Cults near Aberdeen - would you live there?

[FriendlyLaundryMonster]

We are thinking of buying a property in Cults, on the outskirts of Aberdeen and are just after any local knowledge of the area. It looks leafy and quiet, with a great cycle into Aberdeen on the old railway line and with parks and the reservoir and river. We don't need schools, but enjoy access to a city and some local countryside walks and amenities on our doorstep. Anyone live there or know the area? We're a bit concerned about house prices, as the whole Aberdeen area seems to be quite slow and possibly still dropping. All insight welcomed!

Banchory would be my preference, having lived in the Aberdeen to Banchory corridor since the late 1990s. Cults, although nice has no USP. It has a bit of everything, but it’s not really in the city or in the countryside. Banchory has three access roads to Aberdeen, beautiful countryside, better weather and a reasonable selection of shops and cafes. It’s a very friendly place to incomers.

I grew up in Cults, but haven’t lived there for a long time. There are some cafes on the main road and there’s also the cults hotel and not much further away the Bieldside Inn which I think both do food. My mum is in several groups in and around the area (walking, book club etc) and I think there are fitness classes and there is a swimming pool.

you can drive into Aberdeen and it’s not too bad to park (though commuting may be a different story). There are also buses into town. It’s also quite easy to get out of Aberdeen and into deeside which is nice.

but to be honest, I think you need to visit and walk around if you can.

Just don't join any basket-making groups and you'll be grand.

I lived there for quite a while. It’s a nice enough place, lots of new builds gone up in the last few years.

Cults Hotel and Bieldside Inn are within walking distance. There are enough shops to keep you ticking over, with big supermarkets at Bridge of Dee.

Used to be a mix of transient oil families (but probably much less so these days) and ‘old Aberdeen’ type people. I didn’t find it overly welcoming, but not unfriendly either.

Good for access to the countryside, lots of good walks within striking distance. Easy to get into the city for a night out (although we found it best to head home before 11ish, when the taxi ranks started getting busy).

The haar will roll in up the valley, you’d need to be a bit further inland to avoid it.

The old railway line will take you in to Duthie Park or out to Crathes, and you can walk along the river (or at least you used to be able to).

House prices have always been boom and bust, depending on the oil price. The big drop in 2014/5 meant prices dropped a lot and they haven’t really recovered.

Some strange replies here. Parks-wise, Cults has Allan Park, but there are also forest walks just behind the primary school and quarry park, and you can walk along the riverside as well as the railways line. And there are walking routes into the countryside between Cults and town. There are also a good number of cafes, shops, a couple of restaurants, hairdressers, vets, beauty places, and a few takeaways. Definitely a suburb but not quite the sterile one suggested.

Also disappointed I've been looking for a good cult in the UK. Any posters aware of any ?

I spend a lot of time in cults and it's just a busy main road with some nice houses. Unless you're buying a very expensive house I don't think it's that great an area for things to do and I think too many people are working full time for you to have a village feel.

I think Inverurie is much nicer and has beautiful houses a proper town centre and lots of groups to integrate - also a train station.

The suggestions of hiring a house for a few days and spending time in the area is a good one.

I know Cults well, although I don’t live there now.

Personally, I would be looking at the Pitfodels end, nearer the city, close to the centre of Cults. Easy access to the pub, the coffee shops, the other amenities, including the river and parks.

There are a lot of pretty nice new builds up behind the main road and they are in a leafy green area with easy access to Hazlehead.

There are a couple of churches which are pretty evangelical and close to being ‘cults’ too, if that’s of interest 😉

Another one curious about the cults...

The Southern Baptists could be … peculiar.

I would never live in Cults. But to me it’s just a busy road with houses on a hill with a good school. I never go to cults, I’m always driving through it.

banchory is lovely but it gets very busy (no train + further away from town (Aberdeen)).

inverurie is lovely, again very busy but it does have a train.

i would like to give Westhill an honourable mention, which I know a lot more about than the others. No train, schools are good (I believe not as good as they used to be though). Bus service is decent enough but doesn’t go up Westhill drive past hays way (you’ll need a map and you’ll see what I mean. But doesn’t take long to get to a bus stop. It has a town centre, markies, home bargains, gift shop etc + aldi and Tesco. A lot of houses are selling pretty fast though, like weirdly fast much more than normal.

depends what you are looking for really. They all have slightly different vibes, I am used to Westhill, so I prefer it 😂 if you can prefer Westhill.

From what I can gather the evangelical church plays a big role mind you haven’t been there for about 35 years when it had nothing apart from executive houses my friend said there was no real community

I would never live in Westhill. But to me it is just an industrial estate with a busy road through it. I never go to Westhill, I am always driving though it.

I used to go to Westhill for the swimming pool, the big M&S food shop, Low’s fish and chips and the tip.

Digglesthedog · Today 18:54

'I would never live in Cults. But to me it’s just a busy road with houses on a hill with a good school. I never go to cults, I’m always driving through it.'

Exactly.
I was brought up in Cults.
My parents coudn't manage the steep hill as they got older.
Unless you have school age children, I woudn't choose to live there. You would be paying a premium for your home because of other buyers wanting to access Cults Academy.
There isn't really a community feel, as previously mentioned, there is just a strip of shops on a busy road.
Inverurie is much nicer.
My favourite part of Aberdeen is the Seafield/Countesswells/Mannofield areas in town, I would love to live there.
Good luck with your search for your new home.

Aberdeen doesn't have multiple stops trains it's literally just Aberdeen and that's it!
Your probably better looking at towns in Aberdeenshire if wanting more of a community feel.
Banchory is lovely but no train so about an hour into Aberdeen on the bus 30-60 min by car depending on traffic.
Inverurie has a community feel pretty big town direct on the train about 40 mins.
Stonehaven might be your ideal. 20 mins on the train, between 20-40 minutes drive lots of community activity. Downside temps can be a bit lower then inland due to the North Sea wind.

Houses in the North East are rarely going offers over at the moment speak to a local agent in the town your looking at.

I’m in Aberdeenshire and we go to cults often. Lovely small town atmosphere. Nice cafes and bistros and gift shops. Quick drive to get into Aberdeen city and great bus links…. Alternatively, a short journey to rural areas as well.

Milltimber is lovely too.

No shops in Miltimber though.

I live in the west end of Aberdeen so not too far from cults and have quite a few friends there. Never heard any of them mention it is unwelcoming - and lots of people come to Aberdeen from all over to work in oil and gas so I imagine it would be fine!

I think it’s a nice little place and we considered it but we bought our house pre-covid and preferred town because it was walking distance from the office. The number 19 bus is very frequent and goes straight into town (it’s not always on time though!). There are a couple of nice cafes and some shops. Restaurant wise I guess it would be the Cults Hotel and then slightly outside the village is the Marcliffe Hotel - never been to the former but the latter does have good food. House prices are pretty outrageous to be honest but it’s because of the school catchment and the proximity to town.

Just over 20 mins on the train to Inverurie. Much of a muchness to there or Stoney from Aberdeen.

For anyone who’s after the other cults in Aberdeenshire, Brethryn in Newburgh might meet your needs.

There’s more sets of Brethren in Peterhead and in Gamrie. You wait ages for a cult and then several come along at once.

Thanks for everyone’s advice. We’re going to visit again in a few days and maybe do a local walk and see if we can get lunch in Cults itself. Can anyone advise if there’s a bus that goes direct to the airport, or if you’d need to go through the city? Or how much a taxi to the airport normally is?

I was in Aberdeen the other week and didn't notice any suspicious culty behaviour so I clicked on here to see what I'd missed...

Don’t think there is a direct bus. You would need to get the bus into the centre of town and then the 19 out to Cults.

Did a quick search for you on local taxi app and it’s coming up as £34.

Enjoy your visit.

I’m from just along the road to the west and went to high school there. It’s a lovely area, schools are good, a great choice of local shops, the Cults Hotel has been there for years and does good food (happy memories of the bar!), good public transport links into Aberdeen and beautiful countryside within easy driving distance. You can cycle for miles along the old railway line. I’d move back in a heartbeat - although the sea hair can be a pain at times when the rest of the country is in sunshine! Good luck with your move, I’m sure you’ll love it.