MP Officially Opens Portsoy Spa Venue

Banff & Buchan MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford officially opened Banffshire’s newest spa venue on Saturday at a Georgian country house on the outskirts of Portsoy.

Durn House held a launch event for their Clementina Spa Room at the weekend where guests were entertained with live traditional music.

Durn House has been running very popular occasional “Ladies Days” with pampering treatment and posh Afternoon Tea packages for several months, and is now celebrating opening the Spa Room every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.00am to 4.00pm, with a variety of relaxing massage and beauty treatments available. Whether or not they are enjoying the use of the Clementina Spa room, visitors are now also able enjoy the elegant period surroundings of Durn House for a lunch or afternoon tea (reservations required).

Commenting, Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“It’s an honour to have been asked to perform the official opening of the Clementine Spa at Durn House.

“Durn House is a wonderful venue and I am sure the spa will become a tremendous asset to the area as it attracts visitors from near and far. I congratulate owners John and Sandra Scrudis and the team and wish them the very best of success with this new venture.”

Beauty Therapist Lenise Bruce commented

“After relocating back to Aberdeenshire with 7 years spa industry experience, I jumped at the chance to become part of the Durn House team. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to bring my enthusiasm and spa management experience to the local area where I grew up. Having a treatment or a spa day at Durn House is more than just popping in for a facial or a massage. It is a fantastic opportunity to experience the unique surroundings of Durn House whilst escaping our hectic everyday life to take some precious time to relax and unwind.”

Whilst Durn House has been a fixture in Portsoy since the medieval era this is the first time it has been open to the public in this way. The Clementina Spa Room used to be the Butler’s Pantry and retains its splendid original Georgian fireplace. It has been freshly and sympathetically furnished to create an environment which is comfortable and relaxing.

Owner Sandra Scrudis said:

“The Clementina Spa has been so named after Lady Clementina, who was married to Sir William Dunbar of Durn. All of the principal rooms are named after former residents, and we chose Clementina for the Spa as it reminded me of oranges and lemons, which I thought was lovely and fresh for the room. I designed the room to be warm and welcoming, the antithesis of a sterile and clinical treatment room and in keeping with the rest of the house. We are the only accommodation provider in the area to provide these facilities, and by opening the Spa Room we are looking to encourage more visitors to this beautiful coastline, as well as welcoming local residents.”

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NO camp's Big Beast £118 Billion raid on pensions

The SNP has today called out the No campaign on pensions scaremongering hypocrisy following a report revealing the extent of Gordon Brown’s pensions raid in his time as UK chancellor.

Today’s Daily Mail reports that Office of Budget Responsibility this week published figures showing that the No camp “big beast” ripped £118 billion from private pensions – meaning a loss for hundreds of thousands of retirees in Scotland

Scottish National Party Work and Pensions spokesperson Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“The former UK chancellor has been rolled out by the anti-independence campaign various times in an effort to frighten Scots - but this plan has now totally backfired.

“From now on nobody can trust a word Gordon Brown says on pensions.

“The fact is that is Gordon Brown has betrayed the trust some people had in when he demolished their pension savings.

“The reality is that pensions are more affordable in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, a view supported by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, who have also made clear that the demographic challenge is no more significant for Scotland than it is to the rest of the UK.

“We also know that insurance providers, including HSBC and the Department of Work and Pensions itself, are clear that pensions would be unaffected following a Yes vote.

“With independence we will be able to ensure a fair deal for pensioners, with a triple lock on the state pension to keep pace with the cost of living, a review of the pension age to ensure it is right for Scotland's pensioners and a fair approach to public sector pensions."

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Revealed: Labour's 'stealth raid' took £118BILLION off pensions'

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SNP Comments on Gordon Brown Speech

Commenting on Gordon Brown’s speech today on pensions, Scottish National Party Work and Pensions spokesperson Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“The claims Gordon Brown is making on pensions are simply ludicrous.

“The reality is that pensions are more affordable in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, a view supported by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, who have also made clear that the demographic challenge is no more significant for Scotland than it is to the rest of the UK.

“We also know that insurance providers, including HSBC and the Department of Work and Pensions itself, are clear that pensions would be unaffected following a Yes vote.

“Gordon Brown cited the NHS as a positive example of being in partnership with the rest of the UK, yet his party at Westminster are claiming the Tories are privatising the NHS and destroying its founding values. Just today, Labour has accused David Cameron of selling off the NHS to his mates. It is blatant hypocrisy, and the people of Scotland are seeing right through it.

“With independence we will be able to ensure a fair deal for pensioners, with a triple lock on the state pension to keep pace with the cost of living, a review of the pension age to ensure it is right for Scotland's pensioners and a fair approach to public sector pensions."

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Brown on Pensions: Negative, Repetitive and Lacking Credibility

YES WILL ENSURE FAIR DEAL FOR PENSIONERS
Ahead of Gordon Brown’s speech tomorrow in which he will attempt to scaremonger on pensions despite his abysmal track record on them as Chancellor and Prime Minister, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Eilidh Whiteford said:

“Gordon Brown is simply repeating the same economically illiterate claims the Tories and Lib Dems made over a year ago. On this backwards logic the UK pensions bill is 25 times the value of its oil and gas - making it impossible for the UK to afford to pay for pensions.

“The only new thing in this contribution is that Gordon Brown has finally ended the charade and joined his Labour colleagues in the Tory No campaign.

"Far from re-launching as a positive campaign this contribution is negative, repetitive and lacks any credibility.

“The reality is that pensions are more affordable in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, a view supported by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research who have also made clear that the demographic challenge is no more important to Scotland than it is to the rest of the UK.

"Pensioners and public sector workers across Scotland will have little faith in Gordon Brown's comments on pensions. As Chancellor he failed to restore the link to earnings leaving pensioners out of pocket and his raid on the pension funds saw pensioners lose £100bn of investments. Meanwhile public sector workers have seen the terms and conditions of their pensions eroded and the Scottish Government threatened with funding cuts if it didn't implement the same policies.

"With independence we will be able to ensure a fair deal for pensioners with a triple lock on the state pension to keep pace with the cost of living, a review of the pension age to ensure it is right for Scotland's pensioners and a fair approach to public sector pensions."

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