Travel Tuesday...Come Fly With Me ~ Scotland

Have you ever thought, "If money was no object, I would travel there and do this"? That's what Travel Tuesday is all about. We will look at the most luxurious travel destinations around the world. And just for today, money is no object...

Our first destination is Scotland...it is my ultimate wish to travel to this historic filled country and soak in the highlands. Next to their history, my favourite aspect of Scotland is their accent. Sean Connery, Ewan McGregor or Gerard Butler...just talk to me and I will melt like butter,**sigh**........Anyways, moving on, lol.

Did you know you can rent a castle for your vaction stay? How exciting would that be? Scotland has many privately owned historic houses, mansions and castles. Most of the properties are not accessible to the public, but are available for private rentals, corporate events, filming and sporting activities. They are available on a fully staffed and catered basis offering exclusive occupancy. I discovered two such lovelies that I am now daydreaming about. The first one is Balfour Castle:

Balfour Castle is located on Shapinsay, one of the Orkney Islands. The Orkney Islands are not many miles off the north east coast of the Scottish mainland. This beautiful castle was designed by the famous Victorian architect David Bryce. It is relatively easy to get to such a remote location - commercial flights come from Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow or chartered private planes can take you direct to the airport just outside Kirkwall on the Orkney mainland. You will be met by the minibus and taken the few miles to the waterfront at Kirkwall where a boat will take you to the island of Shapinsay in about twenty minutes. Alternatively, regular ferries run from mainland Scotland arriving at any one of the three ports on Orkney Mainland - St Mary's Hope, Stromness or Kirkwall. Or if you really want to splurge a helicopter can land on the front lawn.

The Castle sleeps 18 guests and has a magnificent drawing room, a large formal dining room, a cosy library, a morning room for informal dining, a billiard room, modern kitchen, a private chapel, golf room and cinema. Jean-Baptiste Bady is at the helm of the kitchen at Balfour Castle. Previously Jean-Baptiste was head chef at Kinnaird estate in Perthshire, where he was named Scottish chef of the year at the 2009 Scottish Hotel Awards.

Despite its rural location Balfour Castle offers a huge array of different activities including walking, trout fishing, tennis, seal watching, sightseeing, paintball, horseriding, golf room (This room houses a state of the art golf simulator which offers the choice of 56 different courses to play on and can accommodate up to eight players at a time. It is also possible to practice driving on the range, putting on the green or to hold a 'closest to the pin' competition), diving, cooking lessons, clay pigeon shooting, cinema/tv and games. An automatic change of screen in the golf room turns this facility into a cinema, TV and games room. There is a library of films available on DVD and Blueray. Satellite HD TV channels are provided as are Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. As well as boat trips, bird watching, billiards room, biking and archery.

Sounds magical, doesn't it? And what is the cost of this delightful luxurious vacation? To tell the truth, I have no idea. You have to contact Lloyd & Townsend Rose for cost estimates. They bill themselves as providing you with "The Ultimate Holiday Experience". **sigh** I do know one thing for sure...it's not something I could afford unless I won the lottery.

Next week, we will have a look at The Tower of Lethendy in Perthshire. Not as remote as Balfour but it is just as oppulent and inviting.
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Also, a reminder of the Giveaway happening this week:

The prize is my brand new Rose Anti-Wrinkle Cream (valued at $18.99). Based on this blog, I would like to hear from you. Below you will find 5 ways to enter:

~ Where do you see me and my blog in ten years? ~

1. Write an answer to this question in the comments and receive one entry
2. Follow my blog gains you another entry
3. Post this giveaway on your Facebook Fan Page and you get another entry
4. Twitter about this giveaway and you receive another entry
5. If you do all of the above and it will gain you another entry.

Please be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!! You may enter this giveaway until Thursday, May 6th at 11:59pm (EST). Winner will be announced in Fantastic Friday's blog!!

Thanks for blogging in.
Cheers and Blessings,