Living in Countesswells offers the ideal mix of urban and rural life.
Our CHAP development is only four miles – and minutes away - from Aberdeen city centre, and close to the communities of Kingswells, Westhill, Cults and Bieldside.
And it’s well connected. There’s easy access to the AWPR bypass and A90 with links to Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond. The airport is also just 20 minutes’ drive away.
Last year, First Aberdeen introduced the bus service 15, which runs from Countesswells to Balnagask through the city centre every half hour during the day. This stops at Union Square, giving direct access to the bus and train stations and airport shuttle
And yet open green space is one of the first things you’ll notice living in Countesswells, and there are more than 74 acres of it right outside your door.
The Cults Burn is next to the CHAP Homes development and there are several leafy parks to enjoy along with peaceful forest walking trails. These are ideal for family days out and dog-walkers alike.
The site lies between the ancient woodlands of Hazlehead and Countesswells, which are valuable habitats for wildlife and connected by a network of green paths. You can easily get around on foot, bike or horseback without going near a main road.
Don’t think this leaves you far from amenities though. There is a Sainbury’s Local within the community’s first neighbourhood centre, next to where the new Countesswells primary school will be situated.
Here you’ll find a wide range of fresh food, fruit and vegetables as well as branded and own-brand groceries and household products. Bread and pastries are baked every day in the store bakery and customers can pick up a fresh coffee from a self-service Costa coffee machine.
And you’re not limited in shopping choice either, as Aldi opened on Countesswells Road last year.
If you’re looking for a local café, you should search out Figment Coffee, a speciality coffee roastery and café on Countesswells Road.
It’s somewhere to taste wonderful coffee, sample great food and enjoy good company. Figment is just as passionate about their locally sourced, seasonal food menu as they are about their coffee. And a top tip is their cocktails were developed in conjunction with the team at Orchid, and are hand crafted daily by their talented bartenders.
Another stop-off is Blether in Cults, a local cafe with a warm inviting Scottish atmosphere where you can sit down by the log fire and have a fine piece, like a freshly made scone and hot cup of coffee, and of course have a good old blether.
If you fancy something more substantial, try the Bieldside Inn, a local favourite in the heart of Bieldside. Their food menu is packed full of classic Bielder favourites, as well as kids meals available for the little ones.
Located in the heart of Kingswells, The Fourmile is another great place to enjoy first class Scottish hospitality in a welcoming setting. The Fourmile is a family friendly venue serving up traditional Scottish food and boasts a variety of areas for customers to eat, drink and relax.
Outdoor life will help you work up an appetite – and give you somewhere to work off the energy afterwards.
At the Village Gym in Kingswells, you can enjoy top-notch kit on their spacious gym floor, get your lengths done in the indoor, heated swimming pool and tackle one of over 100 fitness classes every week. You can even wind down after your workout with a steam room and sauna session.
For a more leisurely work-out, why not try a round of golf?
Deeside Golf Club nestles on the banks of the River Dee. With its mature trees, beautiful Royal Deeside scenery and tricky greens and bunkers, you can choose from the Haughton or Blairs course. Deeside is considered one of the best inland courses in Scotland and hosts a number of prestigious events throughout the year.
Or you can try a round at nearby Hazlehead. While the golf club is a private members club, the courses are municipal and maintained and managed by Sport Aberdeen.
They include the MacKenzie Championship Course, which is arguably one of the best layouts in the North-east. It was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, the golf architect better known for designing Augusta National in America.
Hazlehead Park itself encompasses both city and countryside with its formal garden layouts, woodland walks, nature trails and bridleways.
It’s one of Aberdeen’s oldest historic properties. Originally part of the great hunting forests of Stocket, the land was gifted to the city in 1319 by King Robert the Bruce for the support the townspeople gave before the King’s victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314.
This park truly has something for all the family including a maze, a mini zoo as well as a large children’s playground and café.
There are also two formal rose gardens; the Queen Mother’s Rose Garden and the North Sea Memorial Rose Garden, which is a memorial to the victims of the Piper Alpha Production Platform disaster.
Also close by is the Royal Deeside Way, a cycling and walking route. The full route follows the line of the Old Royal Deeside Railway from Aberdeen to Banchory, through woodland and farmland to Kincardine O’Neil and then rejoins the old line from Aboyne to Ballater, a total distance of 41 miles.
The path is suitable for walkers and cyclists with many sections suitable for horses as well and is Route 195 of the National Cycle Network.
Be sure to look out for the old stations at Pitfodels, Cults and Bieldside, as well as Peterculter Heritage Centre and the ruined 11th century church at Dalmaik and St Maiks Well.
Right on your doorstep are the wide forest trails at Countesswells, giving gentle views over Aberdeenshire farmland and towards the city of Aberdeen. Close by is its smaller and quieter neighbour Foggieton, a place to look for forest berries and listen to chattering birds.
And yet you remain minutes from all the local amenities you could want. Countesswells is truly the perfect community in which to explore the joys of urban and rural life.
If this article has pushed living in Countesswells further up your list, get in touch and we’d love to tell you more about the benefits of living in a CHAP Home.
