Frequently Asked Questions
BOOKING AND PAYMENT
How can I pay? Book direct and pay for your stay using our easy to use online booking system. Click 'Book your stay' to search for our current availability and fees.
A deposit equal to £100 for each unit booked is required to secure a reservation. The deposit will be refunded according to the cancellation policy.
The full booking balance must be paid 28 days before arrival.
Where bookings are made less than or equal to 28 days before arrival, a deposit equal to the full booking amount will be required.
Cancellation Policy
If a booking is cancelled less than 28 days before arrival then a charge equal to 100% of the stay will be made.
If a booking is cancelled 28 or more days before arrival then a charge equal to £100 per booking, per unit will be made.
A change of dates after a booking is confirmed will be treated as a cancellation, so would be subject to the cancellation policy terms and charges.
For bookings made using the Airbnb platform, please refer to your Airbnb reservation information for details of the cancellation policy.
Who can book a stay? You must be 18 years or over when you book this accommodation and must be part of the group occupying the premises . Lead guest address, contact and party information will be required for all bookings.
How long can I stay for? The minimum stay period is 2 nights and your stay can start on any day of the week, except for Christmas and New Year holiday period bookings (refer to the booking calendar for minimum stays and arrival day restrictions for this period). We are open all year round. The maximum stay is 14 nights. Bookings made for longer than 14 nights will not be accepted.
PLEASE CLICK OUR 'BOOKING CONTRACT' TAB FOR FULL BOOKING TERMS AND INFORMATION.
What happens if I can’t get to the accommodation due to bad weather, illness or other event outside our control? If you cannot travel due to poor weather, illness, or any event outside our control then please be aware that we will not provide a refund. However, you may be able to claim on your own travel insurance.
We recommend that all guests take out travel insurance when they first secure a booking.
How do I pick up the key? The key arrangements will be sent to you prior to your stay, following receipt of the full balance payment.
STAYING AT MONIACK LODGES
What are the arrival and departure times? The lodge will be ready for your party with self-check-in available from 4.00pm on your arrival day – instructions for how to access the lodge will be sent to you following receipt of your balance payment.
The check-out time is by 10:00am on the departure date.
We are asking everyone to strictly adhere to these times, which are crucial to ensuring that our housekeepers have enough time to clean each lodge to an enhanced standard.
Is linen provided? Yes, our lodges are fully equipped with sheets and towels. All the beds are fully made up for your arrival.
What are the guests' responsibilities? The person booking the property (the Lead Guest) must be part of the group occupying the premises. The lead guest must ensure that all members of their rental group are aware of and abide by the terms of the Booking Contract.
What is the Emergency Fire Action Plan for the premises? Under the terms of Part 3 of the 2005 Act and the Fire Safety (Scotland) regulations 2006, a Fire Safety Risk Assessment of each lodge has been made, and the findings recorded, and steps have been taken to reduce the risks associated with fire. The Emergency Fire Action Plan is displayed in each lodge.
You must make yourselves familiar with the contents of our Fire Safety Notice, prior to your stay. On arrival, all guests are required to note the exits, locations of emergency lighting, fire-fighting equipment and instructions for use, and the Emergency Fire Action Plan - guests should contact us if they have any questions.
Are there toilet rolls, soap, milk, teabags, coffee, hairdryer? A welcome tray with tea, ground coffee and sugar awaits your arrival and you will find a pint of milk in the fridge. We also provide toilet rolls, kitchen roll and soap, but no other toiletries. A hairdryer is provided.
Who can stay in each lodge? The maximum occupancy of each of our lodges is as follows - Affleck Lodge sleeps up to four guests, including infants (children under two years old); Smithywood Lodge sleeps up to two guests, including infants. The occupancy limit must not be exceeded and the lodge premises may only be occupied by the booked party. The confirmed booking may not be changed other than by prior written agreement.
Can friends/family visit during our stay? We are happy for you to welcome a small number of visitors to spend time with you on the lodge premises during the daytime and/or evening; however, the lodge premises may not be occupied overnight by persons other than those in the booked party. The use of tents and/or vehicles for overnight stays on the premises, including in parking areas, is not permitted.
Can I charge my electric vehicle at the accommodation? No. Our lodges’ electrical systems have not been designed to provide continuous power from one socket over several hours. If an ordinary socket is used to charge an electric vehicle, there is significant risk of an electrical fire and consequent danger to life. Therefore, we are unable to allow electric vehicle charging from our properties at present.
The network of charging points for electric vehicles across the Scottish Highlands has grown over recent years, and there are plans to expand the network further. Our nearest charging point is in nearby Beauly village, less than 10 minutes' drive away, where you can shop for groceries and gifts, check out our local eateries and take-aways, take a river walk or visit historic Beauly Priory. Our guests with electric vehicles say they have toured the Highlands by planning ahead to include charging stops in their day trip itinerary - chargers can now be found in shopping areas, at tourist information centres, car parks and at some distilleries and at other visitor attractions.
Check your provider's charging point location app or visit ChargePlace Scotland for details of electric vehicle charging availability.
What should I bring with me? A torch could be useful for non-summer stays – there’s a light over each outside door, but no street lighting in the area. We recommend bringing walking shoes/boots and/or wellies – these are our preferred footwear for walking on our local trails.
Do you allow dogs? Yes! By arrangement, up to two of your four-legged companions are welcome to join you in Affleck Lodge and up to three in Smithywood Lodge – there is no fee to pay – please use our booking form to let us know how many dogs you are bringing when you book your stay. Each lodge has its own, large woodland garden and Reelig Glen’s Forest Trails are a short walk from our lodges.
Why do we need to know if you are bringing along pets at the time of booking? Safety for ourselves and our visiting staff is uppermost in our minds when we ask you to let us know if you are bringing dogs to stay with you - when we drop in to say hi or to deal with bins and/or maintenance, we want to be prepared for the possibility of encountering dogs in the garden grounds and lodge. We also want to ensure that your dogs get our wee doggy welcome pack and that you have our guide with links to the best walks and dog-friendly places to visit and the contact details of our most local vet, etc.
Finally, we really appreciate that our guests staying with dogs will try to ensure that all pet hair, etc. is removed at the end of their stay, but we prefer to schedule in a little extra cleaning time at changeover following a stay with dogs, just so that we can make sure that all residual pet signs are removed before our next guests arrive.
Are the garden grounds enclosed? Smithywood lodge has up to a one metre tall fence and hedge around the immediate garden grounds, where you can sit with your four-legged companions on the decking to the front and at a picnic table to the rear, overlooking Moniack Burn. There is a small wildlife pond in the front garden - look out for newts, frogs, beetles and other insects attracted to the water! Affleck's garden is enclosed on three sides by a stone dyke (wall) and fences, but is open to the burn.
A small doggy welcome pack is provided – with poop bags, a water bowl and towel for drying your dog after outings, for use during their stay, and a treat. We can provide a plastic dog bed - please bring along your dogs’ crate, if preferred, and don’t forget their own comfy bedding, food and food bowl. Dogs must be kept off the furniture and under proper control. You may not leave your dog/s unattended in our properties.
PLEASE NOTE: Reelig and Moniack is a sheep-farming area; therefore, we ask that your dog is supervised when in the garden grounds and the surrounding area.
You'll find further information and terms in our 'Booking Contract'.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
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