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5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


Up til now, Cameron House reviews haven't mentioned anything about having tea with sheep, but that's about to change.

Guests at Cameron House now have access to an exclusive one-day Woolly Wellness retreat that includes a yoga flow session, a guided sound meditation with cozy sheep-themed blankets and pillows, and the highlight of the day—an unforgettably untraditional tea with actual naughty sheep.

sheep at a table where tea is being served

Ever had tea with a naughty sheep?

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

To create the unique experience, Cameron House has partnered with a nearby ethical animal encounter farm, appropriately named Naughty Sheep, which is focused on holistic wellness experiences. As part of the retreat, guests can enjoy a classic British tea in the garden while their woolly companions join in for cuddles and maybe a bite or two of the homemade snacks on the table. There's even an opportunity to feed lambs fresh milk from a bottle as part of the experience.

If you've ever wondered if your table manners are up to snuff, no worries here—you'll seem downright prim and proper compared to the sheep. But their adorable rudeness just contributes to a whimsical and hilarious experience for all.

And the hilarity is the point. Some might picture a wellness retreat as people spending their time zenned out in meditation, but "holistic" means integrating various elements of health, and joy and laughter have countless physical and psychological health benefits. Laughing triggers the release of endorphins, reducing stress, and it improves blood flow and circulation, which is good for cardiovascular health. Laughing can even boost immunity by increasing the body's production of antibodies.

The sheep-oriented retreat is also a fitting experience for the Scottish countryside, as Scotland actually boasts more sheep than people. (Not by a lot, but that statistic is real, according to The Ohio State University.) Though not native to Scotland, sheep have been an integral part of Scottish culture for thousands of years, particularly in the tradition of Scottish woolen textiles. Wool is not only warm, breathable and long-lasting, but it's one of the most sustainable fibres on the planet, and it's all thanks to millions of naughty sheep.

people rowing on the lake in front of Cameron House

Cameron House on Loch Lomond

Cameron House

The Woolly Wellness retreats are offered once a month and space is very limited, so jump on it if you're interested. The day starts at Cameron House and includes transportation to and from the "ewe-nique" retreat, the delightful experiences at Naughty Sheep, a 3-course dinner at Cameron Grill restaurant, a one-night stay at Cameron House and a full Scottish breakfast in the morning.

Who needs goat yoga when you can enjoy the charm of Scotland, the luxury of a lake resort, the rejuvenating effects of a wellness retreat and some memory-making sheep nuzzling? Go to the Cameron House website to learn more about the Woolly Wellness retreat and the resort's other offerings as well.

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The controversial HPV vaccine has nearly eliminated the cervical disease in Scotland.

There’s been a lot of controversy around the safety and effectiveness of vaccines over the last decade, but a new study just put a big check mark in the plus column for the HPV vaccine.

The study involved 140,000 women and shows the vaccine that protects against the human papillomavirus has been effective in dramatically decreasing cases of the cervical disease later in life. Researchers claim the vaccine, recommended to girls when they are in their early teens, has cut the pre-cancerous cells by 90 percent, nearly eliminating cases of pre-cancer since they implemented the new vaccination program in 2008.

But that’s not the most interesting factor. This new research also found that being vaccinated at a younger age was associated with increased effectiveness.

And there’s good news for parents who’ve chosen not to vaccinate their kids as well.

Unvaccinated women also showed a reduction of cervical cancer, likely due to the fewer HPV cases in general thanks to the increase in those who had been vaccinated.

Researchers hope these findings will help ramp up cervical cancer prevention programs around the world, and inspire more families to get their young women vaccinated so that cervical cancer can be eliminated once and for all.

"The main message is that the vaccine works,” Dr Kevin Pollock, of Glasgow Caledonian University, explained to the BBC. “As long as the high uptake continues, the virus has got nowhere to go and it is being eliminated.”

Unfortunately, many parents are still morally against the vaccine, fearing it encourages sex at a young age.

It might seem like a no-brainer to get your child an HPV vaccine, however, historically there has been some controversy around it, especially with regard to administering it to younger women.

Some worry that it encourages their children to be prematurely sexually active. Others simply don’t believe in vaccinations in general. What's more, if parents refuse to allow their child to be vaccinated, and that child then waits until they’re legally old enough to get it themselves, it likely won’t be nearly as effective. An individual needs to receive the vaccine before they become sexually active — not after — in order for it to do its job. If they wait until they’re 18, there’s a much higher chance that they’ll already be sexually active, thereby negativing the vaccine’s effectiveness.

Just because teens have access to things like condoms, birth control pills and vaccines that have to do with their reproductive health doesn’t mean they are going to have sex. However, as this study shows, such vaccines could save them from contracting a life-altering and potentially deadly disease. At the end of all the arguments, isn’t protecting your child’s long-term health the most important thing?

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There's new hope for saving the world's rarest cat after 2 Scottish kittens were rescued.

The Scottish wildcat is a critically endangered species, believed to be the last remaining wild feline species in Britain. By some estimates, there are only about 35 of them left in the wild. Their numbers have been decimated through hunting, environmental changes, and crossbreeding with feral house cats. (For all of the cat parents out there, yes, it looks much like a very large tabby.)

But there's a new ray of hope — all thanks to the discovery of 2-month-old orphaned kittens in the Scottish highlands.

They were found dehydrated, hungry, and dangerously close to a road. Now, they have a chance to not only survive, but give a shot in the arm to their entire species thanks to the Wildcat Haven, a group called that's helping rehabilitate these cats.

"I almost fell off my chair when I saw the photos," Wildcat Haven chief scientific adviser Dr. Paul O'Donoghue said. "The markings looked amazing, far better than any kitten I'd seen in a zoo, but in a very exposed place. It seemed likely they had been abandoned or orphaned and were in grave danger."

Wildcat Haven has a donation-based adoption program that aims to do everything from protecting their habitats to neutering the feral cats whose numbers are dwindling thanks to crossbreeding.

As cute as these two rescued kittens are, the real success will be seeing them and others growing up to be like "the beast"— a very large Scottish wildcat that was recently spotted surviving and thriving in the Clashindarroch Forest.

Saving the Scottish wildcat and other endangered species won't be easy, but our united efforts are a win for our planet's biodiversity.

There have been recent success stories of people coming together to make real progress in restoring habitats and protecting the creatures who live there.

Even if you're not a cat person, helping save an entire species is something worth supporting.

Watch a video of the kittens below:

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Great Britain vs. U.K.: What's the difference? Here's an easy breakdown.

If you're an American who's not so sure what the difference is between Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and England, you're not alone.

During his recent trip to London, President Donald Trump showed he isn't exactly up to speed on the terminology either. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Trump was asked about the incentive for the United States to work out a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, Trump stumbled a bit:

"We would make a great deal with the United Kingdom because they have product that we like. I mean they have a lot of great product. They make phenomenal things, you know, and you have different names — you can say 'England,' you can say 'U.K.,' you can say 'United Kingdom' so many different — you know you have, you have so many different names — Great Britain. I always say: 'Which one do you prefer? Great Britain? You understand what I’m saying?'"

When Morgan stepped in to note that Great Britain and the U.K. weren't exactly the same, Trump said, "Right, yeah. You know I know, but a lot of people don't know that. But you have lots of different names."

A look at the British Isles.

He's probably right about that last part, and to be totally real, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Should you find yourself in a situation where that kind of knowledge is useful, here's a quick guide.

There's a lot of overlap between the British Isles, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. For instance, England is part of all three groups, and all that overlap can make it a little tricky to remember the distinctions. (Full disclosure: I wasn't personally up to speed on this until just a few years ago so don't feel bad if you're not either.)

The British Isles

The British Isles aren't a country or political alliance. This is just a geographic term used to describe England, Wales, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the small islands spread out along the coasts. There probably aren't too many contexts where you'll need to use this term, but it's good to know.

The British Isles.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state made up of four separate countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Until 1922, the Republic of Ireland was also part of the United Kingdom. London is the capital of the United Kingdom. The area's formal name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Knowing this, it's pretty easy to guess what Great Britain is...

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Each of the four individual countries has its own flag.

From top left, clockwise: Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales.

But together, they're all represented under the Union Jack.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The flag combines elements of the English, Northern Irish, and Scottish flags. It's also known as the Union Jack.

Great Britain

Great Britain is the United Kingdom without Northern Ireland. It's made up of England, Wales, and Scotland. One way to remember the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain is that the United Kingdom unites two separate islands, whereas Great Britain is all part of one basic landmass. It's important not to use Great Britain and the United Kingdom interchangeably for a number of political reasons.

Great Britain.

This all probably seems pretty silly, but these are questions that do come up from time to time. Now, odds are that none of us are ever going to find ourselves in the position of being the President of the United States asked in an interview about this, but you never really know when you'll end up in an "Oh man, what's the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain?" pickle. For those moments, feel free to bookmark this page.

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