Finding The Right Location In Aberdeen For Your Office
When it comes to buying a house, you know it’s all about location, location, location. But does the same theory apply when you are choosing an office space?
Yes, it does. Location is very important for businesses, but it’s a complex decision and there are a large number of factors to consider before you decide where to base your premises.
Aberdeen Office Market Insights
The market for office space in Aberdeen has picked up considerably this year. Take-up in the first six months of 2025 was 78% higher than the same period in 2024, and also 12% above the five-year average. Prime rents currently sit at at £32.50 per sq ft and a 2% increase to £33 per sq ft by the end of 2025 is predicted due to the limited supply of best-in-class Grade A properties. (Savills).
Many of the recent deals involve refurbished space indicating a demand from occupiers for upgraded, modern buildings. (Ryden)
Client Convenience
If you have a shop or a restaurant the decision is simpler – you need to be where your customers are, typically in a high street or busy residential area with high footfall. When you are moving office you may also want to be close to your clients if they visit you regularly – this applies to businesses like recruitment agencies, law firms, accountants and financial advisors, for example, which are often situated in and around the city centre and West end of Aberdeen, such as Albyn Place, Queens Road and Carden Place .
Alternatively you may want to be close to the airport and hotels if clients are arriving to see you from further afield. The new office developments in Dyce, with their proximity to the airport and the P&J Live Conference Centre are attracting large occupiers, with one very large deal at The Apex significantly boosting the overall office occupancy figures for Aberdeen in the second quarter of 2025.
Competitor Clusters
Where you are in relation to competitors is a trickier point, as there are advantages to being close to them and advantages to being further away. Depending on your industry, there may be certain expectations that most companies are in a specific geographical cluster and basing yourselves somewhere else might mean missing out on new business. On the other hand, straying off the beaten track might let you build a new niche, or stand out more in a crowded marketplace.
As it’s Aberdeen, the majority of businesses are related to the energy industry in some way, whether they are operators, engineering companies or service providers in oil and gas or renewables. Altens, Bridge of Don, Dyce and Westhill are the most popular locations for energy companies, chosen for their ease of access to the town centre and main transport routes but with sufficient space for workshops, yards and equipment as well as more parking than in the centre itself.
Transport and Logistics
There may be logistical and transport considerations as well. For example, your supplies of raw materials or equipment may arrive by boat, rail or road. Or you may have to take products to a central distribution point, or airport for shipping. So your choice of office space could be constrained by proximity to a main road, harbour or station. Do your research first, as you may need industry knowledge. For example, in the North East of Scotland, known for its oil industry expertise, there are two busy harbours, Aberdeen and Peterhead, and knowing which one is most important to your sector would influence a decision: do you want your office near one or the other, or somewhere in between?
The Energetica corridor which stretches from The Bridge of Don in Aberdeen up to Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, is an development initiative designed to create a world class energy corridor for oil & gas and renewable energy companies, integrating sustainable economic growth and quality of life. AEIP’s two business parks are situated at the south end of the corridor, providing an ideal location for companies involved in the energy sector.
Road links generally tend to be an influential factor in location choice, and easy access to the main route South, and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) will make travel and distribution quick and efficient.
Your Current & Future Team
Of course, when it comes to choosing an office location, your own people have to be number one priority. Have you consulted with them about an office move? Do you know where they live and how they get to work? You don’t want to find the perfect space and then lose some of your best staff because the commute is unbearable. And don’t just think about current staff; look ahead too. Will your new location help with your recruitment in the future? Is it easy to get to?
Bear in mind that the Aberdeen Travel To Work area covers most of Aberdeenshire and stretches beyond Braemar to the West, with over 20% of people who work in the area coming from rural areas where there is limited public transport. Therefore it’s important to cater for staff who commute by car by ensuring your offices are easily accessible from main roads and that there is sufficient parking.
Are there other amenities on site which make it appealing such as green space, cafés and gym or a nursery? Check out AEIP’s guide to local amenities in the Bridge of Don all within just a few minutes drive.
Car Parking
Never underestimate the importance of parking. It is one of the major causes of workplace complaints; when there are insufficient spaces for the number of people who drive to work conflict can occur over the allocation of parking spaces or the lack of it. As well as affecting recruitment, in the long term, parking issues can cause employees to look for a new job. You also need to consider accessibility and equality, as a lack of parking can be seen as discrimination against groups of workers who are unable to walk or take public transport. Business parks outside the main city centre may be more appealing if your employees prefer to drive.
As well as sufficient parking places, look for electric vehicle charging stations, as nobody wants to get stuck at work all night because their car is out of charge! And for the even more environmentally conscious commuters, secure bike storage, and even showers, can help attract the workforce you need.
Once you have taken all these factors into consideration and narrowed down the possible locations for your new office, you are ready to start looking for your perfect space.