Accommodation providers in Scotland are preparing to re-open and welcome guests from mid-July. For now, we have decided to remain closed, most likely for the rest of 2020. We're expecting a new addition to our wee family in August, and we’ll continue to isolate until they arrive, and then probably for a while after that. It’s a really exciting time for us, but at the same time a bit unsettling as we move out of lockdown. Our booking calendar is open for 2021 for those looking to plan a relaxing break to the Isle of Skye next year. We are hopeful that by then the risk from Coronavirus will be greatly reduced, for both our guests and our local community, and visitors to Skye will once again be able to fully enjoy all this beautiful island has to offer.

Stonechat Bothy is the perfect place to enjoy total privacy throughout your entire stay on the island. There is no need for a face to face check-in, but we are close by if you need us. Throughout your stay, you can choose to remain utterly secluded. From the Bothy, guests can’t see any roads or houses, and will have the surrounding area to completely relax and enjoy. We're adding a picnic bench to the orchard for guests to use, and we now have incredibly comfortable, locally made Adirondack outdoor seating, along with the fire pit, for our guests to relax and absorb fantastic views of Beinn Sgritheall. Perfect for enjoying warm, sunny days or clear, winter nights. We can recommend local places to explore during the day that are off the beaten track, avoiding the popular, but often overcrowded, tourist hotspots on the island.

We've been busy putting into place rigorous protocols and procedures, in line with advice from the Scottish Government and the Association of Scotlands Self-Caterers. We’ve completed a Covid-19 Risk Assessment for Stonechat Bothy, and created a comprehensive cleaning checklist to ensure we're doing everything possible to minimise the risk to our guests and ourselves. We will continue to update our procedures as new guidance becomes available.

During changeovers all surfaces in the Bothy will be thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water before being disinfected using a virucidal disinfectant (meeting EN 14476). We will be undertaking accredited training to ensure we are cleaning to the highest standard.

Measures we will take between guests include:

• Washing mattress and pillow protectors at a high temperature

• Rotating duvets and pillows for each guest (allowing 7 days without use between guests)

• Using a steamer for the soft furnishings

• All crockery, cutlery and glassware will be put through the dishwasher on a high setting during changeovers

• Hand sanitiser will be available in the Bothy for guests to use.

We're currently thinking about how we can make our terms and conditions more customer-friendly since there's probably going to be increased uncertainty in everyone's lives for the next wee while. We're looking into the possibility of getting an insurance policy that will cover guests if they need to cancel right up until two days before arrival. For now, we are reducing our deposit (non -refundable) to £100, and the balance of the stay won't be due until 4 weeks before arrival, giving guests more time to cancel their stay in the weeks leading up to their visit. As always we will be advising all our guests to also have their own travel insurance cover.

We hope these measures will give people reassurance that when we open we will be doing everything we can to minimise the risk from Covid 19. We look forward to welcoming guests back to the croft and Stonechat Bothy.