I had the great pleasure in being a part of the Solheim Cup makeup team this year for Sky Sports. The event was held at the prestigious PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland. Having been there before, I did my first ever golf Outside Broadcast for the Ryder Cup in 2014. I love Scotland and all it's rugged beauty and Gleneagles is set in the most beautiful location. Golfing is just a small part of the many activities and pursuits available on the estate so if it's not your thing that shouldn't restrict you from visiting.
We travelled up the day before the Opening Ceremony so that we could set up and be ready for it and the following three days of the championship. You could feel the excitement building as the Ceremony got underway with the band Texas belting out some of their well known hits before the teams were introduced.
Our make up cabin was situated right by the lake with a stunning view extending out to the Gleneagles hotel and beautifully managed lawns and gardens.
Day 1 of the championship we were up at 4am and ready for our half hour coach transfer from where we were staying in Stirling. The upside of getting up at this hour was witnessing the stunning sunrise. Most of the time we were blessed with perfect autumn days with the exception of day 2 when the gale force winds blasted through the cold air and brought a smattering of rain with it.
Our early starts meant that we could also have one day when we could finish early and have some free time to explore the area if we wished. My afternoon off was spent with some of the camera crew. We decided to visit the National Wallace Monument in Stirling and we couldn't have picked a nicer day to do it. The Monument has existed for 150 years and is an imposing tower on top of a hill which overlooks the scene of Scotland's victory of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. 
Instead of taking the mini bus to the top, we chose to walk up the winding path of the woodcarving trail through the woodland which documents Stirling's history from the Ice Age to the building of the monument. In the year 5,000 BC the bones of a whale were washed up on the prehistoric shoreline at the Carse of Stirling, hence the woodcarving we are standing by on the right.
From there we walked about 20 mins into Stirling to a recommended pub called the Birds and Bees where we sat outside in the autumn sunshine and enjoyed a drink. Once the sun started to dip and it got a little cool, we hopped in a taxi which took us to the Bridge of Allan to another recommended pub/restaurant the Westerton Arms where we had a lovely meal.
We were back at our hotel by 8pm as we had to make sure we were up again at 4am the next morning for Day 2 and prepared for the forecast of wind and rain.
Day 3 and the final day brought the perfect weather back again and an exciting, nail biting finish when Team Europe secured the victory over Team USA at the last hole winning by just 1 point. What a way to end a competition!
Make up kit packed and ready to go, de-rig underway we were heading back to Stirling as the sun went down to pack our belongings and grab a celebratory drink with the crew before our coach transfer to Edinburgh the following morning for our flight home.
The people of Scotland as always were warm, welcoming and hospitable - thanks for another great experience at a golf tournament. See you again next time!
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