Au Pair Ecosse was established by Dr Ruth Campbell in 2005. Our main business is placing au pair girls and boys with host families in Scotland.

Our Au Pairs come from:

Spain
France
Germany
Austria
Czech Republic
Poland
Canada
Italy
Estonia
Romania 
Sweden and other countries

Most applicants come via agent partners in these countries who compile the application, interview the applicants, check their references, make sure Police checks are current and that applicants are aware of what is expected of an au pair.  Placements vary in length from 3 months (usually to cover school holidays) to longer placements up to a year and longer.  All our Au Pairs are asked to supply Police Check certificates and references which will be verified by the sending agent or by ourselves.

We place all over Scotland and help the au pairs network so they can make friends and settle in quickly. 

Why use an Au pair agency?
With the advent of the internet it is now possible to bypass agencies and find an Au Pair on one of the many internet sites. This can be risky - the applicants are not vetted, references are not checked and there is no way of knowing how many families the applicant is talking to at any point in time, so they may agree to join a family and then disappear into cyberspace, never to be heard of again ! Many of these applicants are really only interested in finding a placement in London - the majority of our applicants have specifically requested a placement in Scotland and have a good idea of what to expect here. The au pair industry in the UK is largely unregulated, but guidance in good practice is provided by  BAPAA (British Au Pair Agents Association) www.bapaa.org.uk of which we are a member..

Furthermore, we endeavour to meet every au pair and their host family, help them find a place in a language school and are on hand to sort out any issues as they arise.

Why choose Scotland? What our au pairs say:

"Everybody is really nice and friendly, of course I thought people would be friendly, but not like this”

“I have fallen in love with Scotland and Edinburgh and will absolutely return here. Scotland is stunningly beautiful and Edinburgh has the perfect mix of good nightlife, cafes, culture and beautiful buildings. And the fact that there are loads of parks makes it even better”

"It's totally awesome. It's the best! It's amazing that Scottish people keep their traditiond like that. It's funny and friendly."

"You should go to a Highland Games while you are in Scotland. Why? Because there are men in kilts everywhere and you can hear bagpipes all the day. It's a very unique atmosphere - especially the massed pipe band which opens the games."

We are fortunate to have many Scottish language schools which are free for au pairs, and I can supply lists of available courses. Normally au pairs will work around 25 hours a week, leaving time free for English classes.

Pocket money is usually a minimum of £80 for 25 hours, £85 -90 for 30 hours plus though some families will pay more or perhaps help out with language school if there is a charge for classes. Most families are happy for the au pairs to have a weekend job in a café for example, where they can make a little extra money, practise their English and make friends.

Au Pairing Abroad:
We also help UK applicants to find au pair placements in Europe and the USA through partnerships with agencies in these countries. We make no charge for this service (it is ilegal for us to do so) and it is a lot safer than putting a listing on an internet site.