Scotland is truly a great place for anyone looking for a relaxing vacation. There are just so many places that you can visit here with the people you love the most. Here, you and your loved ones can enjoy a getaway that can relieve you of the stress brought by the daily grind. This is also a great place to look for Edinburgh or Glasgow jobs if you want to have a boost in your career.

This morning we left Edinburgh early to ensure we would be on time for an 11am appointment at Blair Castle in Perthshire. 

On arrival, we were met by Sandy Reid, who only recently retired from his long term position as game-keeper of the Atholl Estates. We started out from the castle with both his and the Friendship Tour Land Rovers. 

The tour was through the privately owned estate, up onto the hills overlooking the castle and beautiful valleys. Unfortunately, we are here a week or two too early which means not all of the heather is in full blossom, but we could still picture how colourful the hills will soon become. 

We continued on to see a waterfall and crossed through a riverbed. It was a great experience, especially with a knowledgeable guide like Sandy who told us all about the wildlife and vegetation of the area.

After the off road tour, we were greeted by Lyndsey Dollives who told us that she and her husband Gayle actually married in Bahrain in 1979. At the time, they were both working in Saudi Arabia. Even their wedding rings had been bought in the Manama Suq.

The weather was so beautiful that we had our lunch  on the terrace of the Castle Restaurant.  

Next on the agenda was the tour of Blair Castle. The castle is gorgeously furnished. The highlights of the tour included a visit to the attic, which is filled with more treasures, and the view from the castle's tower. Our tour guides, Elma and Maureen recounted the historic background of the castle and that of the Dukes of Atholl. To our surprise, Elma also used to work in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and she impressed us with some Arabic phrases.

In the late afternoon, we headed to our guesthouse, Beinn Bhracaigh in Pitlochry. Here we were warmly greeted by Ann and Alf Berry, our hosts for the next two nights. The guesthouse has recently been renovated to a high standard and all rooms have a beautiful view of the mountains. 

After a short rest, we headed to Fern Cottage, a Turkish and English restaurant for dinner. Then we went for a walk before heading back to our guesthouse for a good night sleep.

Petra Beuchert