Self Catering Scotland Q & A

Some questions we get asked from time to time ...

When will the indoor swimming pool be finished?

Sorry but the pool will not be available untill early in 2011

What do I need to bring?

We provide everything to get you settled in, including 1 toilet roll. You will find some eco friendly cleaning products in the cupboards, but may not be enough for the week. Towels, two pillows per person, duvets, and bed linen is included in the price. Food is required, and most people stop on route to stock up with provisions. But there are grocery shops and a petrol filling station at Fort Augustus. Oh, by the way, don't forget film for your camera!

How far are the shops?

There are nice shops restaurants and bars a couple of hundred yards from the apartment in Fort Augustus. For main shopping Inverness and Fort William are both around 32 miles. Inverness has just about anything you might need, including 24 Hour Tesco and filling stations. There are a couple of very good Hotel bars and restaurants in Foyers (12 miles) and an excellent pub in Dores (24 miles) which is on the shores of Loch Ness and serves very good meals at reasonable prices.

What is there for the kids to do?

Well, I can say "nothing much", unless you can count all the things that kids do when they are in the countryside and away from the town, then you will probably know what I mean ! It is one big adventure for them and they will love every minute of it. Dare I mention rain! Well, it does now and again, so on those occasions there are all the facilities in The Highland Club. Inverness also has lots of things to do, including Bowling alley, Aquadome, Multi screen cinema, sports centre and climbing wall, Monster exhibitions, you can't go home without taking the kids monster spotting and where better to get a sighting of Nessie than on a Jacobite cruise on Loch Ness. Very often, if you check the weather forecast you can find sunshine not far away, as our rain does tend to be very localised, so if it's raining in the west it is often dry in the east and visa versa. You will also find a good selection of information leaflets, video's, books, and games to amuse them and indeed yourselves at other times.

Is it too early to book, when should I book?

The best time to book your holiday is as soon as you are sure that you can take the week or weeks that you would like to come. Many of our guests return year after year and lots of them book the following years holiday before they travel home, or shortly after they leave. Whatever your circumstances, we would advise you to book at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment. A 25% deposit is all that is required, with the remainder payable 6 weeks prior to arrival. We will refund all monies, less a small admin. fee, if you have to cancel, providing we manage to re-let the cottage. However, we strongly advise you to insure against cancellation - we will send you a form upon booking. As a rule, we can usually say we will be more or less booked for the summer by mid March, so please BOOK EARLY.

Can I go fishing, do I need a permit?

There are numerous lochs in the area, and fishing for native Brown Trout is free from the bank on any loch see our fishing page. If you are looking for more serious fishing in the Loch Ness area, then guides and permits can be obtained locally. Fishing is free to our self catering visitors from the abbey grounds.

What is the weather like in Scotland?

Well it is very much the same as in England and just as unpredictable. I would say, as a rule of thumb, it is a couple of degrees colder, on average, because we are further north, but that doesn't mean it is always colder. On the contrary, very often we are basking in sunshine when the rest of the UK is experiencing cold and rain!! Likewise, during the winter, the Lochside can be quite mild whilst only a couple of miles away it can be snowing. It mostly depends on elevation, and the higher you go, the colder it gets. That's why the skiing is so good in the Highlands. We are open all year and we have never had any serious disruptions to our guests because of snow. One other major plus is the very long summer days, when it hardly gets dark at all!! Click on the link below for up to the minute forecasts.

What about the midges?

The subject can be long and complex, and there is no straightforward answer, but basically midges are not a major problem in the South Loch Ness area, not as in some of the wetter parts of Scotland. We do get them between June and September and the numbers vary from year to year. They are most active early mornings and during the evening after the sun goes down, possibly worst during damp summers. see detailed information on midges in Scotland. Many businesses here these days have midge machines which appear to be very successful at reducing midge numbers and hence making outdoor life like Barbecueing and sunbathing pleasurable. It is worth enquiring at the time of booking if the owners have such a machine available, especially if you are considering visiting a high risk area. We do not have such a machine at Hazelgrove as we do not seem to have a problem with midges.