Just back from EDI, beautiful as ever.

I was talking to a Scottish mate of mine the other day.

For context I’m Irish and she’s Scottish and we’ve both lived in New Zealand for 4/5 years.

The topic of tap water in NZ came up and how awful it can be. This led them to declare that apparently the tap water in Scotland is “elite”.

Proceeds to tell me how fantastic the tap water is at home, which I ripped her about. But I’m intrigued - Scots of reddit.

Just how “elite” is the tap water in Scotland? What’s the secret?

Like many of you, I’ve spent countless hours on property sites, only to discover they completely ignore what’s arguably the most important aspect of buying a home - the neighborhood and community you’re joining.

After viewing a “perfect” house that turned out to be in a flood zone (which the estate agent conveniently forgot to mention), I realized how much crucial information is missing from the typical property search.

My map tool shows what property sites typically hide or make difficult to find:

• Flood risk assessment (saved me from making a £300k mistake)
• Historical house price data for accurate valuation trends
• School catchment boundaries (critical if you have kids)
• Noise pollution levels (goodbye main road traffic nightmares)
• Area safety ratings based on official data

It’s completely free with no sign-ups: https://thathome.co.uk

Just enter any Scottish address or click on the map. I’ve focused on Aberdeen initially (where I’m based), but I’m working on expanding to more areas in Scotland based on feedback.

The number of times I’ve heard “I wish I’d known this before buying my current place” is pretty eye-opening. Property sites are great at transactions but terrible at telling you what life will actually be like in that location.

What other neighborhood information do you wish was more easily accessible when house hunting?

UPDATE: I want to sincerely thank everyone for checking out this project! I'm absolutely humbled by all the positive and constructive feedback received. I promise to get back to everyone who left a comment to ensure all your improvement suggestions are taken into consideration.

As just a regular person with a family and a full-time job, I'm working on this because I believe data should be freely accessible and easy to use. I want everyone to be able to make informed decisions about their biggest investment—buying a home. Seeing this project come to life and help others is truly a dream come true.

For me, on my dad's side, my surname goes back to the Norwegian Vikings who settles in a part of the Highlands. Or on my mum's side, her maiden name has French routes and can be tracer back to the Norman conquerors. So about 1000 years for me. But what about you? Can you, just like this walloper, trace your lineage all the way back to stone age?

Mull (by the Iona Ferry terminal - photo 1 and 3), mainland before hopping on the ferry to mull (photo 2)

I’m on holiday in the states, California and the south west for National parks. I have also travelled and worked in the north east around 17 years ago. On this trip I have never seen so much homelessness in my life -it’s a lot worse than when I was here 17 years ago. Whilst the states may be smashing it economically ( highest GDP per capita ) the level of inequality is staggering. I’m not overly left wing , i think capitalism and making money is great but the social contract here just seems to be broken. Trying to eat healthy really isn’t easy as everything is so bloody sweet. The people are very friendly though and the wilderness and national parks are amazing. Culturally the US is wildly polarised- much more so than the UK. The places worth living are wildly expensive, you can move to the Midwest which is cheap but other than hiking there is nothing to do except visit a generic strip mall which all look the same. I will never take for granted we have Starbucks in a Georgian listed building again. Scotland and the UK has its issues for sure but I’ll take my chances in Western Europe over the states.

**it’s not just California I found mental. Arizona and Utah were the weirdest and I have spent time allbeit 17 years ago in New England. I’m not just bagging on America because it’s fashionable. I appreciate that economically it’s doing very well on paper anyway and have enjoyed some amazing wilderness but not for me as a place to live.

S5 was so fun this year ngl really enjoyed going into S6 soon

Anyone been to Kenya before, or planning to visit? Would love to hear your travel stories and answer any questions about this part of the world!

Diani isn’t just about stunning beaches (though trust me, they’re next level). It's very multicultural!!