Aberdeen’s oil and renewables industry has brought prosperity to this stunning region of Scotland. This means that there are enough excellent dining and retail opportunities in the county to keep the hotels full - but with a beautiful coastline, excellent salmon fishing and deer hunting, and skiing and riding through the Cairngorms National Park, there are more than enough natural attractions for tourists as well as locals. Schools in this area tend to be excellent, and family homes are relatively affordable. Aberdeen is connected to all major towns and villages in the area by bus, is home to an international airport, and linked by ferry to the capitals of Shetland and Orkney, as well as having excellent rail links to Edinburgh and London. With the additional benefits of low unemployment and low crime, Aberdeenshire residents enjoy a very high quality of life.
Aberdeen is a coastal city that has been the hub of the UK’s energy industry for the last few decades. With the presence of the oil industry has come high employment, and property prices are correspondingly higher than the Scottish average.
However, it’s easy to find reasons that living here is worth the high cost. From its two-mile sandy beach to its parks, cobblestoned old town to grey granite centre, and schools to bars, Aberdeen offers something for every resident.
In 2012, Aberdeen was named the happiest place in Scotland, and one of the three happiest places in the UK – alongside Oxford and Reading.