It's always with great anticipation when we go to our guest book, after guests depart, to read with glee the comments left behind.
It is a strange experience entrusting your house to guests, especially large groups of family and friends who come together for a common purpose. We look at the reviews hoping that they share the same love for this special place as we do and thankfully they do, often with so much enthusiasm it makes your heart swell. In fact one group has returned 9 years in a row with them staying twice this year.
We have hosted weddings, birthday parties, university reunions, girls get togethers, boys get togethers, cycling / golf groups, team building business groups, the list goes on and on...not to mention those special milestones as Christmas and New Year.
One common theme is the need to come to together and have exclusive use of the entire mansion house with its 11 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
That aspect of not being bothered by "outsiders" delivers a comraderier that can't be underestimated.
People come together to share making meals, serving drinks, collecting logs for the fire, playing board games and just generally enjoying those memorable and increasingly sparse times together in each others company.
We also have an option to have our butler service which guests book for maybe one night to have a night off and be waited on.
At Christmas, dinner can be delivered to the house by one of our local caterers for guests to serve themselves which is great fun, all the laughs but no hassle with cooking.
Sharing the house together for special times brings out all the best things in life those funny moments, the jokes and experiences that are hard to replicate delivering those memorable times together.
The house is an Aladdins cave of quirky antiques, fine art and is grand enough to dress up for those special events but comfortable enough to feel at home.
The size of the house means there is a space for all. Some common themes pop out of our guest book. Those attending the Festival in Edinburgh love the space and peace of being in the country, however the close proximity of Edinburgh where they get the best of both worlds.
Words like 'enchanting,' 'wow!' 'Amazing' 'wonderful,' 'relaxing,' 'full of fun,'
'Great home which swallowed and kept amused 3 generations of the family for a surprise 70th birthday.'
The comments go on on and we look on with pride and satisfaction that this historic house can be shared by others to create their own special memories.