Relocating to Aberdeen - anything I should take into account?

[MadAdopter]

I am hoping to relocate from Wiltshire to NE Scotland in the next 12 months or so with my 6 year old daughter. School choices (private) all seem to be in the city so need advice on commuting from villages as we don't want to live in the city, looking for a rural property as we have lots of animals.

Research seems to suggest driving into central Aberdeen is easy, but is this true?

Are there any areas that are better for commuting by car from?

All suggestions welcome as it feels a bit overwhelming at first not knowing the area well yet.

Thanks!

I have done it before, and yes I know from experience it takes at least 3 hours to get anywhere up there, and often a lot longer. Drove all over the Highlands and Moray last summer. Got stuck for hours in Aviemore on one trip with a load of bikers, no idea what was going on. I like driving and exploring so that is part of the attraction of moving up there.

I know, that's what I mean! I used to work with people based in England who were trying to arrange services to vulnerable people in north of Scotland and I had to convince them that it was not reasonable to expect someone to 'just nip over to Aberdeen from Inverness' for an appointment. It also used to find it endlessly frustrating that they used Cumbria as their benchmark for remote-rural. If it's got a motorway running through the middle of the area then it's not remote-rural in the Scottish sense!

I live in Aberdeenshire and I think it’s a really great place to live. Beautiful countryside - mountains and hills and beaches. Today I went for a swim in the sea and a sauna! Friends have been skiing this week. So many other outdoor pursuits, we paddle board, wild camp and hike. The food and drink is brilliant too - seafood, beef, gin, whisky, lovely fruits and veg. I would say Aberdeen itself is not that great, it’s really taken a hit with a downturn in the oil industry, but there are lots of lovely places to live where you could commute in to Aberdeen for school if needed.

not to mention the difference in hours of daylight!

Quine, surely! 😁

I didn’t mention access to moray which is just gorgeous, go to Findhorn for the weekend! Also, all the castles here, free national trust grounds to walk on, we are very lucky here.

I tried to buy something online from a major UK retailer (they had a store in Aberdeen) and my Aberdeen City postcode was considered ‘remote and rural’.

Standard Mumsnet. The Arctic Circle begins somewhere just north of Nottingham.

Even I would think just nipping from Inverness to Aberdeen was unreasonable, isn't it 2-3 hours on the train? Also I have driven on that A9 - almost as bad as the roads here in Wiltshire. A96 as well - I am not expecting roads like the South East! We have no motorways in Wiltshire and very few dual carriageways so similar in many ways.

What is your approximate budget and how much land are you talking about? That is the most limiting factor to your search.

If you did like Lathallan school, north Angus is very affordable. You don't need to worry about traffic around that area for the school run. You can get up to areas like Loch Lee which is stunning. Edzell runs into Glen Esk and the Cairngorms national park.

People often say 'the Highlands' but I there are many other areas that would suit most definitions of wild.

When your car tells you it’s -15°C at 6am going over the Glens of Foudland you’d think it was a bit chilly too.

I can guarantee you that the Aberdonian is many times more difficult to understand. It's a whole different dialect. People asking how each others pigeons are as a standard greeting despite no one actually owning pigeons is just a tiny part.

When I talk to someone with a really strong doric accent, it's like talking to someone who's speaking French. I have to focus as hard as possible and hope that I understand enough of it to get the context. And I was born there and spent first three decades of my life there.

It's an awesome accent though.

You’ve got a decent stretch of the M4 in Wiltshire?

I think you will find that is Swindon. We don't consider that to be true Wiltshire. Different local authority as well. Also M4 allows you to get to London or Bristol/Bath, not anywhere in Wiltshire.

A big coat!

Sounds really interesting!

The A9 is the major road in the north of Scotland. If you find that as bad as the roads in Wiltshire I'd suggest you've got much better infrastructure down there than we have here. You also have the M4 cutting through Wiltshire, and the M5 and the M3 nearby so I am still a bit concerned that you're underestimating things. It's good to hear that you are planning a few more holidays up here before a long term commitment.

Hi OP - I think you get more for your money on Donside than Deeside. Some lovely places on Donside.

I’d suggest somewhere you can get easy access to trains into Aberdeen - if that’s where your daughter will be going to school. Or somewhere with decent buses or school transport.

Up to around 30 miles out of Aberdeen to me is doable as a commute but not much fun if you’re just driving your daughter in and out of school so if that’s the case then I’d look for somewhere “countryfied” but near the city for your animals. You really don’t have to go far out to get to countryside. Probably pricier nearer the city but maybe you haven’t got budget issues.

Have you considered the Huntly area? Great access to the Moray Coast, Inverness, etc. and some remote type properties AND it has a railway station. Though it’s much further to Aberdeen, it’s a fast road till you get near the City.

Inverurie is great - also has a railway station, quick access to Aberdeen, some nice shops, everything you need really. Loads of countryside areas for keeping animals close to Inverurie.

I agree with some other posters the city centre shopping lacks a store like John Lewis which closed, getting around the town by car a pain with all the bus gates and such. There’s a great beach front and promenade.

Unless it’s your thing, if you go for a country area then check for potential forestry plantation planning. I wouldn’t fancy being shaded out by the old Sitka!

It’s still in Wiltshire though (and you get Swindon whether you like it or not).

I spent years travelling up and down the A361, and I’ll grant you that the A303 is particularly horrible.

True, but the M4 really doesn't help getting anywhere local. The A303 is a death road, so many accidents.

I would suggest Stonehaven, decent rail service and easy to get into the city. It can be a bit busy at the Bridge of Dee at commuting times but not too bad. Although my preference would be West End of the city centre. The weather isn’t that bad.

The point is more that in every "relocating to Scotland" thread someone pops up on the first page carrying on like we all troop around in survival gear 365 days a year.

You never see "have you thought about how sunny and warm it is?" when someone is moving somewhere south of the border.

There was a thread last year asking about shoes for a trip to Edinburgh ffs. Like you need bloody Mukluks to walk the Royal Mile.

There’s a few roads around Aberdeen known for horrendous accidents - the A947 and the South Deeside Road are particularly bad.

Because moving to the NE from the south of England can be a shock to the system - ask me how I know. Aberdeen is a cold city - it's not a criticism, it's a fact.

Oh, and nowhere on the thread about footwear in Edinburgh did it mention Mukluks. It's a hilly city, cold in winter, so dress accordingly - it's common sense.

But it is a lot colder than the south of England where OP lives. And a cold snap is really cold, with at least some snow and ice pretty common every winter.