it has been a strange time and a fairly disastrous one for the self catering industry. We were i Lewis in 2019 preparing for the season, when the Scottish Government closed the Outer Hebrides due to Covid 19. It was a difficult business getting a ferry of the island and scarily eerie driving through a deserted country  back to Clackmannanshire.

Bookings had to be cancelled or I took cancellations or re-bookings.  I was happy to take cancellations without penalty as no one could have predicted the course of events and the main focus became keeping the island safe and respecting our communities. The Association of Self Caterers and Visit Scotland provided excellent advise although decisions by the Government were often at the last minute  - probably unavoidable but stressful for providers and guests.

We re-opened briefly for August and September before a second lockdown and further cancellations. Decisions were slow in the first few months of 2021 and it was  not clear if the island would reopen at the same time as mainland Scotland. We used the time to obtain our good to go certification and ensure all protocols and  regulations were adhered to as we want visitors to feel that the house is a safe environment.  

Eventually we started up at the end of April 2021 and have been busy since then. Thank you to all my regular visitors, who have re-booked. Its great to reconnect.  visitors have come through Airbandb, TripAdvisor and Booking .com. My only difficulties have come through my own website. 

Previously, I did not take a refundable deposit but have now changed this. I found I was getting bookings, which did not materialise as people may have gone elsewhere and did not respond to my emails etc, People have also brought in extra people to the house over the numbers allowed.

People have also been a little casual about the house. So in future I will take a refundable deposit  - a sign of the times -  Covid does strange things to us, such is our desperation after lockdown. 

These are minor irritations and meanwhile most visitors are great and enjoy the freedom of a holiday, providing all the info I need for Test and Protect etc 

I hope people will manage to  support local business, as they have suffered due to Covid, but a double whammy has been the unreliability of the ferries.

Welcome back everyone and thank you to all friends, family and regular visitors, who have come back. Enjoy your holiday at Garenin and we will continue to comply with all regulations to ensure you enjoy it.