Mobile Reception - Aberdeenshire & Shetlands

[Siko]

Very vague question I know and I also appreciate you can get a rough guide from the mobile phone companies websites themselves (don't trust them!), just curious to know what the actual experience of the PH massive is in terms of phone reception in Aberdeenshire/Shetlands.

Hopefully working in the Shetlands very soon (North!) but will be looking to move down to lovely Aberdeenshire (Banchory/Aboyne/Torphins/Ballater area) some time next year to live. Just looking at mobile upgrade options at the moment, I'm with 3 at the moment and would like to stay with them but heard they are rubbish in Scotland.

Any thoughts welcome

[ModernAndy]

You're right about 3, I'd seriously change if you can. Those locations you speak about should be ok but not sure which mobile providers are best. It's not really that bad in most areas but I'd avoid 3. I currently live in edinburgh and have difficulty getting a 3 signal in certain areas nearby.

[Hollowpockets]

Vodafone and 02 are the only ones I'm aware of that seem to have consistantly good signal, I've used 3 before and it was poor.

[Siko]

Thanks, I can get a good discount off Vodafone so will look at them instead. Appreciate the feedback as the last thing I want to do is take out a useless 2 year policy.

I suppose I could wait until I get there...but this is PH after all

[JM]

I'm on 3 and get decent coverage all over Scotland. Often in places that Voda and O2 don't.
But there are areas where there is a poor 3 signal and good Voda.
I was in rural Aberdeenshire the other week not far from Aboyne and had a good signal on 3 and nothing on O2.

It can be very location specific.


I have O2 an voda sims in old handsets incase I need them.

[8bit]

I live in Aberdeen, on Vodafone and have been for about 13 years now. No signal issues really anywhere, even out in the sticks. My old work Blackberry was on Orange which I found next to useless even in Aberdeen city. My fiancee's phone is on EE (was Orange) and she can't even get a signal in our house in the west end of town unless she stands right in front of the upstairs front window.

No experience of O2 personally so can't comment there but I have no cause for complaint with Vodafone, even out in places like Ballater, Aboyne, Banchory, Stonehaven, Inverurie etc. when out for a hoon or visiting friends.

[Siko]

Many thanks for the feedback - think its a move to Vodafone then!

[phoenixz]

i travel around Aberdeenshire a fair bit on a daily basis the one thing i can say for certain is that 3 was the worst decision i have ever made.

outwith the main city their reception is non-existent. their call centres are not in this country, which i normally don't have a problem with, but created serious problems when i was trying to complain and eventually leave.

most companies use Vodaphone up here for their employee mobiles, but whether that's due to good reception or cheap contracts, i am not sure. O2 seem to be ok, i have only heard of a few problems and very rarely.

i am with EE now and i have not looked back, i get reception everywhere. even 3G is more widespread and useable (although i am yet to see the effects of 4G).
I even get reception in Braemar, which is at the bottom of a valley surrounded by mountains and hills and reception soaking, granite buildings

[Djdan]

I have EE, perfect in Aberdeen and surrounding areas. In Shetland EE and o2 only work on the mainland, we have a house on yell and its a strictly vodafone only deal

[Kiltie]

I have been with Vodafone for too long and can never remember having much of a signal difficulty in and around Aberdeen city and out Deeside way.

I'm in the process of binning them (after 18 years) for sheer muppetry and I'm checking out giffgaff on another phone (so that's O2). So far so good.

Regarding Shetland, I can't really help but the timing of your post is quite funny. Over two nights (Sunday and Monday) we've just had a BBC crime drama called " Shetland". There seemed to be a theme of poor mobile signal running through the whole story with characters seen holding their mobiles up high in the vain hope of getting a signal. I think this was only in the scenes set on Bressay mind you. Did anyone else pick up on this.

OP, I notice your occupation in your profile - very interesting for many who post in here!

I wish you well when you come north and I hope you're made to feel very welcome.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Wednesday 13th March 01:31

[Siko]

Thanks for the info Eric

Yes I saw 'Shetland' aswell which kind of influenced my original post! Really looking forward to coming up now, think i will go Voda but i just might try Giffgaff (O2) aswell, however I have an aversion to O2 after they wrongly set the debt collectors on me a few years ago, gits!

[gogsboy]

Used to go around shetland a fair bit, was few years ago but used to have an Orange and Voda sim, o2 never seems much cope at the time.

[engineer21]

Being a shetlander, if your looking to have a decent signal in shetland then its either Vodafone (prob the best) or 02 a close 2nd mabye better as you get 3g with them in shetland but not vodafone.

ive heard 3 are crap, as is orange, basically 3 never put any masts up and orange very few and now dont maintain them

esp in the north of island if your gonna be working at total, or the Oil terminal id stick with the first two

[engineer21]

oh and whilst i havent seen the BBC shetland programme (as im offshore) from what ive heard it was not the best representation of the islands!

but then again it was a story!

[Siko]

Thanks mate, think thats pretty overwhelmingly pro-Vodafone then Just the nightmare to come of trying to leave three......

[Who me ?]

I remember finding a website as into mobiles & masts etc as we are into cars . It suggested that by a joint venture Vodafone & O2 had cleaned up in the highlands & Islands . I've never tried either O2/Vody in those parts of the world, but on the west /north west both worked well . Perhaps it might be an idea to get Sims for both O2 & Vodaphone and an unlocked phone and get an idea .From ads ,bith seem keen to send out free sims .

[rossybee]

Spent too much time in shetland over the last two years wworking at sullom voe and can confirm outwith lerwick you cant guarantee a decent signal at all. I stayed in Voe village and would have to drive approx 3 miles to make a call, even in Brae the signal was patchy. This all on O2.

For some reason the reception at scatsta was good though! None of this is an issue for me now as I've changed employers so no more Sullom Voe for me

[hbzboy]

You coming up for TOTAL SGP?

[Siko]

I don't know Got a job with Bristows and hopefully flying S92 for them out of Scatsta for the future, but very much down to the company and where they need you to be when you have finished training. Of course also depends whether the EC225 gets airborne soon aswell

[tonkaplonka]

Siko, you need Vodafone if you're going to be working at Scatsta. I'm on EE at the moment and the coverage round the hanger is non existent. I'm an S92 engineer, so I'll look out for you. Everybody who works here is on Vodafone.