An 18-year-old beekeeper is the third generation to look after a million bees on top of Scottish Parliament - which make all the wax for official seals.<br /><br />Eilidh Hood has been trained by dad Stuart Hood, 56, to take care of the insects which live on the roof of Holyrood in Edinburgh.<br /><br />Stuart was taught by his late father George Hood, who died aged 74 in 2010.<br /><br />George was mentored by 'Scotland's greatest ever beekeeper' Willie Smith and Stuart continues caring for bees using methods Willie developed to this day.<br /><br />Stuart is now inspiring the next generation of beekeepers as he's taught his daughter Eilidh, 18, the art. <br /><br />She has now joined Stuart at his role at the Scottish Parliament, where he visits weekly in the summer months to check on the one million bees.<br /><br />The million bees in 15 hives not only create honey but also the wax used to fill the Great Seal of Scotland which seals each Act of the Scottish Parliament.<br /><br />Stuart said: "It's on going process but she's been involved in beekeeping for years now as it's not something you learn overnight.<br /><br />"We've got a very diverse business and I'm not trying to just teach her about the bees but also the benefits of honey and what we can do with it.<br /><br />"She's involved in every aspect of the business and has a great business mind.<br /><br />"She's got strong memories of when she was around five, helping my father put honey in jars and looking after the bees.<br /><br />"So she's always been around the bees." <br /><br />The dad-of-one also has similar memories to Eilidh and recalled being stung by a bee when his dad was saying goodnight to him, when he was around two-years-old.<br /><br />Stuart, of Ormiston, East Lothian, said: "All my first recollections are with bees - either being stung by one or being stood next to a hive when I was probably two. <br /><br />"My earliest memory is life is when I was two or three and my father was kissing me goodnight and he had a bee still on his collar, which came off and stung me. <br /><br />"All my other early memories of us being with the bees.<br /><br />"I remember my mum driving up with my grandmother and we would have a picnic next to my dad who was working with the bees.<br /><br />"Then we would go on holiday in the Lake District and we would come back in the middle of the weekend and see the bees and drive back down again.<br /><br />"It was always part of my life."<br /><br />Stuart took over the family business, Hoods Honey, when John passed away and they now make beauty and skincare products, fragrances and wedding favours.<br /><br />But he's said that even though the business have changed, that 'traditions never change' and you need to 'always take care' of the bees first.<br /><br />Stuart said: "Even though we've diversified the business, the traditions never change. <br />It's about the bees and that's where it all starts and all ends for us. <br /><br />"My dad used to say, take care of the bees and they'll take care of you. I'm trying to say that to Eilidh.
