Another HELLO from Aberdeenshire

[TIMBERFRAMER]

Hello All. We have recently landed in Aberdeenshire from Herefordshire, bringing some of our poultry with us but alas having to leave the geese, ducks and sheep behind - all to good homes. I have also kept goats and enjoy growing things....to eat ....our new venture will be interesting as it slopes steeply alas grapes are out as we could save a fortune. We are at present grappling with a private water supply, need to re-fence some of the boundaries, thumbing through seed catalogues, waiting for some trees/hedging plants to arrive and watching the first heavy snowfall being washed away by rain

Through work I have extensive knowledge/experience of all things "building", recently heavy oak framed constructions both here and in the States and a some knowledge/experience of alternative energy systems from my surveying days and the States which we hope to put into practice as the pennies allow, as I have a particular dislike of being fleeced by the various utilities companies. TIMBERFRAMER

[ina]

Hi Timberframer and welcome to the site!

Aberdeenshire seems to be becoming the Mecca for smallholders - allegedly the property prices are low here... Well, I suppose that's true for those moving up from down south. Stonehaven, however, is one of the most expensive places to buy a house in Scotland.

Whereabouts are you? I'm about 30 m south of Aberdeen. Not the best of weathers we are having just now, but for once it seems to be worse in the south of England. I'm not daring to go out on the road with my little car at the moment. The first four miles towards civilisation are not always cleared.

Hope you settle in around here, and share our ups and downs in trying to grow stuff in this climate (definitely NOT grapes! - but neeps do well )

Ina

[Wombat]

G'Day Timberframer and welcome to the site!

I understand what you mean about utility companies, hopefully you could share your experiences with us!

Nev

[Muddypause]

Welcome TFer.

I'd be interested to hear what you get up to with alternative energy systems - keep us posted.

Are you building your own timber framed house? Green oak? I was listening to someone talking about it a while back; he said that when oak is green, it's like cutting cheese, and wonderful to work with. And then, when the frame is assembled, and the timber dries out, all the (pinned) joints tighten up, resulting in a strong and rigid structure that should last for hundreds of years.

[Shirley]

Whereabouts are you? I'm about 30 m south of Aberdeen. Not the best of weathers we are having just now, but for once it seems to be worse in the south of England. I'm not daring to go out on the road with my little car at the moment. The first four miles towards civilisation are not always cleared.
Ina

He's at the same place as me Ina lol... You'll meet him too if you come over and visit.

Shirlz xxx

[TIMBERFRAMER]

See Shirlz's post, look forward to meeting you.

TIMBERFRAMER

[TIMBERFRAMER]

Yes Green oak works well but still needs bigger chisels than the norm. A lot of the work is down now with power tools ie chain mortisers and the last company I worked for was at the forefront of machine technology using a large german machine thus a three bed cottage could be machined and part (test assembled) in about two to three weeks and erected in two weeks.

[Millymollymandy]

Hi Timberframer and welcome to the site!

[ina]

See Shirlz's post, look forward to meeting you.

TIMBERFRAMER

Aaahh, that's solved the mystery!

See you some time, whenever snowfall allows...

Ina

[shiney]

Welcome Timberframer! 8)


I think I would be too cold to move north. I am a complete whimp! I could easily live in warmer climates.

[sparticuss]

Hello from sunniest Australia

How popular are wind genarators up there in bleak old Scotland. How many have you seen. And how windy is it.

I'm asking cause I live in the officially windiest suburb in Melbourne.

[Andy Hamilton]

Hi there timberframer and welcome mate.

I must admit I share the sentiment with shiney and would find it difficult to move to scotland. My girlfriend keeps saying that one day we will as she is from there, so we shall see. When I lived in the midlands I probally would have contemplated it, but I think I have been spoilt by moving south.

Andy

[flowers-v-spuds]

Hello from sunniest Australia

How popular are wind genarators up there in bleak old Scotland. How many have you seen. And how windy is it.

I'm asking cause I live in the officially windiest suburb in Melbourne.

There is a wind farm near to where I live, but must admit it's the only one I've seen, but I don't travel much... How windy is it? VERY !!

It can be a real struggle to keep your pots and garden furniture in the same place - if it aint nailed down it could end up in the next road.

[ina]

I have to pipe up in defence of my chosen "home country"! Scotland isn't bleak everywhere... Yes, there are some bleak places (can be very picturesque), and there is quite a lot of wind and rain, but it does depend on where in Scotland you are. There are massive local differences. Even between where I live and 15 miles down the road it's sometimes like another country, the weather is so different!

And windfarms - there aren't as many as there should be (my personal opinion, of course). The problem here is, I think, that everything has to be huge. Whereas on the continent you'll find small windfarms of maybe 3 or 5 turbines, and loads of them all over the place, here nobody would start building anything with less than 50 or more - no wonder everybody is up in arms against it. I would dearly love a turbine for our farm and associated houses, but unfortunately it's not my decision to make.

There will be more and more off-shore windfarms in future, though. More difficult to maintain, I should think.

Ina