have lived in Oban and Tarbert then this will be easy. If you can get a commute that is on the awpr compared to being stuck at the junctions that being you into Aberdeen, like the Haudigan, then that would be better.

Inverurie is very over-populated for the facilities since there's been increasing new houses built. My friend's up there struggle to get the kids in things like swimming lessons, their doctors surgery is stretched to capacity etc. They go to small village schools and have gone private for secondary. If you're going to be travelling south to visit fairly regularly, or them coming to you, then Stonehaven would save a big chunk of travel time compared to somewhere like Inverurie (although the new bypass should reduce that).