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.

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.

Stuart was taught by his late father George Hood, who died aged 74 in 2010.

George was mentored by 'Scotland's greatest ever beekeeper' Willie Smith and Stuart continues caring for bees using methods Willie developed to this day.

Stuart is now inspiring the next generation of beekeepers as he's taught his daughter Eilidh, 18, the art.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

"She's involved in every aspect of the business and has a great business mind.

"She's got strong memories of when she was around five, helping my father put honey in jars and looking after the bees.

"So she's always been around the bees."

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.

Stuart, of Ormiston, 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.

"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.

"All my other early memories of us being with the bees.

"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.

"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.

"It was always part of my life."

Stuart took over the family business, Hoods Honey, when George passed away and they now make beauty and skincare products, fragrances and wedding favours.

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.

Stuart said: "Even though we've diversified the business, the traditions never change.

It's about the bees and that's where it all starts and all ends for us.

"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.

"You never take too much honey from a hive, you always take care of them first and then everything else falls in place after that."