Sand and sea, lokantas and bars and bazaars - that's what the majority of Turkey's tourists think of when Turkey's mentioned. Yet one of the nation's largest industries is farming, with huge numbers of Turks still making their living off the land - so how do they live?

For those who are curious about the Turkey behind the resorts, just twenty minutes' drive yet a whole world away from the coastal resort of Kalkan is Owlsland.

It's a delightful small guesthouse, in a sympathetically restored 150-year-old traditional farmhouse nestling in the mountain farming village of Bezirgan.

Bezirgan is a "yayla", a summer village where the inhabitants of the coast escape the heat, the humidity and the mosquitoes, and in the summer months retreat to their farms in the cool heights of the mountains.

Owlsland is owned by a Turkish/Scottish couple, Erol & Pauline Salvarli. The old stone house was lived in by Erol's grandparents during the eighty years of their marriage until their death, and has now been lovingly restored to keep the character and charm of the building.

The original cedar beams and floors, the shelves, windows and doors have all been kept, and many of Erol's garndparents' farming tools and kitchen implements are on show in the rooms and on the balcony.

Typically of these houses, this latter runs the entire length of the building, and features several seating areas with traditional cushions,  where guests can relax, read a book, or just watch the plentiful birdlife, and soak up the peace and quiet of the mountains.

The guesthouse is set in its own grounds, where almonds, figs, pomegranates and vines grow, and it looks out over the fields to the surrounding mountains beyond.

It's very popular with guests who want to relax far from the stresses of modern living, yet it's close enough to the beaches and resorts of the coast, the archaeological sites and the mountain villages and towns to make an ideal base for exploring.

Erol said " We get lots of guests who are keen on birdwatching, especially at this time of year, when the birds are nesting; then we have others who like to walk, and yet more with responsible and stressful jobs who simply want the peace and quiet of the mountains to relax in. And of course lots of families who want to spend quality time with their children in the countryside."

The rooms are simple but charming, with comfortable, spotlessly clean beds, and extra touches like a hairdryer and a courtesy tray, with complimentary tea & coffee making facilities. And of course the restoration did include modern facilities in the bathroom!

The inner man isn't forgotten either - Erol is a chef of some twenty years' experience, and his speciality is traditional Turkish cooking, so guests can enjoy the taste of traditional dishes freshly prepared specially for them, using fresh local ingredients, and vegetables grown in the couple's organic garden wherever possible.

Their breakfasts are famous - the eggs come from Erol's Mum's chickens; honey from the family's bees, served with fresh yoghurt; Pauline makes her own jams from the organically grown fruit of Owlsland's garden, apricot and cherry, quince and plum; goat cheese comes from local animals, and all served on one of the terraces in their garden full of scented herbs and lovingly grown flowers, with a backdrop of a 3000-year-old Lycian city.

It's no wonder guests come from all corners of the globe, and come back again!

Contacts – website on www.owlsland.com

                  email owlsland@ttmail.com