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Set to be introduced on 1st December, all residential properties for sale in Scotland will be marketed with a Home Report, made available on request to prospective purchasers, which will change fundamentally how homes are bought and sold in Scotland.
Containing a pack of three documents – a single survey, an energy report and a property questionnaire – one of the chief attractions of the Home Report is that it effectively creates a level playing field for every prospective purchaser by providing them with an utterly transparent valuation figure. Transparency is of course conspicuous by its absence from the present offers over system which, on occasion, has given prospective purchasers a false impression of a property’s value.
Given the current market dynamics in Scotland’s housing market, the introduction of the Home Report is likely to be welcomed with open arms by house-hunters as it gives them much-needed detailed information at the outset of their search for a dream home, encouraging them to enter the marketplace without the prospect of incurring any significant abortive expenses through commissioning multiple surveys, which has been the case on occasion under the present system.
The detailed information contained within a Home Report will furnish house-hunters with a greater understanding of the housing market and what properties are affordable to them. A recurring criticism of the current regime is that the difference between a property’s offers over price and the value placed on it by a chartered surveyor can be significant – a difference in price which, in buoyant periods, stretches further still when the actual sales price of a home can regularly exceed the surveyor’s valuation of it by a considerable margin.
With a Home Report, however, homebuyers will have documentary evidence at the outset about what properties are affordable to them and will therefore have a much more accurate basis upon which they can then decide which property they wish to pursue. This clarity should help generate more activity in the marketplace than there is at present.
And as for house sellers, the introduction of the Home Report will afford them an opportunity to address any structural issues that such a report might bring to light, before placing their home on the open market. Of course, for those homes in good condition – which is the overwhelming majority – the Home Report will provide valuable documentary evidence of this very fact.
Another welcome aspect of the Home Report is that they will incorporate EPC’s – energy performance certificates – which should act to encourage homeowners to give more consideration to the energy efficiency of their homes since the higher a home’s EPC rating, the more attractive it will be to prospective purchasers.
Given the rising costs of gas and electricity at present, more and more house-hunters are likely to pay close attention to a home’s EPC rating since a high EPC rating will equate to more cost-effective domestic energy management and, ultimately, cheaper fuel bills.
We are therefore standing at the threshold of some of the most dramatic changes to be made to Scotland’s housing market for many years for, in addition to the Home Report changing fundamentally how homes are bought and sold, the present market dynamics are signalling a sea-change in how home sellers and buyers are perceiving residential property today than was the case as recently as a year or so ago.
Contrary to how some members of the public have regarded property over recent years, there is now a widespread acknowledgement that residential property should not be regarded primarily as a short-term capital instrument. Rather, a residential property should, first and foremost, be considered as a home and only secondly as a long-term investment.
Invariably, house buyers and sellers are making far and away the largest financial decision of their lives when they enter into the housing market. Viewed in that context, the more transparent that market is, the fairer it will be and the less wary members of the public will be to participate in it. On these grounds, the Home Report looks set to lead Scotland’s housing market into an exciting new era.
Martin Waite is J&E Shepherd’s Residential Partner within the Glasgow Office.
Prosecutions under s.5(1)(a) and (b) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 are complicated and it would be impossible to detail all the possible angles and defences that may require to be investigated. This article will attempt to highlight some of the more common issues that should be addressed if you are facing a charge of drink driving in Scotland.
Under s.5(1)(a) it is an offence if a person drives or attempts to drive a motor vehicle on a road or other public place after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath, blood or urine exceeds the prescribed limit. The “prescribed limit” is defined by s.11(2) as 35ug of alcohol in 100ml of breath, 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood or 107mg of alcohol in 100ml of urine.
The first issue I would like to point out is that the Crown will not initiate proceedings on the basis of breath-alcohol readings of less than 40ug. Although technically the police are entitled to proceed, the Crown are personally prosecuting the case by virtue of an agreement between the Crown Agent and the Law Society of Scotland. Rather unfairly in my view, there is no similar agreement for specimens of blood or urine. So if you are charged with drink driving in Scotland with a blood-alcohol reading of 81mg, then you better get some good advice from a road traffic expert because the Crown, in all probability, be will initiate proceedings.
The Intoximeter EC/IR is the main device used in Scots law for the analysis of breath samples. It has full type approval under section 7(1)(a) and is recognised as such as a matter of judicial knowledge. It very rarely, however, produces identical readings which will be of a concern to the person accused of drink driving.
Type approval dictates that if the variation between the two samples of breath vary in excess of 15% then the readings are inadmissible and some other procedure will presumably be invoked. Furthermore if an accused’s reading is less than 50ug/100ml or less then s.8(2)ug then the police will require to explain that the person may claim that specimen should be replaced by either blood or urine. This provision takes into account the variations that can be produced by the Intoximeter EC/IR and again will no give the public a great deal of confidence in the prosecution of drink driving cases in Scotland.
My advice is that an alternative sample should always be provided. There are a number of technical reasons for this although, to put it very simply, an accused person has nothing to lose at this stage by doing so. Interestingly, it has been suggested to me by clients I have defended that the police have tried to dissuade them from the alternative sample route. Please be aware that where improper pressure is exerted on an accused not to exercise his option to provide a specimen for laboratory analysis then this will result in an acquittal. Again the services of an expert motoring lawyer are essential in these circumstances.
I would also advise that the independent analysis of samples is undertaken. There are strict time limits that apply due to the degradation principle and, again, advice should be sought at the earliest opportunity. Clearly a degree of expense will be incurred by instructing an independent analysis although it could be the best money you have ever spent.
It is also essential to look at the constituent elements of the charge: namely the concepts of driving/in charge and public place/road. There is a vast amount of legal authority on these subjects and these lines of defence should be investigated.
There is also the defence of “post-incident” drinking. This is loosely referred to as the “hip-flask” defence and means that the alcohol that has lead the prescribed limit to be exceeded was consumed after the act of driving. This is a statutory defence and will require to be properly stated in Court with a toxicology report detailing an expert’s view on the expected alcohol reading at the time of driving. These cases can be complicated and detailed instruction from the client is essential.
These are the very basics and I hope I have given at least a starting point to those who are facing charges of drink driving in Scotland. Expert advice should be sought on this highly technical and specialised area of law. Even in cases where you may think there is no hope, there can be unexpected technical defences and it is imperative that the case is properly examined to ensure a plea of guilty is not tendered to a charge that will never prove.
Michael Lyon is a specialist motoring lawyer based in Glasgow. The Firm undertakes the defence of all types of Road Traffic Cases in Scotland. Expert representation provided in all Courts including Glasgow, Perth, Dumfries, Selkirk, Stonehaven, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Paisley.
You will find speed cameras all over Scotland. They are not invincible. We win speed camera cases everyday. There is no easy formula to follow. Each case needs to be tackled head on and every angle checked. That is what we will do if you want us to deal with a speed camera case for you.
The infamous GATSO tends to be sited at the side of the road. In the past it used induction loops laid into the road to detect speeding drivers but now most models use radar. In Scotland they tend to be set so that they can only “observe” one side of the road. The old film devices are being replaced with digital technology that takes the picture, the computer then accesses registered keeper details and automatically prints a letter to serve on the registered keeper. The photograph is of the back of the vehicle therefore it is difficult if not impossible to identify the driver with the photographs obtained. We visited the factory and have to admit that they run a really impressive operation.More info at www.roadtrafficlaw.com
The Truvelo speed camera is a lot like the GATSO but it has the added advantage of being able to position it facing in either direction. It can photograph oncoming vehicles therefore can get a shot of your face as you drive past. How and when such a photograph can be used against you in evidence is questionable. It raises some interesting points about your human rightsand the right to “private life” They are also cheaper than the GATSO. When we last checked the GATSO cost around £44,000 and the Truvelos were around £28,000. Although you will see a flash in your mirror when you speed past a GATSO the Truvelo doesn’t do that. It uses infra red light so no flash required.
The SPECS speed camera system is well know to anyone who trvels up and down to Ayr. They are sited on gantries over the road and have been nicknamed “the yellow vultures” They consist of a couple of video cameras that use infra red to allow them to work 24/7.
Drivers pass between the entry and exit camera points positioned along the relevant roadway. (Normally Dual carriageway or motorway) their number plates are digitally recorded, Then, by ANPR recognition, the images on the video of matching number plates are paired up, and because each image carries a date and time stamp, the computer can establish your average speed between the cameras.
Again similiar to the GATSO. Peek cameras use inductive loops in the roadway to detect the speed contravention then take a photograph of the back of the vehicle.
Again similar to the dreaded GATSO but use piezo electric cells for speed detection of the vehicle. The piezos are positioned in the ground at start and end position. These guys take a photograph of the back of the car so again an identification issue may arise depending upon how you respond to the Notice of Intended Penalty.
The Road Safety Initiatives throughout Scotland use a variety of mobile and hand devices to detect speeding. Sometimes referred to as the “Talivan”
These systems include; Mini-Gatso, TSS system and Teletraffic (laser guns). LTI 20/20,Mini-Gatso, the technology used in a Mini-Gatso unit is very similar to that used within a fixed position Gatso speed camera, using radar. Laser technology is radically different and involves aiming a laser beam at a vehicles number plate from a great distance away. There have been very few scientific studies regarding the effect of large distance detection eg. Has the beam spread wide enough to detect the white reflective road markings?
When used from a bridge does the angle of detection effect the reading etc etc.
The “Road Safety Teams” use vehicles installed with laser speed traps to detect speeding vehicles from a distance of 1000 metres or more. Clients often say that they could not have been detected as the van was too far away. Issues arise in connection with the laser equipment and we await the outcome of an interesting appeal pending at the High Court in Edinburgh regarding the proper authorisation of such laser speed detectors in Scotland.
Our client was charged with allegedly driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users by driving at speeds of approximately 90mph in a 50mph speed limit in road conditions of heavy frost.
As a retired Police Traffic Sergeant, our client knew who to contact for specialist legal advice in Scotland and Michael Lyon Solicitors were instructed to defend the case. The complaint for the alleged offence of careless driving was accompanied with a summary of the evidence that raised a number of concerns regarding the technique used to measure the speed of the vehicle although the case did not even get that far.
The case was initially prosecuted in Glasgow District Court and, through Michael Lyon’s experience of defending speeding cases throughout Scotland, it was clear the Crown were prosecuting the case in the wrong jurisdiction. A plea to the competency of the proceedings was tendered and the case was deserted.
The difficulty was that the case was still within the six month time limit and it was competent for the Crown to re-raise proceedings in the correct jurisdiction. A fresh summary complaint for careless driving was served and a pleading diet assigned at Paisley.
Remarkably, the case had, for a second time, been raised in the wrong jurisdiction. We were only a few weeks away from the time bar and continued the case for a period to allow for the six month period to elapse. Thereafter we tendered a further plea to the competency of the charge on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction. The plea was upheld and the case was deserted with the Crown unable to re-raise proceedings.
Our client commented after the conclusion of the case in July 2008:
“As a retired Police Traffic Sergeant, I had occasion to contact Michael Lyon Solicitors when I was recently charged with careless driving. From the first, I was very impressed with the depth of detailed Road Traffic Law knowledge and attention to detail which was evident from our initial conversation.”
“I had no hesitation in retaining Michael to take charge of my case as I believed in his total professionalism, work ethic and determination could achieve the optimum result. As a retired Police Traffic Sergeant, I know a lot about road traffic law in Scotland but not as much as Michael Lyon”
“My faith in his ability has now been amply rewarded as due to his perseverance and local knowledge on Court jurisdiction issues, the Crown have now deserted the case.”
“I would unreservedly recommend Michael Lyon Solicitors to anyone facing a prosecution for a motoring offence in Scotland. Your future could not be in better hands.”
Michael Lyon Solicitors Limited is a Firm of specialist motoring Solicitors undertaking the defence of road traffic cases throughout Scotland. We cover all jurisdictions including Glasgow, Dumfries, Perth, Hamilton, Paisley, Kilmarnock, Oban, Dunfermline, Inverness and Aberdeen.
It is difficult to play golf for any length of time without hearing about the famous golf courses around the world. Golf began its gradual spread late in the 1800s. But this only happened after an incubation period of three or four hundred years in Scotland.
During that time the rules of the game were formulated, the basic equipment was developed, and many of the ancient Scottish golf courses took on mythic status. And that is why, to this day, one of the dreams of most golfers is to visit the ancient golfing links of Scotland.
After a couple years of planning our own first golfing trip to Scotland became a reality in 2001. It was the result of a house swap that Judy and I arranged with an acquaintance who lived in Linlithgow, an historic town in the middle of the southern part of Scotland. Our Scottish contact would use our Florida house for two weeks in July, and we would reciprocate by using their house in Linlithgow. This sort of arrangement is very popular with people from England, Scotland and Ireland.
The Linlithgow trade sounded perfect. It is roughly 50 miles from St. Andrews, midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. We had done a fair bit of research and had already decided we wanted to be near enough to St. Andrews to visit. But what we really wanted to do was get a less sanitized feeling for the country by playing a few of the more obscure, remote courses further north in the Highlands.
As a focus for our trip we decided to visit Royal Dornoch three or so hours north of Edinburgh, and Machrihanish over on the Mull of Kintyre about as close to Ireland as you can get on mainland Scotland.
So we had booked a two night stay in the beautiful little town of Dornoch during our first week, and another two night stay at a quaint old bed and breakfast in Campbelltown about ten miles from Macrahanish.
Both of these towns have an interesting history going back hundreds of years. But of course, our primary interest was the golf courses that lay just outside of town. These are two ancient golf courses at opposite ends of Scotland, both with a well-deserved reputation for authenticity. Their remote locations almost guarantee they will not be overrun by masses of golfers.
We spent the first couple days at Linlithgow seeing the local sites. The first night there just happened to be a jousting match on the grounds of the Linlithgow Palace — an historic ruin that was once the home of Mary Queen of Scots.
Before leaving for Dornoch on Wednesday we wanted to play at least one round in the south. Our host had recommended we go over to North Berwick just south of Muirfield on the east coast (the St. Andrews side).
So we played our first round of golf in Scotland at North Berwick. This was a fitting start to our trip, since North Berwick is considered a “primitive” links course with quirky features such as blind shots and walls you have to shoot over. It is the home of the original “Redan” par three — which at the time seemed fairly unremarkable. Since then we have learned this hole has been copied by golf course designers more than any other in the world.
My own most memorable shot was the approach at #13, “The Pit”. I hit what I thought was a beautiful iron just over the stone wall onto the green (yes, there is a wall in front of the green!) When we got there it was down in the “pit” behind the green and required a massive uphill putt, which turned into at least a four-putt before I got it down.
The next day we visited St. Andrews. Having played at North Berwick we were now accustomed to the “public” nature of these courses. People are perfectly free to walk across the fairway to and from the beach. So this gave us the opportunity to walk parts of The Old Course. We walked out a couple holes along the beach side, then came back along the famous “Road Hole” (17) and along the road to the even more famous Swilcan Bridge over the “burn” on 18.
On Tuesay we played the local course at Linlithgow as a guest of our host. This offered an interesting taste of the other kind of course in Scotland — an inland or parkland course — more like what we Canadians are used to, but a bit more rugged.
Then on Wednesday we headed north to Dornoch for what was to be perhaps the most memorable part of our trip. Dornoch is a beautiful little town on the Dornoch Firth about 30 miles north of Inverness. The town itself is historically significant as one of the focal points for “the clearances” that took place in the 1840s. This was when the Duke of Sutherland evicted his peasant farmers and replaced them with sheep. This event still forms part of the bitter undercurrent in the relationship between locals and nobles, peasants and gentry, Scottish and English. Dornoch is also the site of the last witch burning that took place in the Great Britain.
The golf course at Royal Dornoch is one of the most famous in the world. Its isolation makes it even more appealling for golf romantics like me. On Wednesday night we walked the course as darkness settled in (at around 11pm).
Then on Thursday I played my first round on the hallowed links. It was not one of my best rounds. I was a single sandwiched between two foursomes, playing an unknown course.
It was a memorable round nonetheless. Even if the shots were not particularly good, and the golfer was confused and somewhat at loose ends, the day was warm and pleasant, the course was strikingly beautiful, and I had played one of the world’s best courses.
Later that day Judy and I played the Struie Course which is the 2nd course on the Dornoch links. It was then under development and not particularly outstanding. On our second visit in 2003 the Struie Course had been much improved and was well worth playing.
The next day we had the opportunity to explore some of the local points of interest. A trip up the coast to Dunrobin Castle at Golspie was well worth it. The falconry exhibit was outstanding.
In the afternoon we played the golf course at Brora, further up the coast another 15 miles or so. It was perfect Scottish golfing weather. The gusty wind was blowing in off the Firth bringing short bursts of light rain punctuated by sunny breaks.
This was one of those rounds you never forget. Brora is one of the few courses in the world where neighbouring sheep and cattle are free to roam the links and the greens are fenced off with electrical wire.
The course features lots of interesting shots over rugged grazing terrain. If you manage to survive with a fairly decent score, that can quickly be ruined by a miscalculation at 18. It’s a longish par 3 (190) with a huge catchment area in front of the elevated green sitting right up beside the club house.
After a thoroughly enjoyable round we visited the dining room in the club house for an early dinner. Then we headed back to Linlithgow to prepare for the next leg of our journey — our trip out past Loch Lomond and down the Kintyre peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea.
Online dating in Scotland is the choice of many. Reasons being that the world has become very fast paced. Time is of the essence and people opt to search for love online. It is pretty exciting to be matched to people from all walks of life in Scotland. You will find a variety of sites for online dating in Scotland. Many of the services will assure you that the sites are 100% Scottish. Scottish singles need to take advantage of this if they have not already done so. There are many profiles of singles waiting to be joined to potential mates. The first thing is to look for, is a good site for online dating in Scotland. This way, you will be in a position to know whether they offer as superior service or not. Many experts have stated that the key to get an ideal match lies in the kind of service offered. It is good to keep in mind that not all Scottish dating online agencies offer genuine services. This is because they might be out there to defraud members of public and extort many. Others do not have an idea of how a good service is run. You need to avoid all these mediocre services. There are many agencies for online dating in Scotland that you can trust.
However, to identify the good service providers, you need to consider a few things. First, know whether the service is popular with people. People will always gravitate to where a good service is being offered. Another advantage is that such services will have a huge number of Scottish singles waiting to be joined to respective partners. Your chances of finding a suitable mate will be higher. A good service must communicate well with people. Their site needs to have all the relevant information you need as you look for love. The language must be easy to understand. The display of information needs to appear attractive and more so, professional. The content should speak to you and facilitate the process of online dating. For example, there should be relevant tips on dating. They need to inform you on how you are supposed to go about the first date. Services go further and advice you on the first online dating message. You will learn so much on this. A good service should use a language that will appeal to various groups. For this reason, you will find many specialist sites. This means that religious people will find services tailor made for them.
It is relatively cheap to use online dating in Scotland. There are online agencies that you will find free of charge. Make sure you are clear on the various charges for the service. Know the perfect description of your dream man or woman. This will be the basis of your match. It is sure fun all the way. Make your profile as directed. It needs to sell you. Honesty must be your policy. You will be surprised at the great results you get.
You may be one of the many people who have never heard of the LIFT scheme. Lift stands for Low Cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers. It’s the housing scheme for Scotland, helping those on low incomes buy a property. It has been recently announced that the budget has been increased for the next financial year and the scheme will be expanded to the whole of Scotland. It has been piloted in a few regions. It is going to be all over the press very soon, probably this week. Basically the Scottish Government will take an equity stake in purchased homes as a way to offset the high repayment costs caused by increased house prices allowing buyers to pay for a mortgage for only part of the home, making the repayments affordable for them. The scheme has proved very popular and with a limited budget I would strongly suggest you take the first steps and get your application in as soon as possible. The first thing to do of course is to find if the scheme is available in your area yet. Social landlords handle the applications and once approved apply for the financing from the Scottish Government. The Lift Scotland scheme gives you twelve weeks to find a home once you receive your approval letter. I would suggest you know sit down with your other half, discuss your requirements and have made progress with the house searching so you don’t lose your Lift Scotland allowance. It would be devastating to lose that funding and then not be approved for it again. There are two Lift Scotland scheme options the one that is being expanded to the whole of Scotland is the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme, allowing you to buy a home that is on the current market. This lift Scotland scheme gives you more options when it comes to looking for a home although there are house price limits set for each area. The New Supply Shared Equity Scheme is for new build homes which is great if you can find them but with the recession, house building has dried up. The Open Market Shared Equity Scheme is the LIFT Scotland scheme is going to be of most benefit to family’s resident on Scotland.
When people think of Scotland, they think of the highlands and islands; holiday rentals alongside remote Scottish lochs and nothing but countryside for miles around. But in their rush to ‘head for the hills’, people often overlook the south of Scotland and the borders, which have so much to offer the visitor. Just a day’s drive from the south of England, holiday rentals in the Scottish borders mean more time for the holiday, and less time travelling. Did you know that people flying to the Canary Islands for a week’s holiday are likely to spend 25% of their hard earned time off travelling there and back – hardly relaxation!
Known as one of THE world tourist destinations, Scotland is chosen by many as the perfect holiday rentals destination. Although immensely popular, you can lose yourself in Scotland, whether in the mountainous highlands, the rugged islands or the hubbub of city life. If you’re in search of holiday rentals with privacy and seclusion you are sure to find them – just a few twists and turns down winding rural roads and you will find yourself far from the madding crowds.
The south of Scotland is one of the most picturesque parts of the UK – holiday rentals here are popular all year round, and whatever the weather. Each season brings its own particular delights – whether it is the vivid colours of Spring and Autumn, the snow-covered peaks in Winter, or the gentle sunshine and longer hours during the Summer months. The Scottish Borders range from moorland and rolling hills in the west to fishing villages and coastline in the east. Holiday rentals might be a converted farmhouse, a seaside cottage, or a town flat with a view – all of which give you access to the wonders that this region of southern Scotland has to offer. If you can drag yourself away from the comfort of your rental property, the region has a wide range of activities on offer, destinations to visit and events to attend as well.
Opportunities for hiking and walking range from the romantic stroll on the beach to entire holidays-worth of trekking and hiking, often involving some of Scotland’s most famous landmarks. The south of Scotland is dotted with whisky distilleries, and if you want to sample the local fayre and taste the world famous whisky then you’re in the right place. Those in search of holiday rentals within spitting distance of a golf course are also in the right place – in this part of Scotland, it’s hard to find holiday rentals which AREN’T within spitting distance of a golf course! Courses to suit every budget, style and ability abound here. There’s fishing and cycling, mountain biking and hiking, museums and architecture – all within a day’s drive of your UK home. Forget sun loungers and cocktails – until you’ve spent time in this part of Scotland, you haven’t lived!
Free reprint article written by Olly Symonds
Copyright © 2008 Olly Symonds. All rights reserved.
Scotland is a place with a rich history in both culture and sports. Some say that people in Scotland have been playing golf for a good 100 years before Columbus discovered America. Golf has certainly been an integral part of the Scottish culture. Because of this rich tradition, golfing holidays in Scotland offer some of the best championship golf courses in the world to suit every budget and ability. Here is a look at some of the best golf courses in Scotland. The Ailsa Course This wonderful course is located at the Turnberry Golf Club. It is arguably the most popular course in Scotland and one of the finest in the world. The course is especially challenging and has some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire country. This golf course offers more than just fine views; it has strong winds that require really strong drives and a fair degree of skill. The course’s ninth hole is famous due to the fact that the tee is located on the sea’s edge. This golf course offers an amazing experience which is a must have for all golf lovers. Kingsbarns Golf Links This stunning golf course was designed by Kyle Phillips. It’s interesting design acts like a link to the coastline of the North Sea. This demanding course has been around for a decade now, and is ranked as one of the finest golf courses in Scotland. The Kingsbarns Golf links has a par five 12th hole which is considered to be its signature hole. It is hands down one of the best links course in Scotland that exist today. Gleneagles Kings Course There is a collection of golf courses at Gleneagles that are really amazing and are a must on any golfing itinerary in Scotland. Specifically, the best course is the Gleneagles Kings Course. This course is truly meant for kings. It boasts superb design as well as breathtaking views. It is a challenging course and has delighted golfers since 1919. Carnoustie Golf Links Skilled golfers, who look for a really tough challenge while on golf holidays in Scotland, should definitely check out the Carnoustie Golf Links. It is the toughest course of its type in all of the United Kingdom. This course as hosted a total of 7 Open Championships and in addition has been the source of some major frustration for the best golfers in the world as many have finished well above par. Carnoustie definitely offers a round of golf that no other course in Scotland can. St Andrews Old Course St Andrews Old Course is the world’s oldest golf course. It is not only the oldest but is also rated widely as the absolute best golf course in the world. This golf course has a natural layout that has not been altered much since its creation. Playing golf at St. Andrews allows golfers to enjoy some of the most historic holes in the game.
A world apart and yet so conveniently located, Country House Hotels have a fairytale charm that only the Scottish countryside can offer. There are number of country house hotel situated near Glasgow and Edinburgh and are been recognised as the top ten hotels in Scotland in part because of its “outstanding quality, comfort, cleanliness and customer care”. The allure of Country house provides a certain sense of calm, contentment that combines with the relaxed, homely atmosphere.
For anyone searching for a luxury break in Scotland, Country House hotel Scotland offers the finest accommodation, with comfort being the hallmark of these majestic getaways. Each of the eight suites and six double or twin rooms is individually styled with luxurious Victorian décor, fine antiques and paintings. No detail is spared at Country House and even the bedside cabinets are filled with books for a rainy Scottish afternoon.
Christmas and Hogmanay breaks are a perfect time for a family reunion at hotels in Scotland. The house is magnificently decorated during the Festive Season making it the ultimate Christmas getaways. The sumptuous Christmas lunch at Country House hotel showcases the Chef’s craftsmanship. The highlight of New Year’s celebrations is the Hogmanay Dinner Dance; an exquisite meal, followed by a Ceilidh Band playing traditional Scottish dances.
Built around 1874 as a family residence, Country Houses near Scotland were intended to be a “cottage” for weekends and holidays. It was later extended, but the original cosy, homely, feel was never lost. The Chapel, which today is used for weddings and other special events, is another charming addition to this majestic house. A wedding in the Chapel is truly a fairytale, with the original tapestries, banners, military drums, bagpipes and the family Bible. The newlyweds sign the Drummond family register and add a little heritage to their special day.
The estate sprawls over 2000 acres of farmland, offering splendid walks through woodland, forest tracks and the three marvelous private lochs. For those not keen on long walks, the small curving lake, surrounded by trees and abound with birdlife, is a very serene place to sit, read or dream awhile. Like in the days of yore, hotels in Scotland offers clay pigeon shooting and can arrange fly fishing or salmon fishing trips on the River Tay. Golf enthusiasts will find several golf courses in the vicinity, making Country House ideal for a golf break. Enjoy a truly authentic Scottish fishing experience with a genuine Scottish Ghillie. Country House will organise a day with Jock Monteith for you, salmon fishing on the legendary River Tay.
Country House Hotels in Scotland offers luxury and majestic splendour. Cosseted in the gentle calm of the Scottish countryside, Country House is retreat to both mind and body. When you visit Scotland, you should visit one of its best country house hotels, the very definition of comfort, with a chapel that is an inspirational choice for weddings and two thousand acres of grounds that are an oasis of seclusion and tranquillity. This oasis of tranquility is certainly one of the finest luxury hotels in Scotland.
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