The one thing we don’t have is little notes everywhere! We trust you to use your common sense and treat our place well.
The Cottage is all on one level.
The wifi is good enough for Zoom or Teams meetings and for streaming TV.
The broadband service is beyond our control so the wifi and broadband do not form part of our contract with you. If it is glitchy we will always do our best to fix it and keep you informed of service update.
We've cooked a Christmas dinner in the kitchen, so we know it's great for making family meals.
Cooking and preparing food
Storing food
Washing and cleaning
Making drinks
The cottage is a warm and cosy place to stay.
Sometimes you just want to chill inside or the family need some down time.
Please bring your own charging plugs. There are a few spare sockets in every room.
Accidents happen, and sometimes you need to clean up during your stay.
The cottage is surrounded by sea on three sides, and you have access to the whole Lighthouse compound.
Little ones are very welcome. Please lest us know when you book or before you arrive if you would like us to put out any or all of these.
There's loads of things for families to do here in Caithness - see our Things to Do page for ideas.
Things you'll find in the cottage:
We love welcoming your pets and about half our guests bring their dogs.
Caithness has some wonderful beaches and forest walks for dogs as well as enclosed spaces where even reactive dogs can run off-lead. Just ask for info - we live next door, and have dogs and cats ourselves.
Please do not leave your dog alone in the Cottage. If you need a local dog-sitter, we are happy to recommend Emma Taylor - contact her via Taylor Made Dog-sitting on Facebook or on WhatsApp. She's local to us and just loves looking after dogs.
Keeping your pet safe
You know your dog best, but we recommend you keep them on a lead outside.
Please bring your dogs' own food bowls and toys with you, and your dog crate (if you have one).
We'll provide the following:
Please leave these things for future guests!
Maybe!
Let's have a chat about furniture and litter!
Please bring your own throws to cover all the furniture in the living-room to protect it from scratching, and keep your cat out of the bedrooms altogether to protect against scratching and cat hair.
At night, and when you are out, please limit your cat to the kitchen and dining room because these areas have hard floors. If you cat does mess outwith the litter tray, please use an enzyme cleaner at the time, and please also let us know about so we can check them and treat them again if necessary.
If we can work together on this, we'll be fine.
We make our beds up with 100% Organic Cotton bedlinen and feather-free pillows and duvets. We also provide 100% Organic Cotton towels.
In the kitchen you will find tea towels and oven gloves.
There is soap in the kitchen and bathroom, but you know what shampoo and shower gels you prefer so we don't provide those.
I am glad to be able to sponsor Highland Pride.
The cottage is all on one level, so it's suitable for people with some mobility issues.
However, we are not suitable for wheel-chairs or mobility scooters because there are two shallow steps into the porch and two more into the cottage. However, if you are a bit unsteady on your legs, we may well be suitable. Contact Ben if you would like more information.
There are different kinds of neurodiversity on both sides of the family, so I know one size does not fit all. But here are the things that may help you decide if we are suitable for you and your family.
Sadly, no. The Northern Lighthouse Board do not let us have the keys!
Yes. You can find out more about the lighthouse in the display in Wick Museum, where you can also wee the two-storey high fresnel lens.
Yes, it was designed by Alan Stevenson, and built to his designs by John Arnott in 1849. Alan b had just finished buiding Skerryvore lighthouse, and was fascinated by ancient architecture, hence the decorative touches like the Greek pediment above the lighthouse door, and the curved design of the chimneys on the roof of the quarterdeck.
We support your green choices in the cottage.
We made as many green choices as we could when we refurbished the cottage
Our priorities when buying are green options and local suppliers:
The headland is a haven for wildlife, and our neighbour is an organic farmer.
We are not resting on our green laurels; we have plans for further improvements.
AI is the opposite of green. Generative AI requires much more powerful servers and much more computer power than traditional search or good old brain-power. I do not use generative AI for my writing or social media. Read more in my AI Policy.
Tell us straight away!
We want your stay to be perfect, so we'll fix anything that's wrong as fast as we can.
Phone, text, or WhatsApp Ben and I'll pop round. I am just next door so it's no bother.
Yes - we have a 13 amp socket outside, which you are welcome to with your own cable by arrangement.
You can pay us directly, or we can deduct the cost from your housekeeping deposit.
There are EV fast chargers in Wick.
There are two or three really good shows a year, and Noss Head is a good place to see them. Your best chances of seeing the Northern Lights are between September and April. Read my blog post on seeing and photographing the Northern Lights. They are a sight like no other, but photographs are often much brighter than the Aurora is in real life.
Alas, no. It is a working lighthouse, run remotely by the Northern Lighthouse Board, and we do not have the keys.
Some days the compound is very quiet, and sometimes there is a lot going on.
We live on site (along with our cat and our Newfoundland dog) so if you have any questions, we can help you straight away.
Noss Head is a working lighthouse, but we do not have the keys so we cannot show you round. Contractors sometimes come up to do maintenance work. And remember, everyone loves a lighthouse! In good weather, walkers may come up to the compound. We always ask them to keep their dogs on leads.
Wick is about five miles away.
Transport options in Wick
Transport options further afield
Our wifi usually runs between 7Mb and 20Mb which is good enough for Zoom or Teams calls or for streaming to the TV, but not good enough for multiple people streaming or for gaming. Please note that we cannot guarantee the wifi, and though we will always do our best to fix it, the wifi does not form part of our contract.
Our family / dining room has a large table which is good for working at, and a blank wall with wildlife pictures which provides a professional background.
Please make sure you have travel insurance, even if you are in the UK.
We cannot provide refunds you if you are unable to come due to illness, cancelled flights, etc.
If you book direct, you will be asked to pay a deposit of 25% when you book, and to pay the balance 6 weeks before you arrive. If you book via another platform such as Airbnb, the cancellation terms are similar but may not be identical.
More than 6 weeks before you arrive
• Your deposit of 25% is non-refundable though we will return any balance already paid
• You may use your deposit of 25% to make a future booking
4-6 weeks before you arrive
• We will refund 50% of the full amount
• You may use the 50% we are unable to refund to make a future booking
2-4 weeks before you arrive
• We will refund 25% of the full amount
• You may use the 50% of the cost of your holiday to make a future booking
Less than 2 weeks before you arrive
• We are unable to provide a refund
• You may use 50% of what you have paid to make a future booking
See our Terms of Booking for full details.
We want you to have a safe and happy stay with no surprises, so tour terms are designed with fairness and safety in mind.
Read our full Terms of Booking here.
The new Short Term Let licence in Scotland has been put in place to confirm that self-catering properties are safe. The main part of it is our fire risk assessment, conducted by independent assessors and confirming that our electrical installations and equipment are safe to use. The licencing process also covers things like our insurance policies and water supply.
We currently have a Provisional licence, number HI-00501-P and expect our full licence to be granted by the end of the year.
Last updated 10th May 2024.
That would be me. I am Ben, I own the Cottage, and I live next door, so I can't hide!
If you book via Airbnb, Booking.com or VRBO, it is still ultimately down to me to fix any problems, though they will step in to mediate. You are very welcome to book via them if you prefer that security.
Payments and refunds are handled via Stripe so I never see your card details or bank account details, and you never see mine.
Yes. Our payments are all handled via Stripe and they will manage the currency conversion for you. We charge and make refunds in pounds, so if we do need to refund you, you may receive a different amount than you paid if the currency exchange rates have changed. Sometimes you'll get more back, other times you might get less back.
Sure. The best thing to do is WhatsApp me first, and then we can speak on the phone. I work flexible hours so we can speak at a time that suits us both.
I am always happy to talk about this subject! It's hard work, there's a lot of legislation, but I love welcoming people to the area and making sure they have a wonderful time. If you are serious, here are some invaluable resources.
There are many, many more resources, but these are my go-to places.
Good luck!
I love working with other people! I am a great believer that "if you win, then I win".
Let me know if you would like to explore ways we can
The simplest thing is to drop me a line or send me a WhatsApp.
