Activities
The Island boast two outstanding Golf Courses where day tickets can be purchased. Stornoway has one of the longest Par 5’s in the UK, whilst Scarista Course is the most westerly links course within the UK.
See and Do
Surfing
Every year more and more surfers are flocking to the Island which has gained a big reputation as one of the top spots in the UK to catch a wave. Both sides of the Island have renowned locations whatever the wind direction.
Photography
Due to the ever-changing light the Isles have long been regarded as a photographer’s paradise. At any time of the year, it is possible for both professional & amateurs alike to capture unique and awe-inspiring images.
Add to this the high probability of seeing the Northern Lights from September onwards and you have the perfect combination.
Dog Friendly
Dogs are welcome in the property, but not on the furniture or beds. Please do not let your dog foul in the main garden, there is a gate in the side wall to a suitable grassy area.
Back is a traditional working crofting village with numerous sheep grazing in and around, ensure dogs are always under control. There are a number of pleasant walks directly from the property but please make sure that consideration is given to wildlife and nesting birds.
Wildlife
It surprises many that there are no foxes, badgers, and fewer small animals than can be found on the mainland. Only one type of Hare, the Blue or Mountain hare, lives here and even the ubiquitous rabbit though present lives in small numbers.
The islands however have become well known through our two largest resident animals, the Otter, and the Red Deer. Both are superbly adapted to getting the most from the islands with the Otter making the most of both marine and freshwater environments. Otters can be found all over the islands, though secretive as well as challenging to locate.
Island Red Deer are considered by some to represent the last pure populations of the native Scottish animal, Cervus Elaphus Scotticus. Deer range throughout the islands and do not be surprised if you encounter Deer whilst out walking or even just sitting in the garden.
Birds
The changing seasons bring with them many opportunities to look for our visiting species, from spring migrants to winter visitors as well as birds on passage, while our residents, provide a year-round variety from large raptors to waders and coastal species.
Fishing
The Island are renowned for their multitude of Rivers and Lochs and provide some of the best fishing for Salmon, Sea & Brown Trout. It has been stated that to fish all the Rivers & Lochs on the Islands fishing a different one each day would take a lifetime to achieve.
Marine Life
The productive seas off Scotland’s West coast have long been known as a favourite haunt of marine wildlife and a range of Dolphins, Porpoises and Whales can be seen. There are a number of excellent vantage points where you can observe from land, or for the more adventurous Sea trips can be arranged.
For Sea Trip Adventures Contact Seatrek Outer Hebrides – Sea Trip Adventures Isle of Lewis.
Customer Information
Here at Roberts Retreat we are very aware of the significant and legitimate concerns our guests may have around COVID-19.
We also take our responsibility to comply with health and safety legislation and limit the spread of the virus very seriously and as such have taken every precaution possible to ensure that any risk of infection is minimised.
From your arrival to departure, we have put in place a number of procedures to maximise your safety.
Travel restrictions
Due to the possibility of COVID-19 restrictions being imposed at short notice, we will be more than happy to rearrange dates of bookings or provide a full refund if guests have to cancel anytime between making the booking and three days before the arrival date. This also applies if we have to close.
Arrival
All bookings must be made in advance with payment made online prior to arrival. Check-in time is 3pm on the first day of your booking. Please do not arrive early, unless by prior agreement, as it is likely that we will be at the hut cleaning after previous guests.
On arrival, if you are driving, you will park up at the designated parking area having closed the gate at the top of the track by the road behind you. There is a small, padlocked shed at the parking area – you will be sent the code for the lock once payment has been received. Inside the shed is a wheelbarrow which you can use to carry your luggage to the shepherd’s hut, as well as the key to the hut, all of which will have been thoroughly disinfected between guests.
Those guests who are choosing to cycle or walk to Roberts Retreat will also be able to collect the key from the shed.
Should it be required, we can collect you by car from the bus or train stations in Perth or Dundee. We will wear face masks at all times and would appreciate it if you did too, unless exempt. The car will be thoroughly cleaned prior to and after pick-up and drop-off.
In the shepherd’s hut itself, hand sanitiser and surface wipes are provided. Please use regularly, particularly on surfaces that are touched frequently such as light switches, door handles, and kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
There are four storage drawers under the bed for clothes and luggage. There is also a table for eating on a roller tray under the bed; please ensure the table is put back under the bed on the rollers when you are finished with it. You will see chairs for indoor use on your left-hand side as you enter the hut.
All amenities provided, other than cleaning items, are single packaged items and the packaging should be disposed of in the general waste bin.
If the weather allows, please leave the windows open as much as possible to keep the shepherd’s hut well ventilated.
In order to comply with social distancing rules, only essential maintenance should be undertaken during a guest stay. Should you find any maintenance issues that need to be addressed, please contact us and we will arrange to visit when you are not present (unless it is an emergency).
We can promise you that we will not enter the property should we display any symptoms of Coronavirus and that should that situation arise, every effort will be made to ensure that your stay will not be affected in any way.
What to do if you fall ill during your stay
Should you fall ill during your stay at Roberts Retreat, please let us know immediately on 07514 343 042 or 07702 569 965.
Government guidance states that the most common symptoms of coronavirus are the recent onset of a continuous cough or high temperature or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell.
If you develop any of these symptoms whilst staying with us, you should immediately book a test through NHS Inform or by phoning 0800 028 2816.
In accordance with Test and Protect, people with symptoms are required to self-isolate for at least seven days, and everyone in their household should isolate for 14 days. If the test is negative, everyone can end isolation. If the test is positive, everyone should continue to isolate, and the NHS Test and Protect team will be in touch to start contact tracing. Those contacted through the Test and Protect programme will be required to self-isolate for at least 14 days.
If you are isolating but can travel home safely to isolate, avoiding the use of public transport, you should do this.
If this is not possible, you should discuss this with the NHS Test and Protect team.
The National Assistance Helpline number is 0800 111 4000.
Should it be required, we can deliver medicines, food supplies and extra cleaning materials to the outside of the shepherd’s hut during the isolation period.
After the required period of self-isolation, guests and anyone else in their party who has been affected can then return to their main place of residence.
However, if you have to extend your stay due to illness or for self-quarantine or isolation, you will be charged the full price of the length of your stay. Unfortunately we cannot do anything about this as we will likely have other bookings and visitors who we will have to arrange alternative accommodation or dates for.
The best advice is not to travel if you have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or if you are showing any symptoms at all.
Departure
Check out time is 11am.
Before departure, please strip all linen from the bed and place in the linen bag provided, which is in the cupboard under the sink. Please also place the bath towels and mat and the tea towel in this bag. Linen and towels are taken off site, washed and ironed and then isolated for 72 hours between guests.
Guests are also responsible for leaving the accommodation as they found it, in good order and in a clean condition; otherwise a cleaning charge will be levied. Cleaning products can be found in the cupboard under the sink.
If the weather allows, please leave the windows open to ensure the shepherd’s hut is well ventilated.
Please return the wheelbarrow and the key for the hut to the shed in the parking area when you leave.
Thank you for choosing Roberts Retreat and we very much hope you enjo your stay!
From the south
Take the A93 out of Perth heading for Blairgowrie. Stay on the main road through Blair town centre and head over the bridge, through Rattray and out past Alyth on the A926. At the big roundabout, known as the ‘five roads roundabout’, take the second exit, signed Glenisla, onto the B954.
From Dundee take the Kingsway/A90, or the Lochee Road, to the A923 Coupar Angus road out through Camperdown and Birkhill. Stay on the main road, the B954 to Newtyle, and keep going through Meigle, turning left at the give-way sign at the shop. Just after Meigle, turn right on to the B954, following the signs for Alyth, and then at the big roundabout take the third exit for the B954 to Glenisla.
After the golf courses you will come to a T-junction, turn right here onto the B952. Follow this road round to the left, up a hill, for about five miles, past the Reekie Linn waterfall and round a tight right-hand bend on a hill – take the next junction on your left after that. If you get to Peel Farm you’ve gone too far.
Follow that road round until you get to a crossroads – signed for the Backwater Reservoir and Kirriemuir; turn left here.
From the north
Take the A90 south to Kirriemuir, and from there take the B951 heading west out of town; it is signed “The Glens”. Stay on that main road through Kingoldrum for around ten miles or so and just after the crossroads at Dykends (with signs for the Backwater Reservoir).
From the crossroads
You will go along a straight bit of road and about half a mile along on your left just by some trees there is a gate and a narrow track with a sign saying ‘No Wheeled Traffic’. That’s where you need to be. If you go over the bump in the road and down the hill, or if you get as far as the Glenisla Hotel, you have gone too far.
A local taxi driver is based in Glenisla and can pick you up from the road end and take you to and from local restaurants.
We can also pick up walkers and cyclists from nearby Dundee and Perth by prior arrangement for a small additional fee.
Roberts Retreat is located halfway up a hillside quite literally off the beaten track and as such accessibility is somewhat limited. Out of respect for the rugged beauty of the area there is no landscaping or manicured lawns here.
The ground is uneven and study footwear is recommended. Guests are asked to park their vehicles in the car park at the bottom of the hill and use the wheelbarrow located in the small shed to carry their luggage to the hut.
It is about half a mile to walk-in and it might feel as though you are walking into the middle of nowhere – you are but that’s the point of getting away from it all isn’t it? There are also four steps to get into the hut itself.
Roberts Retreat is located right on the Cateran Trail and on the border between Perthshire and Angus. It is surrounded by miles of peaceful tracks that wind their way through forests, mountain trails, along river pathways and quiet country roads – perfect for walkers and cyclists of all ages and abilities.
Many of the quieter roads between neighbouring Blairgowrie, Coupar Angus and Alyth are designated as walking and cycling friendly and are increasingly popular for family and social cycling as well as competitive road cycling events.
An Ordnance Survey map is available in the hut for use during your stay, and there is an outside tap for washing down muddy boots and kit after a day’s walking.
For those who wish to hire bikes, we can arrange for a local activity provider to contact you and deliver bikes to you at the hut.
Crighton’s Cycles in Blairgowrie, the Coupar Angus Cycling Hub and Alyth Bikes are also all great places to find out more about local routes and hire, repair or buy equipment during your stay.
In addition, as part of its commitment to regenerative tourism, the Cateran Ecomuseum recently launched a number of cycling itineraries in the area which can be found at www.cateranecomuseum.co.uk
Dogs are welcome at Roberts Retreat although due to the size of the hut it is only possible to welcome up to two medium-sized or one large pet at a time.
A compostable dog loo is provided on site and guests are respectfully asked to collect their pets’ poop and dispose of it there. As the hut is situated near a working farm and in an area teeming with wildlife including foxes, deer, rabbits, hares and birds of prey dogs must be kept under control at all times.
Due to its rural setting, guests are guaranteed to meet some wildlife, including the odd spider, mouse, bird, fly, bee, wasp or other creature, which may make their way into the shepherd’s hut unbeknownst to the owner.
If this is likely to be a problem, it would be best not to book. If any of these creatures are encountered, do not panic, just open a window or a door and let them out. If this doesn’t work, please contact us. We reserve the right to take no action if we do not consider the existence of the wildlife to be a serious threat to health.
Please do not let off any fireworks or light sky lanterns as they can have serious and often deadly repercussions for wildlife and nearby livestock.
Ticks
Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods and areas with long grass. They’re found all over the UK. Ticks do not jump or fly but can attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them. Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.
Most tick bites are harmless but a small number of ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. A tick bite can only cause Lyme disease in humans if the tick has already bitten an infected animal but it’s still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible, just in case. Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk areas include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands.
Tick bites are not always painful and you might not notice a tick until you see it on your skin. It is important to regularly check your skin and your pets after being outdoors. A tick removal tool is included in the first aid kit provided.
Midgies
There is no getting away from it, guests are quite likely to encounter the famous Scottish midge during the summer months. Roberts Retreat itself is less affected as it is more exposed to the wind due to its location on the side of the hill, however, the car parking area is home to a significant midgie population in the summer. Guests are advised to bring the midgie repellent of their choice with them for their stay.
Recycling, general waste and compost bins are provided and guests are encouraged to use them and follow the travelling adage of old: leave no trace.
As Roberts Retreat is serviced by a septic tank, please do not flush any wipes or sanitary products down the toilet.
Cooker and hob
The hob is gas powered; please make sure the gas is switched on at the canisters at the back of the hut. To light the hob, please use the lighter provided.
The oven is powered by electricity and is the biggest drain on the power system. For peace of mind, during the winter months in particular, it might be worth running the generator at the same time as you are using the oven. The instruction manual for the oven is in the cupboard in the cabin. Please note that it is not a microwave although it does have a number of other functions.
Logs and the stove
There will be firelighters in the cupboard under the sink, some kindling and logs by the stove and some more under the hut itself. If you are running low on logs please let us know and we will provide more.
When lighting the stove, have the wheel on the door fully open. Shut it a little at a time until the fire has caught and you are happy with the flame. The temperature gauge is on the side.
There is a metal bucket under the hut for the ashes, we’ll dispose of that out once you leave.
Please do not use so-called ‘disposable’ barbecues, and be aware that, particularly in the summer, there is a risk of wildfire. Do not start campfires on the hillside and only use the fire pit provided. Do not move it from the cobbled area and please make sure to extinguish it completely when you leave it unattended. An ashtray is provided for cigarette butts but again please make sure they are properly extinguished.
Your electricity is provided entirely by solar panels except when you choose to use the generator. With this in mind, there is a monitor on the left-hand side of the cabin as you go in the door, below the mattress and behind the chairs, that tells you how much power there is available in the battery storage units. If you are down to two bars it is probably worth running the generator for a while. Two hours should fully charge the batteries. Please bear in mind that as this is an off-grid system that if you are going to be using high power devices it is worth keeping an eye on the battery levels.
The solar panels do not run at full capacity in winter and it is advisable to run the generator located under the battery hut for a couple of hours each day to charge everything up.
To run the generator, turn the key (which is in the generator) to the ‘run’ position and press the fob key (which is in the hut under the sink) on. You have to be within three metres of the generator for the fob to work. Once you have run it for however long you need it to, please return the key position to off.
If for any reason the electricity trips, at the other end of the bed, where the rubbish bin is stored, there is a fuse box. Access to this requires a screwdriver which will be stored in the cupboard under the sink. Remove the four screws to check if it has tripped – if it has tripped the button will be pointing towards the floor.
If there is no fault there, check the electricity shed by the solar panels and see if there are any faults registered on the inverter there. If the top light on the inverter is green that is fine, but if any of the other lights are on it indicates there is a fault.
There is also another fuse box to the left of the inverter which should be checked. The button should be facing towards the ground for it to be working.
Please don’t do anything beyond these checks to try to restore power and instead call us.
The water comes from a natural spring on the hillside but has not been treated. As such, we provide bottled drinking water for your convenience.
For hot water for washing, make sure the gas is switched on at the canister at the back of the hut. Next to the canisters there is a cabinet attached to the side of the cabin. Check that the pilot light is lit – this is not visible by looking straight at it, you need to look at it from an angle towards the left-hand side. You should also hear the noise of the gas running. This should tell you that the water heater is working and hot water is available. If the pilot light is out, push the button on the left-hand side, holding it at the star for 10 seconds. The button should stay depressed when you remove your hand and the pilot light should be lit. The knob on the right-hand side is to adjust the temperature of the water. The water temperature is restricted however in compliance with holiday accommodation regulations to prevent scalding and burns.
You shouldn’t need to do this but in case you do, the water shut-off can be located between the cabin and the solar panels in the gravelled area. If you are not getting water check that this is open.
If for some reason we need to ask you to drain the water on your departure, please ensure that the water is shut off here, and open the two taps on the outside of the cabin to drain the pipes. There are also two open-ended pipes underneath the water heater on the outside back wall of the cabin which need to be opened using a screwdriver which will be located under the sink in the kitchen. Please also switch off the gas at the canisters.