tarapoa Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) Going back to some of the aforementioned places, as I was driving up from England with time to spare on Saturday, I turned off the M74 on to the A70 and took in the delights of the legendary Rigside and Tarbrax before eventually crossing over at Queensferry on the road back to god's country. Sadly darkness had fallen, so likely didn't get the true picture of these places. At Rigside, I turned right into the schemie streets, which had a menacing aura about them (likely due to the murders mentioned before). Then on the entrance to a footpath, I spotted a bloke lying face down on the ground, who looked like he'd fallen or collapsed. It dawned on me that I may need to stop and help the guy, when thankfully I caught view in the rear mirror of a woman and bloke running over the road to (hopefully) assist him. Just trying to explain that the only reason I was driving along this street, was due to being told on P&B it was particularly grim would have been an interesting conversation. Tarbrax appeared on my SatNav fifteen miles or so later and seemed to be the only place in a kind of no man's land between the Lanark and Livingston areas - and even then you had to turn almost 2 miles off the main road to get to it. It was too dark to differentiate it as a particularly desperate place - and maybe the daylight landscape was required to appreciate this one. Edited February 18, 2019 by tarapoa 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 If you’re motivated by civic pride into trying to big up your city and decide to do it by associating it with other cities in USA, Canada, Australia or Scandinavia it’s best not to choose 2nd rate ones like Houston, Calgary, Perth WA and Stavanger. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarapoa Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) 27 minutes ago, topcat(The most tip top) said: If you’re motivated by civic pride into trying to big up your city and decide to do it by associating it with other cities in USA, Canada, Australia or Scandinavia it’s best not to choose 2nd rate ones like Houston, Calgary, Perth WA and Stavanger. I would love to choose New York, Vancouver, Melbourne and Copenhagen - but the 'oilfield trash' is in the cities I did mention. (Calgary is decent though) Edited February 18, 2019 by tarapoa 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottishZizou Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 Travelling between Inverness and Aberdeen and you wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Keith, Forres etc. You feel a bit bad saying it but it just feels so dead. You aren't really in the proper countryside which I can understand the desire to be but you also aren't in a city. This probably applies to a lot of places but at least they are commuter towns or possibly located in a nice setting (the Black Isle etc). Just feels so pointless and that the only thing keeping people there is sheer tenacity. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Brian Posted February 18, 2019 Author Share Posted February 18, 2019 4 hours ago, tarapoa said: I give you the first two - but a trip along Deeside to the eastern side of the Cairngorms National Park is good for anyone's soul. Cracking part of the world...... I wasn't being entirely serious Beautiful part of the world and home of one of the finest single malts going, but all the towns on the A93 are a tad wanky and stuck in a timewarp. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarapoa Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) 18 minutes ago, I'm Brian said: I wasn't being entirely serious Beautiful part of the world and home of one of the finest single malts going, but all the towns on the A93 are a tad wanky and stuck in a timewarp. I am not from there, but moved out that way in recent times and it's the best thing I did (albeit wouldn't have thanked you for it in my 20s). There are key differences though - Lower Deeside is generally commuter territory for ABZ, and definitely the location of choice for many English or central belt settlers who work or did work in executive or engineer roles in oil & gas. Walk around Tesco Banchory and five out of ten voices will likely be English. Aboyne is a bit further out and has a different vibe - and then Ballater/Braemar have the royal angle, but are good outdoor places with plenty tourist stuff - including a couple of decent boozers and restaurants. Lochnagar is a good malt - but obviously you can go 40 miles or so north west and take your pick from some of the best - which is why I don't quite get the comment about Keith and Forres being miserable places - I love it up in Moray, and Speyside is another quality area. Edited February 18, 2019 by tarapoa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Brian Posted February 18, 2019 Author Share Posted February 18, 2019 2 minutes ago, tarapoa said: I am not from there, but moved out that way in recent times and it's the best thing I did (albeit wouldn't have thanked you for it in my 20s). There are key differences though - Lower Deeside is generally commuter territory for ABZ, and definitely the location of choice for many English or central belt settlers who work or did work in executive or engineer roles in oil & gas. Walk around Tesco Banchory and five out of ten voices will likely be English. Aboyne is a bit further out and has a different vibe - and then Ballater/Braemar have the royal angle, but are good outdoor places with plenty tourist stuff - including a couple of decent boozers and restaurants. Lochnagar is a good malt - but clearly go 30 miles north west and take your pick from some of the best - which is why I don't quite get the comment about Keith and Forres being miserable places - I love it up in Moray, and Speyside is another quality area. Yeah spent a fair bit of time up there in the last year and a half and saw most of Aberdeenshire and Moray.. I was pleasantly surprised by it all. Definitely a few must see places 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 8 hours ago, ScottishZizou said: Travelling between Inverness and Aberdeen and you wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Keith, Forres etc. You feel a bit bad saying it but it just feels so dead. You aren't really in the proper countryside which I can understand the desire to be but you also aren't in a city. This probably applies to a lot of places but at least they are commuter towns or possibly located in a nice setting (the Black Isle etc). Just feels so pointless and that the only thing keeping people there is sheer tenacity. Plenty of livestock on offer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afro Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 Tarbrax appeared on my SatNav fifteen miles or so later and seemed to be the only place in a kind of no man's land between the Lanark and Livingston areas - and even then you had to turn almost 2 miles off the main road to get to it. It was too dark to differentiate it as a particularly desperate place - and maybe the daylight landscape was required to appreciate this one. Think I’ve been to Tarbrax once, and that was probably once too many. I’m currently house hunting, and came across this fantastic investment opportunity:https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69783133.htmlI’m actually struggling to recall any other village in Scotland I’ve been to where there’s just a single road for access in and out. Suggestions welcome. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Brian Posted February 19, 2019 Author Share Posted February 19, 2019 6 hours ago, Afro said: Think I’ve been to Tarbrax once, and that was probably once too many. I’m currently house hunting, and came across this fantastic investment opportunity:https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69783133.html I’m actually struggling to recall any other village in Scotland I’ve been to where there’s just a single road for access in and out. Suggestions welcome. Bellsbank, Rankinston 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Man Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 18 hours ago, tarapoa said: Going back to some of the aforementioned places, as I was driving up from England with time to spare on Saturday, I turned off the M74 on to the A70 and took in the delights of the legendary Rigside and Tarbrax before eventually crossing over at Queensferry on the road back to god's country. Sadly darkness had fallen, so likely didn't get the true picture of these places. At Rigside, I turned right into the schemie streets, which had a menacing aura about them (likely due to the murders mentioned before). Then on the entrance to a footpath, I spotted a bloke lying face down on the ground, who looked like he'd fallen or collapsed. It dawned on me that I may need to stop and help the guy, when thankfully I caught view in the rear mirror of a woman and bloke running over the road to (hopefully) assist him. Just trying to explain that the only reason I was driving along this street, was due to being told on P&B it was particularly grim would have been an interesting conversation. Tarbrax appeared on my SatNav fifteen miles or so later and seemed to be the only place in a kind of no man's land between the Lanark and Livingston areas - and even then you had to turn almost 2 miles off the main road to get to it. It was too dark to differentiate it as a particularly desperate place - and maybe the daylight landscape was required to appreciate this one. That's top commitment to this thread. Well done Sir. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 On 2/17/2019 at 20:38, yoda said: Scotland's cities ranked: Glasgow/Edinburgh Dundee Inverness Aberdeen Perth/Stirling Glasgow MASSIVE GAP Edinburgh MASSIVE GAP Dundee Aberdeen Inverness Stirling MASSIVE GAP Perth -2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarapoa Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 (edited) 14 hours ago, Afro said: I’m actually struggling to recall any other village in Scotland I’ve been to where there’s just a single road for access in and out. Suggestions welcome. Mallaig, unless you count the wee ferry over to Skye as an alternative way out..... Edited February 19, 2019 by tarapoa 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8MileBU Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Mallaig, unless you count the wee ferry over to Skye as an alternative way out..... Or the Harry Potter Express... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 6 hours ago, Marshmallo said: Glasgow MASSIVE GAP Edinburgh MASSIVE GAP Dundee Aberdeen Inverness Stirling MASSIVE GAP Perth MASSIVE GAP MASSIVER GAP Paisley 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Brian Posted February 19, 2019 Author Share Posted February 19, 2019 Why does Mallaig get such a bad rep? I've never understood it. 10 minutes from Arisaig, gateway to the isles. Stunning views of Rum and Eigg. Granted there's not a lot to it, but your never going to get stabbed wandering around it 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonksy+HisChristianParade Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 (edited) Aberdeen is an awful place (with dreadful accents), Inverness is full of weirdos with dreadful accents. Edited February 19, 2019 by Bonksy+HisChristianParade 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crroma Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 I'm going to vote for a tiny little place to the North-East of Glasgow called Croy, you might have heard of it, I certainly hadn't. I came across Croy quite by accident coming back from a concert in Glasgow, the Gorillaz, thanks for asking. The trains were not running fully and so we had to get a train to Croy to get a bus to Stirling to get another bus to Perth. I'm sure my disdain for the town is focused on the 2 hour stop-over with no knowledge of when our cavalry would arrive but regardless my brief visit didn't endear it as a future retirement destination. Broadly speaking though, if you cut out a triangle on a map from Glasgow to Stirling to Edinburgh, you could throw a dart blind-folded and you wouldn't miss shite 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FifeArab Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Paisley. Aids to the eyes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 26 minutes ago, Crroma said: I'm going to vote for a tiny little place to the North-East of Glasgow called Croy, you might have heard of it, I certainly hadn't. It's a stop on the main train route between the two biggest cities in Scotland so I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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